Plants
That bloom in the spring
Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’
Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ (coral bells)
This cultivar is a clump-forming perennial featuring a mound of maple-shaped basal leaves which are an attractive deep purple above and red beneath. Tiny, pinkish white, bell-shaped flowers adorn dark red stems extending well above... more
Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella’
Asclepias incarnata ’Cinderella’ (swamp milkweed)
‘Cinderella’ features clusters of 2 in. wide vanilla-scented flower heads. Individual flowers within each cluster boast deep pink reflexed petals and a pink to white crown. This selection of swamp milkweed is easily grown in medium to wet soils... more
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’
Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ (woodland sage)
Woodland sage, is an erect, many-branched, woody-based, clump-forming perennial. It is native to Europe and west-central Asia. It features lavender to violet blue flowers with tiny reddish-purple bracts and blooms from June to September. Flowers are attractive... more
Geranium sanguineum v. striatum
Geranium sanguineum v. striatum (bloody cranesbill)
Bloody cranesbill is an herbaceous, clump-forming perennial that typically grows in a mound with white-hairy trailing stems which spread over time to as much as 24” wide. While it is native to Europe and Asia, it... more
Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’ (dwarf fothergilla)
Dwarf fothergilla is a deciduous shrub with great fall color and fragrant flowers. It prefers acidic soils with high organic matter that are consistently moist but with good drainage. Flowers best in full sun... more
Athyrium niponicum var. pictum
Athyrium niponicum var. pictum (Japanese painted fern)
One of the easiest and most rewarding hardy ferns, this selection performs well in any rich, evenly moist soil. It forms a compact clump of fronds, dark green in colour, overlaid in olive and silvery-pewter, with contrasting... more
Astilbe ‘Deutschland’
Astilbe ‘Deutschland’ (astilbe)
Plants are characterized by graceful, fern-like mounds of mostly basal leaves. Plumes of snow white, feathery flowers create a very showy landscape accent in moist areas in a shaded to dappled shade setting. ‘Deutschland’, a hybrid cultivar of Japanese... more
Acanthus spinosus
Acanthus spinosus (bear’s breeches)
Acanthus spinosus has shiny dark green leaves which are deeply dissected and tipped with spines (hence deer resistant). The handsome foliage adds great coarse texture to a partial shaded garden. Features pure white, snapdragon-like flowers surrounded by contrasting spiny purple bracts that last all season. Large flower spikes... more
Zizia aurea
Golden Alexander
Golden Alexander is a member of the carrot family and is easy to grow. Although short-lived, it will self-seed and adapt to a variety of soil and light conditions. It has persisted in the Wildflower Garden in full shade for many years but is much... more
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Large cranberry
Large cranberry is a creeping shrub with small alternate oval leaves. The delicate pink to white flower petals recurve to form a Turk’s cap and bloom in mid to late... more
Sedum ternatum 'Larinem Park'
Wild stonecrop
A sedum for shade! Yup, this Sedum is a beautiful low-growing groundcover for the shady garden, covered with flowers in masses of small white stars in the early spring. This plant usually grows... more
Evergreen azalea ‘Compacta’
A long name for a short plant. The Korean azalea, Rhododendron yedoense, is one of the main sources of cold hardiness for the evergreen azaleas grown in our area. ‘Compacta’ is a dwarf selection of the otherwise large-growing species. Lavender flowers are produced... more
Rhododendron ‘Pink Pancake’
Evergreen azalea ‘Pink Pancake’
Polly Hill was an exceptional plantswoman from Martha’s Vineyard. Many of Polly’s azaleas are interspecific hybrids involving an incredibly compact azalea from Taiwan called Rhododendron nakaharae. ‘Pink Pancake’ is a flat grower,... more
Rhododendron ‘Mangetsu’
Evergreen azalea ‘Mangetsu’
A mounding, dwarf azalea selection. This cultivar, and another (‘Komo Kulshan’), is often attributed to a Japanese species called the Kyushu azalea, Rhododendron kiusianum. But azaleas are promiscuous, and this may be a hybrid. Flowers are white with purple... more
Paeonia ITOH 'Canary Brilliants'
Peony ‘Canary Brilliants’
A showy mid- to late season bloomer with lush green foliage that produces long, sturdy stems of semi-double to fully double blooms with a light, spicy fragrance. Flower color ranges... more
Meehania cordata
Creeping mint
Named for Philadelphia botanist, Thomas Meehan, creeping mint is a sturdy perennial groundcover and a great substitute for nonnative ground covers like Lamium or Ajuga. Meehania cordata has long, trailing stems run across the... more
Maianthemum stellatum
Star-flowered Solomon’s seal
Maianthemum stellatum is a creeping rhizomatous perennial that is native to moist woods, slopes, prairies and meadows. Each stem is topped in May-June by a 2-3″ long terminal raceme containing 6-15 white to greenish-white, 6-tepaled,... more
Carex plantaginea
Seersucker sedge
Carex plantaginea is an attractive, clump forming woodland sedge that will perform well in partly shaded moist, humus-rich woods. It can tolerate difficult dry conditions once established. The leaves are broad and semi-evergreen with a striking lime green color and puckered surface and provide a nice textural aspect in a... more
Camassia scilloides
Wild hyacinth
This flood plain and moist prairie plant is a member of the lily family and is characterized by small bulbs, like those of a small tulip in size and shape. Light blue-violet flowers begin to bloom in late May and progress from the bottom toward... more
Baptisia australis
Blue false indigo
The perennial features bluish purple, pea-like flowers which appear in late spring. The flowers appear to sit atop a mound of bluish green foliage. It is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun and is exceptionally drought tolerant once established. Blue false... more
Asclepias incarnata 'Ice Ballet'
Swamp milkweed ‘Ice Ballet’
A white flowering version of swamp milkweed, it is easily grown in medium to wet soils in full sun but is also tolerant of average well-drained soils in cultivation. ‘Ice Ballet’ is a compact, white-flowered form... more
Anemone canadensis
Canada anemone
This is a strong growing plant that needs room to move. White single flowers bloom from mid spring to early summer. This competitive plant is great for naturalizing a large area and will brighten up woodland edges... more
Fothergilla
Fothergilla
Fothergilla is a charming shrub native to the southeastern United States. The name of the genus, which has also become the common name, honors John Fothergill (1712-1780), a Quaker physician... more
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