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Bay State Perennial Farm is known for its wide selection of perennials. Plants are listed alphabetically by their latin names and can be located by clicking on the first letter of the plant name in the alphabet above.
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alamentha nepetoides ‘Blue Cloud’ 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 tiny, light lavender flowers and continues blooming 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.
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Callirhoe involucrata ( Wine Cups) Large, bright purple-red, cup-shaped flowers all summer over finely cut foliage on spreading, ground-hugging stems. Drought-tolerant, native. Excellent when used to creep through stones in the rock garden or cascade over walls. They require well-drained soil, in full sun. Zone 4.
Calluna (Heather) See listing under Trees and Shrubs.
Caltha palustris see under 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".
cochlearifolia ‘Alpine Breeze Blue’ Low growing and spreading, with masses of small, nodding, bell-shaped flowers,( not star-shaped like C. portenschlagiana). Flowers are more blue than purple and are very appealing for their dainty appearance and the profusion with which they're produced, June-August. If you have a rock garden or a dry wall, or if you have rocks with crevices between them that you'd like to fill, then you've got to have this plant. It is undeterred by the harshest conditions, dispatching its rhizomes through dry, stony soil to produce a dense flowering carpet. Sun. Zone 3.
garganica ‘Dickson’s Gold’ Bright gold foliage forms low growing, dense, weed-suppressing clumps that provide striking contrast to the profusion of lavender blue, star-shaped flowers. 4-6" high. Blooms from mid summer into summer. Great in mixed containers. If grown in part shade, foliage is lime green. Zone 3.
persicifolia ‘Chettle Charm’ Creamy white, bell-shaped flowers edged in lavender-blue on sturdy stems. Long blooming, from June-Aug. Makes an excellent cut flower with a long vase life. 3-4' tall. Light shade and full sun with reasonably rich, moist but well-drained soil. Zone 3.
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persicifolia ‘La Belle’ 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.
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persicifolia ‘La Bello’ Not to be confused with ‘La Belle”, this cultivar has white, double flowers that are equally as ravishing as its blue counterpart. Blooms May-June but removal of spent spent will keep it blooming through the summer. 24-30” tall on sturdy stems. Nice for cutting, bringing a touch of the unexpected to any arrangement.
persicifolia ‘La Bonne Amie’ Double white flowers bloom June-Aug. on tidy, compact plants with glossy, dark green foliage. Only 12-14" tall and not to be confused with Campanula p. 'La Bello', the other double, white campanula which grows to 30" high. No matter how tall or weather they're single or double flowered, all Peach-leaved Campanula are easy, long blooming perennials,(especially if deadheaded), whose enchanting, "Alice-in-Wonderland" nodding bells bring the charm of the cottage garden to wherever they planted. Full sun to very light shade with reasonably fertile and evenly moist soil. Zone 5.
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persicifolia ‘Takion Blue’ Blue, 1-1½, saucer-shaped flowers line sturdy, compact stems for a long period from late spring into summer. Foliage has improved disease resistance. Only 16-20ins. tall.
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persicifolia ‘Takion White’ White 1-1½” saucer-shaped flowers line sturdy compact stems for a long period from late spring to mid summer, only 16-20” tall. Foliage shows improved disease resistance. Flowers attract hummingbirds and are excellent for cutting. Their lower height and sturdier habit suit them perfectly for a spot toward the front of the sunny, evenly moist, well-drained border, and for part shade. Most effective in groups that will show off glistening white flowers from later spring, well into summer and longer if deadheaded. Zone 3.
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‘Pink Octopus’ A Companula punctata hybrid with large pink bells with unique, long, narrow, tendril-like petals dangling from well branched, 15in. tall stems. An intriguing new flower form that adds a touch of whimsy and curiosity to the sunny, summer border. Zone 5.
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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.
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punctata ‘Summertime Blues’ 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.
rotundifolia ‘Olympica’ (Bluebells of Scotland) 12in. tall stems hold delicate, dangling clusters of small but, ever so sweet, bell-shaped, sky blue flowers all summer. Easy in average, evenly moist but well-drained soil, in sun. Zone 3.
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.   
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macrocephala Large tennis-ball sized, 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. A big attention-getter when in bloom in our border and, although it has been around since perennials were invented, the usual reaction from visitors is “what the heck is that thing?”. Zones 3.
