Goldenrods With Soft Yellow and White Blooms

It’s most common for goldenrods (Solidago spp. and hybrids) to bloom in what we gardeners call “gold”: a bright, highway-line yellow that’s so welcome among the other rich colors in the later part of the growing season. If that’s a little too strong for your taste, though, you can find species and selections that bloom in softer shades of yellow, or even white. These less typical goldenrods offer a fresh take on a familiar late-season favorite while still bringing plenty of garden interest.

Read our complete Goldenrod Growing Guide in the Fall issue of Garden Gate magazine! Get your copy here.

Little Lemon goldenrod

Little Lemon (‘Dansolitlem’), above, is a compact hybrid that’s a good choice if you love goldenrods but don’t have room for a large, spreading plant. Its lemon-colored flowers gradually fade to pale yellow as they age, creating a softer look than the bright gold blooms you might expect. Try it near other late-season perennials for a gentle splash of color that won’t overwhelm its neighbors.

‘Sugar Kisses’ goldenrod

‘Sugar Kisses’ offers another twist on traditional goldenrod color. Its soft yellow buds open into white blooms, giving the plant a delicate, two-tone effect as the flowers develop. It’s a lovely option if you want to brighten up the garden with something a little unexpected.

Silverrod

For a completely different look, consider silverrod (Solidago bicolor), an Eastern U.S. native with white flowers and a very upright growth habit. Its slender profile makes it a natural fit for adding vertical interest to a perennial border without taking up too much space.

Upland white goldenrod

Upland white goldenrod (Solidago ptarmicoides) has white flowers, too, but its branching habit gives it a looser appearance that looks more like an aster than a typical goldenrod. Native mostly to the Central United States, it’s another option for gardeners who want to explore the muted side of this late-season bloomer.

Goldenrod plant sources

• Prairie Moon Nursery; prairiemoon.com; 866-417-8156
• High Country Gardens; highcountrygardens.com; 801-769-0300

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For too long, goldenrods were overlooked by American gardeners due to the mistaken belief that they were a cause of fall hay fever. Fortunately, those in the know now understand that the real culprit is more likely the air-carried pollen of ragweeds (Ambrosia spp.), which bloom around the same time but have barely noticeable greenish flowers. Goldenrods, with their showier blooms, often got the blame, but their pollen is heavier and stickier, designed to be carried not by the wind but by insects.

Goldenrod is a key plant for pollinators

And oh, the insects are happy to do just that! The multitude of tiny but tightly packed flowers is an all-you-can-eat buffet of pollen and nectar for a wide variety of bees, flies and beetles, which means that birds then feast on the frenzy of insect activity. Goldenrods are a must-have for butterfly gardens as well, feeding adult butterflies with their flowers and serving as host plants for their larvae.

But they’re more than just useful: Gorgeous goldenrods also contribute bright color and beautiful flower forms to the garden and provide ample opportunities for dramatic late-season combinations. They’re terrific to cut for bouquets, too!

A goldenrod for every garden

As more gardeners are catching on to the charms of these valuable and versatile perennials, commercial growers are starting to make more goldenrods available, but you’re still likely to find the best selection at nurseries that specialize in native plants. There’s a species for just about any site — wet or dry, sun or shade — so there’s no excuse for not growing at least one goldenrod in your garden. And don’t be put off by the reputation that a few goldenrods have for being aggressive spreaders, because there are plenty that are restrained enough to be basically trouble-free.

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Great Goldenrod Varieties to Grow in Shade

Autumn goldenrod Solidago sphacelata

• Light: Full sun to part shade
  
• Soil: Average, well-drained
  
• Size: 3 to 4 ft. tall and wide
  
• Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

For decades, autumn goldenrod has been best known through the superb 18- to 24-inch-tall selection ‘Golden Fleece’, a compact cultivar that still works beautifully as a flower-filled ground cover or edging plant for late-summer and early-fall interest. The straight species is harder to find but has recently been getting attention too, due to its pollinator-attracting power. It’s typically twice as tall as ‘Golden Fleece’, with thinner, arching flower clusters at the tips of its slender stems. Its overall finer texture is graceful enough to work well in a border but also natural enough to look right at home in a mini-meadow or naturalistic planting.

Keeping goldenrod in check

Both the species and ‘Golden Fleece’ can spread, but they tend to be polite about it instead of problematic: Just pull out some of the shoots around the edges if they’re creeping beyond where you want them. They look fantastic when paired with blue and purple companions, such as aromatic aster and ‘Iron Butterfly’ narrowleaf ironweed.

Blue-stemmed goldenrod Solidago caesia

• Light: Full sun to part shade 
• Soil: Moist to dry, well-drained 
• Size: 2 to 3 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide 
• Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

Also known as wreath goldenrod, blue-stemmed goldenrod is easy to please and sure to please in return. This species is naturally best suited to partial shade but can grow just about anywhere, and its clump-forming habit means there’s no need to worry about it creeping out of control, though it can self-sow.

The tiny but abundant flowers are packed into short clusters that bloom along the upper side of its slender, arching stems, mostly in early to mid-fall, the time when it can be most challenging to find late-season flowers for woodland gardens and shady pollinator plantings. Charming companions for blue-stemmed goldenrod include white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) and blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), along with well-behaved ferns and sedges, such as Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) and blue wood sedge (Carex flaccosperma).

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Zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis

• Light: Full sun to part shade 
• Soil: Average to moist, well-drained 
• Size: 1 to 3 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide 
• Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

This woodland species is a quiet presence in the garden until it bursts into bloom, mainly in late summer and early fall. The upper part of each wavy stem is lined with tufts of bright yellow flowers, which show off beautifully against the relatively broad, toothed leaves. Zigzag goldenrod is tough and adaptable, thriving in partial shade and somewhat moist soil but tolerating anything from sun to shade — even dry shade!

Keep in mind that this one is generally a moderate spreader, so it’s best in a good-sized garden, under trees or large shrubs or on a shady slope where you’re having trouble getting other perennials to grow. Consider pairing it with equally sturdy companions, such as Canada wild ginger (Asarum canadense) and northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) for a terrific textural contrast, and with blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum) as a bloom buddy.

Read our complete Goldenrod Growing Guide in the Fall issue of Garden Gate magazine! Get your copy here.

Goldenrod plant sources

• Prairie Moon Nursery; prairiemoon.com; 866-417-8156
• High Country Gardens; highcountrygardens.com; 801-769-0300

With thousands of varieties available, choosing a dahlia (or three) for the garden each year can be an overwhelming task. But if you know which characteristics to look for, shopping gets a lot easier. All dahlias are cold hardy in zones 8 to 11 and grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. Find out what makes a dahlia right for these common garden situations, along with a few favorites that fit the bill.

Do You Love Dahlias?

