Sun Perennials A-i

Artemisia arborescens 'Powis Castle'

Outstanding silver-green, lacy leaves and stems. Excellent contrast plant in the sunny perennial garden. Drought tolerant. Deer resistant. USDA 6-9

Aster oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite'

Height: 24 inches

Spread: 24 inches

Sunlight: full sun partial shade

Hardiness Zone: 4a

Other Names: Michaelmas Daisy

Description:
This vigorous native selection forms a nice clump, smothered with beautiful, daisy-like, violet-blue flowers with yellow centers in fall; puts on an amazing show even on hot, dry sites; needs sun and good drainage for best flowering

Ornamental Features:

Raydon's Favorite Aster has masses of beautiful violet daisy flowers with blue overtones and yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from early to late fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:

Raydon's Favorite Aster is a dense herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. 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 bees and butterflies 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: Disease

Raydon's Favorite Aster is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Groundcover
- Container Planting

Planting & Growing:
Raydon's Favorite Aster will grow to be about 24 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 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 full sun to partial shade. 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. This is a selection of a native North American species. 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.

Raydon's Favorite Aster is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. 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.

Iris pallida 'Aureo Variegata'

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

Iris ensata 'Variegata'

Purple blooms. Variegated foliage. Tolerates wet conditions. USDA 4-9

Iris pallida 'Albo Variegata'

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

Agastache x 'Blue Boa'

Upright, clumping, fragrant foliage with prolific and showy deep violet bottle brush flowers. This long bloomer tolerates heat and deer. USDA 5-9

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

Gaura lindheimeri 'Whirling Butterflies'

White blooms on red stems. Tolerates poor soils. USDA 5-9

Eupatorium coelestinum

Bright blue minty leaves with purplish stems topped with masses of powder blue fuzzy flowers. Height 2-3'.

Eupatorium attracts bees and butterflies. Needs moisture if grown in full sun. Drought tolerate in shadier sites. Deer and rabbit resistant.

- USDA Hardiness Zone(s): 4-9
- Exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Bloom Time(s): August-October

Gaura lindheimeri 'Siskiyou Pink'

Rose pink blooms on rigid stems. Naturalizing. USDA 5-8 'Siskiyou Pink' prefers full sun and is happy in average to poor, well-drained soil. Wandflower is a tap-rooted perennial so it is very drought tolerant. The tap root makes these difficult to move once they are settled in, so site them carefully.

Agastache x 'Blue Fortune'

Plant Height: 3 feet

Flower Height: 4 feet

Spread: 3 feet

Sunlight: full sun partial shade full shade

Hardiness Zone: 3a

Other Names: Anise Hyssop, Licorice Mint, Hummingbird
Mint

Description:

A lovely upright perennial with beautiful black licorice-scented leaves and lavender-blue blooms from summer to fall; drought tolerant, a wonderful addition to garden beds, containers or used in cut flower arrangements; low maintenance and easy to grow

Ornamental Features:

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop has masses of beautiful spikes of lightly-scented blue flowers with lavender overtones rising above the foliage from mid summer to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive fragrant pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes:

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop is a dense 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 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 bees, butterflies and 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

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop is recommended for the following landscape applications:

- Mass Planting
- General Garden Use
- Herb Gardens
- Container Planting

Planting & Growing:

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 3 feet. 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 6 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 very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any 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, but has a definite preference for alkaline 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.

Blue Fortune Anise Hyssop 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.

Agastach x 'Purple Haze'

Upright, clump-forming giant hyssop with smoky blue-purple flowers. Long blooming with fragrant foliage. Deer resistant. USDA 6-9

(Eupatorium) Eutrochium dubium 'Baby Joe'

Large fragrant pink blooms. Upright bushy habit. USDA 3-9