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!

Iris pallida 'Aureo Variegata'

Attractive verigated grass-like foliage and large, spectacular pale blue blooms. USDA 4-9

Iris pallida 'Albo Variegata'

Pale blue blooms. Fragrant. Cream & green variegated foliage. USDA 4-9

Paeonia lactiflora 'Karl Rosenfield'

Height: 3 feet

Spacing: 30 inches

Sunlight: full sun

Hardiness Zone: 2a

Ornamental Features:
Karl Rosenfeld Peony features bold lightly-scented fuchsia flowers with yellow anthers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its compound leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Karl Rosenfeld Peony is an herbaceous perennial with a more or less rounded form. 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. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:

- Disease

Karl Rosenfeld Peony is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use

Planting & Growing:
Karl Rosenfeld Peony will grow to be about 30 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. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 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 should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. 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.

Paeonia lactiflora 'Sarah Bernhardt'

Height: 3 feet

Spacing: 30 inches

Sunlight: full sun

Hardiness Zone: 2a

Ornamental Features:
Sarah Bernhardt Peony features bold fragrant shell pink flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its compound leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Sarah Bernhardt Peony is an herbaceous perennial with a more or less rounded form. 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. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:
- Disease

Sarah Bernhardt Peony is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use

Planting & Growing:
Sarah Bernhardt Peony will grow to be about 30 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. The flower stalks can be weak and so it may require staking in exposed sites or excessively rich soils. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 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 should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. 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.

Amsonia hubrechtii

Long-lived plant with clusters of blue flowers in May and June and golden fall color on an upright, bushy plant. USDA 5-8

Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'

Plant Height: 18 inches

Flower Height: 30 inches

Spacing: 18 inches

Sunlight: full sun partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 3b

Other Names: Beardtongue
Ornamental Features:

Husker Red Beard Tongue has masses of beautiful spikes of white tubular flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive narrow leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning dark green in color with distinctive deep purple edges throughout the season. The deep purple stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the
plant.

Landscape Attributes:
Husker Red Beard Tongue is an herbaceous 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 is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Husker Red Beard Tongue is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- Border Edging
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting

Planting & Growing:

Husker Red Beard Tongue will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 30 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 18 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 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 full sun to partial shade. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Husker Red Beard Tongue 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.

Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'

White blooms. Dense maroon and green foliage. Clumping. USDA 3-8