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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.
montana ‘Amethyst Dream’ New What makes this cultivar unique is the intensity of its deep purple flowers, a color very different from the typical purple of C. montana. Grows 20” high and has the same long bloom period and undemanding cultural requirements as the species.
montana ‘Amethyst in Snow’ Pure white feathery flowers with royal-purple centers.
montana ‘Black Sprite’ New A striking new Cornflower with purplish black flowers that bloom July-Aug. 14" tall. Very striking, long-blooming and easy to grow. Deadheading prolongs bloom. Best in sun to light shade, in average, well-drained soil. Will tolerate some drought. Self-seeds readily. Effective in large sweeps out in the open and as an underplanting beneath trees and shrubs where shade is not too heavy. Zone 3.
montana ‘Gold Bullion’ Dazzling yellow-chartreuse foliage brightens the trendiest garden, especially when coupled with the 2in., fringed, deep-blue cornflowers that blossom from late spring through summer when deadheaded. Grow in sun, in average well drained soil. Zone 3.
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.
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 from August throgh 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. 
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Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' Rose-pink flowers resembling turtle heads in Aug.-Sept. and foliage that 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.
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Chrysanthemum parthenium (Feverfew) A legendary garden plant with dainty, button-sized, white daisies with large yellow pincushion centers, clustered above the earthy-scented leaves. Beautiful in combination with foxgloves and old, (or new), roses. Reliably self seeds. Its foliage is said to effectively repel insects. Grows 2' tall in average soil, in full sun. Zone 4.
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!
superbum (Shasta Daisy): see Leucanthemum maximum
wehrichii: see Dendranthema weyrichii
zawadskii (rubellum): see Dendranthema zawadskii
Chrysogonum virginianum ‘Pierre’ Long, red-tinted leaf stalks with soft green leaves creep along the ground to form a thick ground cover. Early in the season the foliage becomes covered with starry golden flowers. Grows in sun or shade and requires consistent moisture throughout the season. 6” high with a spread of 2’ or more. Blooms mid-spring to summer. Zone 5.
Cimicifuga (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. 
racemosa 5-7' spires of white flowers bloom July-Aug. A statuesque and elegant woodland native, zone 3.
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simplex ‘Atropurpurea’ Very tall, with flower spikes rising to 7’ high in late summer-early fall. Foliage starts out a deep burgundy in spring, fading to burgundy/green in summer. Creates a dramatic presence in the part-shade garden with its lofty, white, sweetly scented, bottlebrush-like flowers towering over almost every other plant. Foliage shows to best advantage in part shade, with evenly moist, rich soil. Zone 3.
simplex ‘Brunette’ Holds its own against any of the newer introductions with dark maroon leaves and stems and elegant 1½' pale pink, fragrant flower spikes in late summer-early fall, 3-4' tall. Part shade is preferred, though for many years we grew an excellent specimen in full sun with consistent moisture.
simplex ‘Chocoholic’ Only half the size of 'Hillside Black Beauty' but with the same deep purplish black foliage and fragrant, bottlebrush flowers. Flowers begin blooming in mid to late summer opening mauve-pink and then lightening to white. Grow in part to full shade in fertile, evenly moist well-drained soil. Expect plants to reach no more than 3' in height including the height of the flowers. Looks great in combination with yellow leaved hostas and any of the yellow grasses, i.e. Carex 'Bowles Golden', Hakonechloa m. 'All Gold' and 'Aureola', also Pleioblastus (Arundinaria) veridistriatus, (Yellow Bush Bamboo). Zone 4.
simplex ‘Hillside Black Black’ Very handsome leaves of deep, copper-purple, beautifully arranged in graceful tiers as they work their way up the stems, finally giving way to tall flower spikes of fragrant, white flowers.
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simplex ‘Pink Spike’ Dark, bronze-purple foliage and 4ft. wands of pale pink, very fragrant flowers late summer into fall.
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simplex 'White Pearl' 4ft. clumps of ferny leaves topped by 2ft. spikes of creamy white bottlebrush-like, flowers Sept and Oct.. For part to heavier shade, with rich, evenly moist, well-drained soil. One of the best of late-season bloomers. Zone 3.
CONVALLARIA (Lily of the Valley) An old fashion garden favorite to perfume the shady garden with its fragrant, perfect little dangling bells, 8-10" high. Blooms for several weeks in spring. Spreads quickly to form large colonies. Makes endearing little bouquets and I can't imagine there's anyone who at some point hasn't gathered a handful for the windowsill. Very easy to grow in average soil, in part to full shade. Zone 3.
majalis An old fashion garden favorite to perfume the shady garden with its fragrant, perfect little dangling bells, 8-10" high. Blooms for several weeks in spring. Spreads quickly to form large colonies. Makes endearing little bouquets and I can't imagine there's anyone who at some point hasn't gathered a handful for the windowsill. Very easy to grow in average soil, in part to full shade. Zone 3.
majalis rosea Soft pink, miniature bells dangle from 10" arching sterms, very fragrant. Vigorous spreaders that quickly form sizable colonies which should be kept in check by digging out unwanted portions and giving them to your neighbor. Though they don't need much encouragement, foliage will look presentable through the season if plants are grown in shade with even moisture. Zone 3.
