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 and observant 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/cultivars
Actaea – all species/cultivars
Agastache – all species/cultivars
Amorpha – all species
Amsonia – all species
Anaphalis – all species
Anemone xhybrida
Aralia – herbaceous species
Aruncus dioicus/cultivars
Aster divaricatus/A. lateriflorous
/A. macrophyllis
Astilbe taquetii/cultivars
Baptisia australis/B. leucantha
Brunnera macrophylla/cultivars
Calamintha ‘White Cloud’
Chelone – all species
Digitalis furruginea/D. parviflora
Echinacea – all species/cultivars
Eryngium – all species
Eupatorium – all species/cultivars
Gillenia trifoliata
Helenium – all species/cultivars
Inula ‘Saguaro’
Iris siberica/cultivars
Kalimeris incisa
Knautia macedonica
Liatris – all species
Lunaria rediva
Monarda – all species/cultivars
Origanum ‘Rosenkuppel’
Pycanthemum – all species
Rodgerisa – all species/cultivars
Rudbeckia – all species
Sedum – all species/cultivars
Stachys – all cultivars
Thalictrum polygamum/T. rochbrunianum
Veronicastrum – all species/cultivars
[/one_third_last]
Grasses
Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’/ C. brachytricha
Carex muskingumensis
Deschampsia cespitosa/cultivars
Eragrostis spectablis
Hakonechloa macra
Miscanthus – all cultivars
Molinia – all species/cultivars
Panicum – all cultivars
Sesleria autumnalis [/one_half_last]
Ferns
Osmunda – all species
Polystichum acrostichoides
Long season of interest: plants with good all-round character for much of the season
[one_third padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
Asarum europaeum
Asclepias – all species
Aster ‘Little Carlow/ A. ericoides,
/A. nova-angliae/cultivars/ A. umbellatus
Astrantia major/cultivars
Cephalaria gigantea
Clematis integrifolia
Coreopsis tripteris
Echinops ‘Vietche’s’
Filipendula ‘Venusta’
Hemerocalis – all cultivars
Heuchera villosa
Hosta – all cultivars
Kirengeshoma palmata
Lysimachia ephemerum
Nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’
Parthenium integrifolium
Penstemon digitalis
Persicaria amplexicaulis/P. polymorpha [/one_third][one_third_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
Phlox paniculata
Ruellia humilis
Salvia numerosa
Sanguisorba – all species/cultivars
Scutellaria incana
Solidago – all species
Thalictrum – all species
Trifolium rubens
Vernonia – all species/cultivars
Veronica longifolia
Zizia aurea [/one_third_last]
Grasses
[one_half padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]Andropogon gerardii
Bouteloua curtipendula/ B. gracilis
Chasmantium latifolium
Elymus hystrix
Koeleria macrantha [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
Pennisetum ‘Hameln’
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
Epimedium – all cultivars
Geranium sanguineum
Geranium wlassovianum
Nepeta subsessilis
Smilicina racemosa
Salvia azurea
Tricytris – all species [/one_third_last]
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
Cephalaria gigantea
Coreopsis tripteris
Echinops ‘Vietche’s’
Filipendula ‘Venusta’
Heuchera villosa [/one_half][one_half_last padding=”10px 10px 10px 10px”]
Lysimachia ephemerum
Scutellaria incana
Trifolium rubens
Vernonia – all species/cultivars
Veronica longifolia
Veronicastrum virginicum – all cultivars [/one_half_last]
Grasses
Chasmantium latifolium
Pennisetum ‘Hameln’
Schizachyrium scoparium
Sorghastrum nutans
Plants with good autumn color
Amsonia – all species
Aruncus – all species
Asclepisa incarnata
Coreopsis tripteris
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”]
Thalictrum polygamum
Trycytris – 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]