Green Flowering Plants

Big Bluestem

The signature grass of the tallgrass prairie, turning copper-bronze in fall with distinctive turkey-foot seed heads.

Bigtooth Maple

Mountain West maple with brilliant orange-red fall color and rugged drought tolerance.

Blue Grama Grass

Short clumping grass with distinctive eyebrow-shaped seed heads thrives in dry soils.

Coleus

Grown for kaleidoscopic foliage, not flowers. Pinch blooms to keep energy in the leaves.

Common Fig

Large lobed leaves and sweet late-summer fruits give a Mediterranean feel to the garden.

Coral Bells

Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.

Flowering Tobacco

Tubular flowers that release sweet fragrance at dusk. A cottage garden classic that attracts moths and hummingbirds.

Globe Artichoke

Bold silvery foliage and large thistle-like buds are both decorative and edible.

Hellebore

The Lenten Rose. Elegant nodding blooms that thrive in deep shade.

Incrediball Hydrangea

Annabelle's bigger sibling with stronger stems that don't flop. Blooms the size of basketballs.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Hooded green-and-brown striped spathe sheltering a hidden spadix. Woodland curiosity followed by red berries.

Japanese Forest Grass

Arching variegated leaves form graceful cascades and brighten shady spots.

Japanese Painted Fern

Silver and burgundy fronds unlike any other fern. Foliage plant that earns its keep on color alone.

Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass

Strong vertical plumes emerge in early summer and persist as tawny stems through winter.

Lady's Mantle

Chartreuse frothy flowers and pleated blue-green leaves that hold water droplets like mercury. The ultimate filler plant.

Lenten Rose

Nodding flowers in late winter when nothing else is blooming. Evergreen foliage adds year-round structure to shade gardens.

Limelight Hydrangea

Cone-shaped blooms open chartreuse, mature to white, then blush pink in fall. Tough as nails.

Little Bluestem

Upright clumps turn coppery orange in fall and stand well through winter.

Little Lime Hydrangea

Compact Limelight. Same color show in a smaller package perfect for borders and containers.

Mexican Feather Grass

Gossamer fine blades ripple in the slightest breeze like living silk. Plant where you can watch it move.

Northern Sea Oats

Flat seed heads dangle from arching stems and dance in the slightest wind. The best native grass for shade.

Northwind Switchgrass

Stiffly upright blue-green foliage that never flops. The most architectural switchgrass available.

Ostrich Fern

Tall vase-shaped fronds that unfurl from fiddleheads in spring. Spreads to form dramatic colonies.

Paperbark Maple

Cinnamon-colored peeling bark and good fall color provide strong four-season interest.

Prairie Dropseed

Fine-textured mounds send up airy fragrant flower sprays that persist into winter.

Rhubarb

Huge leaves and thick red stalks give a lush look while supplying tart harvests.

Sedum

Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.

Sideoats Grama

Seed heads hang like tiny flags along one side of the stem on this graceful, drought-tolerant prairie native.

Tufted Hair Grass

Airy gold-green flower clouds hover above dark evergreen tufts. One of the few grasses that thrives in moist shade.