Kathleen Nelson Perennials

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ADIANTUM pedatum—Maidenhair Fern: (N) Who can resist this delicate graceful fern? 2 ft.

AGASTACHE ‘Blue Fortune’: (*) Bushy and upright with dense fat spikes of dusky violet flowers, summer. Long blooming. Anise scented deer-resistant foliage. 3 ft. Easier and showier than Veronica; very useful in the garden. Sun, part shade.

AMSONIA—Blue Star: (N,*) Fan-shaped clumps of fine willow-like foliage covered with small stars of sky-blue flowers, May-June. Handsome foliage is wonderful all season, and plants are not bothered by deer or voles! Sun or part shade, any soil.

—   hubrichtii—Arkansas Amsonia: Delicate long thread-like foliage, glowing a brilliant gold in fall. A plant to hug each day. 3 ft.

—   tabernaemontana: Slightly broader willow-like leaves, impeccable all season. 3-4 ft.

ANEMONE virginiana: (N) A handsome clump-forming anemone, 2-3 feet high. Not the showiest plant, but I’ve started to love it for its long season of bloom and graceful vertical geometry. Seeds around pleasantly, in sun or shade.

ANEMONELLA thalictroides: (N) The delicate rue anemone. Dormant in summer. Well drained soil, shade to part sun. Also the double “Schoafs Pink”

ARALIA racemosa: (N) Wonderful architectural plant. Spheres of green-white flower clusters spaced along arching stems in late summer are followed by purple-black berries. May need staking because of heavy seed set. Good soil, part shade. 4 ft.

ASARUM canadense: (N) Our native wild ginger. Fuzzy heart-shaped leaves, peculiar hidden flowers. Shade. 6 in.

ASTER: Ordinary well-drained soil. (N)

—  macrophyllus—Bigleaf Aster: I noticed this aster forming a good dense groundcover in my shaded woodland edges. It doesn’t flower heavily in my woods, but late in the season there are some lavender flowers. I like its big leaves as a groundcover.

—   cordifolius—Blue Wood Aster: Clouds of blue flowers in fall. Will naturalize on shade woodland edges. 2 ft.

—   umbellatus: A wonderful tall graceful aster which seems to bloom forever, probably early July through September, with small white flowers forming lacy flat heads. Five feet tall, no staking. No foliage problems. A wetland plant, but happy in good garden soil, sun or part shade. Gradually forms large clumps.

ASTILBE biternata: (N,*) One of only two native astilbes. It looks like a particularly handsome goatsbeard, tall with open creamy plumes of flowers in early summer. But the foliage is much more handsome than goatsbeard, and is perfect all season. 4 ft. Rare.

ASTILBE simplicissima ‘Sprite’: (*) A small astilbe with particularly handsome shiny dark leaves and a froth of pale pink flowers in July. Long-lived low maintenance plant for light shade. Deep rich soil, moist in summer, well-drained in winter.

BAPTISIA australis—False Indigo: (N,*) Spires of blue pea-type flowers, June. Handsome blue-green foliage. 4 ft. Easy—any well-drained soil, sun or part shade. Don’t transplant established plants. Also the prized yellow-flowered ‘Carolina Moonbeam’, quantities limited.

CALAMINTHA nepeta nepeta—Calamint: (*) Clouds of tiny lilac-white flowers, mid-summer through fall. Minty fragrance. Foliage is still perfect by summer’s end. An excellent choice for any sunny garden. Well-drained soil. 1 ft.

CAMPANULA ‘Kent Belle’ — Bellflower: Huge glossy dark purple bellflowers on strong 2 ft stems. Profuse flowering all summer. Moderately fertile, moist well-drained soil in sun or part shade.

CAREX: Sedges. Most prefer shade and moist soil, but these tolerate dry conditions.

—   morrowii ‘Variegata’: An evergreen sea urchin, clump forming. Tolerates dry soil. A deep dark green, handsome in winter. 1 ft.

—   morrowii ‘Ice Dance’: White stripes are broader than in ‘Variegata’, and it spreads by rhizomes, making it a good ground cover.

—   morrowii ‘Silver Sceptre’: Finer texture than the others, narrow leaves with white margins. Forms silvery clumps, but spreads quickly. 1 ft.

CARYOPTERIS divaricata: (*) Not woody, not like any Caryopteris you know. Upright herbaceous plants with clouds of tiny blue flowers on strong 4 ft. stems in late summer. Put it close enough to see the small flowers, but not where you will brush against it—the disturbed foliage is smelly, which is probably why it is deer resistant. A good companion for bright yellows and oranges. Sun.

