Lists

As a planting designer it is hard to resist compiling lists. In fact, it is essential. Every landscape presents to us a different natural environment and a different local aesthetic, and so involves the narrowing-down of a large selection of plant choices to those which best fit these regional criteria. The result is a garden/landscape which is lower-maintenance and aesthetically fitting. The compiling of some of these lists was an arduous task, one only the most practiced, observant and multi-faceted gardener could achieve. Fortunately for us, many such lists already exist, and we have done well to borrow them, furthermore, augment them to our specific inventory. Thanks to the master plantsman-designer Piet Oudolf for his unforeseen help with a number of these.

Long season of interest: plants with very good structure from spring to late winter

Achillea – all species

Actaea – all species

Agastache – all species

Amorpha – all species

Amsonia – all species

Anaphalis – all species

Anemone xhybrida

Aralia – herbaceous species

Aruncus dioicus

Aster divaricatus, lateriflorous,

macrophyllis

Astilbe chinensis

Baptisia australis, alba

Brunnera macrophylla

Calamintha – species

Chelone – all species

Darmera peltata

Digitalis furruginea, D. parviflora

Echinacea – all species

Eryngium – all species

Eupatorium – tall types

Gillenia trifoliata

Helenium – all species

Inula magnifica

Iris siberica

Kalimeris incisa

Knautia macedonica

Liatris – all species

Limonium latifolium

Lunaria rediva

Monarda – all species

Origanum – all species

Phlomis – all species

Pycanthemum – all species

Rodgerisa – all species

Rudbeckia – all species

Sedum – all species

Siphium – all species

Stachys – all species

Thalictrum polygamum

Veratrum – all species

Verbascum – all species

Veronicastrum – all species

[/one_third_last]

Grasses

Calamagrostis – all species

Carex muskingumensis

Deschampsia cespitosa

Eragrostis spectablis

Festuca mairei [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Hakonechloa macra

Miscanthus – all species

Molinia – all species

Panicum – all species

Sesleria – all species [/one_half_last]

Ferns

Osmunda – all species

Polystichum setiferum

Long season of interest: plants with good all-round character for much of the season

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Alchemilla – all species

Artemesia ludovician

Asarum europaeum

Asclepias – all species

Aster cordifolious, ericoides,

laevis, nova-angliae,

tartaricus, umbellatus,

xfrikartii

Astrantia major

Cephalaria – all species

Clematis integrifolia

Coreopsis tripteris

Desmodium canadense [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Echinops – all species

Filipendula – all species

Hemerocalis – all species

Heuchera villosa

Hosta – all species

Kirengeshoma palmata

Lavatera cachemeriana

Lysimachia ephemerum

Nepeta Six Hills Giant

Parthenium integrifolium

Penstemon digitalis

Persicaria amplexicaulis,

polymorpha [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Phlox paniculata

Ruellia humilis

Salvia numerosa

Sanguisorba – all species

Scutellaria incana

Solidago – all species

Thalictrum – all species

Trifolium rubens

Verbena – all species

Vernonia – all species

Veronica longifolia

Zizia aurea [/one_third_last]

Grasses

[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Andropogon gerardii

Bouteloua curtipendula, gracilis

Chasmantium latifolium

Elymus hystrix

Koeleria macrantha [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Pennisetum – all species

Schizachyrium scoparium

Sorghastrum nutans

Spodiopogon sibiricus

Sporobolus heterolepsis [/one_half_last]

Long season of interest: plants which are distinctive but for a shorter period

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Aconitum – all species

Aquilegia vulgaris

Campanula lactiflora

Delphinium – all species

Epimedium – all species

Gaura lindheimeri [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Geranium sanguineum

Geranium wlassovianum

Geranium Xoxonianum

Lobelia – all species

Nepeta subsessilis

Persicaria bistorta [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Peucadanum verticillare

Smilicina racemosa

Salvia azurea

Tiarella – all species

Tricytris – all species [/one_third_last]

Grasses

Briza media

Plants with distinctive and long-lasting seedheads and/or winter skeleton

All of the above list of Plants with very good structure from spring to late winter as well as . . .

