(Pinnate Rodger's Flower)

Very large, chestnut-like leaves of richest green make pinnate rodgersia stand out in the landscape. In summer it produces upright, airy, conical flower clusters of pinkish white that are appealing in a woodsy way. A vigorous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial, it is native to Southwest China and grows from rhizomes (rooting underground stems). In its natural habitat it thrives in moist, open woodlands.

In spring, new stems emerge bronzy green and unfurl to show large, lustrous, leaves of...

(Pinnate Rodger's Flower)

A truly superb pinnate Roger's flower, 'Superba' boasts bold coppery purple foliage and summer flower stalks lined with frothy panicles of pin flowers. Very large, chestnut-like leaves make pinnate rodgersia stand out in the landscape. In summer it produces upright, airy, conical flower clusters that are appealing in a woodsy way. A vigorous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial, it is native to Southwest China and grows from rhizomes (rooting underground stems). In its natural habitat it thrives in...

(Redleaf Rodgersia, Rodger's Flower)

Bold, handsome foliage and showy late spring blooms make this large, clump-forming perennial extra special in the woodland garden. The German cultivar 'Rotlaub' (which translates to "red leaf") has beautiful bronze-red foliage. In summer the showy leaves develop hints of deep green but maintain quite a bit of their impressive color. Wild-type Rodgersia podophylla is native to Japan, Korea, and northeastern China where it thrives in moist, wooded areas.

The large palmate leaves of this...

(Black Coneflower, Western Coneflower)

Strange looking but elegant and sophisticated at the same time, the blackened purple and brown flowers of the western coneflower also have modest petal-resembling green sepals (bud leaves). A clumping herbaceous perennial native to the shortgrass prairies and montane meadows of the American West, it attracts butterflies and seed-eating songbrids. Growing from a rhizome (underground stem), it appreciates moisture and usually grows in acidic moist pockets or alongside streams.

The lance-shaped...

(Black Beauty Western Coneflower, Western Coneflower)

Strange looking but elegant and sophisticated at the same time, the blackened flowers of the Black Beauty western coneflower also have small petal-resembling green sepals (bud leaves). A clumping herbaceous perennial native to the shortgrass prairies and montane meadows of the American West, it attracts butterflies and seed-eating songbrids. Growing from a rhizome (underground stem), it appreciates moisture and usually grows in acidic moist pockets or alongside streams.

The lance-shaped dark...

(Bush Palmetto, Dwarf Palmetto, Little Blue Stem, Swamp Palmetto)

This compact palm is considered a "semi-dwarf" because it often reaches no more than head height. It is native to the southern United States, from the Carolinas to Florida and across to Texas and is generally found swampy, shady locations. It is the northernmost naturally occurring palm in North America and has excellent cold hardiness that is surpassed only by the needle palm, Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Habit varies; more westerly populations of this palmetto tend to grow an upright trunk,...

(Louisiana Dwarf Palmetto)

Its greater size and aerial (rather than subterranean) trunk set 'Louisiana' apart from most other dwarf palmettos. It is a selection of a rare trunk-forming variant found in the western part of the species' range. Native to moist habitats from the Carolinas to Texas, dwarf palmetto is the northernmost American palm, rivaling needle palm (Rhapidophyllum hystrix) in cold hardiness.

Plants bear four to ten bluish green, fan-shaped fronds atop stout trunks that grow slowly to head height....

(Oklahoma Dwarf Palmetto)

This compact palm is considered a "semi-dwarf" because it often reaches no more than head height. It is native to the southern United States, from the Carolinas to Florida and across to Texas and is generally found swampy, shady locations. It is the northernmost naturally occurring palm in North America and has excellent cold hardiness that is surpassed only by the needle palm, Rhapidophyllum hystrix. Habit varies; more westerly populations of this palmetto tend to grow an upright trunk,...

(Sugarcane Plumegrass)

Tall rosy pink flower plumes become silvery peach seed heads, making the sugarcane plumegrass particularly ornamental from early summer to fall. This erect, dramatic grass is native to the soggy meadows, swales and lake shores of the southeastern United States, from New York to Texas and Florida. It has a rhizomatous root system that spreads to form substantial clumps over time.

Sugarcane plumegrass has a wispy and slender habit, unless the clump is large with numerous leafy stems. The thin,...

(American Pussy Willow)

This is the American pussy willow, the herald of the coming of spring and the source of beautiful fresh-cut wands for bouquets. It is native to the Northeast and North-central U.S. This is a small, deciduous tree or large shrub that thrives in wetlands along water courses and low places where its feet stay wet. It is a vital plant for holding banks and shores thanks to its extensive network of fine roots (that can also clog water lines and leach fields). Pussy willow produces upright growth but...