Staff Favorites – Perennials

Baptisia

Baptisia forms a large 36″-48″ shrub-like specimen of glaucous green foliage topped by racemes of purple-blue flowers, followed by black seed pods that can be left standing through winter for off-season interest. Newer introductions have been bred for a wider color range, increased vigor, and for bearing prolific blooms at a young age. All are supreme garden plants. Full sun to light shade.

Aralia racemosa

Spikenard is a plant of generous proportions, reaching 36”-48” tall with a spread that can equal twice its height! Upright racemes of small starry greenish-white flowers transform into long, dense clusters of glossy fruit, maturing from bright green to rich burgundy-black. The fruit is highly decorative and is utilized as a food source by birds but is not considered edible for humans. This is a stately woodland native whose large size and showy fall fruit makes it a good fit for the large scale shade garden in need of autumn interest.

Calamintha ‘Montrose White’

Dainty white flowers are insignificant individually but en masse they form a billowy 12″ white cloud that blooms non-stop from June through hard frost. Calamintha is ideal as a repeating element to tie the garden together and makes an exceptional companion plant, filler and edging plant. In addition to being a fantastic performer, this plant is an incomparable all-season nectar source for beneficial pollinators. Aromatic foliage is unattractive to deer and rabbits. Full sun to light shade.