BAPTISIA australis (False Indigo) Indigo blue pea-like flowers in June, followed by attractive seed pods, gray green foliage, 3-4' herbaceous shrub.

BAPTISIA australis var. minor Identical to the species,(above), except only half the size at 2ft. high.

BAPTISIA leucantha (Prairie False Indigo) Very upright to 4-5ft. with 12in. long, vertical recemes of white flowers against smokey gray stems. Flowers early summer for several weeks. Prefers deep, rich, moist but well drained soil in full sun, however, in the real world, they do well almost everywhere except in deep shade where flowering is reduced and stems become lax and floppy; this holds true for all baptisia. Zone 3.

BAPTISIA pendula A stately garden perennial with 12--20in. racemes of white, pea-like flowers in early to mid spring followed by showy black seed pods that remain ornamental into winter. Like all Baptisia, these are rugged individuals, long-lived, tolerant of average to poor, drier soils and valued for their attractive flowers and foliage. Zone 5.

BAPTISIA sphaerocarpa  Another beautiful native Baptisia, with bright, buttery-yellow flowers on 2-3' spires in May -June. Rounded, blue-green leaves adorn clumps that may ultimately reach 5' across. Heat and drought tolerant. Zones 5-9.

 sphaerocarpa 'Screamin' Yellow' A selection of the above, with bright lemon-yellow flowers that bloom a little later, June-July.  

BAPTISIA x 'Carolina Moonlight' Vigorous clumps of gray-green foliage topped by long spikes of butter-yellow, pea-like flowers in April-May,  long-lived, heat and drought tolerant. Could work as an alternative to Lupines. From a cross between B. alba and B. sphaerocarpa. Grows 4-5' tall by 3' wide, zones 4 -9.

BAPTISIA x 'Purple Smoke' 4' charcoal stems bear gray-green foliage and tall spikes of smoky violet flowers with a purple eye. Spectacular when mature.

BAPTISIA x 'Starlight Prairie Blues™ New Another terrific hybrid from the Chicago Botanic Garden. Grows 3ft. tall with 24in. flower stems bearing masses of bi-colored flowers of periwinkle blue with contrasting butter yellow keels. Rugged, carefree and long blooming.

BAPTISIA x Twilight Prairie Blues™  This new baptisia was developed and introduced by the Chicago Botanic Garden. Plants exhibit hybrid vigor and by the third year can be expected to produce upwards of 100 flower spikes of unique, deep, violet- purple flowers highlighted by a lemon-yellow keel. Spikes can be up to 32ins. long, bringing the total plant height to 4 or 5ft. Best form and flowering is achieve in full sun, in well drained soil. Zone 4.

BELAMCANDA chinensis We use the blackberry lily in the center of island beds and at the back of long borders where its iris -like leaves contrast nicely with surrounding foliage and its 2in. wide, bright orange, flowers delicately arrayed on 4-5 foot stalks  establish a bold presence while, at the same time, maintaining a light, airy demeanor. The shiny black fruits that follow the flowers are attractive in the garden and in arrangements. Zone 5.

BELLIS perennis (English Daisy) 'Rominette Mix' Deep green foliage and lots of deep crimson, pink, or white flowers for a long period in early spring. An improved form of 'Pomponella Mix' All English daisies are short lived but can be kept going indefinitely through divisions made after flowering. All are just as cute as buttons and worth growing even for the short term. Zone 3.

BERGENIA cordifolia Large, broad, leathery leaves form impressive clumps which spread moderately fast from creeping rhizomes. Umbrella-like flower clusters appear in spring on thick stems, usually in shades of red but also white.  Not fussy about soil, though seems to do best with moisture and poorly in dry soils. Tolerates full sun in the North, especially if moist, and does well in light shade.  Plants are evergreen in the South but not reliably so in the North.  Spreads well enough to be used as a ground cover and, given the right conditions, can be very effective in this application. Zone 4.  

x 'Baby Doll' New A more compact cultivar with smaller leaves than the species. Clear pink flowers, April-May, often repeating in Sept. The highly ornamental leaves are thick textured, glossy and evergreen though often suffering under the assault of New England winters. Clear pink flowers are grouped into tight clusters held above the foliage on thick stems where they can be viewed free of obstruction by the imposing leaves. Moderately fast increase takes place through thick, creeping rhizomes resulting in dense clumps. Not fussy as to soils but will not thrive in hot, dry places. Tolerates some shade. Under the right conditions, foliage remains highly ornamental for a long period and, due to their tight clumping habit, plants might be put to use as an out of the ordinary ground cover.  Single specimens look great at the front of the mixed border and wedged between stones in the rock garden. Zone 4.

BOLTONIA (Bolton's Aster) Tall, billowy clumps with masses of daisies in late summer - fall. Plants are easy in average soils that are reasonably moist. Zone 4. 

asteroides 'Snowbank' Masses of small white daisies in fall, 3-4ft. tall. Plants do not require staking. Does well in a range of soil types and is surprisingly tolerant of drought. Its late bloom makes it especially useful for adding color later in the season.

'Jim Crocket' A dwarf form developed by Dr. Thomas Boyle of the University of Massachusetts and named in honor of Jim Crockett, former host of the Victory Garden television show. Plants grow to 20ins. and produce masses of mauve-pink daisies July through late September. Attractive blue/green, milldew resistent foliage.

 

BRUNNERA macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss) Sprays of Forget-me-not, gentian blue flowers in spring, over large, heart-shaped, cupped and corrugated leaves that are perfectly tiered one on top of the other to form a mound that remains attractive all season long. Prefers evenly moist soil in part to full shate. Zone 3.

'Hadspen Cream' A delicate cream border traces the edges of deep green, heart-shaped leaves. Sprays of blue forget-me-not flowers bloom in spring. To 12".

'Jack Frost'  A gorgeous sport of B. 'Langtrees', displaying leaves with a frosty silver overlay and light green venation, resembling cracked porcelain. Sprays of tiny blue flowers in spring are a nice bonus on this fantastic foliage plant.

'Looking Glass'  A selection from B. 'Jack Frost' whose leaves become entirely silvered. In spring, charming sprays of blue, forget-me-not flowers are displayed over the foliage. All Brunnera are invaluable shade ornamentals, prized for both foliage and flower, and now, with 'Looking Glass', gardeners have a new antidote for the dreaded "greening" of the shade garden. Zone 3.

'Silver Wings' NEW A sport of 'Langtrees' with large, heart-shaped leaves with a silver overlay and a thin white margin that frames each leaf. Masses of forget-me-not-like flowers from early spring into summer.

'Spring Yellow' New Lighten up a shady spot with the breakthrough leaf color of this new Bugloss. In early spring, the leaves emerge yellow with some leaves changing to pale green as the season progresses. Attractive blue flowers in April and May jazz it up even further . Grows to 15ins. 

CALAMENTHA nepetoides Calamentha is one of those garden gems that always looks good and smells even better.  A tidy rounded mound, 12 - 15 ins. tall by 15 - 18 ins. broad, tightly clothed in tiny gray/green leaves. In early to mid Aug. Calamentha begins covering itself with hundreds of small flowers. Flower production is profuse and long lasting, continuing until halted by frost. To call these plants fragrant doesn't begin to describe the intensity of the aroma emitted at the slightest contact with the leaves. Extremely drought tolerant but perfectly at home in fertile, moist but well-drained soils. Pretty enough for a formal, structured setting but equally attractive in the herb garden and in more casual, mixed borders. Zone 5.

nepetoides 'Blue Cloud'  Blue flowered form of C. nepetoides. 

nepetoides 'White Cloud'  White flowered form of C. nepetoides.

CALLIRHOE (Poppy Mallow, Wine Cups) These tough natives are excellent creeping through stones in the rock garden or cascading over walls. They require well-drained soil.

involucrata Bright purple, cup-shaped flowers all summer, finely cut foliage, low-growing and spreading, drought-tolerant native, zone 4.

CALLUNA (Heather) See listing under Trees and Shrubs.

CALTHA palustris see Woodland Plants

palustris 'Plena' see Woodland Plants

CAMPANULA (Bellflower) A large group comprised of tiny, alpine types that are perfect rock garden subjects, all the way up to 4-5ft. varieties, and every size in between. Flowers range in color from white to rose to every shade of blue -purple and are mostly tubular, from trumpet-like to widely flared, with some of the most appealing being broadly flattened into saucers or chalices. All do well in average, reasonably moist, but well drained soil in full sun. 

carpatica (Carpathian Harebell) Tidy mounds are covered with flowers most of the summer. Great rock garden or edging plant. All cultivars are hardy to zone 4.

