An upright, clump-forming perennial native to parts of the upper Midwest and Great Plains region. Lavender to purple flowers are densely packed along showy, cylindrical, terminal spikes mid to late summer. Medium green, lanceolate foliage remains clean throughout the season and carries a refreshing anise scent, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.
Joe Pye weed is a robust, upright perennial with hollow purple stems accented by huge, rounded, tight clusters of pink or purplish-mauve flowers. It is an important pollen and nectar plant and attracts butterflies (particularly the swallowtail butterfly) and other pollinators by the dozens. Its height makes it an excellent background plant in border perennial beds, but is also majestic standing alone. Flower color is darker in cooler weather.
The short stature, continuous sunny bloom, and deep wine coloring of this native plant make Lysimachia lanceolata'Burgundy Mist' a new favorite groundcover, winning over our Gardens Department by how it keeps weeds at bay and is a carefree plant.
Rudbeckia triloba 'Prairie Glow' has our attention! With brightly colored flowers of yellow with a bright red eye fading to a glowing orange to bronze, this native beauty brings fire to the sunny border. Its multi-branching habit provides dense flower cover, more so than the straight species, and its late blooming time, starting in July and flowering right through to October, makes this a valuable pollinator plant.