Perennials
Type | Botanical Name | Native | Common Name | Description | Height | Light Req. | Zone | Add to My List |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Perennial | ARUNCUS dioicus ‘Kneiffii’ | Goatsbeard | Deeply-cut thread-like leaves and a rounded habit with airy plumes of creamy-white. Likes it moist and shady. Attracts bees and hover flies Deer and rabbit resistant |
30-36" | Part Shade/Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ARUNCUS dioicus ‘Whirlwind’ | Goatsbeard | Creamy white plumes June through July. Dramatic. Shorter than the straight species with lacy foliage. |
26-28 inches | Sun/Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ARUNCUS ‘Misty Lace’ | Goatsbeard | A cross between the taller A. dioicus and more diminutive A. aethusifolius, this hybrid make a compact clump with creamy plumes in early summer. |
22-24 inches | Sun/Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASARUM canadense | Wild Ginger | Native non-evergreen ginger with lustrous heart-shaped leaves. Unusual flowers hidden under the foliage. Makes a great groundcover. |
6-8 inches | Part Shade | 2 | ||
Perennial | ASARUM caulescens | Wild Ginger | Deep green leaves are deeply impressed with veins It’s stoloniferous rhizomes creep along the soil creating a beautiful ground cover. Little rounded rosy pink flowers with reflexed petals are just under the leaf canopy in spring. Deer & rabbit resitant Drought tolerant |
2-4" | Part Shade/Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASARUM europaeum | European Ginger | Distinctive shiny round leaves on an evergreen groundcover for humusy shade. |
6-8 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASARUM splendens | Chinese Wild Ginger | Large, heart-shaped, dark green foliage mottled with silver. Semi-evergreen. Dark purple flowers in early spring are hidden under the foliage. Hardy to zone 5 with protection. |
6-8 inches | Part Shade/Shade | 6 | ||
Perennial | ASCLEPIAS incarnata ‘Cinderella’ | Swamp Milkweed | Soft pink flowers in showy clusters in July. Milkweeds are excellent pollinator plants. |
12-18 inches | Sun | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASCLEPIAS incarnata ‘Ice Ballet’ | Swamp Milkweed | Showy white flowers in summer. Long lasting. Good cut. |
36-42 inches | Sun | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASCLEPIAS tuberosa | Butterfly Weed | Large heads of brilliant orange flowers July through August. Best in drier conditions. |
22-24 inches | Sun | 4 | ||
Fern | ASPLENIUM scolopendrium | Hart's Tongue Fern | A rhizomatous, evergreen fern with arching, tongue-shaped, leathery, bright green fronds, often with wavy margins. Provide medium moisture and good drainage. Rabbit resistant. |
1-1.5 feet | Part Shade/Shade | 5 | ||
Perennial | ASTER alpinus ‘Dark Beauty’ | Alpine Aster | Dark violet flowers on compact plants through June. |
12-14 inches | Sun/Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | Aster alpinus ‘Happy End’ | Alpine Aster | An early blooming Aster, usually grown in rock gardens, with a single rose-pink bloom with a yellow eye. |
8-10" | Sun | 2 | ||
Perennial | ASTER azureus | Sky Blue Aster | A midwest native aster with arrowhead-shaped leaves and blue-violet flowers in fall. |
2-3 feet | Sun | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTER ‘Blue Autumn’ | Michaelmas Daisy | Vivid, violet-blue petals with a yellow eye from late summer to mid-fall. Deer/rabbit resistant. Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. |
16-18 inches | Full sun | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTER cordifolius ‘Little Carlow’ | Heart-leaved Aster | Wonderful billowing medium blue aster for late fall. |
2-3 feet | Sun | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTER divaricatus Eastern Star’ | Wood Aster | Dwarf aster for partial shade with white flowers on striking dark mahogany stems in September. |
10-12 inches | Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTER ericoides ‘Bridal Veil’ | Heath Aster | This taller selection from a cross with A. ‘Snow Flurry’ has fine-textured foliage and an arching habit. It’s covered with small white flowers in the fall. From the Chicago Botanic Garden. |
24-26 inches | Sun | 5 | ||
Perennial | ASTER ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’ | Heath Aster | A dense carpet of snow-white daisies in the fall. Looks great with heathers and sedums. |
8-10 inches | Sun | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTER laevis ‘Blue Bird’ | Smooth Aster | Single violet-blue 1″ flowers in large clusters throughout the fall. salt tolerant. Great for bees and butterflies! |
3-4 feet | Sun | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTER novae-angliae ‘Alma Potschke’ | New England Aster | Hot salmon-pink flowers August through September. Salt tolerant. Provides late season nectar for pollinators. |
36-42 inches | Sun | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTER oblongifolius ‘October Skies’ | Aromatic Aster | Sky blue fall flowers on a compact plant. Drought, salt, and poor soil tolerant. Great for late season pollinators. |
15-18 inches | Sun | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTER oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ | Aromatic Aster | Sky blue fall flowers on large, bushy plants. Drought and poor soil tolerant. Somewhat unpalatable to deer and rabbits. Attractive to bees and butterflies. |
3-4 feet | Sun | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Moccachino’ | Flower spikes are creamy white mid-summer to fall, and have an unusual, graceful arching habit. Dark green to burgundy foliage. Deer resistant. |
