Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Codonopsis pilosula

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 6′. Dang Shen, Poor Man’s Ginseng. Northern China. A vigorous, vining plant with purple flushed, greenish yellow, nodding bells. Thick, tuberous roots are used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic, similar to Ginseng. Midsummer. Well-drained soil. Sun/partial shade. 5 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Digitalis lutea

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(P) to 2-½’. Straw Foxglove. This native plant of southern Europe and North Africa readily makes itself at home in a garden. In early summer, the small, creamy yellow flowers crowd one side of their tall, slender stalks. A good, long-bloomer with glossy, dark green foliage. Readily self-sows. Sun/partial shade. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Echinops sphaerocephalus

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 4′. Pale Globe Thistle. Southern and Central Europe to Russia. Silvery, greyish green foliage with white, tomentose undersides accentuates the two-inch, steely, silver grey “globular” flowerheads. Easy to see why its name comes from the Greek for Hedgehog! Great for cutting and drying. Mid to late summer blooming. Sun. 4 & T2

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): 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): Eupatorium fistulosum f. albidum

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 6′. A beautiful, creamy white form of Joe Pye Weed. This North American native makes a great addition to the back of our White Garden. Also a perfect candidate for the wild garden/meadow. Bright green leaves whorl around sturdy stems ending with large, pyramidal corymbs of fluffy, cream flowerheads. Never needs staking. A long bloomer from July onwards. Sun/partial shade. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum'

Family: (Apiaceae)

(P) to 4′. This Sweet Fennel has gorgeous, bronzy, feathery foliage. Fine, straw yellow umbels contrast beautifully with the anise-scented foliage. A great foil in the flower garden. Sun.  4, D & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Geranium macrorrhizum

Family: (Geraniaceae)

(P) to 18″. South Europe. An attractive, tough, and easy plant to grow in the flower border or woodland. Palmately lobed leaves are sticky and highly aromatic and contain geranium oil, used in perfumery and pot-pourri. White, pink or magenta flowers bloom from spring throughout summer. Gradually spreads to form an effective, attractive groundcover with reddish bronze colouration in fall. Sun/partial shade. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Helianthus hirsutus

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 4′. Rough or Bristly Sunflower. Midwest. A tough, native sunflower producing a flourish of bright yellow, three-inch, daisy-like flowers from midsummer to autumn. The short stalked, lanceolate leaves have a distinctive rough, sandpapery texture. Found along dry woodland edges and roadsides, this clump-forming perennial makes a useful colonizer for those rocky or difficult spots. Sun/partial shade. 3 & T3

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Hesperis matronalis

Family: (Brassicaceae)

(B/P) to 4′. Dame’s Rocket. Eurasia. Purple, notched, four-petalled flowers in racemes bloom in May, then sporadically through the summer. Lightly scented at night. Naturalized along roadsides. We love this “old-fashioned faithful.” Sun/partial shade. 4 & T3