Our Plants

Silver foliage with 3' tall stems topped with broad, sulfur-yellow flower heads. A hybrid of A. x 'Taygeta' and A. clypeolata, introduced by Alan Bloom in the 1950s. An excellent choice for a hot dry site, especially if it's windy. A beautiful cut flower!

Another fine Ernest Pagel introduction. Pronounced silvery foliage and sturdy stems supporting bright peach flowers that slowly turn to rich hues of earthy reds and oranges. An excellent cut flower!

Common yarrow is a carefree garden plant that spreads easily to fill available space. 'Oertel's Rose' is rosy pink with good strong color that is slow to fade.

Intense red flowers surround bright yellow centers. This Achillea is a vigorous grower that will quickly form a dense weed-blocking mat. It is one of the most floriferous of the Achillea cultivars, presenting a solid block of red in early summer. An easy and rewarding production plant, it has very few pest or pathogen problems.

The second fantastic Agastache given to us by Coen Jansen, 'Black Adder' boasts numerous bottlebrush flowers of vivid blue from mid summer to frost on a compact, rounded plant. It has been hardy for us in the ground and in containers and has proven to be a reliable production plant as well. An early pinch keeps it more compact in pots.

Luxurious, deep violet-blue flower spikes over ultra-green foliage. Unlike any other Agastache. The flower spikes are long, wide and extremely showy. It's a great perennial color spot for summer bloom. It is drought tolerant once established and attracts hummingbirds as well as butterflies. We have found all of that to be absolutely true in our trial gardens. This is a must-have feature in your perennial beds and meadows.

Selected for its profusion of long lasting, deep violet-blue flower spikes that appear from July to September above fragrant foliage. Prefers average to dry locations and is a butterfly magnet! Bred and selected by Gert Fortgens of the Arboretum Trompenberg, in Rotterdam. Agastache 'Blue Fortune' is long flowering, heat and drought tolerant, as well as insect and disease resistant. 'Blue Fortune' is a hybrid of species native to the US and Korea, A. foeniculum x A. rugosa.

This decidedly hardy Agastache displays long racemes of smoky blue violet flowers that never seem to stop coming. It remains compact in a container with an early pinch and is in flower from July to frost. It has survived wet and dry, warm and cold winters in Pennsylvania where it has been in the ground since Spring 2000. Hardiness beyond zone 6 is unknown.

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.

Green to bright chartreuse flowers appear in clusters above scalloped, grey-green foliage from late spring through summer. Robust and vigorous, Alchemilla mollis 'Auslese' prefers full sun to part shade and has a wonderfully uniform habit.

This long-blooming, compact Amsonia blooms longer and stronger than the species and forms a dense, compact mound of dark green leaves that turn brilliant yellow in the fall. Looks fantastic in a gallon!

A graceful and long-lived native plant with very fine foliage, clusters of steel blue flowers in May and June on an upright, bushy plant. Excellent golden fall color. Thrives in full sun or part shade. No insect or pest problems. Found in Arkansas in 1942 by Leslie Hubricht.

This long-lived, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial features three to four weeks of light blue, star-shaped flowers in spring. Terminal flower clusters are followed by ornamental seed pods. Narrow, willow-shaped foliage transitions from green into attractive shades of yellow in fall. An easy to grow, no-fuss native perfectly suited for the perennial border. Beautiful when used en masse along the perennial border or in a fresh cut arrangement.

A strong growing plant that needs room to move. Clear white single flowers top out at 18" from mid spring to early summer. A robust and competitive native plant that brightens up woodland edges and shady corners of the garden. Combines well with other spring-blooming perennials such as Polemonium, Sisyrinchium and Mertensia.

Covered in thick-petaled, baby pink blooms from mid to late summer! The seed heads look like little fluffy cotton balls, standing atop strong stems to give interest to the garden from fall into winter. This vigorous, clumping selection is a delight in the garden or mixed container.

Covered in double flowered, bubblegum pink blooms from mid to late summer! The seed heads look like little fluffy cotton balls, standing atop strong stems to give interest to the garden from fall into winter. This vigorous, clumping selection is a delight in the garden or mixed container.

Delicate, nodding white flowers bloom early to mid spring atop lustrous dense, green foliage. A low maintenance groundcover for bright shade! Easy to grow in containers, overwinters well in cold frames if protected from heavy rain and snow melt.

This stately,clear-white Anemone selection was made in the mid-1800's and is still beloved by the modern gardener. Perhaps it is the charm of its unique flowers and preblooms in late summer or the joy of watching its easy sway in the late summer breeze. Ultimately, we love it because it is an effortless and reliable presence in the garden. Whatever the reason that you fall in love with 'Honorine Jobert' know that it is a timeless classic. 

Anemone × hybrida Wild Swan™ 'MACANE001' is a long-blooming, compact, floriferous new anemone with lovely lavender coloration on the reverse side of the petals. Wild Swan begins flowering an average of two months earlier than other varieties and keeps on trucking until the end of the season. Flowers are held high and proud, allowing them to catch gently on the breeze. A graceful beaut to be sure! 

Looking for a tough groundcover that thrives in full sun, dry, and lean soils? Need it to be low-growing with an attractive but discrete foliage? Then, look no further. Antennaria plantaginifolia fills that niche with style. Native to the eastern United States, this little plant is great in an open woodland edge, rocky slope, rock gardens, or prairie. 

Red flowers with yellow centers hang like drifts of softly illuminated lanterns in April and May. Excellent as a shady rock garden naturalizer, it also is quite content in average garden conditions. Occurs naturally in rich rocky woods, north-facing slopes, cliffs, ledges, pastures, and roadside banks. Native to all states east of the Rockies, but not found in Louisiana.

Profuse show of butter-yellow, lantern-shaped flowers from April to May. Its short stature, delicate color and mid spring bloom time make it an ideal companion for spring bulbs! It was spotted by Lawrence Clemens who asked that it be named after the Corbett Historic District which is near Monkton in Baltimore County, Maryland. Bluemont Nurseries, of Monkton, MD was the first to offer this charming local Aquilegia to the market. 

'Little Lanterns' is short in stature, but free with flowers! Numerous pendant flowers of red and yellow cover the plant in late spring. This selection resolves a few grievances that some have expressed about Aquilegia canadensis by having consistantly shorter stature and more intense color than the species.

A fantastic native with large, fine-textured feathery blooms in late Spring. Though closely related to Spiraea, goat's beard more closely resembles a giant Astilbe. When happy, Aruncus can be a formidable garden plant, reaching a spread of 6 feet or more. It is lovely when used at woods edge and it can provide a dense screen beneath a high canopy.

An attractive native groundcover for moist shade, wild ginger spreads slowly via underground rhizomes. Lustrous dark green, kidney-shaped foliage usually obscure the unique brown jug-like flowers. Will naturalize; incorporate into a native plant garden or woodland display.

One of the most beautiful of native perennials with clusters of upturned pink flowers in June and July. Much underused in average garden conditions! Attracts butterflies of all kinds. Willow-like leaves are 4-5" long. Occurs in floodplains and wet meadows.

This native classic is best known as a food of larval monarch butterflies (along with its cousins A. incarnata and A. tuberosa). Robust, yet beautiful with deep pink clusters of fragrant flowers in June and July followed by lovely pods of silky seeds in October.

A tough, drought-tolerant native with intense orange flowers in mid to late summer. Attracts many varieties of butterflies and is especially attractive to Monarchs. A beautiful solution for a dry sunny slope! Occurs in dry fields and roadsides in most of the US.

This is a selection from the native Asclepias and is therefore hardy and highly adaptable to many environments, including dry soil and even temporarily sopping-wet soil. 

Aptly named, this Asclepias selection has a vivid glowing yellow color that welcomes and commands the attention of beneficial pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, as well as human garden visitors.

A widely adaptable and tough native that is a deer-resistant food for larval butterflies. The fine-textured foliage provides a dark green backdrop for the clusters of white flowers that appear in June and July.

This member of the Wood's Aster group has the typical low rounded habit and profuse blooming associated with all three. 'Wood's Blue' has perfectly clean foliage, and in the early fall it is covered with clear, medium blue flowers with gold centers. Bred for compact habit, long bloom period and heavy flowering, all of the Wood's Asters are outstanding pot crops and should be used far more often as a sturdy perennial alternative for mums.

Aster 'Wood's Pink' is virtually mildew and rust free. Like all the Wood's Asters, it is a wonderful container plant, with a compact habit and unstoppable clear pink flowers with gold centers. Bred for compact habit, long bloom period and heavy flowering, all of the Wood's Asters are outstanding pot crops and should be used far more often as a sturdy perennial alternative for mums.

Aster 'Wood's Purple' has perfectly clean foliage, and is loaded with single, clear purple flowers in late summer and early fall. It is slightly earlier than 'Wood's Blue'. Bred for compact habit, long bloom period and heavy flowering, all of the Wood's Asters are outstanding pot crops and should be used far more often as a sturdy perennial alternative for mums.

Clouds of blue flowers in early fall in shade! A great naturalizer under trees, at the edge of woods, or as a filler among Hostas and Astilbes, which look pretty rough by September. Found in woods and dry meadows.

This selection of the native wood aster is a prolific bloomer, carpeting the shade garden with light blue in early fall, when little else blooms and the hostas are in decline. A quick and easy pot crop for fall sales. Beautiful and long-lasting as a filler in autumn flower arrangements!

Produces a fairyland of glistening small white daisies in September and October. Lovely when naturalized in shade and average to dry soil. Found in deciduous woods and along roadsides of the Eastern US.

We have grown this select form anonymously for many years and have deemed it worthy of a name. It is shorter than the species and has deep dark shining mahogany stems. It came our way from Canyon Creek Nursery, via Roger Rache, then of the Berkley Botanic Gardens's Eastern US section. Originally collected from coastal Rhode Island.

A very low, dense carpeting groundcover that is smothered with 1/2" single white flowers with gold centers in September. A good strong grower and a totally new look and use for Asters! Makes an excellent container plant.

'Bluebird' is a superlative selection of the native smooth aster introduced by Dr. Richard Lighty of the Mt.Cuba Center. This tall, vase-shaped wildflower has large 1" diameter blue flowers held in cloud-like clusters at the tips of the arching branches. You can pinch back the young shoots in June for denser habit and more flowers, but it is not essential. Staking is helpful by late summer if you forget to pinch. Perfectly clean foliage makes for easy maintenance in production and in the landscape. Aster laevis is a great source of nectar for migrating monarchs and other late season butterflies.

Who can resist plants with great names? Aster 'Lady in Black' is an elegant 3-4' mound of purplish-black strappy leaves smothered in red-centered tiny white daisies in late summer and early fall. A stronger, more statuesque sister of Aster 'Prince' that will thrive in average soil in sun or part shade, but shows best foliage coloration in full sun. Thousands of flowers per plant - a butterfly's dream!

Blooms ranging from blue-purple to lavender-pink pop in the late summer and fall landscape. A large, showy native aster that is a must-have autumn nectar source for pollinators.

A naturally compact form with deep purple flowers in August and September. Eye-popping with Solidago 'Golden Fleece'. One of the most garden-worthy native selections out there. A fine introduction from the Mt. Cuba Center.

Vibrant, hot-pink, star-shaped flowers with yellow center accents adorn lance-shaped green foliage through autumn. The compact, mounding habit of this sport of Aster 'Purple Dome' has proven mildew resistance. Reaching between 15 and 20 inches, 'Vibrant Dome' performs best in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. A beautiful performer for late season color.

Local midatlantic native of moist to wet meadows. Flowers may vary in shades of pink, purple and white and bloom in early fall, which is late August and early September here in PA.

Medium blue, fine textured single ray flowers in September and October, aromatic foliage. Irresistable, a really tremendous plant. Introduced by Holbrook Farm.

Large leaves (to 2') emerge in the spring and provide a bold backdrop for earlier blooming perennials. In the fall, numerous flower stalks rise to 4 or 5 feet and each is covered with 1" sky blue daisy-like flowers. Flowering is later than many other asters and this species often provides brilliant color until frost. Found by Rick Darke and Skip March at the Jin Dai Botanical Garden. This cultivar is shorter than the species and less likely to require staking.

Elegant spikes of creamy yellow blooms grace tidy blue-green foliage in early summer. Long-blooming and tough, a dazzling addition to the native plant palette. A hybrid of B. sphaerocarpa and B. alba, found by Rob Gardener of NC Botanical Gardens.

Discovered by Rob Gardener of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens and introduced by Niche Gardens of Chapel Hill, NC. Apparently a chance hybrid of B. australis and B. alba, this has the charcoal-gray stems of alba and the blue color from australe, although it is more purple than B. australe. It is a good and vigorous grower and destined to be very much treasured.

A riot of yellow in late spring and early summer! Larry Loman of Ridgecrest Nursery in Wynne, Arkansas selected this brilliant yellow-gold Baptisia for the bodacious and profuse flower display, deep green foliage, and compact rounded habit.

Bright white flowers are larger and showier than the species. It is a longer-lived and better smelling substitute for baby's breath! June-October bloom in an average to dry location.

Airy plumes with numerous small, barely blue flowers over mint-scented, oregano-like foliage from June to October. Great in rock walls. It does need good drainage. It looks like a small, light blue Heuchera when in flower, which seems like all the time.

This beautiful cultivar comes to us from Michael Jenkins. 'Morning Grace' has a dainty garden stature reaching just under a foot in height. Thin, strappy foliage remains a clean, medium green throughout the growing season. Triangular, light pink flowers and attractive gold stamens rest just above the foliage during its very long bloom period. Flowers are very attractive to pollinating insects. An excellent companion for Carex pensylvanica.

Native to northern states and Canada, this little beauty is at home at pond's edge or along a stream. It is clumping by nature, but can seed in to form a dense groundcover in a consistently moist site. In early spring, hundreds of bright yellow buttercup flowers dot the green carpet of cordate foliage. Deer usually leave this alone! Found in marshes, swamps, and wet meadows from North Carolina to Alaska.

According to Plantipp, the motto of this stunning, new Caryopteris is big, blue & beautiful! We found that to be true in our own trial gardens here at North Creek. Its powdery grey-green foliage is the perfect skirting to present the long wands of stacked deep blue flowers. The flowers are bigger than other Caryopteris that we have trialed with long wands lasting weeks on end. It is a wonderful addition to the landscape or container garden + excellent for cut flowers. Superior low growing habit. 

Spikes of elegant white flowers top shiny green foliage in late summer and early fall. Grows best in moist meadows, stream banks, and swamps. Favorite breeding site for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly.

Lustrous, deep green foliage is topped in August and September with rose pink, turtle-head-shaped flowers. Red stems persist most of the season. Bronze green early season growth is another distinctive feature.

A tiny turtlehead with all the flower power of its taller brothers, this native cultivar features uniquely shaped, hot pink blooms atop lustrous dark green leaves with a bronzy sheen. Flowers reminiscent of turtles' mouths persist from mid-summer into fall, a favorite of butterflies but distasteful to deer. Its very compact habit is a great choice for mixed containers, or let it spread ever so slowly in the landscape along pond and stream edges, rain gardens or perennial borders.

A native groundcover, this plant is known for both its foliage and flowers with toothed, light green, triangular leaves and dark yellow, slightly notched, star shaped flowers that bloom well above the foliage and have contrasting brown stamens. The flowers bloom abundantly in the spring and fall, but tend to die down in the heat of the summer except in the cooler zones.

'Quinn’s Gold' was selected for it’s multicolored flowers. They emerge in spring a bright golden yellow turning to shades of light yellow and creamy white. It blooms heavily in spring and will continue to flower sporadically the rest of the season. This is a vigorous grower making it ideal as a groundcover for shady areas. Low maintenance perennial that is quite easy to grow. American Beauties Native Plants

This green & gold is sure to be a superstar on the retail bench and in the garden! Deep green, semi-evergreen foliage is topped with golden flowers in mid to late spring. It’s an easy native groundcover that blooms well and is a vigorous clump grower.

One of our favorite native groundcovers for the woodland garden. Yellow daisy-like flowers cover 6" evergreen foliage in spring. Rosettes of leaves slowly spread stoloniferously. Looks great with columbine and Virginia bluebells. This golden star is very similar to Chrysogonum virginianum 'Allen Bush', but has shorter stems and stolons that spread above ground. With a compact and low growing form, this plant has deep, shiny green foliage and golden, star shaped flowers.

A more vigorous version of 'Moonbeam' that fills in faster in the spring and has larger flowers that occur all along the stems rather than just above the foliage, giving a fuller overall appearence. Overwinters well.

The entire plant is covered in blooms from end to end during late summer through fall. It has a unique lacey, fern-like foliage. Mildew resistant. Tolerant of a variety of conditions, but prefers moist, well-drained soils in full sun.

A spectactular introduction from Itsaul Plants, this stunning little guy seems to always be in bloom. A cross between 'Zamphir' and 'Early Sunrise', it has broader fluted petals, a compact habit and an extended flowering season. Responds beautifully to cutting back, but will rebloom without it.

A superior selection for its sturdy upright stems, fine threadleaf foliage and deep wine-red flowers that do not become “frosted” in the heat. Sterile flowers bloom all summer; cutting back will encourage rebloom until frost. Beautiful in the perennial garden or as a special accent. A selection from Darrell Probst that is not to be overlooked!

'Sienna Sunset' parades its attention-grabbing flower color while still sharing all the same terrific qualities as its parent, Coreopsis 'Crème Brûlée'. It is outstanding when planted in masses, displaying a long bloom time and large, burnt sienna colored flowers. The flowers lighten as they age to a deep orange. This cultivar is well utilized in the front or middle of a perennial border or in mixed containers.

Like sunshine in your garden, Coreopsis grandiflora 'Sunkiss' is covered in 3" golden yellow blooms all summer long. The flower centers have a bright maroon blotch adding a bit of dimension to your sunny border. If you've been burned by Coreopsis before, this variety is for you - it's very hardy, heat tolerant, and a pollinator magnet. 

Vigorous mounds of foliage reach up to a sturdy 30” tall. Flower display lasts for a full 6 weeks. Bright and sunny for end of summer blooming that holds through the fall. C. palustris is native to the swampy forests of the south and particularly prolific in the Carolinas. It is one of the slower spreading Coreopsis and is a faculative that tolerates wet roots for extended periods. Mt. Cuba Center's 2015 Coreopsis Trial

A North Creek original, this selection of C. pubescens var. pubescens blooms non-stop from mid-summer until October here, with saucer-like flowers over low, spreading, slightly fuzzy foliage. An easy, self-sowing plant when happy. Likes hot, bright, well-drained spots, but is not fussy at all. An easy native for sun or part shade.

This hardy species is a delightful and tough landscape solution. Taller and more vigorous than 'Moonbeam' or 'Zagreb', it has bright yellow flowers for 8 weeks or more, from late May to early August and often later. Drought tolerant and easy to grow in a garden or along the roadside.

Coreopsis 'Moonbeam' is a dependable bloomer and all-round fantastic plant. The flowers are a glowing, lemon-yellow color and sit on top of tall, erect, lacey, somewhat mound forming, delicate (threadleaf) looking green foliage that has an airy appearance. The flowers are plentiful and bloom continuously throughout the entire summer. If the dead blossoms are removed, flowers will be more abundant and healthy. Truly a bright sight. Great in rock gardens and gardens with poor soil. Makes a nice cut flower.

Winner of the 2001 RHS Award of Garden Merit, this threadleaf coreopsis is just a little bit shorter than 'Moonbeam'. 'Zagreb' has bright yellow flowers that sit atop tall, erect, lacey, somwhat mound forming, delicate (threadleaf) looking, green foliage that has an airy appearance. The flowers are abundant and bloom continuously throughout the entire summer. Removal of the dead blossoms encourages longer blooming and healthier flowers. Truly a colorful sight. Great in rock gardens and gardens with poor soil. Makes a good cut flower.

Wow! A blue-flowered Delphinium for bright to average shade and it is native to woodland glades from Alabama to Pennsylvania. Ours came to us thanks to the generosity of the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio. Spikes of spurred blue flowers top 3-6' stems from July to September. A welcome addition to the woodland edge or bright shade border.

A popular plant for the shade garden, Dicentra eximia is a tremendous performer. The leaves are deeply cut and fern like. The pink flowers are oblong heart shaped with an inner petal that drips from the outer petals, creating the appearance that the heart is bleeding. The flowers are smaller and longer than the old-fashioned bleeding heart, but in long branching inflorescences that encourage a more floriferous species.

Our own selection of this species has dark blue snapdragon flowers covering a low, thick mound of rosemary-like foliage in early summer. Compact in a container and very easy to grow, just treat it as you would a Dianthus. It has been reliably hardy in Landenberg through rain and drought for many winters. Needs good drainage.

A 2013 All-America Selection Award Winner, and for good reason - they’re durable, easy to grow and gorgeous! A delightful mix of colors from rich purples, pinks, reds and oranges to lighter yellows, creams and whites makes a bold statement in a perennial border, butterfly garden or patio container. Drought tolerant and low maintenance, these coneflowers do not require deadheading to maintain their flower power! The spent blooms turn to seeds, providing winter food for songbirds and architectural interest.

Exceptionally large, flat-topped flowers in early to mid summer. 'Sundown' is a selection with a deep orange cone surrounded by broad petals in susnset shades of orange and rose. This plant is trouble free and easy to grow!

Named after the Cleopatra Butterfly of the same cheerful yellow color, horizontally held ray petals flutter around bright orange cones all summer. The blooms lighten to creamy yellow as they age atop compact, bushy green foliage and sturdy stems. Add a pop of color and fragrance to the sunny perennial border or wildlife garden and enjoy the show of butterflies and bumblebees that come to visit!

A Yellow Purple Coneflower... thus the paradox. Relatively rare in the wild and in cultivation, this coneflower is stunning in summer. Its bright, pure yellow flowers consist of drooping petals surrounding a soft brown cone. Goldfinches devour the seeds. Native to the Ozark Mountains and surrounding areas.

One of the great butterfly magnets of the native perennial garden! Coneflowers are easy to grow in average to dry, well drained soils. Flowers with large orange gold spiky centers and strong reflexed rose pink petals appear in July and August. Very drought tolerant.

Lend a classic look to your garden with Pow Wow® White’s graceful, downward arching and bright white ray petals surrounded by bright yellow cones. This spectacular variety is extremely well-branched for profuse blooms and summer to frost flower power! Amazing in a sunny perennial border or wildlife garden. Easy to grow and very adaptable to heat, humidity, drought and poor soils.

Up the WOW factor in your garden with PowWow® Wild Berry, a 2010 All-America Selection award winner! This spectacular variety is extremely well-branched for profuse blooms and flower power summer to frost. Brilliant rose-purple flowers retain color longer without fading and will bloom without the need for deadheading. Amazing in a sunny perennial border or wildlife garden. Easy to grow and very adaptable to heat, humidity, drought or poor soils.

A new release from Jelitto Perennial Seeds, Echinacea 'Green Twister' is a compact, sturdy plant with horizontal facing petals that change in color from edges of lemon green to a bright carmine red center. Colors vary by flower and give a pleasing range of color pattern. 

Named by Klaus Jelitto of Jelitto Staudensamen (perennial seeds) in Germany, for Swedish nurseryman Magnus Nilsson, who carefully selected for ten years, looking for fine form, dark hue, and very horizontal petals. A tall, coarse plant with large, dark green leaves and a large, 3-4" flower with broad hot pink to purple petals that surround a brown/bronze cone. Plants are tough and heat and drought tolerant once established. Their roots have famous medicinal qualities, they make great, long lasting cut flowers and attract numerous butterflies and small birds.

Introduced by Jelitto, who gave us 'Magnus', Echinacea 'Ruby Star' is a slightly shorter plant with large flat topped flowers that are a deeper purple pink, almost ruby red, than most others. Plants are easy to grow, tough, and heat and drought tolerant once established. Their roots have famous medicinal qualities, they make great, long lasting, cut flowers and attract numerous butterflies and small birds.

'White Swan' is not as cold hardy or vigorous as its common purple relative, but it makes up for this with its unique, beautiful, pure white flowers. A tall plant with large, dark green leaves and a large, 3-4" flower with white, broad, silky petals that surround a dark brown/bronze cone. Plants are tough and heat and drought tolerant once established. Their roots have famous medicinal qualities, they make great, long lasting, cut flowers and attract numerous butterflies and small birds.

This outstanding form of E. pulchellus was selected for its relatively large grey-green, pubescent foliage (4"), dense, mat-forming habit and astonishing ability to thrive in a wide range of challenging conditions. In early May, individual flower stalks give rise to lightly tinted lavender flowers with a yellow inner eye. Foliage remains less than 6" and forms a tight groundcover, while flowering stems top out at just over a foot tall. Originally found growing on the 27-acre property of Clarice Keeling of Virginia Beach, VA, 'Lynnhaven Carpet' was named after Virginia Beach’s Lynnhaven River by plantsman Charles Cresson. An easy to grow, carefree native perennial perfectly suited for moderate sunlight to full shade. Enjoy!

Never heard of Eriogonum 'Little Rascal'? We're not suprised! This affectionately named perennial is one of the trade's best kept secrets and is an underused gem. Although a rare plant in the wild, this Jelitto Seeds selection of Eriogonum allennii has a wide range of landscape applications. With a tidy, low-growing habit of gray-green, paddle-shaped leaves, it bursts with golden yellow umbels that age to various shades of bronzy orange in the late summer. A wonderful little plant at 18-24” tall, it is drought tolerant, durable and long flowering.

A unique and eye-catching plant for a dry, sunny site. Slightly spiny leaves are arranged in a rosette that resembles Yucca. Flower stems shoot skyward in summer and are topped with thistle-like bluish silver flowers. An architectural addition to the perennial border or meadow. Found in moist and dry sandy soils in open woods, fields, and prairies; Virginia to Minnesota, south to Texas and Florida.

This short and sweet dwarf variety is fantastic for use in perennial borders, rain gardens and mixed containers with its shorter stature and upright habit. Attractive, dome-shaped clusters of tiny, rosy-purple blooms are a favorite of butterflies and gardeners alike, lasting from mid-summer through fall before turning into tufts of fuzzy seed heads with late autumn interest. A clump-forming perennial with whorls of coarse green leaves on sturdy stems.

Trumpetweed 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 pollinaters by the dozens. Its height makes it an excellent backround plant in border perennial beds, but is also majestic standing alone. Flower color is darker in cooler weather.

A dry meadow and sandy field native with white flowers and very fine-textured foliage. Flat topped clusters of white fringed flowers have the overall appearence of clouds - very attractive and often underutilized. Wonderful as late summer texture.

Loose, white, flat-topped flowers over deep green foliage with hairy stems. E. perfoliatum is a clumping, slightly aromatic, easy to grow plant with low maintenance. Great for attracting butterflies. E. perfoliatum may be used in border and wildflower gardens, around the banks of a pond and in areas in which it may naturalize.

Like others in this genus, 'Gateway' is no exception in its power to attract butterflies with its huge, bright mauve-pink flower clusters atop deep wine red stems. July to September bloom makes 'Gateway' a bold and dramatic display when planted with Rudbeckia 'Autumn Sun' or tall ornamental grasses. Outrageous!

Chocolate leaves and shiny, deep purple stems make a wonderful contrast to explosions of white flowers in September and October. Perfect accent to the bright violets and blues found in Lobelia and Penstemon. With all this color, how could butterflies not be interested? Excellent cut flower. Be careful...this plant is toxic for people and animals! Introduced by Dr. Richard Lighty.

An evergreen plant that is excellent in sun or shade. A carefree, slowly spreading groundcover with shiny, deep green, leathery leaves. Yellow green disc-like bracts back chartreuse yellow flowers in late spring which last for months. Looks fantastic in a pot and in the garden. Grow in a protected site for best winter foliage. Most importantly, this plant has just about zero maintenance requirements. Unbeatable!

