Sunseeker White Perfection Coneflower brings crisp, clean white petals surrounding a warm golden-brown center cone to the summer and fall border. The Sunseeker series is valued for its compact, self-supporting habit and prolific bloom production from midsummer through autumn. White coneflowers provide a refreshing, light-lifting contrast in mixed perennial plantings and pair especially well with blues, purples, and warm yellows. Butterflies and goldfinches are drawn to the blooms and seeds reliably—making it as ecologically rewarding as it is beautiful. Deer and rabbit resistant, cold hardy, and excellent for cutting.

For the shaded garden, few perennials bring the quiet drama of Black Cohosh. Tall, slender wands of fragrant, creamy-white flowers rise like candles above a mound of deeply cut, dark green leaves through summer, illuminating dim corners and woodland edges. Reaching three to five feet, it makes a graceful vertical exclamation point at the back of a border or naturalized beneath a canopy of trees. A woodland native of eastern North America, it feels right at home in our Midwestern shade and mingles beautifully with hostas, ferns, and astilbe. Give it steady, moderate moisture in part to full shade and it settles in with very little fuss — and as a bonus, browsing deer and rabbits show no interest. It’s a memorable way to layer height, fragrance, and a touch of the wild into shady spaces.

Rock Candy® Pink Beard Tongue has masses of beautiful spikes of rose tubular flowers with pink overtones, white throats and dark red stripes rising above the foliage from early to late summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Blue Flag Iris rewards the water’s edge with elegant, true-blue blooms veined in violet and gold, unfurling atop sword-like foliage from late spring into summer. Native to eastern North America, it’s perfectly at home in the damp ground along a pond, stream, or rain garden where many perennials struggle. Reaching two to three feet tall in tidy upright clumps, it brings vertical structure to a sunny border and its blooms are lovely cut for the vase. Butterflies work the flowers, while its spreading roots make it a natural choice for stabilizing soil along banks and slopes. It asks for steady moisture and full sun, and is seldom browsed by deer or rabbits and untroubled by pests or disease. Plant it in a bold drift at the pond’s margin for a sweep of early-summer blue.

Zigzag Goldenrod is smothered in stunning clusters of gold star-shaped flowers with yellow overtones at the ends of the stems from early summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its large oval leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Bee Mine Red Bee Balm is a compact, disease-resistant Monarda that delivers bold crimson blooms through the summer without the sprawling or mildew issues that can plague older varieties. The vivid red flower heads have a distinctive, spiky texture that creates an eye-catching display in borders and mass plantings alike. As a Great Lakes native, it draws an impressive range of wildlife—hummingbirds, butterflies, and songbirds all return to it reliably. Growing 24 to 36 inches, it fits comfortably in mid-border positions and makes an excellent cut flower. Juglone tolerant and cold hardy, it’s a dependable, ecologically valuable perennial.

Evolution Colorific Coneflower earns its name with flowers that transform in color as they age, creating a dynamic, multi-hued display across the same plant throughout summer and fall. A Great Lakes native, it grows in an upright, self-supporting form three to five feet tall, supporting monarchs, swallowtails, hummingbirds, and goldfinches at various stages of its bloom cycle. The large, ray-petaled flowers appear from midsummer onward on strong stems that hold well for cutting, and the dark seed cones that follow provide food for birds into winter. Drought tolerant and deer resistant once established, it thrives in average to dry soil in full sun. Mass it in groups for the most impressive seasonal display, or weave it through the back of a mixed border where its bold scale and long season of interest justify the space. One of the most ecologically productive perennials available for the sunny Midwest garden.

Flowering Spurge is a lovely mounded variety that produces long-lasting, airy flower clusters atop tall green stems. The blueish-green foliage transforms into a stunning crimson red during fall's cooler months, creating eye-catching seasonal appeal. Exceptionally low-maintenance and adaptable, it excels in borders, beds, and cottage garden settings, rewarding gardeners with reliable performance and year-round visual interest.

Sweet Tea Foamy Bells brings warmth to the partly shaded garden with a color story that unfolds through the growing season—white summer flowers rising above lush foliage, then warming into rich tones of red-burgundy, golden yellow, and copper-bronze as fall arrives. The spreading, mounding habit fills in generously, reaching three to five feet across and creating an effective groundcover or bold accent where season-long color is the goal. Slender flower spikes draw butterflies, hummingbirds, and birds from summer through the season, bringing life and movement to shaded corners of the garden. The lacy, deeply lobed foliage has the fine-textured quality characteristic of foamy bells, creating a soft, layered effect that reads beautifully next to bold hostas or glossy ferns. It holds its own in partial sun without the stress that more shade-demanding plants can show, and asks for only moderate moisture to keep it looking sharp. A generous, easy-going performer that earns its space from spring through fall.