'Deep Blue Clips' An outstanding improvement in color, with intense deep blueflowers, 6-8".

'White Clips' Large white flowers all summer, 6-8".

glomerata (Clustered Bellflower) 'Acaulis' A diminutive selection, with deep purple flowers in clusters atop 12" stems in May-June. Zone 3.

persicifolia Peachleaf Bellflower This is an easy to grow and satisfying plant for beginning and advanced gardeners alike. Deadheading greatly prolongs bloom. Zone 3.  

persicifolia 'Grandiflora'The double flowered form of the peach -leaved bellflower, with 3ft. upright stems of double blue blossoms in June-July.

 

persicifolia 'La Belle' New Double lilac flowers on low, upright stems, May-July. Neat, compact habit, 24ins. tall, with deep green, narrow leaves. Dead-heading greatly extends the bloom. Makes a long lasting cut flower.

persicifolia 'La Bonne Amie' New Delightful, very compact growing plants only 12-14ins. tall, with double white flowers June-Aug.  

persicifolia 'Takion Blue' Blue, 1-11/2in., saucer-shaped flowers line sturdy, compact, stems for a long period from late spring into summer. Foliage has improved disease resistance. 16-20ins. tall.

persicifolia 'Takion White' Same as above except with white saucers.  

poscharskyana 'Blue Waterfall' ½" long, star-shaped lavender-blue flowers bloom in profusion June-July and sporadically the rest of the season. At 8-12" tall, an excellent edging or rock garden plant. Zone 4.

 

punctata 'Pantaloons' New Fragrant, soft lilac, double, ruffled bells on and vigorous 28ins. tall stems. Blooms through the summer in sun or part shade. Zone 4.

'Sarastro' Huge, dark purple bells dangle from 18" stems for a long period in summer. Spreads to form a nice 18" clump. An outstanding plant. Zone 5.

'Summertime Blues' New Expect a nonstop, season-long display of large, dangling, lavender-blue bells from this exciting new hybrid from a cross of two notoriously fast spreading varieties which, ironically, yielded this well behaved, non-spreading gem. Grows 2ft. high with a contained, non-spreading habit, similar to C. 'Kent Belle' but minus the rapid spread. Said to be the longest blooming campanula yet!  Perfect for guaranteeing a season-long touch of blue in the sunny, mixed border. Will also perform well under very light shade. Zone 4.

rotunifolia 'Olympica' (Bluebells of Scotland)  12in. tall stems hold delicate, dangling clusters of bell-shaped , sky blue flowers all summer. Will survive in dry, alkaline locations such as a stonewall. Zone 3.                        

trachelium 'Bernice' An attractive and vigorous plant bearing double, deep purple bells on upright, 24" stems. Thrives in sun or part shade; hardy to zone 4.

CARYOPTERIS divaricata 'Snow Fairy' Not the woody, shrub type that most gardeners are familiar with, but an herbaceous perennial from Japan. Leaves have a striking white variegation to the margin. Habit is rounded and the plant matures to 2-3' high and wide. Wispy blue flowers in late summer. Heat and drought tolerant. Zones 5-9.

CASSIA marilandica see under Senna

CENTAUREA (Cornflower)    Rugged and drought tolerant with intriguingly thread-like petals. Colors range from white to rose, to yellow and to the brightest of blues. Often described as informal looking and best suited to the meadow or naturalized garden, but this characterization does a disservice to these handsome plants which can stand shoulder to shoulder with any of the more "refined" border perennials. 

centaurea macrocephala Large 34" bright yellow flowers are prized by florists as cutflowers, lasting 10 days in the vase. Grows 34' high under farvorable conditions; needs full sun and good drainage. Zones 3.

 

centaurea montana (Perennial Bachelor Button) The perennial bachelor button produces deep blue, 2in. flowers for  many weeks throughout the summer, cut back for rebloom. 12-18ins. tall. Grow in full sun in well drained soil.

CENTAUREA montana 'Amethyst in Snow' Pure white feathery flowers with royal-purple centers.

