Large flat clusters of creamy flowers in early summer give way to dark berries for jams and wildlife.
Chartreuse needle-like foliage turns golden orange in fall. Tiny yellow flowers are a bonus.
Enormous snowball blooms on a native species. Blooms on new wood, so prune hard in spring.
Upward-facing blooms in a wide range of vivid colors. Easy to grow and brilliant in the summer border.
Feathery plumes that light up shady, moist spots like nothing else can.
Shaggy, crown-shaped flowers that hummingbirds fight over.
Deep, near-black purple with a small yellow-green throat, the darkest and most dramatic daylily you can grow.
Coral-pink blooms with a tangerine beard. Named for the opera star and just as elegant.
Fiery bicolor pinwheels that bloom nonstop in the worst heat and soil.
Arching sprays of heart-shaped flowers for shady woodland gardens.
Blooms in spring, then reblooms summer through frost. Compact habit with classic lilac fragrance.
Lupine-like spikes on a native that lives forever. Gets better with age.
Steel-blue tufted mound. Perfect edging or rock garden accent.
Delicate sky-blue flowers open each morning on airy stems over fine foliage.
Compact clumps of steel-blue blades provide year-round color and texture.
Star-shaped electric blue flowers that bees go absolutely wild for. Self-sows freely.
Massive suckering shrub with foot-long white flower candles. Showpiece for large shade gardens.
Hot pink outer petals cup a creamy center of narrow petaloids. Dramatic and unmistakable.
Graceful cascading white plumes on dark stems. Luminous in a shady corner.
Vivid orange-red flat-topped clusters that monarchs and swallowtails cannot resist. Drought-proof once established.
Tall spikes of starry flowers rise above strappy foliage in late spring.
Open, nodding bells in clear blue on tall graceful stems. Self-sows into refined cottage garden drifts.
Dark purple stems set this apart from every other salvia. Vertical, architectural, electric.
Tidy, dome-shaped habit that never flops open. Stays compact without shearing.
Billowy lavender-blue haze that blooms all season if you shear it back.
Flame-shaped or crested flowers in electric colors that dry beautifully. Heat lovers that thrive in summer.
Tiny daisy flowers with apple-scented foliage. Brew into tea or let it naturalize between pavers.
A rainbow mix of coneflower colors from a single seed strain. Every plant is a surprise.
Scarlet red with a velvety texture. One of the best true red daylilies available.
Cheerful purple pom-pom flowers on a kitchen staple. Edible blooms make any salad Instagram-worthy.
The queen of flowering vines. Over 300 species, something for every spot.
Spider-flower with whisker-like stamens and airy blooms. Tall, dramatic annual that self-sows freely.
Creamy white rose-like flowers with sweet fragrance and feathery seed plumes on a tough Rocky Mountain native.
Slow to start but spectacular once established, covering shady walls with flat-topped white lacecap flowers and exfoliating bark.
Delicate, spurred flowers that dance on wiry stems. Hummingbird favorite.
Tough prairie native with long bloom season and medicinal history.
Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.
Non-invasive native honeysuckle with brilliant coral-red tubular flowers that hummingbirds hover at for months.
Airy, dancing flowers on thread-thin stems. Effortless cottage garden charm.
Fragrant, walkable ground cover. Bees love it, foot traffic can't kill it.
Spiky purple blooms above silver-green aromatic foliage. A kitchen herb that doubles as an ornamental.
Virtually indestructible perennial with trumpet blooms in every warm hue.
Towering spires of true blue. The tallest, most dramatic back-of-border plant.
Spicy clove-scented pinks with fringed petals in pink, red, white, or salmon, one of the best long-blooming edgers and front-of-border perennials for sun.
Fully double coral blooms like a small peony on a daylily, lush and completely unexpected.
Groundcover rose that stays low and spreads wide. Tough, disease-resistant, and constantly in bloom.
Slow-growing dwarf with dense rounded habit. Perfect for small gardens and foundation plantings.