CAULOPHYLLUM thalictroides—Blue Cohosh: (N) Beautiful blue-green foliage similar to Thalictrum or Columbine, with sprays of delicate starry white flowers in spring, followed by bundles of blue-black berries. Woodland conditions. Likes a little lime. 2 ft.

CHELONE lyonni—Rose Turtlehead: (N) Like so many wetland plants, happy in any good garden soil. Spikes of snapdragon-like pink flowers for many weeks in late summer and fall. Excellent foliage. Sun or part shade. 3 ft.

CLAYTONIA virginiana—Spring Beauty: (N) Delicate pink spring ephemeral for the woodland garden.

CLEMATIS—x jouiniana ‘Praecox’: (*) Masses of white flowers with a wash of pale blue on long sprawling stems, summer. Use as a ground cover or drape it over a wall—it isn’t a climber. Vigorous, showy.

CLINTONIA borealis—Bluebead Lily: (N) The smooth lance-shaped basal leaves are a handsome addition to a cool moist shaded woodland garden.

COREOPSIS verticillata ‘Zagreb’—Threadleaf Coreopsis: (N,*) An easy, wonderful sun-loving daisy for ordinary soil. Yellow daisies cover an airy mound of delicate thread-like leaves on wiry vertical stems. Midsummer. 18 in.

CORYDALIS lutea (*): Delicate pale yellow flowers from spring through fall dance above delicate ferny blue-green foliage. Seeds happily into nooks and crannies in shade and part shade. Needs good drainage. 6-12 in.

DICENTRA cucullaria—Dutchman’s Breeches: (N,*) These tiny plants, with their lovely white spring flowers, will naturalize readily. They go dormant early and will be available only in limited quantities, early, bare-root. For rich but well-drained soil in part to full shade.

DIERVILLA lonicera —Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle: (N) A lovely low shrub which spreads. Handsome enough to use anywhere. Can cover and hold a bank if that is what you need. The handsome new leaves have a tinge of copper, then turn green, but color again in fall. Pale yellow flowers are produced in mid-summer. Sun or shade. Drought tolerant. 3 ft.

DIPHYLLEIA cymosa—Umbrella Leaf: (N) Bold sharply-lobed leaves. White flowers are followed by spectacular blue fruits on red pedicels. Rich moist soil, shade. 2 ft.

DISPOROPSIS perneyi ‘Bill Baker Form’— Evergreen Solomon’s Seal: Well — evergreen only in a protected spot. Still, a graceful dark Solomon’s Seal for woodland gardens. Dangling white bells with dark stripes in spring. Tolerates deep shade. 18 inches.

DISPORUM maculatum—Fairy Bells: (N) Fragrant nodding lilylike flowers, white with tiny purple spots. Rich woodland conditions. 2 ft.

DODECATHEON meadia—Eastern Shooting Star: (N) A spring ephemeral for the moist shady woodland garden. Will tolerate a sunnier position, but does require moisture in spring. Mark the spot - they will only be showing for a brief period.

DRYOPTERIS australis—Dixie Wood Fern: (N) An extremely handsome very tall fern, quite wonderful. Highly recommended.

ECHINACEA—Coneflower: (N) Abundant large daisies with glowing orange-brown centers (cones), July-Sept. Easy. Well-drained soil, sun. Reasonably drought resistant. Highly recommended. Cultivars include ‘Ruby Giant’, ‘Sundown’, and ‘Sunset’.

EPIMEDIUM versicolor ‘Sulphureum’: (*) Soft yellow mosquito-like flowers in early spring above beautiful foliage. Tolerates sun or dry shade, prefers rich soil in light shade. Grown primarily for the foliage, but the flowers are a delight too. 12 in.

ERYNGIUM yuccifolium—Rattlesnake Master: (N,*) The beautiful grey basal foliage, with its prickly strap-like leaves, looks like Yucca. Groups of thistly white flower clusters are born atop tall stems in summer. Sun, well-drained soil. 4 ft. Good architecture.

EUPATORIUM (N, *)

—  dubium ‘Little Joe’: A traditional pink Joe-Pye, but shorter, at 4-5 ft.

—  perfoliatum—Boneset: Large rounded heads of white flowers on upright 4 ft. stems in late summer. Ordinary garden conditions or wetlands, sun or part sun.

FORSYTHIA

—  ‘Fiesta’: Brilliant leaves of chartreuse and green on red stems. I’ve had no trouble keeping mine to under 4 feet. Very nice in the perennial garden. It blooms too.

