(Spotted Joe-Pye Weed)

Some consider the tall, late-flowering spotted Joe-Pye weed an architectural conversation piece while others believe it’s too wild looking for home gardens. Either way, this hardy North American perennial is a real gem of a composite. Its flowers and seeds feed wildlife and its bold, stately appearance has made it a favorite native for Oehme and van Sweden inspired gardens. In the wild it naturally grows in moist prairies, open meadows, marshes and roadside ditches, so its ideal for wet garden spots...

(Sweet Joe-Pye weed, Sweetscented Joe-Pye weed)

Native to the eastern United States, sweet-scented Joe Pye weed is a bold, architectural perennial that bears large, airy clusters of pale purple flowers in mid- to late summer. Its lush green leaves are arranged in circular whorls on tall, sturdy stems, and marked with small, purple blotches at the bases. huge, dome-shaped clusters of small, lavender-pink flowers appeaer in mid- to late summer. These emit a light vanilla fragrance, and are beloved by an array of bees and butterflies.

Thriving...

(White Snakeroot)

White snakeroot is an upright clumping perennial native to the woodlands of the eastern United States. Its clusters of soft, fluffy, white flower clusters allure bees and butterflies in the late summer to early fall. Foliage is gray-green in color and stems are stiff and brownish red.

White snakeroot requires a rich alkaline soil, with plentiful watering and partial shade. This perennial is great as a cutflower or planting in the back of the border or as a companion to taller ornamental grasses...

(Chocolate Snakeroot, White Snakeroot)

Chocolate snakeroot is an upright clumping perennial native to the woodlands of the eastern United States. Its clusters of soft fluffy white flower clusters allure bees and butterflies in the late summer to early fall. Leaves of cultivar 'Chocolate' are colored mainly a deep purple with brown or bronze tints with stems are stiff and brownish purple.

Chocolate snakeroot requires a rich alkaline soil, with plentiful watering and partial shade. Remove wandering rhizomes if a meadering cluster...

(Upland Boneset)

Upland boneset is a summer-blooming perennial with white flower clusters atop the tall stems. Usually found growing wild in broken woodlands and on hillsides in the eastern United States, it is an uncommon garden plant. The long, tapered green leaves are sparingly arranged in pairs opposite each other on the slightly reddened stems. The leaf margins, or edges, are jaggedly toothed. The small clusters of dainty white flowers emerge from the panicle (branched stems) at the top of the main stem from...

(Blue Haze Spurge, Spurge)

‘Blue Haze’ combines icy blue foliage with lemon yellow flowers for a real eye-popping display. Developed in England by plant breeder Robin White, this patented hybrid is the result of a cross between the species Euphorbia nicaeennsis and Euphorbia seguieriana subsp. niciciana, which are native to portions of Europe and the Middle East.

The thick, succulent, red-tinted stems of this compact, bushy perennial are encircled with linear, powder blue foliage. The leaves...

(Redwing Spurge, Spurge)

The cool, blue gray foliage of this perennial spurge combines strikingly with its eye-popping yellow flowers displayed in spring. Bred in England by Bernard Tickner, it is the result of a cross between the species Euphorbia amygdaloides native to Europe and Turkey, and Euphorbia x martinii of France.

This compact hybrid forms a tidy mound of narrow, linear, blue-gray leaves which densely encircle its thick, upright stems. The foliage is evergreen to semi-evergreen...

(Despina Spurge, Spurge)

Compact growth, colorful foliage and brilliant flowers make this award-winning hybrid spurge a shining star for containers and gardens. Its thick, upright stems are densely encircled with linear, powder blue leaves which remain evergreen and attractive throughout the cold winter months. The stems are topped in spring by a display of vivid yellow-green flowerheads, which contrast beautifully with the cool-toned foliage.

For best performance, provide ‘Despina’ with full sun and well-drained soil...

(Excalibur Spurge, Spurge)

The new leaves of this striking hybrid spurge are tinted with red in spring, then change to rich blue-green, marked with a central line of ivory and thin, burgundy edges. Yellow tones develop with the cool temperatures of autumn. The lance-shaped leaves encircle thick, upright, pink stems which are topped with a display of brilliant yellow-green flowerheads in early to midsummer.

Provide 'Froeup' with full to part sun and well-drained soil of average to modest fertility. Wet, poorly-drained...

(Kalipso Spurge, Spurge)

This modest, low-growing spurge forms a compact mound of thick, short stems encircled with linear, blue-green leaves. Showy, bright yellow-green flowerheads appear at the ends of the stems in spring. These are actually composed of colorful bracts surrounding small, inconspicuous flowers, and create a lovely contrast to the beautiful, cool-toned foliage. A patented cultivar, it was discovered in Germany as a sport of an existing hybrid, and is commonly sold under the name ‘Kalipso’

For best...