Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Echinops tjanschanicus

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 5′.  A tall, imposing Globe Thistle from Kazakhstan and the mountains of Central Asia.  A vigorous, erect, clump-forming, architectural perennial with spiny, deeply-divided, grey-green leaves, white beneath, and rounded, thistle-like, violet-blue flowerheads in summer.  Both Echinops make great cut flowers.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Echium vulgare

Family: (Boraginaceae)

(B) to 3-½’.  Viper’s Bugloss.  Europe.  Rosettes of slender, bristly foliage from which arise many stout flowering spikes with funnel-shaped flowers along their length.  The buds start off pink, then the five-petalled flowers turn the most exquisite shades of intense blue to violet with five protruding red stamens.  As the flowers fade, they become tinged with crimson. Viper’s Bugloss is one of the best plants to attract bees to your garden by producing nectar throughout the day unlike most plants which only produce nectar for a short period of time.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Edraianthus graminifolius

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 4″.  Grassybells.   Southeastern Europe.  This low-growing Campanula relative forms a cushion of narrow, grass-like foliage from which emerge short stems bearing many terminal clusters of upward facing, five-petalled, violet-blue bells. Thrives in lean gritty soil and tight rocky spaces and has proven to be reliably cold hardy for us.  Blooms May through June.  Sun.  4 & T2

This seed is either sold out or unavailable

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Elsholtzia stauntonii

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 5′. Chinese Mint-Shrub. China. A bushy, deciduous sub-shrub with fragrant, ovate-elliptical, coarsely toothed leaves. Branched panicles of dense, eight-inch, spike-like, lilac-purple clusters formed of two-lipped flowers with long, prominent stamens. Blooms late summer through autumn. Cut down in early spring as it grows much like Lespedeza, blooming on new growth. Well-drained soil. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Emilia coccinea

Family: (Asteraceae)

(A) to 3′.  We love this selection of Tassel Flower.  A native of Tropical Africa that produces a profusion of orange to scarlet, thistle-like flowers in terminal corymbs.  Best if inter-planted or grown closely together.  A real beauty in our Red/Orange/Yellow Bed.  Sun.  3 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eranthis hyemalis

Family: (Ranunculaceae)

Hardy bulb to 6″.  Winter Aconite.  Southern France to Bulgaria.  Brightly glowing, buttercup-like, yellow flowers carpeting the woodland are a sure herald of spring.  A most welcome sight after the long winter.  The low growing, dissected basal foliage dies down and disappears by summer.  Moist, well-drained soil.  Shade/partial shade. 3 & T2 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Erinus alpinus 'Pikos de Europa'

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(P) to 4″. Spanish Alpine Foxglove. A pretty, carpeting rock garden plant for walls and crevices with small, terminal corymbs of light pink, lipped flowers. Tiny, dense rosettes of oblanceolate to crenate-serrate, sticky leaves. Irresistible self-sower. Sun. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Erinus alpinus var. albus

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(P) to 4″. White Fairy Foxglove.  C & S Europe.  An adorable alpine. Evergreen mats are covered in spring with crisp, white, notched, hooded flowers in terminal racemes. A low maintenance rock garden classic. Sun 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eriophyllum lanatum

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 18″.  Oregon Sunshine.  W. North America.  This compact perennial forms a low cushion of silvery leaves up to 3 inches long that are irregularly divided into narrow lobes.  Both stems and leaves are covered with white hairs.  Brilliant golden-yellow daisy-like flowers rise on long, grey stems. Blooms freely in summer and attractive to bees and butterflies.  Great in perennial borders, rock gardens and embankments.  Well-drained soil.  Full sun to part shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eryngium caeruleum (syn. E. caucasicum)

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 4′. This Sea Holly is native to the Caucasus and Central Asia. Metallic blue thistles with matching spiky bracts are borne on stiff, forked branches. Both the stems and prickly leaves have an attractive bluish colour as well. A lovely plant. Blooms July to August. Well-drained soil. Sun. 3 & 6 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eryngium giganteum

Family: (Apiaceae)

Short-lived perennial/biennial to 4′.  Miss Willmott’s Ghost.  Miss Willmott was known to scatter this seed surreptitiously in the gardens she visited, leaving her horticultural calling card!  The elongated, dome-shaped, greenish flowerheads are surrounded by spiny tipped, silvery bracts.  Attractive, marbled, grey-green, spiny foliage with dark green basal rosettes adds more drama.  Excellent dried flower.  Self-sows happily.  Well-drained soil.  Sun. 3 & 6 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eryngium planum

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 4′. Flat Sea Holly. A native to eastern Europe with numerous, branching stems of small bluish thistles and spiky bracts. A rugged-looking plant with spiny-toothed, glossy green, basal foliage. Well-drained soil. Sun. 3 & 6 & Δ

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Erysimum helveticum

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(P) to 6″.  Mountain Wallflower.  C & E Europe.  Tufted clumps of linear, dark grey-green leaves are a great foil to the flat heads of purple tinted buds which open to clusters of fragrant, bright yellow, four-petalled flowers.   A beautiful alpine and extremely long-blooming, from spring well into the summer months.  Sun.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Erysimum hungaricum

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(P) to 2′.  Hungarian Wallflower.  Carpathian Mountains.  A central European native producing a gorgeous show of sweet-smelling, lemon yellow, four-petalled blooms.  Summer bloomer.  Self-sows.  Well-drained soil.  Sun. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Eucomis zambesiaca

Family: Asparagaceae

Tender bulb to 12″.  South Africa.  Narrow racemes of open, creamy white flowers.  The first Eucomis to bloom, producing flower spikes as early as late spring.  Easy to grow.  Sun.  3 & T2