—  ‘Kumson’: Dark green leaves with a network of silver veins. The usual Forsythia flowers.

GALIUM ‘Victor Jones’—Bedstraw, False Baby’s Breath: Tiny white flowers in summer on lax 3-4 ft stems with whorled thread-like leaves, forming a cloud of no substance to weave through heavier plants. Sun to part shade.

GAULTHERIA procumbens—Wintergreen: (N) Creeping stems with fragrant leather leaves form a loose mat in acid dry woodland soils. 3-6 inches.

GENTIANA makinoi ‘Royal Blue’: Bright blue flowers, late summer, on 3-4 ft stems.

GERANIUM—Cranesbill: Any well-drained soil, sun or light shade.

—   ‘Jolly Bee’: Two-to-three inch blue flowers, June-October, on 2 ft. plants.

—   macrorrhizum ‘Bevan’s Variety’: (*) Dark pink flowers, spring. I love its wonderful fragrant leaves. Put it near a path where you brush it all the time. Weed-proof ground cover for part shade. 1 ft.

—  maculatum—Wild Geranium: (N) Our lovely native spring-blooming geranium. Pink. Also ‘albiflorum’, white.

—   psilostemon: Magnificent tall treasure with brilliant black-eyed magenta flowers for weeks on end. 4 ft.! If you are lucky, this will seed around a bit. Also a psilostemon hybrid, ‘Eva’.

—   ‘Rozanne’: Sprawling and ever-blooming. A handsome plant to weave through others. Blue flowers from early summer to frost. 18 in. ‘Rozanne’ has become an instant smash hit. This is one of the few new plants which looks like it will live up to the advertising claims.

—   ‘Tiny Monster’: A cross between my two favorite geraniums, G psilostemon and G sanguineum. Mounded finely cut foliage, hot-pink flowers, and long blooming. Strong growing. 18 in.

HELIANTHUS divaricatus—Woodland Sunflower: (N) Lovely 3 inch yellow daisies on 4-5 ft plants, fall. Woodland edge, sun or light shade.

HEMEROCALLIS—Daylily: Grows in any good soil, sun, including the amazing coral-tangerine ‘South Seas’.

HEUCHERA macrorhiza ‘Autumn Bride’: (N) Waving wands of white flowers in fall above almost chartreuse foliage. Tolerates dry shade.  Flowers more showy and foliage taller than most Heucheras. Tough. I love this plant more each year! 2 ft. in flower.

HEXASTYLUS shuttleworthii—Mottled Wild Ginger: (N) Showy evergreen ginger with mottled leaves, native to the southeastern US. 3-5 inches.

HOSTA, various : Very easy. Carefree plants grown primarily for handsome foliage. Rich, moist, well-drained soil, shade. Can be massed as ground cover or planted as specimens. Tolerates tree roots better than most plants. Try combining the golds with each other and with the blues.

HYDRASTIS canadensis—Goldenseal: (N) White flowers in spring are followed by red raspberry-like fruits that nestle at the base of the maple-shaped leaves. Slowly forms a colony in shaded woodland conditions. 10 inches.

IRIS cristata—Crested Iris: (N,*) Easy tiny native irises which grow in almost any soil, part shade. In dry shade the foliage may die back early. 5 in. Whites and blues.

JEFFERSONIA diphylla—Twinleaf: (N) The deeply cleft leaves of this woodland plant resemble blue-green butterfly wings. Pay close attention in early spring if you wish to see the very transitory white flowers. Interesting seed pods. Woodland conditions. Likes lime. 1 ft.

KALIMERIS: Masses of long-blooming delicate asters on vigorous bushy plants for sun or part shade. These deserve a place in every garden.

—   incisa ‘Blue Star’: Similar to the wonderfully reliable K. integrifolia, but a bit shorter, with blue flowers. Promises to become a garden staple.

—   integrifolia: This simple white aster begins blooming in early summer. Clump-forming. A strong reliable plant, a must for every garden. 3 ft.

—   pinnatafida ‘Hortensis’: Semi-double white flowers, so a bit ‘classier’, begins blooming in July. Spreader rather than clump-former.

—   ‘Shogun’: Creamy yellow leaf margins age to white. Compact slowly spreading plant. Lavender flowers in late summer. 18 in.

KIRENGESHOMA palmata: Choice—graceful, long-lived and easy. Large nodding soft yellow bells in late summer on arching stems with bold maple-shaped leaves. Rich soil, part shade. 3 ft.