A charming ornamental strawberry with showy, cherry-red flowers in spring and sporadically through fall, and a sprinkling of berries in summer. The berries are not advisable to consume. Its form is slightly mounded with luscious dark green foliage that creeps along to create a wonderful groundcover and accent to almost any perennial in the garden.

Clear white, four-petaled flowers with a candy-pink picotee. Flowers bloom along tall, flexible stems throughout summer. Open, vase-shaped habit; quite tolerant of heat, humidity, and some drought once established. Requires well-drained soil.

A Siskiyou Nursery introduction. Wine-red buds opening to rose pink flowers with white stamens. Shorter than other varieties with darker foliage. Occasional white flowers will appear, but they are few. The stems culminate in racemes of orchid-like flowers that open a few at a time giving the plant the added bonus of a long blooming period.

We are delighted to offer 'True Blue', from hybridizer Darrell Probst. Large, 2-inch, bright blue flowers are present mid-summer into early autumn. Semi-glossy, medium-green foliage is arranged oppositely along sturdy, well-branched stems.

It is low and tidy and gently fills an area with its fragrant foliage. 'Azure Rush' is generously covered with light blue 2.5 inch blooms. Everything that you have come to love and anticipate from 'Rozanne' is true + improved by her lighter blue daughter.

This is an easy, carefree geranium; a strong grower with a sprawling habit like 'Dilys'. The finely cut foliage is accented by large (for a geranium) blue-purple flowers with pale blue eyes which cover the plant from early summer to frost. 'Rozanne' was discovered by Donald and Rozanne Waterer of England as a naturally occuring hybrid of Geranium himalayense and Geranium wallichianum 'Buxton's Variety'.

Abundant, pure white, cup-shaped blooms rest gracefully above mounds of deeply divided, dark green foliage. Flowering from May-August. Low maintenance groundcover happiest in rich, moist to well-drained soil; light supplemental irrigation during dry spells.

Vivid magenta-pink flowers above mounds of large, scented foliage in spring and early summer. An excellent deer-resistant, spreading groundcover for full to part sun areas, with the added benefit of lovely red-tinted foliage in the fall.

A great groundcover geranium. This Geranium macrorrhizum selection has been working hard in gardens since 1929. Light pink flowers with darker sepals and stems are held high above thick green foliage. Tolerates bright shade and drier soils. Order early!

We are very excited to offer our own selection from the woods of Landenberg! Pale lavender-pink flowers over very attractive maroon-purple foliage. A bold new look for our native cranesbill, useful as a groundcover or shade garden feature plant. G. maculatum is found naturally in open woods, clearings, woods edges and roadsides throughout the Eastern US.

A wonderful landscape groundcover for part shade or sun featuring white flowers with light pink veins and stamens. Red to orange fall color is outstanding. 'Biokovo' is easy to grow in the shade or bright edge conditions. This naturally occuring hybrid was discovered in the Biokova Mountains in Croatia.

Bright, golden-yellow, 5-petaled flowers bloom early to late spring creating a striking accent against evergreen, trifoliate leaves. Flowers and foliage appear on separate stalks; foliage spreads by rhizomes just below the soil surface. A multi-seasonal, ornamental groundcover for the native garden.

Helenium 'Mardi Gras' produces a festival of multicolored blooms to jazz up the garden for six to eight weeks in mid to late summer. Yellow petals are lavishly edged with bright orange-red, aging to clear red edged in gold, all surrounding deep chestnut cones. Gorgeous in a pot! Great as a cut flower, its long stems are sturdy and vase life is long. Heleniums are naturally resistant, even toxic, to deer and rabbits. An early pinch back helps promote branching.

Our local native with yellow or bronze single daisy-like flowers on stout branched stems in late summer. Petals have distinct tooth-like indentations; hence the common name, dog-toothed daisy. All sneezeweeds have three-lobed petals which distiguish them from Rudbeckia and other yellow coneflowers. Brown, rust colored fruit appear in fall. Great for cut flowers and the avid butterfly gardener.

These bold, spicy red flowers are sure to bring rhythm to your garden palette! Its dense, compact and tidy habit will be COVERED with bright red blooms that age to shades of orange and yellow from late summer through fall. A must-have perennial for late season color and pollinator activity in the garden border.

This great floriferous native is very attractive in the garden and in flower arrangements. Its delightful brown spherical cones are surrounded by a flowing fringe of bright yellow reflexed petals looking like hundreds of yellow skirted dancers in motion. The foliage is compact and bushy. Tolerant of a wide variety of conditions, H. flexuosum blooms from mid-summer into fall. Native from Massachusettes to Florida.

A free-flowering plant to brighten up the late summer garden. Covered in intense light yellow single 2-3" flowers from July to September. An irresistible butterfly plant.

An explosion of golden yellow flowers combined with a manageable height makes this a superior selection. Despite its name, this plant can be found literally blanketed in flowers in the late summer and into the fall when most other Helianthus are past. Flowers form on upright, self-supporting stems but instead of the typical tall sunflower, Helianthus 'First Light' forms a nice, compact clump of fuzzy, linear leaves topping out just above 3 feet.

So, you've never grown this sunflower because it is impossible to keep in a container, right? Not any more! This diminutive version reaches only 18" by the time it blooms, but has the flower power of its 8' cousins. No pinching, staking or cussing required! A great addition to the front of the border for late summer and fall color. 

This local native sunflower happily naturalizes in moist or dry conditions. Upright and clump forming with bright, 2", single, medium gold flowers for eight weeks, peaking in July. Imagine, a self sowing butterfly magnet, that also doubles as a birdfeeder in the fall. Excellent cut flower!

Another Heliopsis seed selection by Jelitto Perennial Seeds, Heliopsis helianthoides 'Bleeding Hearts' stands 4' tall with dark purple foliage and black stems providing a perfect foil for the blooms beginning at a fire red then orange-red turning to bronze colored as they fade. 'Bleeding Hearts' begins blooming in its first year and blooms from June to mid-October. 

A seed selection by Jelitto Perennial Seeds, Heliopsis helianthoides 'Burning Hearts' stands 4' tall with dark red purple foliage and abundant contrasting yellow daisy-like flowers with orange centers. Plant begins blooming in its first year and blooms from June to mid-October. 

We are delighted to have introduced this magnificent series from Hellebore breeder David Culp! His 15 years of breeding using rare species and prized selections from collectors and specialty nurseries has produced a premium strain with clear colors and distinctive forms. This group promises plenty of doubles and anemones, as well as dark reds, spotted pinks, picotees, and apricots. A keen eye, hand pollination, and years of careful selection mean beautiful plants for you!

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Apricot Fortune is a single flower peach in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Apricot Juju is a single flower spotted peach in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Blue Mojo is a double blossom deep purple blue with smokey slate finish  in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Enchanted Yellow is a double flower in butter yellow in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Green Juju is a green bloom with dark red speckling in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Hocus Pocus is a double blossom with an aubergine center and white or pink margin in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Pink Juju is a single pink flower in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Pink Mojo is a double pink flower in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Red Fortune is a single red flower in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Voodoo is a mix of bright yellow flowers with magenta accenting to soft pinks with a blush of yellow in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ White Alchemy is a single white flower with a deep magenta center in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Yellow Juju is a single yellow bloom with delicate center magenta speckling in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Anemone Mix is an anemone flower-type mix with colors ranging from apricot to deep plum to yellow to pink in the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

Hellebore Winter Magic™ Fortune Mix is a mix of colors and flowers from the Winter Magic™ series coming true to type from seed.

A happy accident in the production of Heuchera 'Caramel', 'Citronelle' brings the vigor of the villosas to bright chartreuse folliage for shade. A strong grower with incredible pot presentation, it will delight your customers!

Another great selection for the East Coast bred by Charles Oliver of the Primrose Path. With its H. villosa heritage, it is vigorous and long-lived. Stunningly beautiful velvety purple leaves with darker veins are topped with pale pink pearl-like flowers in late spring. Definitely one of our favorites!

Shiny, dark purple-red ruffled leaves with faint silvery marbling between the veins accented by attractive, delicate heads of pink flower clusters held aloft by tall, thin stems in early and mid summer. Fast growing with a tidy, mounding habit. Very popular!

One of the parents of this hybrid is Heuchera pubescens, an especially hardy, drought-resistant species native to rocky slopes in the Appalachians. Heuchera 'Stainless Steel' has been a show-stopper since we started trialing it here!

This is a seed propagated strain selected by Dale Hendricks that is really fantastic and excitingly variable. Unique silver-blue marbled foliage accented by white flowers on long panicles in the spring. Excellent drought tolerant ground cover. Foliage display is amazing!

A beautiful display when used en masse, the long flowering stems of this alumroot sway high above deep green foliage mottled in silver highlights. Tubular calyces surround the pale yellow flowers and securely affix them to upright stems. Expect flowering from late May into June.

Fuzzy, chartreuse to lime green, nearly evergreen foliage erupts in September with white fountains of pure white flowers continuing until frost. A very easy-care plant tolerant of dry shade and a wide variety of conditions. A good, tough exciting meat-and-potatoes groundcover that doubles as a cut flower! Great for moist shade. Named and introduced by Bluemount Nurseries, Monkton, MD.

Deep purple, ivy-shaped foliage fades to bronze green in the heat of summer and becomes dark green in the fall. This plant has been an industry favorite for many years and was the Perennial Plant Association's Plant of the Year in 1991.

