Pow Wow Wild Berry Coneflower turns up the intensity from midsummer straight through fall, its vivid rosy-purple petals radiating outward from bold coppery cones that give any sunny border a jewel-toned glow. Native to the Great Lakes region, this garden-tough perennial sinks deep roots that handle summer heat and dry spells with ease once established. It reaches two to three feet tall and blooms with remarkable staying power, drawing monarchs, swallowtails, and hummingbirds to the garden for weeks on end. As the season winds down, the seed-laden cones persist and goldfinches flock to them through autumn and into winter. Plant it in full sun in generous drifts at the border’s middle or back, where its purple flowers pop beautifully against the warm tones of ornamental grasses. It shrugs off deer and rabbits and asks for nothing more than good drainage and a spot in the sun.

SunSeekers® Rainbow Coneflower has masses of beautiful lightly-scented salmon daisy flowers with rose overtones and coppery-bronze eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Purple Dome Aster has masses of beautiful purple daisy flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from late summer to late fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Husker Red Beard Tongue has masses of beautiful spikes of white tubular flowers rising above the foliage from early to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive narrow leaves emerge burgundy in spring, turning dark green in color with distinctive deep purple edges throughout the season. The deep purple stems are very colorful and add to the overall interest of the plant.

Unique maroon spikes of pea-flowers with a yellow keel rise from medium green foliage in late spring; use this plant for its outstanding display of vertical flowers as an accent in the garden or borders

Late-blooming, moisture-loving Hot Lips Turtlehead is perfect for bog gardens, waterside or any moist area in the garden. It's upright, spreading stems are clothed in gorgeous glossy, very dark green leaves. Hot pink flowers, resembling little turtle heads, bloom at the tips of the stems in August and September. Pair with Cranesbill (Geranium), Foxglove (Digitalis), Meadowsweet (Filipendula), Windflower (Anemone) and Siberian Iris. Named after a Greek god, Chelone, who insulted the gods and was turned into a turtle! Deer and bunny resistant.

Meet the 2027 Perennial Plant of the Year: Vernonia 'Summer's Swan Song'

The Perennial Plant Association has named its 2027 pick, and it's rooted in our own backyard in the Chicagoland area — this nativar hybrid ironweed was developed by Dr. Jim Ault, former Director of Ornamental Plant Research at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Deep purple blooms arrive in late summer and carry through fall, creating an eye-catching element in your garden as season transitions.

Compact and well-branched, 'Summer's Swan Song' holds its shape in borders and foundation plantings without flopping. Established plants handle dry conditions with ease and shrug off powdery mildew and rust — a sustainable choice for feeding pollinators all season long.

Balmy Purple Beebalm has masses of beautiful clusters of fragrant purple flowers with hot pink overtones and dark red centers at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Concord Grape Spiderwort has masses of beautiful clusters of purple flowers at the ends of the stems from early to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its attractive grassy leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season.

Coral Creme Drop™ Garden Phlox features bold fragrant conical coral-pink star-shaped flowers with rose eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain emerald green in color throughout the season.

Fast-growing and hardy, Dark Green Arborvitae is a large pyramidal tree excellent for hedging, screening and accent use. The medium green foliage retains its good color over the winter. Allow this plant plenty of room to spread because it gets wide, even if trimmed! While tolerant of partial shade, it will look and perform its best with at least 6 hours of sun daily. May need protection from deer.

Huron Gray Dogwood is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It is smothered in stunning clusters of creamy white flowers at the ends of the branches from late spring to early summer. It has grayish green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves turn an outstanding burgundy in the fall.

Angel Eyes Hibiscus features bold white round flowers with dark red eyes and a hot pink flare along the stems from mid summer to early fall. Its large serrated lobed leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Firefly Peach Sky Yarrow features showy peach flat-top flowers with orange overtones at the ends of the stems from early to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive tomentose ferny leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Sombrero® Salsa Red Coneflower has masses of beautiful lightly-scented red daisy flowers with dark red eyes at the ends of the stems from mid summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its pointy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

This variety produces a showy display of bright purple flowers with a dark purple center; prune lightly after flowering to encourage a dense growth habit; wonderful for rock gardens, edging, or in mixed containers;

Big Blackhawk Bluestem brings the bold, sweeping drama of the prairie into the home garden. This stately native grass forms tall, upright clumps that climb to three to five feet, adding vertical structure and graceful movement wherever it’s planted. Native to the central and eastern United States, it thrives in full sun and lean, dry soil, growing tougher and more drought-tolerant with each passing season. As autumn arrives, its green blades take on warm coppery-bronze tones that catch the late-season light and persist into winter. Songbirds feed on its seed heads through the cold months, and it’s seldom browsed by deer. Plant it in sweeping masses on a sunny slope or as a living screen—it’s prairie grandeur at its finest.

Strawberry Seduction Yarrow tempts the eye with flat-topped flower clusters in vivid cherry-red that bloom from summer well into fall, adding bold, saturated color to the sunny border. The rich red ages to warm tones as the season progresses, and the dried flower heads hold their form beautifully for use in arrangements. Feathery, aromatic foliage forms a tidy upright clump that stays attractive throughout the season. Low water and drought tolerant once established, it thrives in lean, well-drained soils where other plants struggle. Deer and rabbit resistant; butterflies are reliable visitors to the blooms.

Lovely rose flowers with good color retention, and no gap between flowers and foliage; an attractive container plant; excellent for xeriscaping and hot, sunny, dry locations in the garden; performs well on hot sites

Blue Point Juniper is a dwarf conifer which is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its distinctively pyramidal habit of growth. It has attractive bluish-green evergreen foliage. The scale-like sprays of foliage are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. It produces powder blue berries from late spring to late winter.