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4 Different Types of Dahlias

1. Best dahlias to grow mid-border

Not too tall and not too short, midsize varieties stand 2 to 4 feet tall, just right for filling mixed beds and borders. Blooming prolifically from midsummer through fall, these dahlias help bridge the gap between early- and late-season perennials.

• 'David Howard': Fully double 4-in. formal decorative apricot blooms, dark foliage; 30 to 40 in. tall
  
• 'Creme de Cassis': Bicolor violet and dark eggplant waterlily flowers measure 4 to 6 in. wide; 30 to 40 in. tall
  
• 'Fascination': Semidouble 4-in. peony-type hot pink flowers, dark foliage; 30 to 36 in. tall

Dahlia growing tip

To encourage bushy plants with plenty of buds, pinch dahlias when the central stalk has three to four sets of leaves.

2. Dahlias that make all-star cut flowers

What makes a great cutting dahlia? A lengthy vase life; long, sturdy stems; and upward-facing blooms that aren't too heavy. Ball and pompon dahlias have tightly packed petals that resist bruising and give them a particularly long post-harvest vase life.

• 'Cornel': Ruby red 4-in. ball-shaped flowers; 40 to 48 in. tall
  
• 'Maarn': Rusty orange 3- to 4-in. ball-shaped flowers; 48 to 54 in. tall
  
• 'Genova': Lavender and white ball-shaped flowers with dark central eyes measure 2 to 4 in. wide; 30 to 40 in. tall

Harvest tip

Harvest flowers when they are almost fully open and the petals are still firm; dahlias don't open much more after they've been cut.

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3. Dramatic dinnerplate dahlias

With extra-large flowers that measure upward of 8 inches in diameter, dinnerplate dahlias serve up major impact in the garden. Because of their size, you'll want to position dinnerplate varieties in a place where they won't overwhelm smaller, more delicate plants. These top-heavy flowers often need staking.

• 'Spartacus': Globe-shaped red flowers measure 9 to 10 in. wide; 50 to 60 in. tall
  
• 'Otto's Thrill' (in photo): Coral pink 10-in.-wide flowers; 36 to 48 in. tall
  
• 'Café au Lait': Lush 10-in. flowers range from blush pink to creamy ivory; 36 to 48 in. tall
  

Good to know

A wall, fence or hedgerow provides a natural windbreak and backdrop for dinnerplate dahlias' showstopping blooms.

4. Compact dahlias for containers

Compact varieties, including the ever-popular Melody^® and Gallery^® series that stay under 2 feet tall, are perfect for pots and planters. Choose a container that is at least 12 inches wide and deep — even short-statured dahlias produce an extensive root system that requires plenty of well-drained soil and room to grow.

• 'Gallery Art Deco': Multicolor coral, orange and red stellar flowers measure 4 to 5 in. wide; 16 to 24 in. tall
  
• 'Dracula': Bold red 3-in. daisy-like single flowers, dark foliage; 10 to 12 in. tall
  
• __'Park Princess': (in photo) — Clear pink cactus form with spiky, 4-in. flowers; 22 to 24 in. tall
  

Container tip

Containers typically dry out faster than in-ground beds. Aim to water planter-bound dahlias deeply every day or two during the hottest weeks of summer.

Dahlia sources

• Hudson Valley Seed Co.: hudsonvalleyseed.com — 845-204-8769
• Longfield Gardens: longfield-gardens.com — 855-534-2733
• Swan Island Dahlias: dahlias.com — 800-410-6540

Montauk Daisy

Nipponanthemum nipponicum

Type: Perennial
Blooms: White flowers with a yellow center summer to frost
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Pests: None serious
Size: 18 to 36 in. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9

Montauk Daisy Will Refresh Your Fall Border

Tired of garden mums for your fall combos? Give Montauk daisy a try. This underused perennial is covered in 2- to 3-inch white flowers from summer to frost, makes a great cut flower and has saw-tooth leaves that add texture to the garden until it blooms. Paired with 'Rozanne' geranium, it provides a cheerful greeting along this path to the front door.

How to grow Montauk daisy

Montauk daisy grows best in full sun but can tolerate part shade. It does need a spot with well-drained soil. Let the plant dry out between waterings to avoid rot — Montauk daisy is quite drought tolerant.

You might think that with all those flowers you'd have to feed Montauk daisy a lot, but not so. You can add a shovelful of compost or some slow-release fertilizer in spring but it's not essential.

Keep Montauk daisy looking good

There is a chance your Montauk daisy stems will flop as they grow taller, especially if the plant grows to its maximum height of 3 feet. You can use a hoop stake to keep it upright if having that height midborder is important to you. Or avoid those flopping stems by cutting them back by a third in early summer. This encourages branching, which means more flowers and a more mounded habit.

Dividing plants every 3 to 4 years is a good idea to keep Montauk daisy vigorous and flowering well. To do this, dig the plant out of the ground, split it into several pieces and replant the new divisions at the same level they were growing in the soil. Or pot some up to share with friends.

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Where to plant Montauk daisy

With loads of those sweet flowers and the attractive, pest-free foliage, Montauk daisy is a no-brainer for just about any spot that needs color or texture — the front door, next to the patio or even in containers. Check out the list below for a planting that provides you with lots of color and interest all season and will help a few pollinators, too!

What to plant with Montauk daisy

This easy-care group of late-season flowers will provide a one-stop buffet for migrating butterflies, and the salvia is a hummingbird favorite, too. Deadheading the salvia and sunflower keeps things tidy and the flowers going.

A) Montauk Daisy (Nipponanthemum nipponicum)
Perennial; white flowers with a yellow center summer to frost; full sun; 18 to 36 in. tall and wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9

B) Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum 'Gunsmoke')
Perennial; tan flowers in midsummer, blue-green foliage; full sun; 48 to 54 in. tall, 36 to 42 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

C) Salvia (Salvia 'Mystic Spires')
Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual); blue-violet spikes from late spring to frost; full sun; 18 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 7 to 10

D) False sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Summer Sun')
Perennial; semidouble yellow blooms in mid- to late summer; full sun; 24 to 36 in. tall, 18 to 24 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

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Mesa Red blanket flower

Gaillardia x grandiflora

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Deep red, daisy-shaped blooms in late spring to late summer
Light: Full sun
Soil: Prefers moist, well-drained soil; tolerates dry soil
Pests: None serious
Size: 14 to 16 in. tall, 20 to 22 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10
Plant Source: Local garden centers

Think you don’t need a blanket in summer? Think again! Blanket flowers add a punch of continuous color to any sunny garden. And Mesa Red blooms even longer than most varieties, starting in late spring and lasting through late summer. With 2- to 3-inch-wide red, nonfading, daisy-shaped flowers, a few of these gorgeous little perennials can make a big, colorful statement in some of your toughest, hottest garden spots. Plus, they’re more compact than most blanket flower cultivars, so the clumps won’t fall apart in the middle or sprawl over neighboring plants.

