Perennials for Special Purposes
Hot & Dry Areas
Newly planted perennials will need regular watering until established
- Aster
- Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila)
- Beardtongue (Penstemon)
- Big Bluestem (Andropogon)
- Bitterroot (Lewisia)
- Blanketflower (Gaillardia)
- Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon)
- Cactus, Prickly Pear (Opuntia)
- Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
- Cinquefoil (Potentilla)
- Coneflower (Echinacea)
- Daisy, Painted (Tanacetum)
- Daisy, Shasta (Leucanthemum x superbum)
- Daylily (Hemerocallis)
- Evening Primrose (Oenothera)
- False Indigo (Baptisia)
- Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis)
- Fescue, Blue (Festuca glauca)
- Flax (Linum)
- Foxtail Lily (Eremurus)
- Globe Thistle (Echinops)
- Goldenrod (Solidago)
- Helen’s Flower (Helenium)
- Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)
- Ice Plant (Delosperma)
- Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina)
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium)
- Mosquito Grass (Bouteloua)
- Red Feathers (Echium amoenum)
- Rock Rose (Helianthemum)
- Russian Sage (Perovskia)
- Sage, Perennial (Artemisia)
- Sea Holly (Eryngium)
- Sea Lavender (Limonium)
- Spurge, Cushion (Euphorbia polychroma)
- Statice, German (Goniolimon)
- Stonecrop (Sedum)
- Sunflower, False (Heliopsis)
- Sunflower, Perennial (Helianthus)
- Switch Grass (Panicum)
- Tickseed (Coreopsis)
- Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia)
- Yarrow (Achillea)
- Yucca
Groundcover for Sun
- Baby’s Breath, Creeping (Gypsophila repens)
- Beardtongue, Spreading (Penstemon)
- Bellflower, Spreading (Campanula)
- Cinquefoil (Potentilla)
- Cliff Green (Paxistima canbyi)
- Cranesbill (Geranium)
- Gentian, Trumpet (Gentiana acaulis)
- Globe Daisy (Globularia)• Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)
- Irish/Scotch Moss (Sagina subulata)
- Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos)
- Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina)
- Mountain Avens (Dryas)
- Phlox, Spreading
- Pussytoes (Antennaria)
- Rock Jasmine (Androsace)
- Rock Rose (Helianthemum)
- Sandwort (Arenaria)
- Soapwort, Spreading (Saponaria)
- Speedwell, Spreading (Veronica)
- Stonecrop, Spreading (Sedum)
- Strawberry (Fragaria)
- Thyme (Thymus)
Groundcover for Shade
- Bergenia
- Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
- Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
- Cranesbill (Geranium)
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
- Foamflower (Tiarella)
- Foamy Bells (Heucherella)
- Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis)
- Goutweed (Aegopodium) *invasive
- Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos)
- Lamium
- Periwinkle (Vinca minor)
- Spurge, Japanese (Pachysandra)
- Twinflower (Linnaea borealis)
- Wild Ginger (Asarum)
- Winterberry (Gaultheria procumbens)
- Woodruff, Sweet (Galium odoratum)
Moist to Wet Areas
- Bog Rosemary (Andromeda)
- Bugbane (Actaea)
- Bulbous Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum)
- Butterbur (Petasites) – invasive
- Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
- Globeflower (Trollius)
- Iris, Blue Flag (Iris versicolor)
- Iris, Siberian (Iris sibirica)
- Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium)
- Loosestrife (Lysimachia)
- Marsh Marigold (Caltha)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula)
- Primrose, Woodland (Primula)
- Rayflower (Ligularia)
- Rhubarb, Ornamental (Rheum)
- Sedge (Carex)
- Shieldleaf Rodgersia (Astilboides)
- Shooting Star (Dodecatheon)
- Spiderwort (Tradescantia)
- Turtlehead (Chelone)
- Umbrella Plant (Darmera)
Rock Gardens
- Alpenclock (Soldanella)
- Alyssum
- Azalea, Dwarf (Rhododendron)
- Beardtongue, Spreading (Penstemon)
- Bellflower (Campanula)
- Bitterroot (Lewisia)
- Bolax, Cushion (Azorella)
- Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)
- Catchfly (Silene)
- Cinquefoil (Potentilla)
- Edelweiss (Leontopodium)
- Evening Primrose (Oenothera)
- Gentian (Gentiana)
- Globe Daisy (Globularia)
- Heath, Winter (Erica)
- Heather, Scotch (Calluna)
- Hens & Chicks (Sempervivum)
- Horned Rampion (Phyteuma)
- Ice Plant (Delosperma)
- Mountain Avens (Dryas)
- Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla)
- Phlox, Spreading
- Pinks (Dianthus)
- Primrose (Primula)
- Rock Cress (Aubrieta)
- Rock Jasmine (Androsace)
- Rock Rose (Helianthemum)
- Sandwort (Arenaria)
- Saxifrage (Saxifraga)
- Sea Thrift (Armeria)
- Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium)
- Soapwort, Spreading (Saponaria)
- Speedwell, Spreading (Veronica)
- Stonecrop (Sedum)
- Wall Cress (Arabis)
- Whitlow Grass (Draba)
- Wood Sorrel (Oxalis)
Shady Areas
- Anemone, Spring Blooming
- Astilbe
- Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)
- Bluebells (Mertensia)
- Bugbane (Actaea)
- Bulbous Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum)
- Coralbells (Heuchera)
- Corydalis
- Fairy Bells (Disporum)
- Ferns
- Globeflower (Trollius)
- Goat’s Beard (Aruncus)
- Hellebore (Helleborus)
- Hosta
- Lady’s Mantle (Alchemilla)
- Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
- Meadow Rue (Thalictrum)
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula)
- Poppy, Himalayan Blue (Meconopsis)
- Primrose (Primula)
- Rayflower (Ligularia)
- Rhubarb, Ornamental (Rheum)
- Rodgersia
- Saxifrage (Saxifraga)
- Sedge (Carex)
- Shieldleaf Rodgersia (Astilboides)
- Siberian Bugloss (Brunnera)
- Spikenard (Aralia)
- Trillium
- Violet (Viola)
- Waxbells, Yellow (Kirengeshoma)
Dry Shade
Newly planted perennials will need regular watering until established.
- Bergenia
- Bishop’s Hat (Epimedium)
- Cranesbill (Geranium)
- Goutweed (Aegopodium) – invasive
- Lamium
- Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria)
- Periwinkle (Vinca)
- Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum)