Beautiful, Worry-free Perennials
Perennials are the mainstay of an interesting landscape. With the endless array of choices available, it can be hard to figure out just which ones will perform reliably and add beauty at the same time. Here’s a list of tried and true varieties that we come back to time and time again.
Becky Daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum ‘Becky’) – The typical daisy can have an almost ragged appearance at times, but this one is an exception. It has an upright form with clear white flowers. The foliage is a nice glossy green and it doesn’t expire in the heat of summer.
Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata) – If you are interested in butterflies, you should plant this plant. The bright pink spikes of Blazing Star, add a nice verticality among other perennials and are long blooming. This plant tolerates a wide range of soil and is drought tolerant.
Honorine Jobert Japanese Anemone (Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’) – This plant rises out of the late summer garden like a vision. Anemones have a sophistication and beauty about them and this one is exceptional. Creamy white flowers dance on long stems and make the flowers seems to float above their neighbors. Great choice.
Magnus Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’) – While any coneflower is a great addition to the perennial bed, this one is especially nice. It has nice bright rose-pink colored petals which are horizontal to the cone instead of the typical drooping look and it blooms and blooms and blooms from June to October. Goldfinches love the seeds in the fall.
Georgia Blue Speedwell (Veronica peduncularis ‘Georgia Blue’) – A lesser known little plant is a welcome sight come the end of winter when it blooms with the bulbs. A low growing plant, it has a rare blue color that simply shines. The plants have small, fine foliage and slowly form a clump that is a sight to behold in bloom.
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium dubium ‘Little Joe’) – ‘Little Joe’ is a cultivar of one of the native Joe Pye weeds that only grows to be 36 or so high. It has lavender-pink flowers that bloom in late summer and early fall and attracts lots of beneficial insects. When in bloom, it is almost always covered in butterflies. A really pretty addition to the perennial bed.
Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) – Blue Star is a hardworking plant that looks nice three seasons out of the year. It has a lovely fine texture with light blue flowers in the spring. Butterflies love it and in the fall, the foliage turns a bright yellow orange color. Its hardiness and carefree nature make it a winner.
Dark Towers Beard Tongue (Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’) – Beard tongues are magnets for hummingbirds and butterflies in the landscape and this one has beautiful wine-red foliage to complement its pink flowers. It blooms spring into summer and the foliage holds its color nicely in the heat of summer. Great choice for mixing up the foliage in a perennial bed.
Caesar’s Brother Siberian Iris (Iris sibirica ‘Caesar’s Brother’) – Siberian Irises add a beautiful vertical texture to the garden. This variety is an old one and has dark bluish purple flowers that appear in spring. The seed pods are interesting after the flowers have faded. Can’t go wrong with this one.
Allen Bush Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginiana ‘Allen Bush’) – This plant is a low grower (8″) and is great for edging walkways and for naturalizing. It has bright yellow flowers and fuzzy green foliage that spreads slowly over time. Bloom time is spring and then again in the fall and also has the added benefit to being native to the southeastern U.S.
Wild False Indigo (Baptisia australis) – Baptisia is one of the most long lived and easy to grow perennials you can chose. Its pretty blue flowers, and attractive black seed pods, make for a long season of interest.
Firewitch Pink (Dianthus ‘Firewitch’) – From growing in the front of the garden bed to spilling over walls, this dianthus can’t be beat. The beautiful blue foliage is topped with bright, magenta-pink flowers that appear in spring, continue to bloom through summer and into the fall. ‘Firewitch’ is virtually trouble free.
May Night Salvia (Salvia x sylvetris ‘May Night’) – A very nice plant with upright violet-blue spikes that has a long bloom period and grows 18-24″. The flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds and are great for cutting.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. fulgida) – Black-eyed Susans are a garden staple, but this particular one has characteristics that make it special. The foliage is finer and the flowers are smaller than some of the more common ones and it has a later bloom time. You can expect to enjoy yellow flowers with a dark brown center from mid-summer until the frost gets it in the fall.
Written by Terry Stalcup, Gardening Supervisor, at Snow Creek Landscaping and Angie Bell-Merrifield.