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Welcome pollinators with blanket flower

If you’re trying to attract pollinators to your garden, Mesa Red extends a colorful welcome. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love the nectar-rich flowers. Just as important, deer and rabbits tend to avoid them. They make good, long-lasting cut flowers too, so you can enjoy them indoors or out.

Got a hot spot? Blanket flowers thrive in lots of sun but get leggy and floppy in too much shade. Moist, well-drained soil is best, but they will tolerate dry, sandy, and rocky soil. If you're trying to get this hybrid of two North American species started in a dry spot, make sure you water plants regularly for the first summer to get the root systems established. Avoid heavy clay soils, though, as the inadequate drainage causes rot.

Mesa Red blanket flower care

You don’t need to fertilize blanket flowers, either, as that can make them flop. Plants are often short-lived, lasting two to three years; make sure they have adequate drainage and cut them back to 5 or 6 inches high in the fall to help them last longer.

If you purchase potted plants, they generally bloom the first summer. You can also start seeds indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost, or sow them directly outdoors after the last frost. The seeds need light to germinate, so sow them on the surface of the seed-starting mix. Seed-grown blanket flowers likely won’t bloom until the second year.

However you choose to plant them, Mesa Red blanket flowers will be a summer star in any sunny garden! Find a colorful garden bed design below to get started with this tough perennial.

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Colorful planting plan for hot, sunny spots with Mesa Red Blanket flower

This bright primary-colored combo won’t wash out in a hot, sunny corner of the garden, so you and the butterflies can enjoy it all summer long. Keep this planting watered regularly the first summer you plant it, and it’ll be able to tolerate some drought in subsequent years — this makes it a perfect combination for a spot a little farther from a water source.

A. YarrowAchillea ‘Moonshine’
Perennial; yellow blooms from early to late summer; full sun; 12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

B. Blanket flowerGaillardia x grandiflora Mesa Red
Perennial; deep red, daisy-shaped blooms in late spring to late summer; full sun; 14 to 16 in. tall, 20 to 22 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 10

C. VeronicaVeronica ‘Blue Sprite’
Perennial; blue-purple spikes in early to late summer; full sun; 3 to 6 in. tall, 18 in. wide; cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 7

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Agastache for Deer-Resistant, Drought-Tolerant Gardens in Every Region

When you want a border buzzing with bees, bursting with butterflies and humming with hummingbirds, agastache (Agastache spp. and hybrids) is a great choice. Besides getting lots of love from pollinators, this amazing perennial has fragrant foliage topped by long-lasting blooms and takes hot dry spells in stride. Plus, deer and rabbits leave it alone, and it’s rarely bothered by insect pests or disease.

Agastache comes in many shapes and sizes (and names!)

There are 22 species of agastache — most native to North America and Mexico — and numerous hybrids that all grow best in full sun and well-drained soil. What sets most agastache species and their hybrids apart is the soil they grow in. Those with roots in the Southwest United States and Mexico, such as licorice mint or Texas hummingbird mint, do best where the soil is lean and sharply drained.

Anise hyssop, a native to the Great Plains, or Korean mint from Asia thrive in richer soil with more organic matter and moisture. But all types of agastache will rot if the soil is consistently wet or soggy.

Common names vary and sometimes even overlap, but I’ll call the Southwest types hummingbird mint and the prairie types hyssop. Whatever the name, this practically perfect perennial has a lot to offer.

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Regional advice for growing agastache

Full sun and well-drained soil are a must for growing great agastache anywhere you garden, but different regions have different dilemmas. I talked with four experts who navigate the same growing challenges as home gardeners, and they shared their tips for growing beautiful plants along with a few varieties that have performed especially well. 

Growing agastache in the Midwest

Expert: Richard Hawke | Director of Ornamental Plant Research, Chicago Botanic Garden, IL

Summers are hot and humid in Chicago, and soils can range from rich and loamy to dense clay. Because Chicago Botanic Garden is so close to Lake Michigan, there can be lots of snow and strong winds to accompany the cold temperatures.

Regional growing tips

• Fertilize: There’s no need to feed agastache in the ground or in pots — they flower well without it.
• Mulch: Border plants get mulched in spring with a custom blend made from garden debris that has a leafy texture with no big chunks.
• Maintenance: Hyssop types handle the growing conditions at the Chicago Botanic Garden with ease and can sometimes even reseed. ‘Golden Jubilee’ can be extra generous so may need deadheading if you don’t want more plants.
• Beware of rot: The denser soil and wet winters can cause the roots and crowns of hummingbird mint to rot in borders. However, Richard has noticed that some newer varieties have better survival rates. Planting in containers is also a good alternative. Many are compact and bloom continuously without deadheading, almost like an annual.
• Plant trials: With all the new introductions, Richard is working on a plant trial of 48 hummingbird mint varieties to see how quickly they bulk up and bloom in one season. Results should be released in 2028.

Top agastache varieties for the Midwest

• ‘Rosie Posie’ A. hybrid
  Returned for several years in borders around the garden
• ‘Queen Nectarine’ A. hybrid
  Plants grew to 3 feet tall in one year
• ‘Purple Haze’ A. hybrid
  Has longer, more graceful flowers than others

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Growing agastache in the Southwest

Expert: Linda Churchill | Director of Horticulture, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, NM

Close to the Rocky Mountains, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden sits at 7,200 feet in elevation with a growing season from early May to October. The climate is generally hot and dry, though the garden’s location has a colder microclimate. The soil tends to be alkaline with a high mineral content and varying depths of caliche, a claylike soil that’s as hard as concrete.

Regional growing tips

• Fertilize: Linda grows a lot of hummingbird mints in containers at home and does use a balanced liquid plant food, such as Miracle-Gro^®, since she’s often watering daily in summer and nutrients are quick to wash away.
• Mulch: Cramming plants together in the border works a lot like mulch, helping keep weeds down and conserving moisture. But hummingbird mint doesn’t like humidity, so Linda and her staff keep an eye out for fungus or mold that could develop. They sometimes mulch with gravel but don’t need much — an inch or so is just fine.
• Maintenance: Linda finds that plants come through winter better if you leave the dead stems in place to provide some protection for the crown.

Top agastache picks for the Southwest

• Licorice mint A. rupestris
  Reseeds gracefully
• Texas hummingbird mint A. cana
  This variety gets taller than many others
• Desert Sunrise^®A. hybrid
  Needs slightly more water than others

Growing agastache in the Mountain West

Expert: Bridget Blomquist | Associate Director of Horticulture, Denver Botanic Gardens, CO

With over 300 days of sunshine on average in the Denver area, there’s never any worry about plants not getting enough light. Summers are hot and dry with cool nights, and winter is mild but can get quite snowy with high winds.

Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies are always on the agastache, but the hummers are a favorite. Bridget loves watching them dive-bomb, tussle and whistle at each other, as they argue over who gets to feed from which bloom.

Regional growing tips

• Fertilize: Because these plants do best in lean soil, she hasn’t found the need to fertilize.
• Mulch: Squeegee is the mulch of choice for agastache at the Denver Botanic Gardens. It’s smaller and more angular than pea gravel and helps keep the border well drained. It provides that western garden look and doesn’t blow around in the wind. In addition, the smaller rock makes it easier to pull weeds.
• Maintenance: Bridget deadheads the hyssop types because they reseed prolifically in the borders but hasn’t found the need to deadhead hummingbird mint. Plants come through winter easily except when they’re in a spot where the snow is piled. Those tend to die — likely due to winter wet.

Top agastache picks for the Mountain West

• ‘Ava’ A. hybrid
  Blooms a bit later than others so extends the season
• Kudos series A. hybrid
  Smaller plants are good for rock gardens
• Licorice mint A. rupestris
  Two-toned orange flowers with purple calyxes are a great contrast to silvery foliage

Growing Agastache in the South

Expert: Sandra Begani | UGA Trial Garden Manager, University of Georgia Trial Gardens, GA

Even with hot, humid summers that are regularly in the 90s and sporadic rainstorms followed by long dry periods, hummingbird mint has been a great performer for Sandra at the trial garden in Athens, Georgia. Even better, while deer regularly munch on other plants, they leave hummingbird mint alone.

Regional growing tips

• Fertilize: Georgia’s red clay soil is a well-known challenge for gardeners in that area and is probably why plants tend to be short-lived. To make sure the agastaches grow and bloom happily, Sandra and her team till compost and granular fertilizer into the flower beds.
• Mulch: Easy-to-find pine straw mulch is applied annually to help conserve moisture, prevent erosion and keep the weeds down. That’s a big help because hummingbird mint attracts so many bees that weeding can be difficult at certain times of the day.
• Maintenance: These are dry-loving plants but if there hasn’t been any rain all week, she’ll make sure plants get a deep watering so their growth and blooming don’t suffer.

Top agastache picks for the South

• Poquito Butter Yellow A. hybrid
  Lots of yellow flowers and compact habit
• Maestro^™ Gold A. hybrid
  Heat resistant and flowered all summer
• Summerlong Lilac A. mexicana
  Season-long color and tolerates dry conditions

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White is such a versatile color. It can look fresh and clean, or cool and classy. Gardens will look that way, too, dressed up in white. Choose a few white flowers for your garden, and they will reflect whatever style you want, from casual cottage gardens to formal style.

Consider both cool and warm shades of white

But which white will you use? A white with blue undertones can look ice cold, but you can use that to your advantage in a combo that includes blue or purple flowers. Grow them near a warm patio to help create a cool and relaxed feeling. Pair warmer creamy whites with reds and yellows to tone down the more intense colors. Can’t decide which white flower you like best? No problem — use them all! An all-white garden has an elegant style that’s hard to beat.

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How to use white flowers in your garden

Concerned that white will look too stark in your bright-colored garden? If you set a white cosmos next to a red rose, you might be surprised to see that the cosmos has a hint of pale pink. That’s because many whites reflect the color nearby. So don’t count white out — it has a way of fitting in almost anywhere.

White always seems to look best in the shade of evening or morning’s early glow. So I have white flowers in a spot where the rising sun peeks in between the neighbor’s houses. They catch and hold that golden light as I’m enjoying my morning coffee. On the other hand, afternoon light is usually a little intense. It can make white overly bright or wash it out so you can’t make out the details.

8 of Our Favorite White Flowers

I’ve gathered a few of my favorite white flowers for cutting gardens and mixed borders. There are annuals and perennials for sun and shade, as well as a tree and a gorgeous clematis. By now you probably have a few ideas about where to grow white flowers, so let’s take a look at some plants you might want to use.

Sparkler White spider flower (Cleome hassleriana)

Sparkler^™ White above has big 4- to 6-inch flowers of pure white. The name is perfect. A large group of this cultivar can really sparkle in the late-day or early-morning sun. Plant a drift of white flowers — it’s quite noticeable from a distance. Sparkler White is a choice cultivar for calling attention to the back border of a large yard.

Direct sow spider flower in spring and it will bloom the same year. It does reseed easily, though. And if you have the more common pink-and-white variety nearby, next year’s plants won’t all be white. You can prevent reseeding by snipping off the bean-like seedpods that form under the flower.

Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Early summer to frost
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 36 to 48 in. tall, 24 to 36 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11

BabyWing White begonia (Begonia hybrid)

Petite BabyWing^™ White begonia is a great space-saver. In addition, it’s low-maintenance and tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including periods of drought, shady spots and even the hot metal urn this plant is growing in. Begonias do better when the potting mix dries out between waterings. Too much water and the plants will rot.

Because the crisp white begonia flowers have thick petals and a waxy texture, they’re great at reflecting light. You can see what a strong contrast the white is against the black urn. That helps to create the elegant, formal feel.

Type: Tender perennial (usually grown as an annual)
Blooms: Spring to frost
Light: Part sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 12 to 15 in tall, 10 to 12 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 10 to 11

‘Sonata White’ cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Looking for an easy-to-grow cut flower to add to your garden? Check out the seed rack at your favorite garden center and grab a few packets of ‘Sonata White’ cosmos. Start plants from seed and they’ll flower from early summer until frost the first year.

Once it’s blooming, butterflies are sure to visit, flitting around the 3-inch flowers. Don’t forget to cut a few for yourself, too. It’s great in bouquets. Inside or out, those papery thin petals look lovely with sunlight filtering through. Pair cosmos with heavier-looking zinnias to brighten up the combo.

Type: Annual
Blooms: Early summer to frost
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained to poor
Size: 18 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 15 in. wide

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‘Black Negligee’ bugbane (Actaea simplex)

Need some height in your shade garden? Try stately ‘Black Negligee’ bugbane. White bottlebrush flowers can get up to 24 inches long and are quite fragrant. Though plants do well in shade, they need some sun to get the darkest foliage. And you’re going to want it. The darker the leaves, the better they highlight the white flowers. Besides that, deep shade causes flower stalks to lean toward the light and need staking to stay upright. Growing plants under a high-limbed tree is usually your best bet. Slow-growing bugbane needs consistent moisture and rich organic soil to look good.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Late summer to fall
Light: Part to full shade
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Size: 4 to 5 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

‘Fama White’ pincushion flower (Scabiosa caucasica)

The big 3- to 4-inch blooms of ‘Fama White’ pincushion flower bobbing in the breeze are a classic summer image. Add the butterflies that flutter in and you have a picture-perfect garden! If you grow flowers, bouquets can’t be far from your mind. Cut a few to take inside — they last up to a week. Long stems grow over a low mound of foliage, so they’re easy to cut.

This plant is more than just a pretty flower, though. It’s deer resistant and drought tolerant, too. Combine 'Fama White' with oranges, yellows and reds to keep hot colors from looking too intense.

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Summer to fall
Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 20 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 10

‘Snow Queen’ clematis (Clematis hybrid)

This clematis is an old favorite for good reason. Those 6- to 7-inch white flowers with red-purple anthers attract a lot of attention. Grow it on a trellis, an obelisk or even in a container. New spring flowers open with a slight pink or blue tint that fades quickly to white. ‘Snow Queen’ is at its showiest early in the season but there’s a second, smaller flush in late summer.

Pruning is simple

As this variety blooms on old wood in spring and new growth in summer, just cut back any broken or dead branches before it blooms. If needed, thin the vines after they bloom to keep it from looking wild.

Type: Vine
Blooms: Late spring and late summer
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained
Size: 6 to 10 ft. tall, 2 to 3 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8

Fothergilla (Fothergilla major)

Fragrant, creamy white bottlebrush blooms of fothergilla are charming in early spring. Then summer brings leathery blue-green foliage that turns red, yellow and orange, often all on the same leaf, in fall. You can see it in the inset photo.

Get more flowers

The flowers bloom at the tips of the branches, so you can simply deadhead them. But if you cut back to a leaf joint, your fothergilla will reward you with more flowers in midspring. As a bonus, this pruning encourages a fuller, bushier growth habit.

Type: Shrub
Blooms: 2- to 3-in.-long bottlebrush white flowers in early spring
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Evenly moist, well-drained soil that’s acid to neutral
Size: 6 to 10 ft. tall, 6 to 8 ft. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa)

Kousa dogwood flowers bring out plant envy in everyone who sees them. And it’s an understory tree, so even if you have an established tree, you can still grow a Kousa dogwood. The 3- to 5-inch white pointed flowers will go a long way toward brightening up a yard that has some shade. Those “petals” are actually bracts — a modified leaf — and the flowers, which butterflies like a lot, by the way, are in the center. In its younger years, Kousa dogwood has a vase-shaped habit. As it ages, it develops a more rounded look.

Type: Tree
Blooms: Late spring
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Well-drained to sandy
Size: 15 to 30 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8

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In the garden, the color blue can create a mood of calm serenity, cooling a vibrant scene and providing a spot to rest the eye. Combining it with bright colors brings depth and contrast. Some plants have near-blue flowers to fulfill these garden duties, but many hostas have near-blue foliage, which makes them indispensable in a shade garden.

Enter for a Chance to Win 3 Blue Hostas from NH Hostas this Summer!

What makes hostas blue?

Blue hostas are glaucous, meaning the leaves have a white, waxy or powdery coating (often called a “bloom”) that reflects light. Dark green foliage will appear more intensely blue than a lighter shade under this bloom. And new growth has a thicker glaucous layer than mature leaves, resulting in a bluer color.

Hostas are some of the easiest and most rewarding plants in the shade garden. They thrive in part to full shade with average soil that is kept moist but not wet. Morning sun promotes the best color because hot afternoon sun can degrade the glaucous layer and fade the blue.

Divide blue hostas to get more plants

Since hostas rarely come true from seed, your blue hosta’s seedlings won’t necessarily be blue. To ensure that you keep the color going, divide when clumps become overcrowded. And don’t be fooled by those internet posts advertising royal blue–colored hostas from seed that practically glow — it’s a scam. No blue hosta is ever that blue.

Now let's take a look at 11 hostas with naturally blue foliage — there’s more variety than you might think! 

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Best blue hostas to grow in your garden

Look for varieties marked with the American Hosta Society: Hosta of the Year Award

This designation is awarded to time-tested varieties that have shown excellent garden performance. Visit the American Hosta Society at americanhostasociety.org for the complete list.

‘Elegans’ Hosta sieboldiana

Introduced in 1905, ‘Elegans’ is a time-honored garden favorite and the parent of hundreds of cultivars of blue-foliaged hostas over the years. The large, rounded leaves emerge blue-gray in spring and turn smoky as the glaucous coating fades in summer, remaining dark green by frost. As plants age, the leaves become more corrugated, growing in thick clumps. Slow-spreading ‘Elegans’ can eventually fill a space 4 feet or larger. White midsummer flowers have a slight lavender tinge and sit just above the mound of foliage.

Since ‘Elegans’ grows up to 3 feet tall, put it in a shady border with old-fashioned bleeding heart or tulips, where it can fill in space vacated by these plants as their foliage fades in the heat of summer. It works perfectly as a low-maintenance mass planting in a tucked-away spot. Avoid companion plants with small or delicate foliage that might be overwhelmed by this hosta’s enormous leaves. Pair it with a broad-leaved brunnera to cover any bare legs.

Type: Perennial
Features: Large, rounded, corrugated blue-gray leaves, white blooms with lavender tinge in midsummer
Size: 24 to 36 in. tall (40 in. in bloom), 36 to 48 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9

Plant companions for shade:

• Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla)
• Old-fashioned bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectablilis)
• Tulip (Tulipa spp. and hybrids)

‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ hosta

2014 Hosta of the Year

With deep blue-green leaves nearly a foot across and cupped up to 3 inches deep, ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ lives up to its name by collecting water from rain or overnight dew. Indeed, I once had an elderly cat who would make his morning rounds through the hosta plants, licking water off the leaf tips and stopping for a refreshing sip from this plant’s foliar pools in particular. Not only are the leaves significantly cupped, they are also thick and heavily seersuckered, giving this plant added slug resistance. White flowers held just above the foliage draw hummingbirds in early summer.

Grow this variety as a specimen plant

‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ needs a prominent place in the garden — grow it as a specimen plant to highlight its unique texture alone near an entryway or in a large container. Or surround it with shade-loving ground covers, such as hakonechloa, whose spiky chartreuse foliage is a striking contrast to the blue-green hosta. ‘Rozanne’ perennial geranium makes another fine companion: It has violet-blue flowers and mounding foliage that turns red in the fall.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Large dark blue-green cupped leaves with heavy seersuckering and white flowers in early summer 
Size: 18 to 24 in. tall (22 in. in bloom), 36 to 48 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

Shade companion plants:

• Hakonechloa (Hakonechloa macra)
• Perennial geranium (Geranium hybrid)

‘Krossa Regal’ hosta

‘Krossa Regal’ is outstanding when it blooms — its lavender flower scapes literally stand several feet above the 3-foot-tall foliage. Once those flowers are spent, cut them back so you can appreciate its unusual vase-shaped habit. Leaves are a frosty blue-green, aging to dark green as the summer heats up and often turning yellow to orange in fall. They are slightly wavy and show off deep veins.