[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Asclepias – all species

Aster umbellatus, tartaricus,

Cephalaria – all species

Coreopsis tripteris

Echinops – all species

Filipendula – all species

Heuchera villosa [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Lavatera cachemiriana

Lysimachia ephemerum

Peucadanum verticillare

Scutellaria incana

Trifolium rubens

Verbena – all species

Veronica longifolia [/one_half_last]

Grasses

Chasmantium latifolium

Pennisetum – all species

Schizachyrium scoparium

Sorghastrum nutans

Plants with good autumn color

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Amsonia – all species

Aruncus – all species

Asclepisa incarnata

Coreopsis tripteris

Darmera peltata

Eupatorium – all species

Geranium sanguineum, wlassovianum [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Gillenia trifoliata

Heuchera villosa

Hosta – all species

Lysimachia ephemerum

Monarda bradburiana

Penstemon digitalis

Sanguisorba canadensis [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Silphium – all species

Thalictrum polygamum

Trycytris – all species

Veratrum – all species

Veronicastrum – all species [/one_third_last]

Grasses

[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Eragrostis spectabilis

Hakonechloa macra

Miscanthus – all species

Molinia – all species [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Panicum – all species

Pennisetum – all species

Schizachyrium scoparium

Sorghastrum nutans [/one_half_last]

Ferns

Osmunda regalis

Robust and long-lived perennials useful for less-intensively maintained gardens

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Aconitum – all species

Actaea – all species

Amsonia – all species

Anemone xhybrida

Aralia – all species

Aruncus – all species

Aster cordifolious, divaricatus

ericoides, novae-angliae

tartaricus

Astilbe – all species

Astrantia – all species

Baptisia – all species

Brunnera macrophylla

Chelone – all species

Clematis – herbaceous species

Dalea purpurea

Darmera peltata

Desmodium – all species

Dianthus carthusianorum

Echinacea pallida [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Echinops – all species

Epimedium – all species

Eryngium – all species

Eupatorium – all species

Filipendula – all species

Geranium – all species

Gillenia trifoliata

Helenium – all species

Helianthus – all species

Hemerocalis – all species

Inula – all species

Iris siberica

Kalimeris incisa

Kirengeshoma palmata

Limonium latifolium

Lysimachia – all species

Nepeta racemosa, subsessilis

Persicaria – all species

Phlomis – all species

Phlox paniculata [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Pycanthemum – all species

Rodgersia – all species

Rudbeckia – all species

Salvia numerosa – all species

Sanguisorba – all species

Scutellaria – all species

Sedum – all species

Silphium – all species

Solidago – all species

Stachys – all species

Smilicina racemosa

Succisella inflexa

Thalictrum – all species

Trifolium rubens

Vernonia – all species

Veronica – all species

Veronicastrum – all species

Zizia aurea [/one_third_last]

Grasses

[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Andropogon gerardii

Bouteloua curtipendula, gracilis

Briza media

Calamagrostis – all species

Carex muskingumensis

Chasmantium latifolium

Elymus hystrix

Festuca mairei

Hakonechloa macra

Luzula – all species [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Miscanthus – all species

Molinia caerulea

Panicum – all species

Pennisetum alopecuroides

orientale

Sesleria – all species

Sorghastrum nutans

Spodiopogon sibiricus

Sporobolus heterolepsis [/one_half_last]

Ferns

Osmunda regalis

Polystichum setiferum

Lush: plants for a cool garden with fertile moisture-retentive soil in semi-shade

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Aconitum – all species

Actaea – all species

Anemone xhybrida, tomentosa

Angelica gigas

Aralia – all species

Aruncus – all species

Asarum – all species

Astilbe – all species

Astrantia – all species

Aquilegia vulgaris

Campanula lactiflora

Chelone – all species

Clematis – all species

Darmera peltata [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Digitalis – all species

Eupatorium – all species

Filipendula – all species

Geranium maculatum, Xoxonianum

wlassovianum

Geum rivale

Hosta – all species

Heuchera villosa

Iris siberica

Kirengeshoma palmata

Leucanthemella serotina

Lobelia – all species

Lunaria rediva

Lysimachia ephemerum [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Nepeta subsessilis

Persicaria – all species

Peucadanum verticillare

Phlox paniculata

Rodgersia – all species

Sanguisorba – all species

Stachys officinalis

Succisa pratensis

Thalictrum – all species

Tiarella – all species

Tricytris – all species

Veratrum – all species

Veronica longifolia

Veronicastrum virginicum [/one_third_last]

Grasses

Carex muskingumensis

Deschampsia cespitosa

Hakonechloa macra

Molinia caeerulea

Spodiopogon sibiricus

Ferns

Osmunda regalis

Blazing: plants for a hot and dry garden (drought tolerant)

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Achillea – all species

Agastache – all species

Alcea – all species

Amorpha canascens

Artemesia ludoviciana

Asclepias tuberosa

Aster ericoides

Baptisia – all species

Calamintha – all species

Crambe maritima

Dianthus – all species

Eryngium – all species [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Feoniculum vulgare

Geranium sanguineum

Inula magnifica

Knautia macedonica

Limonium latifolium

Marrubium incanum

Nepeta racemosa

Origanum – all species

Parthenium integrifolium

Penstemon digitalis

Potentilla recta var. sulphurea

Ruellia humilis [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Salvia azurea

Salvia numerosa

Scabiosa – all species

Scutellaria incana

Sedum – all species

Solidago nemoralis,

semperverins,

speciosa

Stachys byzantina

Trifolium rubens

Vernonia lettermannii [/one_third_last]

Grasses

Eragrostis spectabilis

Festuca mairei

Panicum virgatum

Schizachyrium scoparium

Sporobolus heterolepsis

Nectar: plants for all that zoom and buzz

(the best are marked with an asterisk)

[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Agastache rugosa

Asclepias incarnata

Aster all species*

Astrantia major

Cephalaria gigantea

Dianthus all species

Echinacea purpurea*

Echinops all species

Eryngium all species

Eupatorium all species* [/one_third][one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Helenium all species

Helianthus Lemon Queen*

Knautia macedonica

Leucanthemella srotina

Liatris all species*

Lunaria rediva*

Monarda all species*

Origanum vulgare*

Percicaria amplexicaulis

Phlox paniculata [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Pycanthemum muticum*

Sanguisorba all species

Scabiosa all species*

Sedum spectabile*

Silphium laciniatum

Succisa pratensis*

Succisella inflexa*

Verbena hastata

Vernonia – all species

Veronicastrum virginicum [/one_third_last]

Plants native to Maine

[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Achillea millefolium

Actaea racemosa

Anaphalis margaritacea

Aralia racemosa

Asclepias incarnata

Aster cordifolious

divaricatus

ericoides

lateriflorous

linariiflorous

macrophyllus

novae-angliae

umbellatus [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Chelone glabra

obliqua

Eupatorium all species

Geranium maculatum

Geum rivale

Lobelia cardinalis

Penstemon digitalis

Smilacina racemosa

Solidago all species

Thalictrum polygamum

Verbena hastata

Zizia aurea [/one_half_last]

Grasses

Bouteloua curtipendula

Deschampsia cespitosa

Eragrostis spectabilis

Panicum virgatum

Schizachyrium scoparium

Ferns

Osmunda regalis

Campo di Fiori selections

[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Allium Medusa

Althaea Felt

Aster Sublime

Little Carlows Mother

Purity

Black Lace

Amazon

Constellation

Abundance

Desert Rose

Chelone Cathance

Echinacea Prairie Giant

Poseidon

Kalm Harbour Select

Toad Stool [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]

Helenium Smile

Blood Red

Inula Burgundy Giant

Saguaro

Kalimeris Perfection

Liatris Rocket

Sanguisorba Crescendo

Smilacina Barreness [/one_half_last]