Herbaceous ornamentals add interest to our yards and gardens with bright, beautiful flowers and interesting foliage. Whether native, non-native, sun-loving or shade-tolerant, herbaceous plants invite wildlife, provide for pollinators, and bring us enjoyment with color, texture and fragrance.
Native & Naturalized Selection
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Looking for dramatic foliage to make a bold statement in the garden? Consider cardoon, a relative of the artichoke that has large, spiny, blue-green leaves that provides huge contrast with most other garden plants. The purple thistle flowers are just a bonus if you can get it to bloom. Learn more about Cynara cardunculus in this article…
Ornamental grasses can add texture and movement in a garden. ‘Karl Foerster’is a great cultivar of feather reed grass that provides vertical interest with its tall, narrow flower heads. It adapts readily to many types of soils, is drought tolerant once established, and is hardy in zones 3-9. Learn more about this low-maintenance plant in this article…
Micro irrigation has numerous advantages in greenhouses, orchards, vineyards, fields, lawns, and gardens. Learn about components of micro irrigation systems and benefits and drawbacks these systems provide.
Pineapple sage has been used as both an herb and an ornamental, with the name coming from the scent of the leaves when crushed. To learn more about Salvia elegans read this article…
A favorite of returning ruby throated hummingbirds and gardeners alike, Aquilegia canadensis is at its best when it shows off its dangling blooms of red and yellow for several weeks in the spring. This native species is equally at home in naturalized settings and ornamental gardens. To learn more about eastern red columbine, read this article…
Popcorn cassia is an unusual accent plant with bright yellow showy flowers contrasting with its striking black buds. This tender plant can provide seasonal vertical interest with its tall flower spikes and a tropical effect with its attractive foliage. To learn more about this small tree native to eastern Africa, read this article…
Tricolor is a stunning plant with dramatic variegated foliage with different colors on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Although it is a tender tropical, it can be grown in the Midwest as a seasonal annual to add interest in beds or containers, or year-round as a houseplant. To learn more about Stromanthe sanguinea, read this article…
Wood ash can provide certain soil nutrients, and can be used to raise soil pH. However, if used incorrectly or excessively, problems can occur. Learn more in this factsheet.
Vareigated leaves and large, tropical foliage adds drama to any garden. Variegated shell ginger combines these characteristics or striking color and bold texture in one plant. Try using this tender perennial as an annual or grow it as a houseplant. To learn more about Alpinia zerumbet ‘Variegata’, read this article…
Most flowers open early in the day, but one species from the tropical Andes opens late in the day since its pollinators are evening-flying sphinx moths. With flowers in a variety of bright and pastel shades, this fast-growing tender perennial is grown as an annual in cool climates. To learn more about the plant commonly called four o’clocks, read this article…
Tender succulent plants can provide architectural interest as temporary elements in the landscape outdoors in the summer and moved indoors for the winter. Flapjacks offers bold texture in its paddle-shaped leaves and often dramatic colors of the fleshy foliage. Learn more about the species of Kalanchoe commonly called flapjacks in this article…
Mums, aster and goldenrod are the main players in the autumn garden, with few options for shade perennials that bloom late in the year. An unusual, late-blooming plant for the shade garden with striking foliage is yellow wax bells. Find out more about this plant that comes into its own as everything around it is starting to decline in this article…