MERTENSIA virginica—Virginia Bluebells: (N) Lovely blue flowers in early spring, then dormant. Needs moisture during the growing season.

MITCHELLA repens—Partridge Berry: (N) A tiny evergreen ground cover for the woodland garden.

MITELLA diphylla—Bishop’s Cap: (N) Smaller than the Heucheras and Tiarellas, this delicate woodland plant flowers in spring with tiny fringed white flowers on graceful vertical stems. 1 ft.

MONARDA didyma ‘Blue Stocking’: (N, *) Well — not quite blue. More of a blue-purple. A good color, and attractive dark green, mildew resistant foliage. Fragrant foliage. Ordinary or moist soil, not dry, in full sun or light shade. Attracts hummingbirds. 3-4 ft.

OENOTHERA ‘Cold Creek’—Evening Primrose: (N,*) At last, an evening primrose that doesn’t take over the garden! Apparently a natural hybrid of native species, it is a clump former that seldom sets seed. A profusion of yellow flowers for 6 weeks in May and June. 1 ft.

OSMUNDA cinnamomea—Cinnamon Fern: (N) Tall & stately. Good soil, not dry.

PARTHENIUM integrifolium: (N) Heads of odd small white flowers on 3 ft. plants. Very long-blooming, and flowers look good indefinitely. Summer. Sun, well-drained soil.

PAXISTIMA canbyi: (N) Native shrub, very small. Can be tricky to establish. Small linear evergreen leaves provide an interesting texture. Slowly spreads to form a handsome groundcover. Woodland conditions. 1 ft.

PHLOX: Spring varieties: May-June.

—   glaberrima—Smooth Phlox: (N) Wonderful bright pink flowers in June. This was a beautiful surprise in a pot of Silphium, so I decided to propagate it. I sold most of the plants on the first day the nursery was open one spring—before I even knew its name. Sun to part shade. 1-2 ft.

—   ‘Minnie Pearl,’: Lovely white flowers, early summer, on clean foliage. A cross between P. glaberimma and P. maculata. 1-2 ft.

—   stolonifera: (N) A small and delicate blue flowered form, very nice with Hosta ‘Kabitan’ or other spring chartreuse. Spring. Ground cover. Part to full shade. 8 in.

POLYGONATUM—Solomon’s Seal: Wonderful arching stems. Prefers deep moist soil, tolerates dry shade.

—   commutatum—Giant Solomon’s Seal: (N) Gracefully arching stems 3-6 ft. tall. Delicate white bells suspended below stems in spring, followed by large blue-black berries. Choice.

—   odoratum ‘Variegatum’—Japanese Variegated Solomon’s Seal: Delicate white bells suspended from arching 2-3 ft. stems in spring. Leaves white edged. Splendid in masses in shade.

—   verticillatum—Whorled Solomon’s Seal: Threadlike whorled leaves on arching stems. Slow and delicate compared to the others, but worth the wait.

POTENTILLA thurberi: Bright deep raspberry-red flowers on an upright plant, summer. 1-2 ft. Prefers sun.

PYCNANTHEMUM—Mountain Mint: (N,*) All native, all deer resistant. I love these.

—   muticum: Delightfully aromatic foliage, neat, smooth, and silvery. Place next to a path to release the fragrance as you brush by. Sun or shade. The most fragrant of the lot, but this one spreads like mint. 3 ft.

—   tenuifolium: The needle-like leaves give this a very nice texture. Masses of small white buttons of flowers in summer. Will tolerate dry soil, sun or part shade. 2 ft.

—   virginianum: Similar to above, but slightly wider leaves. Wet or dry soil. 3 ft.

RUDBECKIA—Black-eyed Susan: (N) Even more yellow daisies! Easy. July-Oct. Good soil, not dry. Full sun.

—   fulgida ‘Goldsturm’: (N) Golden-yellow with an almost black eye. 2 ft.

—   nitida ‘Herbstsonne’: (N) Lemon yellow, green eye, 5 ft. A great plant! Very long-blooming, especially if cut regularly. Not invasive.

RUELLIA humilis—Wild Petunia: (N) Delicate tubular lavender trumpet flowers dance above a mound of small olive-green leaves all summer. For sun or light shade in well-drained soil. Use in masses in larger gardens or as a rock-garden specimen. But watch the placement— it seeds. 1-2 ft.

SANGUINARIA canadensis—Bloodroot: (N) A common and cheerful early-blooming woodland wildflower, white.