Bred by Thierry Delabroye, 'Caramel' has glowing apricot new growth fading to soft amber by summer. Fall color is an intense salmon red. Its lobed fuzzy foliage typical of H. villosa stays clean. An eastern US native species that is plenty hardy and unsurpassed for longevity, even in the prolonged heat and humidity of the south. Long panicles of creamy white flowers in late summer.

A superb intro from Charles Oliver of the Primrose Path, this is a native late-flowering groundcover. This has much shinier, almost lacquered looking foliage vs. H. villosa 'Purpurea'. Like its cousin 'Autumn Bride', 'Bronze Wave' is sturdy, perhaps an 18", or a bit larger, clump. September-October flowering spikes of small tan flowers. Excellent shade groundcover that can happily compete with tree roots and come out looking good.

This shrublike herbaceous perennial is a vigorous grower with large, glabrous leaves and 4-5" wide flowers that range from pink to white. The flowers last only for one day, but they appear consistently until the end of the season. An amazing show of color and grace!

A widely used and attractive evergreen groundcover which is dense, but not invasive. Deep green, oval leaves and 2" gold flowers with pincushion-like, center-clustered stamens in late spring and early summer. One of the nicest groundcovers when in bloom. Most content in cooler areas away from drying winter winds, although quite tough once established.

A bright new foliage color for shady sites! Golden yellow, oval leaves with reddish edges support 2" gold flowers with pincushion-like center clustered stamens in late spring and early summer. You will hardly notice the flowers in the sea of gold foliage. This plant is most content in cooler areas away from drying winter winds, although once established it is quite tough.

Blue-violet flowers appear in early spring, carpeting the native woodland garden or shaded perennial border. Will naturalize, spreading to form a beautiful native groundcover.

Blue-purple flowers with orange crests and white throats surrounded by navy blue. A consistently strong performer, more thick and robust than the species. Very attractive, versatile and easy to care for.

Considerably huskier and more vigorous than the species, this sweet giant boasts 3" flowers of delicate light blue with golden crests and deep blue accents. Vigorous and easy to grow!

This delightful selection of our native crested iris came to us from Don Shadow in Winchester, TN. 'Tennessee White' is a vigorous spreader and prolific bloomer, covering the fan-like foliage with brilliant white flowers in spring, each accented with delicate yellow crests. Its late spring show starts earlier and lasts longer than the other selections we've tried.

A wonderful pot plant with long retail shelf life and rewarding garden and landscape performance. It loves heat and humidity and breezes through a drought like a champ. Single, one inch, pale blue, daisy-like flowers on a compact mound of green all summer. Resembles Felicia or Brachycomb - but it's hardy! Very popular in Europe and deserves much more recognition here. Many thanks to Ewald Hügen for introducing us to this gem!

Perhaps this should win the prize for easiest plant to grow. It loves heat and humidity and breezes through a drought like a champ. Single, one inch, white daisy-like flowers on a compact mound of green all summer. Very unusual and attractive. Great in the landscape and in containers. Essential for the butterfly gardener!

A uniform plant both in production and the garden. Extremely tolerant to heat & humidity with superior winter survival and hardiness to Zone 5 - this lavender has been tested in several locations in Minnesota and Michigan with excellent results. Also resistant to common root and foliar diseases. Blooms best after vernalization. Developed & introduced by Peace Tree Farm. Required breeder tags must ship with all orders.

Imagine: Large-flowered Shasta type daisy that actually lives for years! Single white flowers in June and July. Average to dry soil. Can easily be cut back for compact growth and re-flowering. Good cut flower. Deep shiny green foliage holds up well in heat and humidity. Named for Becky Stewart, of Decatur, GA.

Tends to bloom earlier than other daisy varieties, with a short stature and tidy, compact habit. White, quilled petals and sunny yellow centers provide a twist on the classic daisy look throughout the summer. From Darwin Perennials.

An exceptional, compact native with fine-textured, deep green grassy leaves. Dwarf blazingstar sends up numerous spikes with tassel-like rosy purple flowers in August and September. Unique to the genus, the flowers open from top to bottom on the spike in a slow unfurling of brilliant color. Excellent as a cut flower. Tolerant of clay and drought, very low maintenance. Loved by butterflies! Liatris microcephala can be found in sandy, dry prairies and open glades of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

We are pleased to increase the availability of Pennsylvania provenance populations of our native gayfeathers. Tallest of the genus with upright spikes bearing pinkish-purple tassels in July and August. One of the best garden performers! An excellent cut flower and a magnet for butterflies, bees, rare moths and hummingbirds. Deer resistant!

Clump-forming habit with brilliant red flower spikes set against green and purple-bronze colored foliage. Each individual spike of scarlet flowers open from bottom to top and stays in bloom for several weeks. A favorite of hummingbirds. Makes an excellent cut flower. A real show stopper!

Wonderful in the perennial border and perfect for rain gardens, this cardinal flower is sure to stand out with its dramatic, dark chocolatey-purple foliage and bold red flowers. Superior to other dark-foliaged Lobelias on the market, 'Black Truffle' holds this deep color throughout the growing season. A magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies all summer, but deer tend to leave it alone. Introduced by Peter Heus and brought to market by Plants Nouveau.

The spikes of brilliant true blue flowers on this wetland native attract butterflies, hummingbirds and neighbors to your garden! Lobelia siphilitica provides outstanding color for the border, wet meadow or pond edge. Naturalizes easily in moist soils, but tolerates periods of drought.

Fragrant, pea-like, blue to violet flowers in late spring with leaves that are palmately divided into 7-11 leaflets. Enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form. Requires good drainage.

The short stature, continuous sunny bloom, and deep wine coloring of this native plant make Lysimachia lanceolata var. purpurea a new favorite groundcover, winning over our R&D Department by how it keeps weeds at bay and is a carefree plant. 

Looking for a native substitute for Ajuga or Lamium? This could be it! Long, trailing stems run across the ground and root along the way. In late spring the green carpet gives way to hundreds of blue flowers opening to reveal spotted throats. Beautiful from a distance and under close scrutiny. Irresistible in a pot!

You know spring has arrived when the pendulous, trumpet-shaped flowers of Mertensia return. Flower buds start off pink and slowly transition to a soft blue as flowers develop. Foliage is smooth, oval, and has an attractive bluish cast. Beautiful when used en masse and left undisturbed. The perfect spring ephemeral for the woodland garden, incorporate with native ferns and sedges. Summer dormant. Best for planting directly into the landscape, as they must root in to return to bloom the following year. These ephemerals are not ideal for finishing in a pot for spring sales.

Lavender to blue-purple flowers resemble that of a monkey's face and dance along the length of upright, square stems throughout the summer.

Bred by Lynn Collicutt of the Morden Research Station in Morden, Manitoba. Lavender-pink flowers in July and August atop deep green, shiny and clean foliage. More compact than others in the species. Very low maintenance. Cherished by butterflies and hummingbirds, but loathed by deer. Also makes an excellent cut flower!

A White Flower Farm introduction. The buds really do resemble raspberries! Clear wine-red flowers from June through August. Very mildew resistant. Cherished by butterflies and hummingbirds, but loathed by deer. Also makes an excellent cut flower.

Tubular, two-lipped, pink to light lavender flowers carry a purple tracking and bloom from spring into summer. A member of the mint family, this native bee balm is very attractive to pollinators and occurs naturally in open and dry, rocky woods from Alabama to Texas, north to Iowa.

Named for the son of Georgia plantsman and garden designer Jean Cline. This is the ticket as far as mildew resistant Monardas. Wonderfully aromatic foliage and stems with enormous red tubular flowers from June to August. A Saul Nursery introduction. Cherished by butterflies and hummingbirds. Also makes an excellent cut flower!

Lovely lavender flowers top aromatic foliage. Easy to grow in a perennial border, wildflower garden or meadow. Wild bergamot is a great naturalizing wildflower and a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. Monarda fistulosa is more tolerant of drought and resistant to powdery mildew than M. didyma.

A valuable ecological species, Monarda punctata is the equivalent of a juice bar at the gym for nectar loving/needing insects! BONUS, it also resists all other kinds of mites that could impact the bees because it is incredibly high in thymol. If you are in the area where the endangered Karner Blue still resides, you will be helping restore them to safe status by planting a stand of Monarda punctata, as this is their food mothership.

The earliest blooming Nepeta we've had in our trials, with flowers starting in early April and lasting up to six weeks! Clean, aromatic foliage and a compact habit make it an excellent groundcover.

The non-reseeding progeny of 'Walker's Low'. This low-growing, compact catmint packs a punch of lavender-blue flowers from late spring through summer over aromatic blue-green foliage. Its tidy habit is ideal for mixed containers, the perennial border, and along paths and walkways. A Star Roses & Plants introduction.

An early season bloomer with light blue flowers and deep purple calyxes, Nepeta × faassenii 'Purrsian Blue' is a wonderful addition to your garden. Stands out from the crowd with its low and tidy appearance, this new arrival from Walters Gardens, Inc. has us really taking notice. 

Soft, fragrant, gray-green foliage with sprays of large, distinct bluish purple flowers from April to October. Compact, prolific and beautiful! Named for English garden Walker's Low.

An extremely long blooming, easy care plant. A vigorous, stoloniferous grower that can be a bit of a thug, especially in sandier soils. It is less invasive and shorter than O. speciosa, but still a fast running plant that can quickly spread. Great numbers of 1-1/2", upright, clear light pink flowers are translucent in the sun. Blooms May through July and with periodic rebloom until October.