With its unique shape, ‘Krossa Regal’ makes a perfect specimen — plant a single clump in a container alone or in the center of a shady island bed with a colorful Japanese painted fern at its base to highlight this large hosta. Site it in the back of the border with smaller variegated hostas to add color and promote the differences in habit and texture. Goat’s beard’s smaller, finer-textured foliage makes it a nice companion.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Wavy blue-green leaves with a vaselike habit, lavender flowers on tall scapes in mid- to late summer 
Size: 30 to 36 in. tall (60 to 72 in. in bloom), 36 to 72 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

Pairs well with:

• Goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus)
• Japanese painted fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum)

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‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta

2008 Hosta of the Year

Like a baby bunny, ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is sweet and adorable. But unlike the bunny, you’ll want this hosta in your garden. Growing just 6 to 8 inches tall in compact, mounded clumps of perfectly rounded leaves, it catches your eye by its shape as well as the frosty gray-green to blue-green color. The almost rubbery foliage is usually not appealing to slugs. In mid- to late summer, flower scapes rise just above the foliage and form balloon-like buds along the stem that pop open into tiny, dangling lavender bells that bees and hummingbirds love.

Use this miniature hosta in the front of the border or containers

With its petite stature, ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ can get lost in the garden, so plant with that in mind. Set it at the front of the border in a small mass planting near low-growing companions, such as corydalis or lilyturf. It tolerates dry shade, so try it in a woodland bed with epimedium. Tuck it into a sparsely planted shady rock garden, where its whorls of leaves will look lush and soft compared to a stone background. ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ is terrific in containers, either in combination with shade-loving annuals or alone as a table centerpiece. Pop a potful in the garden to fill a space where spring bulbs have gone dormant.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Rounded blue leaves in petite mounds with lavender bell-shaped flowers in mid- to late summer 
Size: 6 to 8 in. tall (12 in. in bloom), 10 to 12 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

Grows well with:

• Corydalis (Corydalis lutea)
• Epimedium (Epimedium spp. and hybrids)
• Lilyturf (Liriope muscari)

‘Blue Perfection’ hosta

While most hostas have minimal scent, ‘Blue Perfection’ has H. plantaginea (often referred to as fragrant hosta) in its genealogy, so its light lavender flowers will be a delight to your nose. Unlike other hostas, ‘Blue Perfection’ keeps producing new foliage through the growing season: There are always new blue leaves to keep the color showing, even in hot summers.

So you can enjoy the fragrance, plant ‘Blue Perfection’ around a patio or just below a raised deck where the scent can waft up to the seating area on a summer evening. A fast-growing hosta, it is a good choice for a mass planting, especially if you need it to fill in quickly. Plant it mid-border with lacy cinnamon ferns in back and a skirt of red or bronze heucherellas, such as ‘Redstone Falls’, for contrast in texture and color.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Blue foliage ages dark green with fragrant light lavender blooms in late summer
Size: 18 to 24 in. tall (41 in. in bloom), 48 to 54 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Grows well with:

• Cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)
• Heucherella (Heucherella hybrids)

‘Skylight’ hosta

An extra waxy coating on its thick, slightly puckered leaves gives ‘Skylight’ its particularly light baby blue color. It also provides more slug resistance than other hostas. Growing 16 inches tall, it spreads up to 40 inches across, filling in a shady border with a luminescent glow.

Plant ‘Skylight’ in the shade of a similarly hued blue spruce. Contrast the light blue with bright orange flowers of annual Beacon^® Orange impatiens for a striking combination. Coral bells make nice companions — try peachy-orange ‘Paprika’ for a warm, spicy combo, or cool it down with ‘Obsidian’, which has near-black foliage. Enter for a chance to win a ‘Skylight’ hosta plant from NH Hostas here!

Type: Perennial 
Features: Light baby blue–colored leaves with lavender flowers in early summer 
Size: 16 in. tall (24 in. in bloom), 40 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

Grows well with:

• Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens)
• Coral bells (Heuchera hybrids)
• Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana)

‘Halcyon’ hosta

The word “halcyon” signifies calm, peaceful happiness, and a garden with ‘Halcyon’ hosta can give that feeling. Its frosty blue-green foliage is cool and serene. The spear-shaped leaves are ribbed, hold their color long into the summer and are relatively slug resistant. Hummingbirds like the lavender flowers that appear in summer as well.

Long a favorite with gardeners, ‘Halcyon’ performs admirably in mass plantings under shade trees to lighten the understory. Pair it with chartreuse ‘Sun King’ aralia or lady’s mantle to give a dark corner a wow factor.

Sports of ‘Halcyon’ have gone on to become popular cultivars. A sport is a naturally occurring genetic mutation. Through tissue culture and division, these little surprises were multiplied, all with the notable blue color but often with striking variegation. ‘First Frost’ and ‘June’ are two such introductions.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Frosty blue-green, spear-shaped, ribbed leaves with lavender flowers on long scapes in summer 
Size: 18 to 24 in. tall (28 in. in bloom), 24 to 36 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

Grows well with:

• Aralia (Aralia cordata)
• Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis)

‘Silly String’ hosta

In the garden, ‘Silly String’ hosta has just the kind of dynamic foliage to start a party! Distinctive narrow, wavy leaves burst from compact clumps to give an electric vibe. Intense powder blue leaves become sedate blue-green later in the summer, topped by lavender flowers. Trim those off if you want to get the most visual appeal of the foliage texture, but leave them standing if you want visits from pollinators and hummingbirds.

With its unique foliage, this hosta makes a great container plant or specimen. Plant one in a tall, skinny container to emphasize its lines, rising from a bed of ligularia or male fern. Create an easy-care bed of all hostas that is a study in texture by pairing it with large-leaved dark green cultivars and small, mounding chartreuse varieties. Or grow a colorful bed by grouping ‘Silly String’ with variegated hostas, such as ‘Sagae’, which has enormous blue-green leaves edged in cream, or ‘Patriot’, which features dark green foliage with white margins.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Long, narrow blue leaves with lavender to purple blooms in midsummer
Size: 14 in. tall (17 to 27 in. in bloom), 28 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Grows well with:

• Ligularia (Ligularia dentata)
• Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas)

‘First Frost’ hosta

2010 Hosta of the Year

A sport of ‘Halcyon’, ‘First Frost’ glows in the shade with leaves that emerge bright yellow on the margins with deep blue centers in spring. As summer progresses, the yellow lightens to a creamy white. Tight, dense mounds make this hosta look tidy all year, with or without its lavender midsummer blooms.

Pair ‘First Frost’ in the middle of the border with its parent, ‘Halcyon’, to appreciate its color contrast. Highlight the blue center with a blue-flowered pulmonaria. A bit of morning sun keeps the foliage color brighter, where it will show off a cheerful spring display with blue-flowering brunnera or yellow ‘City of Haarlem’ hyacinths.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Yellow leaf margins around blue centers with light lavender flowers in midsummer
Size: 14 to 16 in. tall (28 in. in bloom), 36 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Grows well with:

• Brunnera (Brunnera macrophylla)
• Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)
• Pulmonaria (Pulmonaria spp. and hybrids)

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‘Skywriter’ hosta

2025 Hosta of the Year

Not only is the foliage of ‘Skywriter’ an eye-catching steel blue, but the wide leaves have silvery undersides exposed by the wavy edges, with purple stems visible through the loose, upright habit. In summer, purple scapes hoist lavender flowers aloft to complete the look.

