Perennials

Irish Moss forms an evergreen mat of mossy foliage that is covered with tiny white flowers in May and June. Prefers good drainage.

'Caradonna' Hybrid Sage has violet-blue flowers on tall dark purple flower stems, making a very showy combination. From Zillmer Plants in Germany and introduced into this country by super plant dudes, Dale Hendricks and Ron Strasko while at North Creek Nurseries.

PRN Preferred:  Heidi's favorite Salvia because the tall dark purple spikes are so showy.

'Blue Spruce' Stonecrop grows in a mat of silvery-blue narrow foliage reminiscent of blue Spruce needles. The small yellow flowers appear in July and this Sedum must have a dry, well-drained site. Semi-evergreen.

'Dragon's Blood' Sedum or Stonecrop is an excellent groundcover for sunny dry locations.  The orange-bronze succulent foliage spreads out to form a tight evergreen mat.  Useful for lining paths, rock gardens and gentle dry slopes, Sedum 'Dragon's Blood' even tolerates dog traffic.  The flowers appear in late summer in attractive clumps of rose red, providing food for bees and other pollinators.  As the days shorten, 'Dragon's Blood' takes on darker red foliage coloration.

Wild Stonecrop is an unusual Sedum in that it is shade and tolerates more moisture than most Sedums, as well as native.  The green succulent foliage is fine, often forming dense groundcover mats.  The delicate starry white flowers hover above the leaves in April and May, attracting butterflies and native pollinators.  Like other stonecrops, Sedum ternatum is deer and rabbit resistant.

'Autumn Joy' ('Herbstfreude') Showy Stonecrop has rose-pink flowers, blue foliage and needs a dry site to perform best. The spent flowerheads remain an attractive tan rose color. Sedum x 'Autumn Joy' was introduced by Georg Arends of Germany. Our favorite common name for it, 'Pink Broccoli', comes from writer Ruth Clausen.

'Dazzleberry' Stonecrop was developed by Chris Hansen, and is the original cultivar of Sunsparkler® Series.  The semi-evergreen foliage makes a beautiful blue-green mat, over which hover the vivid raspberry-pink flower clusters.  Sedum x 'Dazzleberry' blooms from mid summer into early fall.  Because of its long season of interest, 'Dazzleberry' makes an excellent plant for mixed containers, as well as a good groundcover for sunny dry locations. 

Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne' has blue flowers with yellow eyes and blooms most of the summer. This Blue Eyed Grass tolerates dry and salty sites very well and the flowers only open on sunny days.

'Fireworks' Rough Stemmed Goldenrod has bright yellow flowers in late summer on a compact slowly spreading plant. Selected by Ken Moore of the NC Botanical Garden and introduced by Niche Gardens. Try Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' as a cut flower; it is great!  An important source of seed for winter birds.

PRN Preferred:  This is an indistructible native, excellent on dry barren slopes.  It can also take wet feet (but not a wet crown).

'Solar Cascade' Short's Goldenrod is a named selection of our rarest native Goldenrod. Found only in parts of Kentucky and Indiana, it has great drought and sterile soil tolerance. 'Solar Cascade' was chosen for its showy, cascading yellow flowers, as well as its long bloom period in late summer and early fall.  It is flourishing in the parking median at the Cincinnati Zoo; 'Solar Cascade' loves the heat and lean soil providing zoo visitors with weeks of blooms.  The green foliage is highly disease resistant, so a mass planting of 'Solar Cascade' stays attractive right up until the end of the season. Since it tends to stay in a clump instead of suckering, it also works well in mixed perennial boarders.  Hummingbirds and insects love it.

'Golden Fleece' Goldenrod has golden-yellow flowers from mid August to October over semi-evergreen foliage. This Solidago spreads to form a tough adaptable groundcover with some shade tolerance. Another wonderful introduction from the Mt. Cuba folks.  Winter birds eat the seeds.

The lemon-yellow flowers of 'Little Lemon' Goldenrod appear in late summer over extremely compact, finely textured foliage. Solidago x 'Little Lemon' was bred originally as a good florist pot plant.

PRN Preferred:  Colorful long lasting flowers on a tidy, compact plant.

'Hummelo' Alpine Betony was named after Piet Oudolf's hometown. The low growing rosette of textured green leaves is topped by showy spikes of lavender-pink flowers in mid summer for an extended period. Stachys 'Hummelo' is a tough, carefree beauty and used extensively on the High Line Park in NYC. If you haven't gone there yet, go soon!

'Peachie's Pick' Stokes Aster was found by Mississippi plants woman Peachie Saxton.  Stokesia 'Peachie's Pick' is a compact version of this long blooming native, with large lavender blue flowers.  Stokes Asters flower virtually all summer, especially when spent blooms are deadheaded.  When established, Stokesia Peachie's Pick is surprisingly drought tolerant and overwinters best in well drained locations.