This clumping, deciduous perennials spread by stolons to conquer large areas. Fragrant white flowers to 3" wide from 18" tall stems appear in spring. Double flowered forms also exist, with two ranks of ray petals. The stalks can be from 2-6' tall. The Japanese Anemone does best in part shade, with average to little summer watering.
White Heart is a beautiful new introduction from South Florida that sports the whitest of all Anthurium blooms with a beautiful contrasting bright pink stamen. After a few weeks the brilliant white blooms fade to green before turning to seed.
Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' | Purple Dome New England Aster
Appearing as masses of solid royal purple from late summer into fall, these asters form wonderfully compact, rounded mounds. They are terrific accents for fall blooming grasses and the changing colors of the trees. Try cutting a few of the tall, flowering stems for a fresh bouquet--bring the outdoors in. Asters are native to North America and are generally very easy to grow. Asters perform best in rich, evenly moist soil and full sun. Give them lots of room to grow; good air circulation will help to prevent powdery mildew. Though this cultivar has a bushy, compact habit, it may still require staking. To promote dense growth that is less likely to flop, pinch plants back from late spring until July 4th. Plants should be divided every couple of years in the spring to maintain their health and vigor. This aster can reach 24" tall and spread 18". Attracts butterflies and bees.
New England Aster has purple flowers with a bright yellow eyes which blooms late summer and early fall. Flowers are attractive to butterflies. It is a great perennial border plant.
Along with the goldenrods and native grasses, asters are the quintessential herbaceous fall color plants of North America. This one is a robust upright perennial with smooth gray-green leaves. Aster novi-belgii is lovely in fall when crowned with sprays of starry purple daisies. Plants are adaptable to most moist sunny sites.
Though the leaves are dark green, they have a heavily frosted overlay which allows only the green veining to show through. From mid to late spring, baby blue, forget-me-not type blossoms are held in clusters several inches above the shimmering foliage. The effect is breathtaking. Brunneras are classic perennials that are treasured for their shade tolerance and lovely blooms. They make a fantastic groundcover, though the variegated forms may be slower to spread than the species. Try growing them in containers too so they will be close at hand when you want to snip a few blooms for a spring bouquet.
Chrysogonum virginianum, commonly called goldenstar, is a rhizomatous, low-growing perennial which typically forms a foliage mat to 3-4” tall spreading to 18" wide or more. It is native to woodland areas from Pennsylvania to Florida and Louisiana. Star-shaped, daisy-like, bright yellow flowers (to 1.5” diameter) on stems originating in the leaf axils, bloom spring to fall in cool summer climates. In hot summer climates such as St. Louis, bloom is profuse in spring, with a light rebloom occurring in fall. Flowering stems rise above the foliage mat to a height of 8-10" tall. Each flower has five, rounded, slightly-notched, yellow petals and a center tuft of yellow disk flowers. Ovate, toothed, bright green leaves to 3” long.
Sweet Woodruff is an attractive, low, spreading ground cover and edging plant for shady gardens and woodland settings. It does best with rich soil and ample moisture. The leaves and stems have a wonderful vanilla-like fragrance when dried. Plants emit a strong odor of freshly mown hay when foliage is crushed or cut. Aromatic intensity of the foliage increases when dried, thus dried leaves are popularly used in sachets or potpourris.