Plant ‘Skywriter’ as a focal point in a shade vignette to draw attention to its unique color. Highlight the purple stems with a carpet of Black Scallop bugleweed. In a spot with morning sun, combine ‘Skywriter’ with honeybush, blue fescue and a blue-flowering bigleaf hydrangea, such as ‘Nikko Blue’, to create a monochromatic border filled with dramatic texture.

Type: Perennial
Features: Steel blue leaves with silvery undersides and purple petioles, blooms are lavender on purple scapes in midsummer 
Size: 14 to 16 in. tall (30 in. in bloom), 30 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9

Grows well with:

• Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
• Blue fescue (Festuca glauca)
• Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans)
• Honeybush (Melianthus major)

‘June’ hosta

2001 Hosta of the Year

‘June’ is another popular sport of ‘Halcyon’, with unusual variegated leaves whose blue-green margins bleed into a light yellow-green before brightening to golden yellow in the center. Each leaf has colorful streaks that create excitement and invite close inspection. Light lavender flowers appear in midsummer.

As with many variegated hostas, more light will give this plant better color, but avoid planting where it will be exposed to hot midday sun. Highlight its gold leaf centers by planting with yellow-flowering golden spur columbine or a low skirt of yellow archangel.

Type: Perennial 
Features: Leaves have blue-green edges that progress to yellow-green then to golden yellow in the center with pale lavender blooms in midsummer
Size: 12 to 15 in. tall (20 in. in bloom), 24 to 30 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8

Grows well with:

• Golden columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha)
• Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon)

Blue hosta plant sources

• Bluestone Perennials, bluestoneperennials.com, 800-852-5243
• Garden Crossings, gardencrossings.com, 616-875-6355
• NH Hostas, nhhostas.com, 603-879-0085

Spigelia Spigelia marilandica

Type: Perennial
Blooms: Tubular red flowers with yellow interiors bloom in early to midsummer
Light: Part to full shade
Soil: Prefers moist, rich soil; tolerates wet soil
Pests: None serious
Size: 12 to 24 in. tall, 12 to 18 in. wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9

Brighten shade gardens with this unique perennial

This is the plant for you if you’re looking for something unusual for your shade garden. Spigelia marilandica (you might also find this plant by the name of Carolina pink or Indian pink) is native to the southeastern United States and it’s starting to take off as a garden plant, and a striking one at that.

Enjoy gorgeous blooms and handsome foliage

At 12 to 24 inches tall, this perennial is perfect in the middle of the border. Red is an unusual color for shade perennials anyway, and these trumpet-shaped beauties with the yellow centers would draw attention anywhere. The bold-textured foliage remains clean and fresh through the growing season, so the clumps help add some structure to your garden even when plants aren’t blooming.

Attract more hummingbirds

Hummingbirds love Spigelia marilandica, and it blooms in early summer, just in time for the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds in many areas. Although the biggest flush of bloom is generally in June, nipping off the faded flowers can encourage sporadic reblooming through the end of summer. You can also cut it back by about a third after the first flush of blooms, which can lead to some later flowers.

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Spigelia care tips

In its native environment, you’ll find this perennial along streams and in wetlands. It prefers moist, rich soil, with plenty of organic matter, so work compost into the soil at planting time to enhance the growing conditions. This perennial prefers part shade; the more moisture it has, the more sun it can tolerate. It will do best if it has some shade during the middle of the day.

Although it’s hardy in zones 5 to 9, it can survive winters in zone 4 with a little extra protection from chopped leaves or mulch. It might even reseed if it’s happy in its location. The black seed pods that form when the flowers fade will actually fling seed several feet when they pop open.

You may find the species at your local garden center or online, but there are also a few more compact cultivars available such as: ‘Ragin’ Cajun’, ‘Little Redhead’ and ‘Apple Slices’. No matter which one you plant, you’re going to love this striking plant in your shade garden. 

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Whether you garden in the nutrient-poor red clay of the Southeast, the calcium-combined-with-clay caliche of the West or something in between, the common denominator is that clay soil is difficult to grow in. Why? Tiny particles of clay hold tightly together, slowing drainage and limiting the amount of oxygen that can reach plant roots. You’ve seen the results—anemic-looking or rotting plants.

To amend your clay soil or not?

While you can improve clay soil by amending with organic matter, such as compost, it’s not usually a practical solution for a large area. But it might help in a smaller spot, such as around your home’s foundation, where clay has sometimes been brought to the surface and compacted during construction. The old recommendation of tilling in sand will often result in an even harder, denser mess unless you get the proportions just right. Further, simply filling a planting hole with compost creates a small oasis for the roots so they may not venture outside of the hole.

The most successful solution when you want beautiful borders but have a yard full of clay soil is to choose plants that can grow in this sticky situation. Let me introduce you to some clay-tolerant beauties that are up to the challenge.

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9 Tough Perennial Plants for Clay Soil

1. Rough goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

End your garden season on a high note with the bright yellow blooms of rough goldenrod. Flowers start in late summer, last until frost and are a hub of pollinator activity. The species has arching yellow blooms, but one of its hybrids, ‘Fireworks’ above, is an easy variety to find and has larger 18-inch-long sprays.

While some species of goldenrod are aggressive, rough goldenrod spreads slowly by rhizomes. Clay soil can help keep it in check. Goldenrod is a versatile plant that isn’t bothered by much — even deer leave it alone. And there’s no need to fertilize: Plants grow best in lean soil.

Good to know

In a five-year trial of goldenrod species at the Chicago Botanic Garden, ‘Fireworks’ was a favorite for its heavy blooming and disease resistance.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Upright to arching plumes packed with tiny yellow individual blooms in late summer to fall 
Light: Full sun to part shade 
Size: 18 to 36 in. tall and wide 
Cold hardy: USDA zones 4 to 9 
Source:High Country Gardens, 801-769-0300

2. Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)

If you want long-lasting color and interest in your garden, Russian sage is an excellent choice. Long, billowy stems are covered with velvety gray foliage and tiny lavender to blue blooms that create a cloud of soft color from summer to fall. Flowers last for several weeks, but the colorful calyx remains for months.

Although some plants can reach 5 feet tall, many newer introductions, such as ‘Sage Advice’ are shorter. This hybrid tops out at 3 feet. ‘Lacy Blue’ grows just 18 to 24 inches tall. Russian sage is drought tolerant and quite long-lived once it gets established. Plants grow best in full sun—too much shade and stems will flop. Although this perennial prefers well-drained soil, it easily tolerates heavier clay soil as well. Finally, deer and rabbits won’t bother Russian sage, but pollinators love it.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Long spikes of tiny lavender to blue blooms in midsummer to fall 
Light: Full sun
Size: 2 to 5 ft. tall, 2 to 4 ft. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9
Source:Great Garden Plants, 877-447-4769

3. Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

It’s easy to take ostrich fern for granted — its elegant fronds have made it a shade-garden staple for generations. It’s virtually care-free, deer and rabbits generally leave it alone and it provides beautiful texture in deep shade. Plants can even grow in full sun if they have plenty of water.