A tough and reliable perennial, well-suited to hot dry sites. The stems of Oenothera fruticosa are thin, hairy, and reddish with similar leaves. The buds begin as red but open into beautiful bright yellow flowers in early summer. Easy, dependable, a strong grower that can spread a bit, particularly in sandy soils. Great color for a meadow! Native to dry soil, open fields, and open woods from Nova Scotia to Florida.

Why plant English Ivy, Vinca or Liriope when you can enjoy this native evergreen gem? Fragrant, white flower spikes appear in spring, later becoming camouflaged by a new flush of gorgeous, crisp green foliage. Leaves have a scalloped margin and take on an attractive pale silver mottling.

Clusters of small golden daisy-like flowers appear over broad, shiny green, toothed basal leaves in May. Strong blooming, even in the shade. A robust groundcover where happy and an excellent cut flower. Self seeds and naturalizes.

A tough groundcover, Packera obovata is similar to its popular cousin, Packera aurea, but with a smaller round leaf and the ability to withstand drier, full-sun conditions without losing its verdant appearance! 

Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! Named after the infamous English pirate Blackbeard, Penstemon 'Blackbeard' has the darkest of eggplant foliage with bright lilac-purple flowers rising high above and standing tall. With a long season of interest and a magnet for hummingbirds and bees, this Walter's Gardens introduction is sure to cause a delightful cry of 'Shiver me timbers!' 

Proudly bred by The University of Nebraska–Lincoln! 'Dark Towers' is a hybrid cross between P. digitalis 'Husker Red' and P. 'Prairie Splendor.' It brings the best of both parents to the perennial garden. It has intensely purple willow-shaped leaves and firm purple stems. Aptly named, 'Dark Towers' grows upright to about 30 inches tall when it blooms pink flowers in late spring and early summer. it stands better in garden situations without staking and it flowers over a longer season than most other Penstemons.

In early summer, white or light-pink-tinted, tubular 1" flowers on branching, hollow stalks rise above a basal rosette of lustrous dark green leaves. Drought tolerant, tough as nails, and deer resistant. The tubular flowers make an excellent landing pad for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds alike!

This native makes a stunning display with its brilliant white flowers against a backdrop of deep red foliage. Tough and easy to grow, it tolerates a wide variety of conditions including hot, dry sites. Our plants are now vegetatively propagated from our reddest, most vigorous selections.

A fantastic introduction from Plant Select®, selected from crosses made by Bruce Meyers between Mexican and American wild penstemons.

With the same silvery texture and excellent drought tolerance of the others, 'Little Spire' rarely exceeds two feet tall and falls over only when trampled by your dog. The work of Dutch breeder Herbert Oudshoorn is responsible for this excellent, compact, long-blooming, low-maintenance landscape plant. Patent administered by Future Plants.

Need a shorter, manageable Russian Sage that is still vigorous in the landscape and production? Try ‘Blue Jean Baby’! Lavender blue flowers held in smoky purple calyxes bloom for a long period starting in midsummer, with the color from the calyxes extending appeal into fall. This variety is one of the earliest Perovskia to bloom. This bushy selection joins the lineup of Perovskia from the Walters Gardens, Inc. hybridizing and, like the others this program has introduced, resists lodging. -Walter's Gardens

With finely cut silvery foliage, Filigran has received high praise for its upright habit and long flowering period. Airy spikes of fuzzy blue flowers cover the plant in late summer. Easy to grow and very tolerant of drought, heat and humidity, but not of wet soil. Butterflies and bees love it!

Tall, loose spikes of flowers create a lavender-blue aura from summer into fall. Its light texture and soft color is an excellent complement to other bright summer blooms such as Echinacea or Rudbeckia.

Selected for outstanding flower color and very full flower petals, 'Blue Moon' bears many fragrant, 5-petaled flowers with the arrival of spring. Enjoy a knee-high sea of elegant, violet-blue flowers that attract hummingbirds & butterflies to your garden. Foliage is lance shaped and medium green. A long-lived, carefree native groundcover.

A delightful spring-blooming native for shade, it carpets the shady border with nearly white blooms. 'May Breeze' will spread and fill in around bulbs or perennials that are late to emerge. A small-statured wild sweet william with loose clusters of fragrant, pale blue, almost white flowers that drive the butterflies wild! A Piet Oudolf introduction, from the Netherlands.

A new introduction from The Primrose Path, Phlox 'Daughter of Pearl' is part of the Earlibeauty series. As the name suggests, this Phlox is the daughter of a well-known Phlox release, Phlox 'Minnie Pearl', but 'Daughter of Pearl' has a lovely upright and mounding habit with a dense white conical flowers. Begins blooming in mid June through July and is resistant to powdery mildew! An excellent addition to your garden!

A part of the Earlibeauty series from The Primrose Path, Phlox 'Rose Bouquet' is a floriferous, compact Phlox that is highly resistant to powdery mildew, even in the most humid conditions! Flowers begin early and keep on going - bringing a smile to your face and wildlife into your gardens.

'Blue Paradise' displays wonderful color from our native garden phlox! Flowers open pale blue, darken to a deep violet blue, then develop red-violet edges as they age. The color changes with the light, looking more blue or more purple depending on the time of day. This phlox is easy to grow and resists mildew.

A fantastically colored variety of summer phlox, 'David's Lavender' is a selection from seedlings of 'David'. It has all of the disease resistance of 'David' with flowers of deep lavender-pink. Lots of flower power in this one!

Found by and named after Jeana Prewitt of Nashville, TN, this selection possesses outstanding mildew resistance with varying shades of sweetly scented, lavender-pink flowers, vibrant midsummer through early autumn. Foliage remains clean green while flower clusters create a tiered effect along upright, multi-stemmed branches. Expect a flurry of pollinator activity!

Bright white fragrant flowers. Some of the same great qualities as Phlox p. 'David' but, with richer fragrance and brighter white flowers that rebloom when cut back. 

This Southern Perennials and Herbs introduction was named for an ecological planner and Landscape Architect from Flora, Mississippi. A robust 4-5 foot plant with clean foliage all through the summer and fall. A long-blooming form with rose pink flowers typical of the species. A sure winner, especially if you prefer clean foliage without the use of fungicides.

Mat-forming habit with masses of large, deep pink flowers with deep green, narrow leaved foliage. A beautifully vibrant groundcover that will bring excitement to the shady or woodland garden. Floriferous and highly fragrant. A top performer for early spring retail sales.

Mat-forming habit with masses of star-like, clear purple flowers with deep green foliage. A beautifully vibrant groundcover that will bring excitement to the shade or woodland garden!

This plant was selected by Darrell Probst of Garden Visions in Hubbardston, MA. 'Miss Manners' is notable for its well-behaved, non spreading habit. It is a compact, clumping form, with excellent secondary branching and good rebloom. Pure white snapdragon-like flowers from June to September over deep green, glossy foliage. A nice late season addition to the garden for bees and hummingbirds.

Tubular flowers in shades of lavender-pink adorn this taller sport of 'Miss Manners' from midsummer through autumn. As expected, it holds an upright, clump forming habit with attractive medium green foliage and grows to about 36” tall and 20” wide. An adaptable and easy-to-grow native, the strong stems do not require staking.

A free-flowering woodland native with delicate light blue flowers topping ladder-like foliage in late spring. A good light-textured groundcover in areas with average to moist soils.

This excellent variegated selection of P. reptans was selected by Bill Cullina of The New England Wild Flower Society. A good plant for shade or a sunny edge (with adequate moisture). Imagine, a variegated Polemonium that actually lives! This native groundcover is very popular, and its royalties benefit the Garden in the Woods and their plant and habitat conservation.

Also known as Indian Physic or American Ipecac, Bowman's Root is an easy-to-grow native for bright shade or partial sun and it tolerates tree root competition well as long at it has a nice layer of organic mulch. Bowman's Root is lovely in a mass planting where its lacy white flowers can shimmer in a light breeze. It makes a nice filler - think Gaura for shade! A compact, rounded plant is topped in late spring with ethereal white flowers growing in a few loose terminal panicles, with red petioles and mahogany stems. Clean, disease-free foliage often turns deep bronzy red in fall and contrasts beautifully with the more typical oranges and yellows in the perennial border. Interesting form and unique seed heads persist into winter. Great for cut flowers!

We've been enjoying this great native for many years in our garden, since it was given to us by the Mt. Cuba Center in 2001. 'Pink Profusion' has clear pink flowers that are held daintily above reddish leaves on deep red stems. The best part is the way the flowers shimmer in a light breeze, as though they will take flight at any moment.

An aromatic, summer blooming, herbaceous perennial that produces silvery white, globular flowers on sturdy, upright stems. Blooming over a long period, flowers are prominently displayed above clean green foliage from summer into fall. A good soil stabilizer, this species spreads moderately via underground stem. Foliage develops an attractive red tinge in autumn. A larval host plant for the Gray Hairstreak Butterfly. Incorporate along the perennial border, rain garden, or near the vegetable garden to entice pollinators.

We give up! So many of you claimed this mountain mint to be superior to Pycnanthemum virginianum that we decided to try it for ourselves. We love it! Its leaves are broader and more lustrous, the bracts are silvery and very showy, the flowers are pinkish and its habit is more compact. Nicely aromatic. This native is happiest at the wood's edge, so it is an excellent for a naturalized border or woodland garden. Mountain Mint is one of the best nectar sources for native butterflies, so butterfly gardeners can't do without this one. Our bees go crazy for it, too!

