Trollius europaeus

Trollius europaeus

 

Common name: globe flower

Family: Ranunculaceae

Leaf: Long stalked palmate basal leaves (to 4-6” long) are deeply divided into 3-5 ovate toothed lobes. Smaller sessile stem leaves have 3 ovate lobes

Flowers: Branched to branchless stems rise from the base of the basal foliage clump in late spring bearing globular flowers (1-2” diameter) each of which contains a ring of 10-15 showy, bright yellow, inward curving, petaloid sepals surrounding five petals. Flowers appear usually singly but sometimes in pairs. Blooming May-June.

Habit: clumping; Form: upright, vase

Height: 1.5'-2'; Spread: 1'-1.5'

Culture: Easily grown in rich, humusy, moist to wet, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates close to full shade. Leaves may bleach out in full sun. This plant thrives in cool weather. It dislikes dry soils and hot summers. It is not recommended for planting south of USDA Zone 6. The hotter the summer temperatures the more shade the plants require. This plant is dormant in the summer- plant under a tree and be mindful where they are, there will be an empty patch in the summer.  Established clumps may be divided in late summer to early fall. Plants will self-sow in the garden in optimum growing conditions. Plants require consistently moist soils and will thrive in boggy ones.

Uses: planting under a deciduous tree, excellent for moist soils along streams or ponds. Bog gardens. Moist meadows. Also appropriate for moist areas of borders, rock gardens or open woodland areas. Mass plantings can be spectacular in flower. Good with ferns and astilbe. Hardy in USDA zones 3-6.

Origin: Europe, Caucus, North America

 

 

 

 

Sedum spurium

Sedum spurium

 

Common name: Caucasian stonecrop

Family: Crassulaceae

Leaf: thick, succulent, opposite, obovate, flattened leaves (up to 1" long), with wedge-shaped bases are toothed near the ends. Medium green with reddish- tinted margins.  Lower stem leaves are deciduous, but newer leaves near the stem tips are evergreen, typically turning deep burgundy in fall for overwintering. Leaves are arranged in two rows along the stems, hence the sometimes used common name of two row stonecrop. Evergreen.

Flower: Tiny, 5-petaled, star-shaped, pinkish-red flowers (to 3/4” diameter) in dense, 4-branched inflorescences (to 4-6" tall) bloom from late spring to mid-summer (Aug.- Sept.) atop upright reddish flower stems. Flowers are attractive to butterflies

Habit: low-growing, sprawling; Form: matting

Height: 0.25'-0.5'; Spread: 1'-2'



Culture: Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some light shade. Likes sandy or gravelly soils. Needs good soil drainage to perform well. Drought tolerant. Avoid overwatering. Plants may be sited 12” apart when grown as a ground cover. Easily propagated by cuttings or division. Plants are evergreen in warm winter climates. Unlike some Sedum cultivars, ‘Red Carpet’ may be grown from seed.

Origin: Caucasus

 

 

S. spurium 'Pupurteppich'

 

 

 

S. spurium 'John Creech'

Phlox subulata

Phlox subulata

 

Common name: moss phlox

Family: Polemoniaceae

Leaf: linear to awl-shaped leaves (which retain some green in winter). Vegetation mats resemble moss.

Flowers: Profuse carpet of mid-spring flowers with notched flower petals. Fragrant, loose clusters (cymes) of fragrant tubular flowers, up to 3/4" wide, blooming March-May. Flowers are red-purple to violet-purple, pink or rarely- white. Each flower has five, flat, petal-like, rounded lobes that are distinctively notched

Habit: spreading, vigorous, matting; Form: matting

Height: 0.25'-0.5' Spread: 1'-2'

Culture: Best grown in humusy, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Best flowering is in full sun, but plants generally appreciate some dappled sun in hot summers. Good soil drainage is important. Plants grow well in sandy or gravely soils and tolerate hot, dry exposures better than most other species of phlox. Plants will self-seed in optimum growing conditions. Cut back stems after flowering by 1/2 to maintain form and promote denser growth plus to stimulate a possible light rebloom. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9.

Uses: groundcover, rock gardens, draped over rock wall

Origin: Eastern and Central U.S.A.

P. subulata 'Purple Beauty'

 

P. subulata 'McDaniel's Cushion'

 

 

 



Paeonia lactifolia

Paeonia lactifolia

Common name: peony

Family: Paeoniaceae

Leaf: Glossy green foliage is divided into oval to lance-shaped leaflets.

Flower: large, very fragrant, double flowers in pinks and whites and magenta. Blooming May-June. 

Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding, vase

Height: 2.5'-3'; Spread: 2.5'-3'

Culture: Easily grown in rich, fertile, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Remove spent flowers after blooming. Cut foliage to the ground and remove from the garden in fall after frost. If transplanted, make a big rootball so that the root system is not disturbed (and after transplanting, flowering could take several years). USDA zones 3-8.
Uses: great for a cut-flower gardens, perennial gardens. Effective as accents or herbaceous hedges along fences, sidewalks, driveways or walls. Foliage remains attractive throughout the growing season.
Origin: eastern Asia from eastern Tibet across North America

P. lactifolia 'Sarah Bernhardt'

Monarda didyma

Monarda didyma

Common name: bee balm

Family: Lamiaceae

Leaf: opposite, ovate to ovate-lanceolate medium to deep green leaves, 3-6" long with serrate margins. Minty fragrance when bruised or crushed.

Flowers: tubular, two lipped, bright scarlet-red flowers crowded into dense, globular, terminal flowerheads, 3-4" across. Subtended by a whorl of showy, red-tinged, leafy bracts. Long summer bloom extends for about 8 weeks from early/mid-summer to late summer. (June-Sept.) Foliage declines after bloom. Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the flowers.

Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding

Height: 2-4'; Spread: 2-3'

Culture: Hardy to USDA zones 4-9. Best grown in rich, medium to wet, moisture-retentive soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers rich, humusy soils in full sun, although can benefit from afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Even a bit of shade can help combat powdery mildew. Soil should not be allowed to dry out. Deadhead flowers to prolong summer bloom. Divide clumps every 3-4 years to prevent overcrowding and to control spread of the plant. Provide plants with good air circulation to help combat fungal leaf diseases, such as powdery mildew. Deadhead flowers immediately after bloom to prevent self- seeding. Spreads by rhizomes and self -seeding to form colonies.

Uses: Attracts butterflies, colour in a perennial border, cottage garden, wild garden, native plant garden, herb garden, naturalized planting, ponds or streams.

Origin: Canada, U.S.A.

M. didyma 'Lace Sugar'

Liatris spicata

Liatris spicata

Common name: blazing star, prairie gay feather

Family: Asteraceae

Leaf: basal tufts of narrow, grass-like, medium green leaves (up to 12" long).

Flowers: Terminal spikes (6-12" long) of sessile, rounded, fluffy, deep purple flower heads (each 3/4" across) appearing atop rigid, erect, leafy flower stalks.

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial; Form: upright, clumping

Height: 2'-4'; Spread: 0.75'-1.5'

Culture: Hardy in USDA zones 3-8. Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Somewhat tolerant of poor soils, but prefers moist, fertile ones and generally performs better in moist soils than other species of Liatris. Intolerant of wet soils in winter. Tolerant of summer heat and humidity. May be grown from seed, but is slow to establish. USDA zones 3-8.

Uses: prairie gardens, perennial gardens, en masse, accent plant as it is quite dramatic.

Origin: Eastern U.S.A.

Leucanthemum x superbum

Leucanthemum x superbum

Common name: shasta daisy

Family: Asteraceae

Leaf: narrow, dark, glossy leaves, ovate to lanceolate, with regular serration

Flowers: "daisy" flowers: pseudo-flowers of yellow disk florets and white ray florets

Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding

Height: 3'-4'; Spread: 2'-3'

Culture: Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade in hot climates. Remove spent flower head to promote additional bloom. Divide clumps every 2-3 years to maintain vigour. USDA hardiness zone 5-9.

Uses: long-lasting summer bloom, cutting garden, classic perennial garden flower.

Origin: Garden origin, a hybrid by an American Horticulturist. Parentage involves species originating from France and Spain.

Heuchera sanguinea

Heuchera sanguinea

Common name: coral bells

Family: Saxifragaceae

Leaf: round, lobed, long-petioled, medium green leaves that form a basal mound up to 8" tall. 

Flowers: magenta flowers on open, airy panicles on slender wiry stems, risin above foliage mound up to 18" high. Blooming May-June.

Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: clumping

Height: 1'-1.5'; Spread: 1'-1.5'

Culture: Hardy in USDA zones 5-9. Best grown in organically rich, humusy soils, with medium moisture in full sun to part shade. Performs well in full sun in the north, but prefers some shade from high heat of hot afternoons in areas with hot summer. If soils dry out, scorch can occur. Deadheaded faded flowers for additional blooom. Foliage is evergreen in warm winter climates. In colder winter climates, a mulch is beneficial. Divide clumps every 3-4 years in springtime.

Uses: En masse as a groundcover or group. In rock gardens, borders and open woodland gardens. Effective as an edger along pathways or walkways.

Origin: Western U.S.A.

H. sanguinea 'Splendens'

H. sanguinea 'Coral Petite'

Echinops bannaticus

Echinops bannaticus

 

Common name: blue globe thistle

Family: Asteraceae

Leaf: Spiny, deeply-dissected leaves (to 14” long) are rough green above and downy-white below.

Flower: Globular, umbel of thistle-like, gray-blue flower heads (to 2” diameter) bloom at the stem tops in summer (July-Aug.). Cultivar ‘Blue Glow’ improves on the species by producing intense steel blue flowerheads.

Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: clumping

Culture: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates wide range of soils, including poor dryish ones, as long as well-drained. Avoid rich soils. This is a taprooted plant that is difficult to divide or transplant. Cultivar ‘Blue Glow’ may be grown from seed and may self-seed in the garden if not deadheaded. Hardy in USDA zones 3-8.

Uses: Sunny borders, cottage gardens. Excellent accent

Origin: Europe: Romani, Hungary, Serbia

 

E. bannaticus 'Blue Glow'

 

 



Dicentra (lamprocapnos) spectabilis

Dicentra (lamprocapnos) spectabilis

 

Common name: bleeding heart

Common name: Papaveraceae

Leaf: graceful, soft green compound leaves palmate, each leaflet with three main lobes.

Flowers: 1" long, rose pink, nodding, heart-shaped, flowers with protruding white inner petals borne on one side of and hanging in a row from long, arching, stems above the foliage in mid to late spring. (April-May).

Habit: Herbaceous perennial; Form: clumping

Height: 2'-3'; Spread: 1.5'-2.5'

Culture: Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in part shade to full shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils in part shade. Intolerant of wet soils in winter and dry soils in summer. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9.

Origin: Siberia, Japan, northern China, Korea

 

D. spectabilis 'Alba'



Delphinium elatum

Delphinium elatum

 

Common name: delphinium, larkspur

Family: Ranunculaceae

Leaf: Palmately lobed green leaves are 5-7 parted near the base.

Flowers: Spicate flowering stems to 3-5’ tall are topped in late spring to early summer (June- July)with erect, terminal, often spectacular, central flower spikes (racemes) which are densely packed with showy blue florets (25-100 per raceme). Each floret (to 1” across) has 5 blunt, glabrous, petal-like, blue outer sepals, and two pairs of smaller true petals, with the lower two petals being yellow-bearded. The central raceme is surrounded by a number of smaller secondary flowering racemes (sidespikes) which develop from leaf joints below the primary bloom. Wide variety of colours amongst hybrids: pinks, whites, purples, blues.

Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: upright, spike

Culture: Grows well in alkaline soils.Winter hardy to USDA Zones 3-7 where this delphinium is best grown in fertile, humus rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun.  Appreciates some part afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Prefers climates with cool summer temperatures. Generally not recommended for growing in hot and humid summer climates south of USDA Zone 7. Plants require protection from strong winds and rain storms via sheltered growing positions and staking. After bloom, promptly cut back spent flower spikes to the basal foliage to encourage an additional late summer and/or fall bloom. Straight species plants may be grown from seed and may self-seed in the garden. All parts of plant are toxic if ingested.

Uses: Cottage gardens. Back of beds and borders. Best in groupings or massed. Plant against a fence or wall for protection from wind. Excellent cut flower.

Origin: Europe, northern and central Asia

 

D. elatum 'Coral Sunset'

 

 

 

D. elatum 'Cobalt Dreams'



Centaurea montana

Centaurea Montana

 

Common name: mountain cornflower, bachelor's buttons, mountaine knapweed

Family: Asteraceae

Leaf: Alternate, stalkless, decurrent, ascending oblique. Blade lanceolate, with entire margins, woolly underneath.

