Perennials & Biennials

Showing 433–440 of 484 results

  • Stachys minima syn. Stachys spathulata Dwarf betony Z 5-9

    Atop a mound of spatula-shaped, crinkled leaves with scalloped edges rises a bounty of 4 to 5 inch tall spikes, each crowned with a hoard of tiny fuchsia-colored trumpets blowing their horns “look at me” in early to mid-summer.

    $10.25/pot

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    Atop a mound of spatula-shaped, crinkled leaves with scalloped edges rises a bounty of 4 to 5 inch tall spikes, each crowned with a hoard of tiny fuchsia-colored trumpets blowing their horns “look at me” in early to mid-summer.

    Size: 4-8" x 8-12" spreading slowly by rhizomes
    Care: sun to part shade in moist well-drained soil
    Native: South Africa
    Wildlife Value: Deer resistant. Attracts small bees and butterflies

    English adventurer and naturalist William John Burchell (1781-1863) scoured South Africa from 1803 to 1815 collecting more than 50,000 specimens packed in 48 crates.  In places unexplored he found insects, animals, fish and unknown plants, this being one.  Although he published two volumes of his exploration, he did not finish the last, third volume, leaving another to write the botany.  Premier English botanist George Bentham (1800-1884) took up the task authoring Labiatarum Genera et Species, published in 1834.  He wrote the first published description and named this tiny plant with outsized charm.

  • Stachys officinalis syn. Betonica officinalis syn. Stachys betonica Bishop’s wort, Betony Z 4-8

    Showy reddish-purple spikes of two-lipped tubes in May and June

    $13.25/bareroot

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    Showy reddish-purple spikes of two-lipped tubes in May and June

    Size: 18-24” x 12-18” slowly spreading
    Care: sun in moist well-drained soil
    Native: Europe and Asia
    Wildlife Value: deer & walnut tolerant, attracts hummingbirds

    Once one of the most honored herbal medicines. Medicines were good if they had “as many virtues as Betony.” John Sauer, Colonial herbalist claimed “there is no illness brought on by cold in which Betony cannot be administered effectively.”

  • Stylophorum diphyllum Celandine poppy Z 4-9

    Sunny yellow cups bloom in late spring, reblooming sporadically, atop this 12-18" tall native.

    $13.25/bareroot

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    Sunny yellow cups bloom in late spring, reblooming sporadically, atop this 12-18″ tall native.

    Size: 12-18" x 12"
    Care: Part shade, but tolerates sun, in moist to moist well-drained soil
    Native: PA west to WI, south to MO & AK. Wisconsin native.

    1st collected by French plant hunter extraodinaire André Michaux, who spent 11 years in North America. (1746-1802)  William Robinson, father of the mixed perennial border, described this as “a handsome Poppywort … (with) large bright yellow flowers freely produced in early summer.”  Self-seeds and likely you’ll be happy for it.

  • Succisa pratensis Devil’s bit scabiosus Z 5- 9

    A tall, thin stem, unbranched until its upper quarter, then branching, each branch topped with its own flower head. Innumerable tiny flowers surround a global, lake-blue flower head, about the size of a ping-pong ball. Thread-like stamens poke out from the flowers all around the globe – blue too.  Blooms for nearly three months mid-to-late summer into fall.

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    A tall, thin stem, unbranched until its upper quarter, then branching, each branch topped with its own flower head. Innumerable tiny flowers surround a global, lake-blue flower head, about the size of a ping-pong ball. Thread-like stamens poke out from the flowers all around the globe – blue too.  Blooms for nearly three months mid-to-late summer into fall.

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    Size: 2-4’ x 12”   
    Care: sun to part shade in moist to moist-well drained soil    
    Native: Europe to central Siberia, NW Africa   
    Wildlife Value: provides nectar and pollen to butterflies, moths, and bees

    Historically this has made a dye, a tea, and seasoned food.  It treated numerous medical conditions including scabies, eczema, fevers, wounds, syphilis and plague. Devil’s bit named for the legend that the Devil disapproved of the plant uses and attempted to destroy it by biting off its roots.  First described by Swiss botanist Gaspard Bauhin in 1623, Pinax theatri botanici, with a different name.  Linnaeus renamed it in Hortus Cliffortanus, 1737and then Möench renamed it to Succisa pratensis in 1794.

  • Symphyandra zanzegura syn Campanula zanzegura   Ring bellflower, Rock bellflower    Z 5-10

    Flared petal ends of lilac bells on wiry red stems over soft, velvety leaves bloom much of summer.

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    Flared petal ends of lilac bells on wiry red stems over soft, velvety leaves bloom much of summer.

     

    Size: 15” x 15”
    Care: full to part shade in well-drained soil
    Native: mountains of Armenia, Eastern Europe
    Wildlife Value: attracts bees

    Described and published by Ukrainian botanist Vladimir Lipsky (1863-1937) in 1894. Reclassified as a Campanula in 1980.

  • Syneilesis aconitifolia syn Senecio aconitifolius Shredded Umbrella Plant Z 3-8

    Grown for its excellent foliage in dry shade.  I guess “Shredded umbrella” best describes this plant with thin, dissected leaves atop a leafless stem. drooping in a rounded shape, like an umbrella, but it wouldn’t shelter from rain. Pale pink to white flowers in early to mid-summer.

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    Grown for its excellent foliage in dry shade. “Shredded umbrella” best describes this plant with thin, dissected leaves atop a leafless stem. Drooping in a rounded shape, like an umbrella, but it wouldn’t shelter from rain. Pale pink to white flowers in early to mid-summer.

    Size: 3’ x 2’, spreads slowly by rhizomes
    Care: part to full shade in moist, well-drained to well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established. 
    Native: China, Korea & Japan and eastern Russia
    Wildlife Value: Attracts bees, butterflies and birds. Deer and rabbit resistant.

    Described in Flora of China in 1833. Chinese used the whole plant for medicine, to relax and activate the tendons, alleviate pain around the waist and legs, and to treat most any injuries.

  • Talinum calycinum syn. Phemeranthus calycinus Rock rose, Fameflower Z 6-9

    Bright mauve flowers dance on wiry stems in afternoons all summer, closing at night. Leaves are succulent.

    $9.95/2" pot

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    Tender reseeding perennial, but they survived the horrible winter of 2013-14. In any event they reseed reliably. Just watch for little succulent leaves.

    Bright mauve flowers dance on wiry stems in afternoons all summer, closing at night. Leaves are succulent.

    Size: 8-12” x 4”
    Care: Sun in well-drained soil
    Native: western Plains states

    Collected by Dr. Frederick Wislizenus on sandy soil near the Cimarron River on an exploring trip of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico in 1846.   Wislizenus (1810-1889) was a German immigrant, explorer, botanist, and medical partner of George Engelmann (1809-1884) important promoter of plant-hunting and expert on cacti and conifers.

  • Tanacetum niveum Silver tansy, Snow tansy Z 5-9

    Profusion of small classic daisies May-July atop fragrant silver foliage. Cut back for rebloom. Let the seeds drop for more plants next year. If you cut them back after the 1st flowering they will rebloom for most of the summer and fall.

    $10.75/bareroot

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    Profusion of small classic daisies May-July atop fragrant silver foliage. Cut back for rebloom. Let the seeds drop for more plants next year. If you cut them back after the 1st flowering they will rebloom for most of the summer and fall.

    Size: 2’ x 3’
    Care: sun in moist well drained soil
    Native: central & southern Europe

    Named by Carl Heinrich Schultz (1805-1867)