Densely branching with fine foliage and white flowers atop terminal clusters, this Pycnanthemum tenuifolium, or slender mountain mint, has a more delicate appearance than P. muticum but with all the same pollinator action. Like its mountain mint brethren, P. tenuifolium spreads generously by rhizome making this plant a wonderful mass of white blooms in late summer. 

Fun, unique flowers dance above mounds of fine green foliage from June until frost. The blooms feature long, prominent cones that give way to wide, reflexed petals in shades of deep reddish-brown, orange, and yellow. This plant is by seed, so there will be variation in the red/yellow ratio in the flowers. A native prairie plant, this dwarf variety of the species performs exceptionally well in hot and dry conditions.

Brown cones with reflexed yellow ray petals adorn this midwestern prairie native in midsummer. Emits a soft fragrance of anise when seeds are crushed. Long-lived and very easy to grow in most situations. Great for attracting birds and butterflies! Combines well with meadow grasses and flowers. Makes a wonderful cut flower, too!

An irresistible quilt-textured, creeping groundcover! Turns deep, vivid red in the fall. Small (1-1.5") deep green, maple-shaped leaves with smooth, light tan undersides. Nearly evergreen for year-round interest. Insect and pest free. White flowers with amber fruits in late spring. Very durable!

A garden classic with bold texture and upright habit. Bright gold petals with a deep brown cone highlight the garden in late summer. Each flower may last up to two weeks! Makes a wonderful and long lasting cut flower. Provides seeds in the winter for birds and nectar for butterflies. Beautiful and versatile, outstanding in mass plantings as well as perennial borders, meadows and prairie gardens.

While there may be a bounty of black-eyed susan on the market, what makes Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii a dream is its ability to wrap strength, beauty, disease and pest resistance all into one neat package. This variety won the prestigious Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1993 and if you grow it, you'll soon understand why!

Shiny, deep green foliage. Smaller and finer than Rudbeckia 'Goldsturm' with 10 weeks of flowers from July into October. Six weeks after 'Goldsturm' is brown, this plant is at its peak! Excellent cut flower. Provides late summer nectar for butterflies and seeds in the winter for birds. Beautiful and versatile!

This knee-high performer is a knockout in the landscape! Selected for copious floral display and dwarf habit with increased manageability, this variety has excellent branching and forms a tidy, compact clump. A bit more floriferous than 'Goldsturm', flowers are held high above rich green foliage and bloom from July into October.

This coneflower is a tall, erect and stately native with yellow ray petals accented by a green center held by coarse, hairy stems. Blooms in August and September. Excellent cut flower and butterfly magnet. R. laciniata can be found blooming in moist meadows, grassy roadsides and flood plains from Quebec to Montana south to Arizona and Florida.

This long-blooming butterfly (especially monarch) magnet has large, glossy, deep green, deeply cut leaves along the stems and loose clusters of clear yellow ray flowers with large green cones that darken with age. Blooms for 8+ weeks in mid to late summer. Very cold hardy.

Huge powder-blue leaves make up 2' to 3' of basal foliage that is effective all during the growing season. In June and July, towering flower spikes explode with large, deep gold, drooping ray flowers with a black center. A must-have for the butterfly and bird lover! Reliable and deer proof.

Our friend Larry Lowman of Ridgecrest Nursery in Wynne, Arkansas graciously gave us this marvelous plant. It was collected from a railroad prairie remnant in southern Illinois and named for the man who found it, Henry Eilers, a horticulturist and retired nurseryman. Basal leaves appear in early spring and flowering stalks begin their ascent in June, reaching five to six feet and full flower by August, often staying in bloom into September. 'Henry Eilers' has finely quilled flowers of true yellow, not gold, and is stunning in a mass planting. It has captivated many visitors who have seen it here and motivated them to ask us to grow it. The leaves of Rudbeckia subtomentosa are sweetly scented with a subtle vanilla fragrance. It is lovely with Joe-Pyes and grasses, and it blooms with the Hibiscus hybrids and makes a great companion for them as well. 'Henry Eilers' has undeniable potential as a cut flower with its unique appearance, sturdy straight stems and long vase life.

The most darling little selection of native sweet coneflower you'll ever see! This is a third shorter than 'Henry Eilers'; the height has great appeal, but it is the unique petals that draw the most attention. Surrounding the traditional brown-eyed Susan cones are narrow quills that jet out all around it. A wonderfully compact, upright and vigorous introduction from Terra Nova.

Hundreds of small, deep gold flowers bloom July through October! A naturalizing self seeder. Biennial or short-lived perennial. Georgia Gold Medal Winner in 1997. Three-lobed coneflower is very drought, heat and pest tolerant. Prized by butterfly and hummingbird gardeners.

A drought-tolerant prairie native with delightful lavender-blue petunia-like flowers that bloom from summer to fall. Compact (great in pots!) and very easy to grow. Seeds in well. Great choice for a height-restricted meadow. Found in dry open woods and prairies Pennsylvania to Indiana, south to Alabama.

Grown mainly for the foliage, 'Purple Knockout' has compact basal rosettes of shiny burgundy leaves that turn to deep purple in summer, then to red in the fall. Spikes of pale lilac-blue flowers appear in spring and summer, but sometimes the flowers have only calyces and no petals. We have not been able to determine the cause of this, but a cut back of the stems promotes new blooms that often have petals the second time around. Petals or no, the flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. Very easy to grow in just about any soil, it will self sow to spread and become a dense groundcover that makes a great native substitute for Ajuga.

A long hoped for color break in garden Salvia. Ernst Pagels selected it for bluer flowers and compact habit. Insect and disease resistant, long flowered and tough as its brethren to follow. Attracts birds, butterflies and bees.

From Beate Zillmer of Zillmer Pflanzen in Uchte, Germany. Imagine 'East Friesland' with violet blue flowers and glowing purple stems. Incomparable! Its tidy upright habit makes an excellent companion for Geraniums, yellow Baptisias and purple Heucheras.

Spikes of violet- purple, tubular flowers with light green, aromatic foliage in June and July. Attracts birds, butterflies and bees and is an excellent cut flower, fresh or dried. Combine with brilliant yellows and whites for a bold display in the garden.

A diminutive 'May Night' cousin, covered in violet blue flowers in early summer. A good bloomer with compact and very short habit. Very easy to grow. A Haussermann Nursery Selection.

One of the most commonly used salvias in the northeastern US, it is covered in striking dark violet-blue flower spikes in May and June and remains upright and tidy throughout the season. Attracts birds, butterflies and bees. Makes an excellent cut flower, fresh or dried, and its leaves are freshly aromatic. An overall low maintenance selection. Combine with brilliant yellows and whites for a bold display in the garden.

A sport from 'Blue Hill', 'Schneehügel' or 'Snow Hill' is another breakthrough from renowned German plantsman Ernst Pagels. Beautiful spikes of soft white flowers are accented by fragrant, gray-green foliage. Compact habit and problem free.

This low maintenance perennial is sure to impress with masses of stunning deep lavender-rose flowers from May through July. Hardy, clump forming and compact, the fragrant leaves resist deer while the sensational blooms attract butterflies and bees. It is naturally free with its branching for a sensational show in early summer. A great pot crop topping out at 10-12".

A profusion of blue-purple pincushion flowers. A fantastic performer and butterfly magnet, flowering continuously from May to killing frost. Top ten container and sunny border plant and cut flower.

The foliage of this native beauty has a metallic-purple appearance in spring and early summer. As the leaves lose their luster in mid-summer, spikes of flowers appear in a cloud of violet blue. It prefers a dry, gravelly part shade, but will grow in any part or full shade site. Can go dormant after flowering in warmer zones.

Bold clusters of closely packed, rosy pink flowers appear in late summer, age to a salmon bronze and finish with a deep coppery red in fall. An easy-to-grow plant that not only tolerates drought, but seems to thrive in it. The sturdy stems of 'Autumn Fire' keep it beautifully intact throughout its bloom period for an outstanding show!

We’re thrilled to offer Chris Hansen’s breakthrough new Sunsparkler® series! Selected for compact growth habit, attractive foliage, large flower heads, and brilliant bloom color…'Cherry Tart' does not disappoint! Masses of brilliant pink, 5" diameter flower clusters explode above cherry-red leaves from late summer into early autumn. Perfect for the landscape or container garden.

Compact, smoky blue-gray foliage makes an attractive groundcover throughout the season. Raspberry-pink flower heads range in diameter from 6-8” and put on a dazzling display from late summer to fall. A lovely accent to cut flower arrangements. From the breeding program of Chris Hansen.

Chris Hansen has done it again! Lime green foliage with a crisp, contrasting red edge. Hot pink flower heads last for weeks through late summer into fall, and don't flop or fade! A perfect addition to the front of the perennial border, and works great in containers.

Strong, shiny red stems hold large, pale pink flower heads which last well into the fall season. Surrounded by deep gray foliage and noted for its strong, erect purple stems. 'Matrona' was a chance seedling found by Ewald Hügin of Freiburg, Germany. Butterflies can't get enough of this one. Simply outstanding! International Stauden Union (ISU) Plant of the Year for 2000.

Low, spreading plants with gracefully arching stems are covered in round, smoky blue leaves. In late summer it is covered in dusky pink star-shaped flowers. Tough and easy to grow, it loves a hot dry location and thrives in containers and rock walls.

Delightful round blue foliage on low spreading plants with gracefully arching stems. In late summer the foliage is completely hidden behind tiny brilliant pink star flowers. Tough and easy to grow, it loves a hot dry location and thrives in containers and rock walls.