SCUTTELARIA incana—(Hyssop Skullcap): (N) Branched spikes of purple-blue flowers, mid-to-late summer, on bushy green plants. Long blooming. Sun to part shade, 3 ft. This bloomed for me all last summer. I even saw it blooming in Manhattan in November! A nice bright dark purple-blue.

SOLIDAGO—Goldenrod: (N,*) Golden flowers, late summer. Goldenrods have gotten a bad reputation, accused of causing hay fever (really from ragweed) and unable to disassociate themselves from the much too vigorous Canada goldenrod. But many are well-behaved and gorgeous.

—   ‘Golden Fleece’: Flowering stems are just over a foot tall above dense, clean basal foliage. I can’t ever find enough good edgers, so I figure the gold flowers are just a bonus. Sun. 1 ft.

—   rugosa ‘Fireworks’: Glorious gold radiating flower form that looks like fireworks. 3-4 ft., sun or part shade. Spreads to form large dense clump. Great with Aster ‘Bluebird’.

—   ‘Wichita Mountains’: Tall rods of gold in late summer. 3-4 ft.

SPIGELIA marilandica - Indian Pink: (N) Gorgeous brilliant crimson flowers. a wetland plant for part sun or light shade, but mine has been doing well in a good soil that isn’t wet, but isn’t dry either. Perhaps easier than we thought. 12-18 inches

SPOROBOLUS heterolepis—Prairie Dropseed: (N) A delicate grass with arching clumps of very fine yellow-green foliage. Dry soil, full sun. 2-3 ft. Lovely.

STACHYS—byzantina ‘Helene Von Stein’—Lamb’s-ears: (*) Low dense mat of felted silver leaves. Superior form with larger leaves, few flower stalks, and almost no rot in wet weather. Well-drained soil, sun.

STYLOPHORUM diphyllum—Celandine Poppy: (N,*) Brilliant two-inch diameter yellow flowers on two foot plants for weeks in the spring, with summer repeats. Very showy. Not to be confused with the very common but not very nice European weed, Greater Celandine. Seeds. Best for naturalizing on the woodland edge.

THALICTRUM—Meadow Rue: Likes rich moist soil. Sun, light shade. Delicate foliage similar to columbine. Plants barely cast a shadow.

—   polygamum: (N) Easy. Huge airy heads of tiny white flowers, all summer, above light lacy foliage. Native wetland plant, but fine in ordinary garden conditions. 6 ft. One of my favorites. Tough but delicate: it will live under maple trees where nothing else survives!

—   rochebrunianum—Lavender Mist: Clouds of lavender flowers, July-Aug., on tall straight stems with delicate foliage. 6 ft.

THERMOPSIS caroliniana—Carolina Lupine: (N) Pale yellow lupine-like spikes in June and July on tall stems. Sun. May seed heavily. 5 ft.

TIARELLA: (N) Small spikes of frothy white flowers in spring above puckered maple-shaped leaves. Semi-evergreen turning deep burgundy in winter. Good soil, shade. 1 ft. These are great native plants to use in masses in the shaded garden.

—  cordifolia— Running Foamflower.

—  wherryi— Clumping Foamflower.

—  ‘Iron Butterfly’ — with burgundy markings on deeply divided leaves

TRICYRTIS latifolia: Each arching stem is layered in late summer with a row of pale yellow flowers sprinkled with tiny purple spots. Flowers and form reminiscent of orchids. Rich moist soil, part shade. 2 ft. This blooms much earlier than T. hirta, so you needn’t worry about frost.

UVULARIA perfoliata—Merrybells: (N) A lovely native woodland plant with droopy two-inch yellow bells suspended from upright leafy stems in spring. An extremely handsome dense clumping plant. Good soil, shade. 2 ft.

VERNONIA novaboracensis—New York Ironweed: (N,*) A native wetland plant quite happy in ordinary garden conditions. Incredibly bright purple flower heads atop 6 ft. stems in late summer. Similar in size, form, habitat, and season to Joe-Pye Weed, but brighter. Good soil. Sun or part sun.

VIOLA labradorica—Labrador Violet: (N) Purple-tinged foliage, violet flowers. Stoloniferous, self-sows. Prefers moist rich soil and some shade, but really not fussy. Lovely as an underplanting in and around other plants.

WALDSTEINIA fragarioides—Barren Strawberry: (N,*) Excellent low groundcover for shade, including fairly dry shade. Shiny semi-evergreen dark green leaves. Yellow flowers, spring. Also W. ternata.

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