(Joystick White Sea Thrift, Sea Pink, Sea Thrift)

This long-blooming perennial, ‘Joystick White’ is a white-flowered selection of a small woody or semi-woody sea thrift native to the coast of Portugal. The plant is a much-branched low clump with lance-shaped green leaves. It blooms in summer with large, round clusters of small flowers atop a forest of leafless upright stems. It is a charming, extravagant show for a small plant and can be prolonged into autumn by deadheading.

In its native region, sea thrift is often found in full sun on very...

(Ballerina Sea Thrift, Sea Pink, Sea Thrift)

Flowering within 110 days of sowing, plants in the Ballerina Series are early-blooming selections of Armeria pseudarmeria, a low clump-forming perennial from west-central Portugal. They are available as plants or seed.

Dense rosettes of lance-shaped evergreen leaves give rise in late spring to spherical heads of red, white, or lilac flowers on compact leafless stems. Deadheaded plants rebloom sporadically through summer.

Sea thrift prospers in full sun and well-drained soil, and...

(Ball Trift, Joystick Ball Thrift, Plantain Thrift, Sea Pink)

Joystick ball thrift is a compact, clump forming herbaceous perennial that originates from the coasts of Portugal. In early to mid summer, upright, leafless stems topped with large clusters of white, ruby-red, bright pink or lilac flowers spring up from dense clumps of medium green foliage. Spent blossoms should be removed to encourage more flowers. This sun-loving ornamental requires well drained average to poor soil. Ball thrift makes a fine addition to rock gardens, border edges, or trough and...

(Horseradish)

This hardy, coarse, deep-rooted perennial is the source of horseradish, the familiar, fiery condiment. It grows as a clump of large, toothed, puckered, dark-green leaves on long stems arising from a fleshy root that divides vigorously into offshoots and sends out tunneling stems to start new plants with such vigor that one plant soon becomes many. Unless dug out regularly, the new plants can become invasive pests. Even a tiny fragment of root left in the ground will grow a new plant.

From late...

(Chokeberry)

(Black Chokeberry, Black Chokecherry, Viking Chokeberry)

Small, pretty white blossoms in spring, orangey fall color and dark purplish-black berries make black chokeberry a great shrub for naturalistic massed plantings. An upright deciduous shrub that suckers to form a thicket of twigs and leaves, it is native to the moist soils of the eastern United States and a thin sliver of southeastern Canada. Individual plants have a cluster of many, thin, dark brown stems that have a white, waxy, semi-flaky film on the smaller, reddish-brown twigs. It is slightly...

(Powis Castle Wormwood, Wormwood)

When it comes to super silver foliage nothing performs like ‘Powis Castle’!

This distinctive wormwood is a large, semi-woody, mound-forming, deciduous perennial. From spring to fall it offers feathery silver leaves that partner well with many other flowering ornamentals. In late summer insignificant silver and yellow tinged panicles of blooms may appear, though ‘Powis Castle’ often does not flower. If blooms do appear simply remove them to keep the distinctive soft textured foliage neat looking....

(Southernwood)

Southernwood is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub that produces fragrant gray green, feathery, foliage. This southern Europe native has panicles of insignificant yellowish gray flowers in late summer.

Southernwood does best in well drained, fertile soil and full sun. In heavy soils the plant will be short lived. The lemon-scented foliage of this plant is of much interest and is a great addition to any shrub border. It has some medicinal purposes and be of use to people with an interest in...

(Absinthe, Wormwood)

Absinth, or wormwood, is a clump forming, woody, perennial that is native to Europe and Asia. The aromatic, hairy, silver gray foliage also bears panicles of insignificant grayish yellow flowers.

This plant is best grown in rich, well drained soil and full sun. It is commonly used as an ingredient in the liquor absinthe and has other medicinal purposes that may be useful for an herb garden. It is also excellent in a rock garden or in the background in a perennial border. It is a lovely companion...

(Absinthe, Variegated Absinthe)

Variegated absinth, or wormwood, is a clump forming, semi-woody, perennial that is native to Europe and Asia. It has a large, shrubby habit and fine, aromatic, silver gray and white foliage. In early summer it bears panicles of insignificant gray-yellow flowers.

This plant is best grown in full sun and average to poor soil with perfect drainage. It is commonly used as an ingredient in the liquor absinthe and has other medicinal purposes, so it is useful in the herb garden. The variegated form...