A dense mat of conifer-like blue foliage forms a tight, weed resistant groundcover in any sunny location. In June deep mauve pink stems rise to 10" and are topped with brilliant yellow flowers. 'Blue Spruce' grows quickly and is easy to maintain even in the most unwelcome of sites. Great for rock walls, green roofs, walkways and containers. Evergreen in warmer zones.

A nice, easy plant that pleases everyone. A quick spreading groundcover with needle-like foliage that emerges chartreuse, then turns golden yellow in the sun. In fall it turns to rich shades of orange and red. Yellow flowers appear in mid-summer. Great for containers and hanging baskets, or as an underplanting in a full sun garden.

A quick-spreading groundcover that turns shades of rose and copper in the sun, creating a tapestry of color that bursts in to brilliant yellow bloom in mid-summer. Often used on green roofs, it is highly adaptable and thrives in any sunny location. Tough and easy to grow. The species name is derived from its little leaves that appear in six spiral rows.

Scalloped, silver-blue foliage with clusters of star-shaped, bright pink flowers in late September and October. Unique arching habit with the best winter resistance. Great groundcover to accompany daylilies. Also makes a great container plant. The entire plant turns light to deep pink with colder temperatures.

Dr. John Creech, former director of the U.S. National Arboretum, discovered this little beauty in the Siberian Academ Gorodok Gardens in 1971. The small, scalloped green leaves of this weed-smothering groundcover are topped with rose pink flowers in late summer and fall. It is very hardy, vigorous and gorgeous weaving in and out of stepping stones or along a garden path. Ideal for green roofs, rock gardens and containers as well. Tolerant of light shade.

A vigorous and long-lived groundcover that forms a dense weed-blocking mat. It starts red in the spring, stays red throughout the season and is not prone to reversions. Rosy red flowers appear in summer.

A low-growing, succulent native groundcover for shade, it carpets the woodland floor with whimsical round leaves arranged in threes. In spring it is covered in white star-shaped flowers. A slowly spreading, floriferous selection from Mineral County, WV, via The Primrose Path of Scottdale, PA. 'Larinem Park' is more tolerant of shade and moisture than other Sedum species.

Delightful, compact and easy to grow, Silene caroliniana is an excellent choice for bright shade or full sun. It is covered in deep pink flowers in late spring. Very reliable for us through wet and dry seasons, and in a cool spring it seems to bloom forever - one year we tracked 8 weeks of full bloom! A great native substitute for Dianthus, this Silene has similar appearance and bloom time, but tolerates a wider variety of garden situations. Silene 'Short and Sweet' is a fantastic plant for naturalizing, yet it can hold its own as a specimen in a container or patio garden as well.

Bright blue star-shaped flowers with gold centers rise above fine, semi-evergreen, iris-like foliage from May to June. Excellent for edging, the 3/4" flowers are very good sized for the genus. We are very excited about this little gem. It will charm your customers for 8-10 weeks! Named by Robert Herman, who found it in Lucerne, Switzerland.

This diminutive beauty is exceptionally compact with bright, light yellow flowers beginning in late summer and lasting well into fall. Great shelf life! It is versatile, easy to grow and combines well with purple and pink asters both in the garden and in a container. Great as a cut flower, it is also very attractive to butterflies.

Delightful, golden-yellow flowers are borne in axillary clusters along reflexing stems from late summer into fall. Reliable, deep green, glossy foliage remains clean throughout the growing seasons. Not an aggressive runner, 'Solar Cascade' is a clump forming perennial reaching knee height, maxing out somewhere between the taller 'Fireworks' and more compact 'Golden Fleece'. Performs best in moist to average garden soil under full sun or partial shade; extremely drought tolerant once established. This great garden plant is easy to propagate and proved to be a standout in The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden perennial trials. Plant en masse for a dramatic effect or incorporate into seasonal arrangements.

This clump forming, non-invasive native perennial boldly displays arching wands of golden clusters in September, contrasted by blue-green stems. Adds life to a dry shady spot. Great with Aster cordifolius and Chasmanthium. Incredible butterfly magnet and cut flower!

Fine-textured linear foliage and golden flat-topped inflorescences in late summer. Cherished by butterflies and preying mantises and well as the wildflower enthusiast.

Wonderfully fragrant leaves give off an anise scent when crushed, reminiscent of licorice candy! The lance-shaped leaves are a glossy, smooth dark green. S. odora has a tidy, clump-forming habit and is not weedy or aggressive in the garden. Attracts butterflies, bees, ladybugs, lacewings and other beneficial insects. Its high ecologial value and handsome appearance make it a valuable addition to wildflower gardens, meadows and naturalistic borders.

A compact, cascading, clump-forming native cultivar with a radiating flower form that really looks like fireworks! A great addition for late season color and to lure the butterflies in. Selected and named by Ken Moore of North Carolina Botanical Garden in 1970. Introduced by Niche Gardens.

An east coast native that is useful for dune restoration projects, stormwater management, roadside, and habitat plantings.

Another fantastic Mt. Cuba introduction. A stunning show of sprays of golden yellow flowers from mid-August through September. Semievergreen heart-shaped leaves. Truly an excellent groundcover and bee and butterfly charmer! Hairstreaks, sulphurs and skippers are particularly attracted to goldenrod. Monarchs visit it during their autumn migration.

One of the most striking and beautiful of our native perennials, Indian pink's summer flowers are brilliant red and tubular with canary yellow throats. A very hardy plant, though it is best planted by the end of July for reliable success in gardens and containers. A favorite of butterflies and hummingbirds, it is at home in the bright woodland or shaded border.

'Peachie's Pick' isn't peach or apricot, but it is a fantastic plant for pot culture and for the garden! Selected in Peachie Saxon's Mississippi garden, this Stokesia has the typical lavender blue flowers of the species, but it is very compact and has incredible flower power. And the flowers just keep coming, especially with periodic trims. This is our new favorite! 'Peachie's Pick' combines well with pinks and pale yellows.

Brilliant yellow flowers bloom in spring atop blue-green, pinnately lobed foliage. Leaf underside has a silvery cast. An easy to grow native that will self sow and form a dense shade groundcover. Tolerates all but the driest conditions. Beautiful with Virginia Bluebells, Columbine, Goats Beard, Wild Ginger and Woodland Phlox.

Clump-forming perennial with dense spikes of sulphur yellow in June resemble Baptista or lupines. Clean, compound foliage is attractive late into the season. Very durable and long lived once established. Beautiful cut flower.

Blooming with spring tulips and daffodils, Thermopsis 'Sophia' is one of the first perennials to flower in the full sun garden. 'Sophia' will charm you with her many spikes of soft canary yellow flowers that combine beautifully with Phlox 'London Grove Blue' or 'Manita', along with Thalia Narcissus and Purple Prince Tulips. Compact and densely floriferous, she is easy to grow and spectacular when planted in groups.

Our friends from Sinclair (The Pharoah of Foamflowers) Adam Dunvegan Nursery, this is rated as one of the most vigorous of the genus. A strong grower with glossy, rugose leaves and excellent bronze fall and winter color. Bold, creamy white flowers persist for 6 to 8 weeks, a robust clump former with some short runners in spring and fall. Height: 8-12 inches (not in flower); 12-18 (in flower)

Noted as one of the very best of the group for its drought tolerance and deep green shiny foliage that stays clean through Fall. Upright facing white flowers with ruby speckling appear in quantity held above the foliage on tall racemes. A very old cultivar of unknown parentage, grown as a cut flower in Japan since early in this century. Upright vase shape clump, non spreading. Still our favorite!

‘Gilt Edge’ is a compact form with variegated foliage that typically grows in a clump to 12-24” tall, but will spread over time to 36” wide. Ovate to lanceolate, stem-clasping leaves (4-6” long) have (as suggested by the cultivar name) irregular creamy white to chartreuse margins. Leaves generally remain attractive throughout the growing season. -Missouri Botanical Garden

Named by Dr. Alan Armitage, of the University of Georgia. Vigorously spreading, deep purple clusters from June to November. Excellent clean, deep green foliage with a trailing habit. Has been surviving the winter here lately, but it gets a very slow start in the spring. Best treated as an annual zone 6 or less.

This selection of the Arkansas native comes to us from Dr. Allan Armitage's trials at the University of Georgia. It has lovely fine foliage like Amsonia hubrichtii and is a compact, well-branched and vigorous plant. In late summer it is covered with true purple flowers that attract plenty of butterflies. Found in rocky flood plains, Vernonia lettermannii is very tolerant of hot dry locations, yet can withstand brief periods of inundation.

Deep blue-purple spikes are decidedly upright and plentiful. This variety is compact and slowly spreading. Superb!

Big dramatic spikes of white Veronica-like flowers in July and August. Very tough and long-lasting once established. Found in open woods, moist meadows, and praries east of the Rockies.

From the gardens of Mt. Cuba Center, North Creek is delighted to introduce this tough native groundcover. Easily identified by trailing stems and delicate lavender flowers, 'Silver Gem' forms a dense, tidy mat of attractive silver foliage. Flowers appear in March and persist into autumn. Our plant trials have proven 'Silver Gem' to be exceptionally drought tolerant and happiest in part to full shade. Pot in quarts or gallons for early spring sales.

Golden clusters of 3-4" umbels in May and June. Deep green, leathery, handsomely divided basal foliage. Native to wooded bottomlands, stream banks, moist meadows, and floodplains east of the Rockies. Very attractive to butterflies.