Flower: Flowers form 2–3.2" wide, single flower-like capitula surrounded by involucral bracts. Capitulum ray-florets neuter, dark blue (sometimes light red or white), obliquely funnel-shaped, lobed tip; disk florets purple, tubular. Flowering May-June.

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding

Height: 12-32"

Culture: Plant in organic, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun.Tolerates light shade. Can do fine underneath a deciduous tree (in regions where it is evergreen), as it benefits from the sun in the winter months, and prepares to flower while winter deciduous plants are bare. Hardy in USDA zones 3-8. Tolerates some drought, but not waterlogged conditions. Also tolerates sandier soils and even heavier clay soils.

Uses: perennial planting under deciduous tree, perennial gardens.

Origin: Southern mountain ranges of Europe

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Campanula persicifolia

Campanula persicifolia

 

Common name: peach-leaved bellflower

Family: Campanulaceae

Leaf: short-stalked and narrowly spatulate, withering before flowering time

Flowers: terminal raceme of a few flowers or single flower. Each flower is a calyx fused with 5 narrow lobes eventually spreading. The corolla, is 5-lobed, 1-2" long with 5 violet-blue fused petals, blooming June to August.

Fruit: conical capsule

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial; Form: mounding

Height:  1'-3'; Spread: 1'-3'

Culture: Best grown in full sun to part shade in medium moist, fertile, well-drained soils, in neutral to alkaline soils. Responds well to shearing/cutting back after flowering to promote a second wave of flowering.

Uses: woodland margins, rocky outcrops meadows and banks, a good filler plant.

Origin: Alps and other mountain ranges of Europe.

 

 



Alchemilla mollis

Alchemilla mollis

Common name: lady's mantle
Family: Rosaceae
Leaf: basal foliage mound, 6-12" tall, of long-stalked, circular, scallop-edged, toothed, pleated, soft-hairy, light green leaves that are up to 6" across, each with around 9-11 shallow rounded lobes.
Flowers: Tiny, apetalous, star-shaped, chartreuse flowers appear in loose, spreading clusters (compound cymes) atop stems rising above the foliage to 12-18” in late spring to early summer.
Height: 1'-1.5'; Spread: 1.5'-2.5'
Habit: herbaceous perennial; Form: clumping
Culture: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade, but tolerates close to full shade. Prefers part afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Performs well in moist garden areas, will wilt otherwise. Freely self-seeds in the garden to the point of being somewhat invasive in optimum growing conditions. Prompt removal of spent flower stems will not only prevent self-seeding but may also encourage a sparse, late summer rebloom. Plants may be grown from seed started indoors about 6-8 weeks prior to last spring frost date. Divide plants as needed. USDA zones 3-8.
Uses: Border fronts. Cottage gardens. Edging for paths. Mass as ground cover. Dried flower arrangements
Origin: Eastern Carpathians, Caucasus

Ajuga reptans

Ajuga retains

 

Common name: bugleweed

Family: Lamiaceae

Leaf: shiny, dark green leaves

Flowers: whorls of tiny, blue-violet flowers appearing in mid to late spring on spikes rising above the foliage to 10".

Habit: dense, rapidly spreading, mat-forming groundcover; Form: matting

Height: 0.25'-0.75'; Spread: 1'-2'

Culture: Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, humusy soils with good drainage, but tolerates moderately dry ones. Will grow in full shade, but best foliage color usually occurs in part-sun locations (at least 3-4 hours of sun per day). Provide good air circulation in hot and humid areas where crown rot is a problem. Divide plants if they become overcrowded. This low-growing bugleweed will spread in the garden by stolons (reptans means creeping) to form a mat-like ground cover. Plants may be cut back to the ground after flowering, if necessary, to rejuvenate the foliage. Large plantings may be mowed on a high mower setting to remove spent flower spikes and to tidy the appearance of the planting. Space plants 6-9” apart for prompt cover. On variegated forms promptly remove any non-variegated leaves that may appear. Hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

Uses: As a groundcover. Will fill in large, shady areas where lawns are difficult to establish. May also be planted on banks or slopes, under trees or around shrubs. Can be planted over spring bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus). Avoid planting adjacent to lawn areas, as it could easily spread to the grass. Good for small spaces, containers and rock gardens, in between pavers