Reblooms on old and new wood, so you get flowers even after a harsh winter. Color shifts with soil pH.
Magenta-red flowers with brown anthers that bloom late when others have faded. A solid, underappreciated red clematis.
Cheerful golden-yellow daisies that bloom for months on a tough native perennial. The sunniest, most reliable workhorse in the border.
The deepest garnet-red of any astilbe. Dark bronze foliage makes those plumes glow.
Pure white double blooms flecked with crimson at the center. Beloved since 1851 and still unmatched.
Spikes of scarlet tubular flowers that hummingbirds fight over. Southwestern native at its finest.
Tubular flowers that release sweet fragrance at dusk. A cottage garden classic that attracts moths and hummingbirds.
Stately spires of spotted, bell-shaped flowers. Cottage garden royalty.
Clouds of white fringed petals dripping from branches in late spring. Fragrant and underused native.
Giant creamy plumes like an astilbe on steroids. Native woodland giant that anchors a shade border.
Soft shell-pink flowers with a hint of mauve that fade beautifully in part shade and bloom reliably all summer.
Lemon-yellow rebloomer with light fragrance. A bit taller than Stella with softer color.
Large, pure white flowers with dark brown anthers rebloom in fall. Elegant, classic, and undeniably refined.
Tight rosettes that multiply by producing offsets. The mother plant flowers once, then dies, replaced by chicks.
Tubular, nectar-rich flowers with a fragrance that defines summer evenings.
Dramatic burgundy-red foliage all season with white tubular flowers in late spring. The most striking native penstemon for gardens.
Tall, pale lemon-yellow, sweetly fragrant blooms on an heirloom variety that's been cherished since 1925.
Reliable rebloomer with pure white ruffled falls. Blooms spring, then again in fall.
The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.
Annabelle's bigger sibling with stronger stems that don't flop. Blooms the size of basketballs.
Bright red to orange bracts surround small flowers and glow across spring prairies.
Elegant sword-leaved perennials with intricate, ruffled blooms.
The classic large-flowered clematis since 1858. Deep violet-purple blooms cover the vine midsummer.
Huge, flat, ruffled blooms up to 10 inches across. Needs consistent moisture, especially during bloom.
Silver and burgundy fronds unlike any other fern. Foliage plant that earns its keep on color alone.
Strong vertical plumes emerge in early summer and persist as tawny stems through winter.
Chartreuse frothy flowers and pleated blue-green leaves that hold water droplets like mercury. The ultimate filler plant.
Succulent rosettes with brilliant striped flowers in hot sunset colors. Must have perfect drainage or it rots.
Dramatic spikes in every color. Short-lived but self-seeds generously.
The gold standard coneflower. Flat, non-drooping petals around a bold copper cone. Perennial Plant of the Year.
Bulletproof color all season long. The workhorse of warm-toned borders.
Ruffled golden-yellow flowers with a lavender eye, large, showy, and sweetly fragrant in the summer border.
Intricate pincushion flowers surrounded by papery bracts in soft pinks and whites. Beloved by florists and shade gardeners alike.
Perennial Plant of the Year. Dense indigo-violet spikes that rebloom if deadheaded.
Distinctive sombrero-like flowers sway on wiry stems in summer prairies.
Compact lilac with pale lavender blooms and outstanding fragrance. Burgundy fall foliage as a bonus.
Arching stems carry orange-blossom-scented white flowers in late spring.
Fast-climbing vine with trumpets that open fresh every morning.
Sky-blue bell flowers on tall arching stems along mountain streams. The showy western cousin of Virginia Bluebell.
Exquisite geometric buds open to cupped flowers. A native evergreen gem.
Three-petaled flowers in blue-purple open fresh each morning on a tough native that blooms for weeks and seeds freely.
Pale pink petals with a darker pink bar down the center. Prefers some shade to prevent color fading.
Peeling bark, burgundy foliage, and white puffs. A native multitasker.
Single, apple-pink blooms followed by large rose hips that persist through winter on a vigorous Pacific Northwest native.
