Perennials

Perennials

Our enthusiastic and extremely knowledgeable perennials team is here to answer your questions and help you choose the best perennials for your situation. There’s always something in bloom for sun, shade, butterflies, birds or deer resistance  as well as a variety of bulbs for your space.

Stroll through our time-tested favorites and introduce yourself to the newest varieties. We garden with perennials too; we love them and it shows!

Astilbe rosea 'Peach Blossom'

Delicate pinky peach flower spikes crown lacy green leaves. Tolerates deer, heavy shade, and black walnut. USDA 4-8

Astilbe x arendsii 'Deutschland'

Soft, feathery, white flower heads bloom through the summer. Deer and rabbit resistant. USDA 4-9

Polystichum polyblepharum

Height: 32 inches

Spacing: 30 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 5b

Other Names: Korean Tassle Fern

Description:
A stunning fern for the shade garden with bright green new fronds that turn darker when mature; after they unwind, the tips hang down, like a tassel, but eventually straighten out; cut fronds are great for flower arrangements

Ornamental Features:
Japanese Tassel Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its ferny pinnately compound leaves emerge light green in spring, turning forest green in color the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes:
Japanese Tassel Fern is an herbaceous evergreen fern with a shapely form and gracefully arching fronds. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Japanese Tassel Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing:
Japanese Tassel Fern will grow to be about 32 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 30 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This species is not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division.

Polystichum acrostichoides

2-3 foot leathery fronds stay green all winter, giving it its name. Silvery fiddleheads emerge in early spring. USDA 3-9

Polystichum polyblepharum

Outward spreading fronds. Evergreen. Requires good Drainage. USDA 5-8

Polystichum acrostichoides

2?3 foot leathery fronds stay green all winter, giving it its name. Silvery fiddleheads emerge in early spring. USDA 3-9

Cyrtomium falcatum

Arching, glossy, dark green fronds. Naturalizing. Evergreen. USDA 6-10

Athyrium niponicum 'Regal Red'

Height: 18 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 4a

Other Names: Crested Japanese Painted Fern

Description:
Attractive tri-color fronds of silver, red and pale green; colorful maroon-red central stems and veins; compact and dense, perfect for shady spots; beautiful in masses on the edges of ponds or streams

Ornamental Features:
Regal Red Painted Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its attractive twisted ferny bipinnately compound leaves emerge dark red in spring, turning silver in color with pointy dark red spines throughout the season. The red stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes:
Regal Red Painted Fern is a dense herbaceous fern with a shapely form and gracefully arching fronds. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Regal Red Painted Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing:
Regal Red Painted Fern will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It prefers to grow in moist to wet soil, and will even tolerate some standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Helleborus foetidus

Lime-green blooms are edged with dark-purple accents. Semi-evergreen groundcover. USDA 5-9

Helleborus x iburgensis 'Molly's White' PP 25,685

Molly's White Hellebore | White, single-petaled flowers with lime-green accents. Late season bloomer. USDA 4-8

Helleborus 'Rome in Red'

Deep-magenta blooms accented with golden-yellow centers. USDA 4-9

Helleborus x Royal Heritage

Blooms in purple, red, pink, green, & white. Evergreen. USDA 4-9

Helleborus x Frostkiss? Glenda's Gloss?

Plant Height: 18 inches

Flower Height: 24 inches

Spacing: 16 inches

Sunlight: partial shade full shade

Hardiness Zone: 4b

Other Names: Lenten Rose, Winter Rose

Group/Class: Frostkiss Series

Description:
This beautiful selection produces bushy mounds of thick evergreen leaves; flower stalks, held above the foliage bear showy, cup shaped, creamy white blooms with violet edges and butter yellow anthers; a great selection for shade gardens

Ornamental Features:
Frostkiss Glenda's Gloss Hellebore features showy nodding creamy white cup-shaped flowers with buttery yellow eyes and violet edges at the ends of the stems from late winter to mid spring. Its attractive serrated oval compound leaves emerge chartreuse in spring, turning dark green in color with distinctive grayish green veins the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes:
Frostkiss Glenda's Gloss Hellebore is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Frostkiss: Glenda's Gloss Hellebore is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing:
Frostkiss Glenda's Gloss Hellebore will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 20 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 16 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Heuchera 'Obsidian'

Plant Height: 10 inches

Flower Height: 24 inches

Spacing: 10 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 4a

Other Names: Coralbells, Alumroot

Description:
Dark and moody deep purple-black, smooth and shiny foliage wont fade in the sun; tall flower spikes of creamy white appear during the early summer; flowers are suitable for cutting; great for color contrast in beds, borders and containers; low maintenance

Ornamental Features:
Obsidian Coral Bells features dainty spikes of creamy white bell-shaped flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. Its attractive crinkled lobed leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning black in color with curious deep purple undersides the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes:
Obsidian Coral Bells is a dense herbaceous evergreen perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Obsidian Coral Bells is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting
- Planting & Growing

Obsidian Coral Bells will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. However, you may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider covering it with a thick layer of mulch in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Obsidian Coral Bells is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.