CENTRANTHUS ruber 'Coccineus' These are lime lovers, most at home in sunny, dry, alkaline sites. If happy, they spend their summers throwing up 2ft. stalks of attractive rosy-red flowers. When planting them, look for your sunniest, driest spot and ad lime whether or not you think you need to. Here at the nursery, the plants that do the best are the ones that self-seed into our barren, pebble walkways. Zone 4. 

CEPHALARIA gigantea Large plants appropriate as background material in the sunny border or for dramatic impact when viewed from a distance, across a long sweep of lawn or at the far side of a meadow. Height is anywhere from 6 to 8ft. on stems that do not require staking if grown in full sun. 2in. wide, flattened, scabiosa-like, primrose-yellow flowers are borne all summer at the ends of long stems dispersed throughout the canopy of large, deeply indented leaves. There is a resemblance to Scabiosa ochroleuca, allowing that C. gigantea is much larger. Planting site should possess sufficient moisture else the leaf edges will blacken and greatly diminish the appearance of this impressive plant. Zone 3.

CERASTIUM tomentosum Low growing and wide spreading mats of narrow, silver-gray leaves are overspread with thousands of tiny white flowers that are elevated above the foliage on 8in. stems. Clumps are 4-5ins. high and 2-3ft. wide.  Grow in full sun with good drainage. Zone 3.

CERATOSTIGMA plumbaginoides (Plumbago) Dark, azure blue flowers held in bright red calexes,(that part of the flower to which the petals are anchored), from August through September over tightly mounding green leaves that turn bright red in fall. In the South it spreads well enough to be used as a ground-cover, but here in the North it's very well behaved, and spreads only enough to form an attractive clump 1-2ft. across. Very late to emerge in spring, so don't expect to see anything until at least mid to late May. Zone 4  

CHELONE (Turtle Head) Easy, low-maintenance plants for the border; especially good for moist soils, or alongside streams and ponds. Chelones form large, rounded clumps with spikes of unusual flowers for a much appreciated late summer display. Dark, shiny foliage provides season-long beauty.

CHELONE lyonii 'Hot Lips'  Rose-pink flowers resembling turtle heads in Aug.-Sept.; foliage emerges bronze-green and turns to a lustrous, rich dark green. 24-30" high. Always the focus of much attention when in bloom late in the season. Plants have a sturdiness about them that leads many visitors to mistake them for shrubs. Zone 4.

CHIASTOPHYLLUM oppositifolium A long-blooming alpine with arching sprays of yellow, Lily-of-the-Valley type flowers that hover daintily over scalloped, succulent leaves. Blooms later spring to early summer and grows 6-8ins. tall. Zone 3.

CHRYSANTHEMUM  This genus has gone through major name changes. We've listed the various species under their new names, but include a cross-reference here so you can still find them!

coccineum (Painted Daisy): see Tanacetum coccineum

superbum (Shasta Daisy): see Leucanthemum maximum

wehrichii: see Dendranthema weyrichii

zawadskii (rubellum): see Dendranthema zawadskii

uliginosa (Hungarian Daisy): see Leucanthemella serotina

CHRYSOGONUM 'Quinn's Gold' New  The flowers of this new introduction start out bright yellow, fading to white with age. Grows just 6-8ins. tall, spreading to form a small colony. A long blooming native suitable as a front of the border specimen, as well as for use in the rock garden. Also, useful as a groundcover in sunny to quite heavily shaded places, (flowering may be reduced in heavy shade). Zone 5.

CIMICFUGA (Snakeroot, Bugbane)  A stately plant with spires of white flowers. Good at the back of the border and as contrast to large, coarse leaved companions such as darmeras, hostas and rodgersias. Prefers moist, rich soil. Dark leaved varieties color more intensely with increased light exposure, with full sun producing the deepest, most dramatic leaf color. However, plants in full sun require ample moisture to perform well and if water is lacking, than afternoon shade is recommended. 

CIMICFUGA racemosa var. cordifolia New Similar to the species though differs in having leaflets that are less divided and a later bloom period with a greater number of creamy-white flower spikes, noticeably more erect. Grows 4-5ft. tall. Starts blooming late Aug. and continues into Sept. Zone 3.

simplex 'Black Negligee' Dark purple leaves and spikes of white flowers sometimes tinted purple. Grows 4ft. tall and blooms in August. Requires a site with high organic content and average or better moisture holding capacity. Zone 3.

simplex 'Brunette'