Tiny flowers are a pollinator magnet when allowed to bloom. Let a patch go to flower for the bees.
Tall vase-shaped fronds that unfurl from fiddleheads in spring. Spreads to form dramatic colonies.
Western native that blooms much longer than its eastern cousin. Ferny foliage all season.
Compact cranberry-red with a yellow-green throat and one of the best reblooming habits in the entire family.
Tubular flowers on upright stems. Native hummingbird magnet for dry gardens.
Lush, ruffled blooms with intoxicating fragrance. Lives for decades.
Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.
Spikes of violet-blue flowers above glossy arrow-shaped leaves. Native pond and stream bank staple.
Deep rose-purple petals and a bronzy cone on a compact reblooming plant that won't sprawl.
Nodding wine-red flowers transform into feathery pink seed plumes that persist into summer. Native prairie gem.
Deep purple-red blooms on a compact Stella-sized plant. Brings rich color to the front of the border.
Brushy purple flower spikes rise over fine foliage and feed prairie pollinators.
Blooms a full month before other paniculatas. White cones age to deep rosy pink by fall.
Brilliant red with a small yellow center, compact and one of the earliest daylilies to kick into rebloom.
Flat clusters of white flowers and berries give way to vivid red stems that shine in winter.
Big, bold trusses of bloom over glossy evergreen foliage.
Huge leaves and thick red stalks give a lush look while supplying tart harvests.
Large blue-and-white spurred flowers bloom in late spring above lacy foliage.
Spikes of deep blue tubular flowers rise above glossy evergreen foliage in early summer.
The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.
Soft rose-pink blooms with a cream throat that keep coming from late spring to frost, absolutely tireless.
Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.
Fully double, apple-blossom pink blooms so heavy they nod on their stems. The most planted peony in history.
Tubular red trumpets on a wiry biennial that hummingbirds adore across the Mountain West. Blooms its second year, then self-sows.
Electric red spikes that hummingbirds zero in on. Common bedding plant that earns its spot every year.
Grassy tufts topped with round pink pom-poms. Loves lean soil and coastal conditions.
Classic white-and-gold daisies that look fresh from a meadow painting.
Nodding flowers with swept-back petals resemble tiny shooting stars in spring meadows.
Tiny pastel pink blooms on a miniature plant, perfect for container gardens and tight spaces.
Airy pink flower plumes create a smoke-like haze around the canopy. 'Royal Purple' has burgundy foliage.
Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.
Arching stems hung with dangling white bells. Pairs of leaves create graceful, layered architecture.
Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.
Flat-topped flower clusters on tidy mounds. The easiest flowering shrub.
The most planted perennial in America. Compact, reblooming, and basically indestructible.
Sulfur-yellow flower clusters on a silvery-leaved cushion plant. One of the toughest and prettiest natives of the Mountain West.
Bright yellow cups that open in daylight on a cheerful, drought-tolerant native that spreads into informal drifts.
Soft mauve-pink clusters that monarch butterflies seek out for egg-laying. Thrives where it's consistently wet.
Clear pink single blooms on a native rose that thrives in wet spots, ditch edges, and rain gardens where other roses would drown.
Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.
Ruffled, intensely fragrant climbing flowers in every pastel shade. Cool-season annual that hates heat.
Big, rich violet-blue flowers with silvery reverse petals rebloom through the season on a vigorous, reliable plant.
Thread-fine foliage and masses of tiny yellow stars bloom for months with zero effort. A perennial you can actually neglect.
Cheerful native daisy that blooms for months with almost no care.
Intense, almost electric blue trumpet flowers on a low mat. The holy grail of alpine gardeners.
Aggressive native vine with fiery trumpets. Hummingbird highway.
Airy gold-green flower clouds hover above dark evergreen tufts. One of the few grasses that thrives in moist shade.
Warm amber-caramel foliage that glows in the shade garden all season. The flowers are just a bonus.
Fragrant snowball clusters in spring, then berries for birds in fall.