You’ll often see ostrich fern growing in drifts because it spreads by underground rhizomes. Dense clay, especially if it tends to be dry, will often slow the spread. Learn about more types of garden ferns here.

Type: Perennial 
Foliage: Finely dissected upright to arching medium-green fronds 
Light: Part to full shade 
Size: 3 to 6 ft. tall, 5 to 8 ft. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 7
Source:White Flower Farm, 800-503-9624

4. False sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Nothing says summer like the daisy-shaped, sunny yellow blooms of false sunflower. All kinds of insect pollinators love its cheery flowers, and birds eat the seeds. While it’s related to the annual types that are mostly grown from seed, false sunflower is a short-lived perennial that easily reseeds. If you’re growing a hybrid, new plants may or may not look like the parent, but it’s easy to pull unwanted seedlings.

False sunflower grows into a bushy upright plant, and the species has green foliage. ‘Prairie Sunset’ has deep purple stems and veins, and its yellow flowers have maroon rings in the centers. Variegated hybrids, such as ‘Loraine Sunshine’, bring colorful flowers and foliage to borders and are easy to find at the garden center. ‘Sunstruck’ above has a compact habit and a deeper flower color. Though false sunflower can grow in part shade, plants flower best in full sun.

Growing tip

Variegated false sunflower occasionally produces stems with solid green leaves that tend to be more vigorous. Cut those off at the crown so they don’t take over.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Daisy-shaped yellow blooms in midsummer to fall
Light: Full sun to part shade 
Size: 1 to 6 ft. tall, 1 to 4 ft. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 
Source:American Meadows, 802-227-7200

5. Foxglove penstemon (Penstemon digitalis)

There are nearly 300 species of penstemon, the majority of which are native to western North America and Mexico. Most prefer sharp drainage and dry summers, but foxglove penstemon and its hybrids thrive even in humid weather and denser soil. Even better, deer usually give it a pass. This upright perennial is super cold hardy and blooms for about a month from late spring to early summer with small tubular blooms in pink or white. Foxglove penstemon is tolerant of clay soil but doesn’t do well in boggy conditions.

You can sometimes buy the species from specialty native plant growers. It has green leaves and grows up to 5 feet tall, making a flowery addition to the back of the border. Its hybrids tend to be smaller, and some have burgundy foliage. ‘Husker Red’ is an old favorite with white flowers and grows 2 to 3 feet tall. ‘Dark Towers’ (above) is one of its progeny with pink blooms and even darker leaves. It grows 18 to 36 inches tall. Grow plants in full sun for the darkest foliage color.

Good to know

Foxglove penstemon’s small, tubular, nectar-rich blooms are a favorite among bees, hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Lavender, pink or white tubular blooms in late spring to early summer 
Light: Full sun 
Size: 2 to 5 ft. tall, 1 to 3 ft. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8 
Sources:Prairie Moon Nursery, 866-417-8156 (species); Sooner Plant Farm, 918-453-0771 (hybrids)

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6. Goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus)

When you plant goat’s beard, you need patience — these big plants take their time to get established. But once they reach maturity, you’ll be glad you waited for the 4- to 6-foot-tall stems topped by fluffy white plumes. Consistent moisture is key to good-looking plants, and they can grow in deep shade but won’t have as many flowers as in full sun.

In ideal conditions, plants will reseed. Goat’s beard thrives in humus-rich, well-drained soil and tolerates a mix of clay and loam well but won’t survive dense clay. One thing this perennial doesn’t like is hot, dry conditions.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Fluffy white plumes in midspring to early summer 
Light: Part to full shade
Size: 3 to 6 ft. tall, 2 to 4 ft. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 
Source:Prairie Nursery, 800-476-9453

7. Siberian iris (Iris sibirica)

Siberian iris blooms are often found in shades of violet, but you can also find flowers in white, yellow, pink or maroon and those with solid petals or various patterns. Care is simple: Plant in spring so the roots have time to get established in a spot with plenty of sun. Too much shade and you won’t have as many of those lovely flowers. Consistent moisture is important for healthy plants, and while Siberian iris plants grow happily in humus-rich soil, they flourish in clay to boggy sites as well.

Keep Siberian iris vigorous by dividing every few years in spring as new growth is taking off. Dig plants out of the ground and split into pieces with your spade, making sure each new division has at least three leaves. Replant at the same level they were growing and water well.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: White, yellow, violet, blue, pink or maroon blooms in spring
Light: Full sun to part shade 
Size: 24 to 48 in. tall, 18 to 36 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 
Source: Local garden centers

8. False indigo (Baptisia australis)

When it comes to easy-care, it’s hard to beat false indigo. Plant this native perennial once and you’ll have loads of pealike blooms for years without a lot of effort on your part. You could deadhead, but then you’d miss out on the deep purple seedpods at the end of the season. Several species flower in violet, white or yellow. Newer hybrids have expanded the color palette to more unusual colors (for false indigo), such as pink and burgundy.

And while the species’ long stems sometimes flop, more compact varieties such as ‘Lemon Meringue’ (above) grow to just 3 feet tall and don't have that problem. False indigo has a big taproot that burrows deeply into the soil — even dense clay. As a result, plants are very drought tolerant but also slow to get established and a challenge to divide.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Purple, blue, yellow, white, pink, burgundy or bicolor pealike blooms in late spring to early summer 
Light: Full sun to part shade 
Size: 2 to 4 ft. tall and wide
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 
Source:Sooner Plant Farm, 918-453-0771

9. Woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata)

The lavender-blue blooms of woodland phlox (also called wild sweet William) are a terrific way to brighten up shady borders with clay soil. Its loose clusters of five-petaled tubular blooms have a light fragrance and provide an early source of nectar for passing butterflies and hummingbirds.

Plant one woodland phlox and you’re sure to have more in time — stems root at leaf nodes and flowers self-seed. Once blooming is done, the green leaves provide a trouble-free ground cover. Most often you’ll find the species at garden centers, but there are a few hybrids. Although they’re usually the same height, they vary in flower color. Some easy-to-find varieties include ‘Blue Moon’, with loads of blue-violet blooms a bit larger than the species; ‘May Breeze’, with white flowers; and ‘Cloud of Perfume’, with a sweet fragrance.

Type: Perennial 
Blooms: Lavender to blue or white blooms in spring
Light: Part to full shade 
Size: 8 to 16 in. tall, 8 to 12 in. wide 
Hardiness: Cold hardy in USDA zones 3 to 9 
Source:Bluestone Perennials, 800-852-5243

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