2-3 feet | Part Sun/Shade | 4 | |||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Amber Moon’ | Astilbe | Chartreuse gold foliage tinged with red matures to green. Rose-pink flower spikes on strong stems in midsummer. |
30-36 inches | Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE arendsii ‘Happy Spirit’ | False Spirea | Late bloomer; the dark red stems of this Astilbe stand out against its pure white flowers that will mature to cream; blooms appear in late June to July over glossy, deep green foliage. |
20-22 | Part Shade/Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Alive and Kicking’ | Astilbe | Stunning dark rose-pink flowers on a robust plant. Midseason bloomer. Deer/rabbit resistant. |
36-42 inches | Part Shade/Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Black Pearls’ | False Spirea | Brilliant purple plumes on strong stems blooming from mid to late summer. Requires consistent moisture to do it’s best. Attracts butterflies Deer & rabbit resistant |
12-36" | Part Shade/Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ | Astilbe | This new hybrid has rich chocolate-brown leaves that emerge yellow but transition with age. Complimentary dark stems hold up raspberry buds that pop with rosy purple flowers in late summer. Attracts hummingbirds and bees. Deer/rabbit resistant. Adaptable to a range of light conditions, but flowers best with more sun. |
20-22 inches | Sun/Part Shade/Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Mighty Chocolate Cherry’ | Astilbe | A very large-growing Astilbe with large cherry red flower plumes held on chocolate-brown stems. Blooms mid to late summer. Foliage emerges red and turns green. |
36-42 inches | Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Milk and Honey’ | Astilbe | Prolific creamy white flowers age to light pink. Attractive silver-marbled foliage. More drought tolerant than other Astilbes. Mid to late season blooms. |
28-30 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Pumila’ | Astilbe | Lavender pink flowers over low mat-forming foliage. A good ground cover. Blooms in August. |
8-10 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Purple Candles’ | Astilbe | Strong purple-rose plumes in August on deep-green to bronze foliage. Deer/rabbit resistant. Good for butterflies. |
3-4 feet | Part Shade/Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Valerie’ | Astilbe | A new heavily blooming cultivar with dense, bluish purple blooms in midsummer. Strong grower. Deer/rabbit resistant. |
18-20 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Visions’ | Astilbe | Bronze-green foliage and fragrant dark purple flowers mid to late season. |
14-16 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Visions in Red’ | Astilbe | Deep red buds open to dense, upright deep pink plumes. Compact bronze-green foliage and red stems. Mid to late season bloom |
14-16 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Visions in White’ | Astilbe | Upright white plumes in July. |
20-30 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE chinensis ‘Visions Inferno’ | Astilbe | Pink midsummer blooms fade to an attractive apple green. Deer/rabbit resistant. |
24-30 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Chocolate Shogun’ | Astilbe | A new intro from Japan with the darkest foliage yet. Chocolate brown leaves through the season. Light pink blooms in the summer. |
20-24 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Colorflash Lime’ | Astilbe | New foliage emerges bright lime yellow and matures to lime green. Pink flowers in July. |
18-20 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Delft Lace’ | Astilbe | Salmon pink buds open to light pink blooms in midsummer. Foliage emerges burgundy and fades to dark blue-green. |
22-24 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Hot Pearls’ | Astilbe | Glowing red plumes that are good for cutting and drying. Enjoys rich, moist soil. Deer resistant |
18" | Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Peach Blossom’ | Astilbe | Pale peachy-pink flowers in June. Rabbit/deer resistant. Wet site tolerant, but also perhaps the best astilbe for drier locations. Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. |
18-24 inches | Part Shade/Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE simplicifolia ‘Hennie Graafland’ | Astilbe | Delicate shell pink flowers in midsummer over attractive ferny foliage. |
16-18 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE simplicifolia ‘Sprite’ | Astilbe | Delicate soft pink flowers over dark bronze foliage. Mid to late season bloom. |
10-12 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Snowdrift’ | Astilbe | The “whitest” white. Alan Bloom introduction. Early bloomer. |
22-24 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE thunbergii ‘Ostrich Plume’ | Astilbe | Pendulous salmon-pink plumes. Mid to late season bloom. |
30-36 inches | Part Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Younique Salmon’ | Astilbe | Upright, salmon to light pink plumes early to midsummer. |
16-18 inches | Part Shade | 3 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBE ‘Cappuccino’ | False Spirea | Pure white plumes on contrasting red stems with dark bronze foliage. |
22-24 inches | Part Shade/Shade | 4 | ||
Perennial | ASTILBOIDES tabularis | Syn. (Rodgersia tabularis) | Very dramatic circular leaves 3 feet across. Moist shade. Creamy white plumes in summer. |
3-4 feet | Part Shade | 4 |