Evergreen mat with periwinkle-blue flowers. Tough shade ground cover.
Perennial Plant of the Year. Billowy lavender-blue spikes that rebloom hard after a shear.
Floating jewels that transform any pond. Pads provide shade for fish while flowers dazzle above.
Tubular blooms smother arching branches in late spring. Hummingbird haven.
Scarlet and yellow spurred flowers that hummingbirds follow through the Pacific Northwest's mountain meadows.
Cylindrical white flower spikes with orange anthers on a delicate, drought-proof prairie native that feeds bees all summer.
Pure white drooping petals around a bronze-orange cone. Elegant and underused.
Luminous white lupin-like spikes on a structural native that's practically indestructible and improves with every year.
Loose clusters of sky-blue flowers float above woodland floors in spring on a fragrant, mat-forming native.
Nodding red-and-yellow spurred flowers that hummingbirds love on a self-sowing native that naturalizes along woodland edges.
Soft pink blooms over deeply-cut foliage. A woodland edge staple.
Inconspicuous blooms, but covered in brilliant red berries all winter long.
Flat-topped clusters on ferny foliage. Thrives on neglect in poor soil.
Sword-like evergreen foliage sends up dramatic stalks of white bells. Tough, architectural, underrated.
Easy-grow annual with electric colors. Cut-and-come-again champion.
Narrow, fuzzy foliage resists the leaf spot that plagues Goldsturm. A worthy upgrade.
Lavender-blue spikes with licorice-scented foliage. A pollinator powerhouse that blooms for months.
Glowing gold foliage all season, and one of the best hostas for brighter spots with some morning sun.
Golden prairie workhorse that lights up late summer meadows.
A mammoth shade-garden hosta with thick, corrugated blue-gray leaves up to 18 inches long that slugs leave alone, topped by fragrant lavender flower spikes in midsummer.
Short clumping grass with distinctive eyebrow-shaped seed heads thrives in dry soils.
Dwarf paniculata smothered in blooms. Perfect front-of-border plant that needs almost no care.
Screaming scarlet spikes. The most vivid red in the native plant world.
Tall stems with large yellow daisies tower over deeply cut basal leaves that align north-south.
Tall tapering spires of tiny white flowers that bees mob. Vertical and elegant at the back of the border.
Endless forms from dinner-plate to pompom. The obsession of flower farmers.
Creeping mat of burgundy-tinged foliage with starry red flowers. Turns deep red in fall.
The world's largest hosta. Individual leaves can exceed two feet. A bold statement in any shade garden.
Stark white centers with deep green margins, high contrast that jumps out from a shady border.
Classic blue-green heart-shaped leaves with wide gold margins that make this one of the all-time great hostas.
Billowing clusters of fragrant summer color. A butterfly magnet.
Perfectly spherical steel-blue globes on white stems that dry to perfection. Bees are absolutely obsessed.
Small, fast-spreading mound with chartreuse-gold margins and one of the easiest hostas you can grow.
The gold standard rudbeckia. Uniform, floriferous, and utterly reliable in any soil.
Gracefully arching white flower spikes that curve at the tips like a goose neck. Spreads vigorously in moist soil.
Chartreuse-gold leaves with dark green margins and sweetly fragrant white flowers that perfume the shade garden.
The bluest hosta you can grow. Thick, heavily textured leaves resist slugs better than most.
Dinner-plate blooms up to 12 inches across on a native perennial that dies to the ground and returns bigger each year.
The undisputed queen of shade gardening. Foliage in every green and blue.
Fiery double blooms like tiny orange dahlias on a coneflower. A showstopper that earns every bit of the hype.
Massive 6-9 inch golden daisies on a short-lived plant. Bigger and bolder than perennial black-eyed susans.
Towering native with mauve domes that butterflies swarm in late summer.
Gold center streaked with blue-green margins. Color shifts through the season. A collector's favorite.
Blazing star. Spikes that bloom unusually from top to bottom.
Bold, dinner-plate leaves with daisy-like flowers. Loves wet feet and will wilt dramatically if dry.