Origin: Europe

 

 

 

 



Achillea filipendulina

Achillea filipendulina

 

Common name: fern-leaf yarrow
Family: Asteraceae
Leaf: deeply-dissected, 1-2 pinnatifid, hairy, fern-like, aromatic (spicy) green leaves (each leaf up to 10" long, and divided to up to 15 pairs of linear-lanceolate toothed segments), from a basal clump.
Flowers: tiny, long-lasting, bright golden yellow flowers appear in a dense flattened plate-like compound corymbs that are up to 4" across, thought summer on erect stems rising above the basal foliage 3-4' tall.
Habit: herbaceous rhizomatous perennial; Form: clumping
Height: 3-4'; Spread: 2-3'
Culture: Best grown in lean, dry to medium, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Does well in average garden soils and tolerates poor soils with good drainage. Avoid heavy clays and moist, rich, fertile soils. Plants tolerate hot and humid summers with some drought. Plants are best sited in locations protected from strong winds. Deadhead spent flower heads to promote additional bloom. Cut plants back to basal leaves after flowering to tidy the planting and to encourage possible additional fall bloom. Divide clumps when they become overcrowded (every 3-4 years). Propagate by seed, cuttings or division. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9.
Uses: Specimen, group or mass. Borders. Cottage gardens. Containers.
Origin: Caucasus, Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia

Viola x wittrockiana

Viola x wittrockiana

 

Common name: pansy

Family: Violaceae

Leaf: ovate- elliptic medium to dark green leaves (up to 1.5" long)

Flowers: wide variety of colours, often with contrasting blotching or central whiskering/markings.

Habit: herbaceuous perennial or annual for cool weather; Form: low, clumping

Height: 0.5'-0.75'; Spread: 0.75'-1'

Culture: Winter hardy in USDA zones 6-10. Pansies are short-lived evergreen perennials that are grown as cool weather annuals or biennials. Grow as biennials by planting in fall, mulching in winter (e.g., hay or evergreen boughs) and then enjoying the spring bloom until the plants inevitably succumb to summer heat, at which point they should be removed from the garden. Plants do not need mulching in mild winters, but may not always survive extremely harsh winters. Small but established plants generally overwinter better than large ones. A main advantage to planting pansies in fall is that they will bloom earlier (late winter to early spring) than spring transplants. Pansies may of course be easily grown as annuals by starting seed indoors in spring 12-14 weeks before last frost date. Unless a particularly unusual variety is desired, however, many gardeners find in easier to purchase plants from nurseries in cell/six packs in spring. Set out plants in early spring. Pansies are best grown in humusy, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best with part afternoon shade. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong bloom. Cut back leggy plants to revitalize. Pansies are the top-selling winter bedding plant in certain areas where they are planted in fall for bloom throughout the winter and early spring.

Uses: Bedding, edging, window boxes and containers.

Origin: garden origin

 

 



 

 

Trachystemon orientalis

Trachystemon orientalis

 

Common name: early flowering borage

Family: Boraginaceae

Leaf: Large, coarsely-textured, long petioled, heart-shaped, bristly-hairy, overlapping, medium to dark green basal leaves (each up to 12" long), typically maturing to full size after flowering

Flowers: Pendant, borage-like, white-throated, bluish-purple flowers (each to 1/2” wide) bloom in early spring (March-April) in loose-branched panicles (scorpioid cymes) located atop branched, hairy, pink-tinted flowering stems rising to 18” tall. Flowers bloom at a time when the foliage is just beginning to develop. Flowers have tubular corollas with five spreading to slightly reflexed petals.

Habit: rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, spreading; Form: matting

Height: 1'-1.5'; Spread: 1.5'-2'

Culture: Easily grown in moist, humusy, well-drained soils in part shade to full shade. Tolerates drought including moderate amounts of dry shade in cool summer conditions. Also tolerates full sun, but usually performs best in sun-dappled part shade. Generally tolerant of a wide range of soils. Propagate by root cuttings and division. Will naturalize in the garden by spreading rhizomes. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 6-9. Hardy.

Uses: Ornamental ground cover featuring early blue flowers and dense heart-shaped leaves. Naturalize in partly shaded landscape areas. Woodland margins. Good selection for dry shade.

Origin: Southern Europe, SW Asia