BAPTISIA pendula

Baptisia alba var. alba ‘Wayne’s World’    Vigorous, full, upright clumps to 4’ tall, with 18”, white flower spikes, dabbed with yellow at their centers carried high above the attractive foliage on beautifully contrasting dark purple flower stems. Notable for its sturdy upright habit and flower presentation. Grow in sun to light shade in average or better well-drained soil. Deer resistant. 

Baptisia alba var. pendula     A stately garden perennial with 12--20in. racemes of white, pea-like flowers carried on handsome black stems in late 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 australis (False Indigo)     Indigo blue pea-like flowers in June, followed by attractive seed pods, gray green foliage, 3-4' herbaceous shrub.

Solar Flare Praireblues™ New     Long spikes of brilliant yellow flowers fading to deep orange over attractive, dense, blue-green foliage. This is a color breakthrough within a species of hardy, permanent garden standards. Overall height is 3ft. tall. Zone 3.

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 3-4'. 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.  

‘Bressingham Ruby’New    Big, glossy, leathery leaves turn rich maroon with crimson undersides. 12in., thick, deep pink flower spikes bloom in April-May. Overall height of foliage and flowers is 16-18ins. These are dense, attention-getting plants that always make a strong statement in the landscape. Very effective in groups and when used for edging. Reasonably moist, part shade conditions are favored, but plants will adapt to drier, sunnier conditions. Zone 3

Boltonia asteroides ‘Pink Beauty’     Clean pink, half dollar size flowers on 5-6’ stems, Aug-Sept. Can be kept lower by pinching back in June.  The tall, airy stems carrying abundant blooms and make nice filler plants at the back of the sunny border. The delicate stems benefit from the support gained from being planted tightly among other sturdier plants. Best bloom in sun.  Especially valuable for their late season bloom. Zone 3.

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.

‘Emerald Mist’     An improved version of Brunnera 'Langtrees' with heavier silver bars that connect to form a silver collar around the perimeter of the leaf, and the entire leaf surface is lightly with silver. Baby blue, forget-me-not type flowers in spring. Zone 3. available in June ‘09’.

'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.

‘Kings Ransom’ New     A sport of 'Jack Frost' though slightly smaller with wide, pale yellow margins and a cream cast over its heart-shaped, silver leaves. After the powdery blue, forget-me-not flowers bloom in spring, the margins lighten to white. Grows 10-12" tall and 12-15" wide. Requires rich, evenly moist soil in shade. Zone 3 

‘Variegata’      Large heart-shaped leaves with bold white margins and clear blue, forget-me-not flowers that float above the leaves in early spring. A beautiful plant that combines gorgeous foliage and charming flowers. For shade where the soil is rich and evenly moist. Zone 3.