Cone-shaped blooms open chartreuse, mature to white, then blush pink in fall. Tough as nails.
Compact Limelight. Same color show in a smaller package perfect for borders and containers.
Compact variety with enormous crimson blooms that stays tidy enough for a large container.
Deep burgundy-red with a black eye and yellow throat, smoldering in the summer border.
Flat seed heads dangle from arching stems and dance in the slightest wind. The best native grass for shade.
Spikes of snapdragon-like flowers that can be pushed and stay where moved, earning a very literal common name.
Huge, intensely fragrant blooms in deep pink and white that perfume the entire garden. The lily that defines summer.
Dark green leaves with crisp white margins. Classic variegated hosta that brightens shady spots.
Two-tone blooms with white tips and pink bases. Strong stems hold heavy flower heads upright.
Deep violet-purple flowers cover a vigorous plant from midsummer to fall. Prune hard each spring and stand back.
Huge basal leaves and tall stalks topped with yellow daisies give strong prairie structure.
Airy lavender clouds on silver stems. Thrives in heat and poor soil.
Massive blooms rise above umbrella leaves in shallow water. Seedpods are as ornamental as the flowers.
Huge gray-blue leaves with creamy margins on a stately, vase-shaped plant that wins awards for good reason.
Metallic blue bracts and cones turn the whole plant a vivid silvery-blue. Otherworldly and completely drought-proof.
Seed heads hang like tiny flags along one side of the stem on this graceful, drought-tolerant prairie native.
Glossy gold center with dark green margins, like light through a cathedral window.
Chartreuse giant that can take more sun than most hostas. Heart-shaped leaves grow enormous.
Spikes of intensely sweet-scented white flowers in midsummer, one of the best fragrant natives for shady spots.
Pure joy on a stalk. Birds love the seeds, kids love the spectacle.
Pure white fragrant phlox with the best mildew resistance in the species. A reliable, clean performer for the late-summer garden.
Wine-purple petals that age to rose on a robust, well-branched plant. One of the most floriferous echinacea you can grow.
Compact and more drought-tolerant than most astilbes. Dense, rosy-pink plumes.
Blue-green leaves with wide creamy-white margins that age to a clean white, a standout performer in any shade garden.
The wild cousin of bee balm. Lavender puffs alive with pollinators. Tougher and more mildew-resistant.
The grand finale of the garden season. Essential for fall pollinators.
Broccoli-like heads open pink and age to copper-bronze. Four-season interest, zero maintenance.
The signature grass of the tallgrass prairie, turning copper-bronze in fall with distinctive turkey-foot seed heads.
Wrongly blamed for allergies. A vital late-season pollinator magnet.
Intense blue flower spikes that hummingbirds and bumblebees fight over in late summer. The bolder, taller cousin of cardinal flower.
Warm-toned daisy-like flowers with raised centers bloom as summer turns to fall. Loves moist soil.
Golden-orange fall color and shimmering flower spikes make this tall prairie native one of autumn's best performers.
Graceful, swaying blooms on tall stems. Elegant in partial shade.
Upright clumps turn coppery orange in fall and stand well through winter.
Deep indigo-blue hooded flowers on tall spikes in late summer. One of the few genuinely blue flowers that grows in shade.
Stiffly upright blue-green foliage that never flops. The most architectural switchgrass available.
Fine-textured mounds send up airy fragrant flower sprays that persist into winter.
The bluest foliage of any switchgrass, with airy pink seed clouds drifting above in late summer.
Succulent leaves, tough as nails. Ages to deep crimson in autumn.
Compact selection that turns vivid burgundy-red in late summer earlier than any other switchgrass.
Upright spikes of bright yellow flowers feed late-season pollinators on dry prairies.
Explosive late-summer bloom of thousands of tiny fragrant white flowers. Vigorous to a fault.
Upright native grass with airy seed heads. Gold and red fall color.
Snapdragon-like flowers shaped exactly like a turtle's head. Loves wet feet.