Coreopsis rosea ‘Heavens Gate’ New 2", daisy-like, blush-pink flowers, with a rose-red eyezone around a gold center. Blooms for the entire season, from late spring into fall, above low mounds of thread-leaf foliage. These flower laden stems look great in mixed containers and at the front of the border, especially when allowed to drape their curtain of blooms over edging boulders. Adapted to sunny, well-drained,(dry), locations. Native to the northeastern part of eastern North America, from Maine, down through the great state of Massachcsetts and on down to Maryland. Zone 6(5).
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Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’ Eye-catching flowers in a rich shade of burnt sienna bloom June-Oct. on 16-20in. stems. A sport of C. 'Crème Brulee', it shares the same great characteristics of its parent, while adding an exciting new color to the tickseed world. Creates a focal point in any garden and combines especially well with dark-leaved Heuchera. Zone 5.
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verticilata 'Moonbeam' Pale lemon daisies from June to frost if deadheaded, 15-18". Spreading, mounded form. Narrow leaves are dark green.
verticilata ‘Route 66’ Single, yellow flowers with a stunning deep red ring spreading toward the tips of the rays. The red coloring becomes more dominant as the summer progresses until, by late summer, the entire flower is essentially red. Grows with a nice, upright habit, 24-28” tall. Easy and reliable and an exciting new color in the verticilata group. Zone 5.
x ‘Cosmic Eye’ A new addition to the Big Bang series with yellow flowers with a wide dark burgundy banding surrounding the yellow center. 20" tall. Blooms profusely from June into Sept. Zone 4.
x ‘Cosmic Evolution’ Exceptionally large flowers that are up to 3" across bloom from June til hard frost. In the heat of summner, flowers are mostly solid white but, as nights begin to cool at the end of summer, petals become infused with shades of red-violet concentrated mainly at petal edges and at the center of the flowers. 24-30" tall. Zone 4.
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Coreopsis x ‘Redshift’ A new, completely hardy, red flowered coreopsis, the second in the ‘Big Bang’ series developed by Darrell Probst. First came C. ‘Full Moon’,- large canary-yellow cups-, and now we have ‘Redshift’ with flowers opening with deep red centers, maturing to exciting blends of red, pink and yellow. Upright growing, well branched and heavy blooming. Grows 30-36” tall by 30” wide. Long blooming, nice for cutting. Zone 4.
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x ‘Star Cluster’ Crisp white flowers with a defined burgundy eye at the base of each petal. Coloration may be predominantly white in the heat of the summer with more burgundy showng closer to the first frost. Grows 24-30" tall. Zone 4.
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Corydalis elata Cobalt blue flowers emerge in May, more upright than C. flexuosa, 16" high and wide. Does not go summer dormant. Requires evenly moist but well-drained, organic soil in part to full shade. Zone 4.
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lutea 12-18", lacy, fern-like foliage and yellow flowers resembling those of Dicentra. Very long blooming, May-Sept. Tolerates a more moist soil than the blue-flowered types, and does not go dormant. Self-sows generously, but seedlings are easily weeded out if they pop up in undesirable locations. A top performer. Zone 5.
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sempervirens Dainty pink flowers with yellow tips displayed in airy sprays above the blue-green, deeply dissected foliage. Does best out in the open in dry, gravely soil. Also in light shade. A native biennial that bloom most of the summer and self-seeds reliably. Zone 5.
Crambe cordifolia (Giant Kale) An impressive plant that at first glance resembles an over-sized Baby's Breath. Large, heart-shaped leaves form a low mound from which stout flower stems rise carrying large, billowy clusters of tiny creamy/white flowers in early summer. Overall height is 4-6ft. Prefers fertile, well drained, somewhat alkaline soil. Zone 5.
Crocosmia (Montbrechia) Long arching wands are laden with brightly colored trumpet-shaped flowers for weeks in mid-summer. Sword-like foliage; a good companion to ornamental grasses. Never fails to attract lots of attention in our border. Also an exceptional cut flower. Needs good drainage. Zone 5. We will likely carry some other cultivars besides the ever popular 'Lucifer'—visit us in mid summer to see!
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'Lucifer' Red flowers in summer, 2-4', good for cutting, always dazzling in bloom.
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