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!

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Astilbe x arendsii 'Bridal Veil'

Plant Height: 12 inches

Flower Height: 18 inches

Spacing: 18 inches

Sunlight: partial shade full shade

Hardiness Zone: 2b

Other Names: False Spirea

Description:
An upright-mounded, low maintenance and shade loving variety; pure white plumes rise above mounds of ferny foliage; an excellent addition to shaded gardens, borders, containers or moon gardens; low maintenance

Ornamental Features:
Bridal Veil Astilbe has masses of beautiful plumes of white flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its ferny compound leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Bridal Veil Astilbe is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. 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. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Bridal Veil Astilbe is recommended for the following landscape applications:

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

Bridal Veil Astilbe will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 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. 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 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 partial shade to shade. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline 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 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.

Bridal Veil Astilbe is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Astilbe x arendsii 'Deutschland'

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

Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Purple'

Lavender blooms on spires. Self-seeding biennial. Toxic. USDA 4-9

Digitalis purpurea 'Dalmatian Rose'

Plant Height: 3 feet

Flower Height: 4 feet

Spacing: 14 inches

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 4a

Group/Class: Dalmatian Series Description:
Exciting rose-purple tubular flowers with white interiors and dark purple spots; tall spikes rise above attractive green lance-shaped leaves; a biennial that's happiest in part shade with adequate moisture

Ornamental Features:
Dalmatian Rose Foxglove features bold spikes of rose tubular flowers with violet overtones and deep purple spots rising above the foliage from late spring to mid summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Dalmatian Rose Foxglove is an herbaceous perennial with a rigidly upright and towering 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 plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:
-Self-Seeding

Dalmatian Rose Foxglove is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Vertical Accent
- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
- Planting & Growing

Dalmatian Rose Foxglove will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a fast rate, and tends to be biennial, meaning that it puts on vegetative growth the first year, flowers the second, and then dies. However, this species tends to self-seed and will thereby endure for years in the garden if allowed. 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 does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. 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.

Dalmatian Rose Foxglove 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. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Digitalis grandiflora x purpurea' Mertonensis'

Deep pink blooms on spires. Perennial hybrid. Toxic. USDA 4-8

Athyrium felix-femina 'Lady in Red'

Tolerates rabbits & deep shade. Upright, vase-shape. USDA 4-8

Athyrium filix-femina ?Victoriae?

Height: 18 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 2b

Description:
An excellent choice for adding fine texture to garden beds and borders; features a low growing habit with arching green fronds throughout the season; easy to grow, requiring little to no maintenance; prefers partial to full shaded areas

Ornamental Features:
Lady Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its ferny bipinnately compound leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Lady 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.

Lady Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

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

Planting & Growing:
Lady 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 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.

Dryopteris tokyoensis

Erect, vase shaped. Narrow lanceolate fronds. USDA 5-8

Dryopteris erythrosora

Height: 18 inches

Spread: 18 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 4b

Other Names: Japanese Red Shield Fern

Description:
Gorgeous dramatic foliage color on spreading plants, ideal for borders, containers or use as groundcover; young papery fronds emerge copper in color and develop to green when mature; easy to grow and drought resistant

Ornamental Features:
Autumn Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its broadly spreading habit of growth. Its attractive glossy ferny compound leaves emerge coppery-bronze in spring, turning forest green in color with prominent coppery-bronze tips the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes:
Autumn Fern is a dense herbaceous evergreen fern with a ground-hugging habit of growth. 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 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.

Autumn Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

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

Planting & Growing:
Autumn Fern will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. 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 is quite adaptable, prefering to grow in average to wet conditions, 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 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.

Autumn Fern is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Matteuccia struthiopteris

Height: 24 inches

Spacing: 3 feet

Sunlight: full sun, partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 1b

Description:
The most common and recognizable of the ferns, this is a very tough and hardy plant, featuring tall lacy fronds all season long; spreads aggressively and may require some control; grows best in shade with rich, moist soil; great for textural effect

Ornamental Features:
Ostrich Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. Its large fragrant ferny compound leaves remain light green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:
Ostrich Fern is an herbaceous fern with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, 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. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration:

- Invasive

Ostrich Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

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

Planting & Growing:
Ostrich Fern will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 3 feet apart. It tends to be leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and should be underplanted with lower-growing perennials. It grows at a fast 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 performs well in both full sun and full shade. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

Leaves are light green, turning yellow then bronze in fall. Cinnamon colored fiddleheads are food for ruffed grouse and hummingbirds tend to nest. Native. USDA 3-9.

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.

Adiantum pedatum

Height: 18 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 1b

Description:
A wonderful low maintenance selection perfect for adding delicate texture to gardens and patio containers; arching fronds of light green turn beautiful golden yellow in the fall; prefers shaded areas with rich and moist well drained soil

Ornamental Features:
Northern Maidenhair Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its crinkled ferny compound leaves are light green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous gold in the fall. The black stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes:
Northern Maidenhair Fern is an 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.

Northern Maidenhair Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

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

Planting & Growing:
Northern Maidenhair 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 not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, 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 native to parts of 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.

Athyrium niponicum

Height: 18 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: partial shade, full shade

Hardiness Zone: 3a

Other Names: Crested Japanese Painted Fern

Description:
An excellent choice for adding fine textures to garden beds and borders; features a low growing habit with arching grey green fronds with silver variegations and deep red midribs; easy to grow, requiring little to no maintenance; shade loving variety

Ornamental Features:
Japanese Painted Fern is primarily valued in the garden for its cascading habit of growth. Its attractive ferny bipinnately compound leaves emerge deep purple in spring, turning grayish green in color with showy silver variegation throughout the season. The burgundy stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Landscape Attributes:
Japanese 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.

Japanese Painted Fern is recommended for the following landscape applications:

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

Planting & Growing:
Japanese 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.

Polystichum acrostichoides

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

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