Coral Bells, Dolce Toffee Tart is a stunning mounded perennial with foliage that emerges amber-orange and matures to rich gold tones. Delicate creamy white flowers bloom on tall scapes during midsummer, adding elegant height and contrast. Perfect for partially shaded beds, borders, and containers, this variety brings year-round color and texture to your garden. Its compact, mounding habit makes it ideal for mixed plantings and landscape designs.

New Vintage Violet Yarrow delivers flat-topped clusters of rich violet-purple blooms from summer into fall, adding jewel-toned depth to sunny borders that pairs beautifully with warm yellows, silvers, and soft pinks. The feathery, aromatic foliage forms a tidy upright clump that stays attractive even between bloom flushes. Heat tolerant, drought resistant, and unfazed by poor soil, it asks for little more than full sun and good drainage to thrive. Deer and rabbit resistant with strong disease resistance, it’s one of the most reliably low-maintenance perennials available for a mixed planting. Butterflies visit the blooms faithfully, and the flower heads dry beautifully for use in cut arrangements.

New Vintage Terra Cotta Yarrow brings warm, earthy richness to the summer and fall border with flat-topped flower clusters in a nuanced blend of orange, amber, and copper tones. The color deepens and mellows beautifully as the season progresses, delivering a sophisticated palette that complements both traditional and contemporary garden designs. Feathery, fragrant foliage forms a sturdy upright clump that holds its shape without staking. This low-water, heat-tolerant perennial is genuinely tough—deer and rabbit resistant, drought tolerant, and happy in challenging, dry soils. Excellent for cutting and drying; butterflies are reliable visitors throughout the season.

Michigan Lily is one of the most striking native wildflowers of the Great Lakes region, rising on graceful stems to 24 to 36 inches tall in midsummer and bearing vivid orange flowers whose swept-back petals and dark spotting create an unforgettable, natural drama in the partly shaded border. As a true native species, it supports native pollinators with genuine ecological importance and serves as a host plant for a range of beneficial insects throughout the growing season. Unlike many hybrid lilies, it thrives in partial shade and is perfectly adapted to the moisture and soil conditions of its home region, making it a low-maintenance and reliable garden plant once established. The upright, architectural stems and reflexed flowers draw the eye upward and create a wild, naturalistic effect that pairs beautifully with ferns, native grasses, and other woodland-edge perennials. Deer, rabbits, and most pests leave it alone, and it handles the challenging root chemistry of black walnut trees without missing a beat. A conservation plant with real ornamental value—one of the best reasons to garden with natives.

Coral Bells 'Evening Gown' creates dramatic visual impact with its large mounds of glossy black, ruffled foliage that adds striking contrast to garden beds and borders. Delicate pink flower buds on tall scapes open to reveal charming white bell flowers with soft pink undersides, extending the seasonal interest. This perennial thrives in partial shade but adapts well to full shade conditions, making it an excellent choice for challenging garden spots where other plants struggle.

Mature spikelets turn chocolate-colored early.

Switch Grass is a prairie native from the Great Lakes region that brings easy, four-season beauty to the sunny garden—and genuine ecological value along with it. From summer into fall, its upright clumps of dark green blades support airy clouds of fine-textured flower panicles that catch the light and move beautifully in a breeze. Come autumn, the foliage transitions through warm shades of yellow-gold and copper-bronze before settling into tawny buff tones that persist through winter. Birds flock to the seed heads for reliable late-season forage, giving this grass genuine wildlife value beyond its good looks. It forms a tidy, non-spreading clump reaching three to five feet tall and handles challenging conditions with remarkable equanimity—drought, black walnut, deer, and erosion-prone slopes are no match for it. Mass plant it in a meadow-style border or naturalized area for maximum impact with minimum effort.

Noble Spirits lends a soft, romantic air to the partly shaded garden, unfurling large, frothy plumes of creamy-white flowers above bold mounds of fresh green, fern-like foliage in summer. This sturdy, clumping perennial builds to a substantial three to five feet, holding its own as an anchor at the back of a shade border or along a woodland path. A more compact, garden-friendly take on the classic, it delivers the airy, astilbe-like blooms goat’s beard is loved for on an exceptionally strong frame. Native to North America, it’s well adapted to our conditions and offers welcome nectar to summer butterflies. Plant it where it receives dappled light and consistent moisture, and it will return more impressive each year. Best of all, deer and rabbits tend to overlook it, so the foliage stays lush from spring to frost.

In early summer, Tufted Hair Grass erupts into a shimmering cloud of fine, airy flower panicles that catch the light and sway with the slightest breeze, lending soft movement to the garden. Below, it forms a neat, fountain-like clump of slender deep-green blades that stays tidy throughout the season. A cool-season grass native to our region’s moist meadows and open woods, it settles easily into local gardens and thrives with steady, moderate moisture. The golden seed heads hold their beauty into fall and feed visiting songbirds, while its fibrous roots make it a fine choice for stabilizing slopes. Deer and rabbits pass it by, so the planting stays full and graceful. Sweep it through a bed as a flowing groundcover, or let a single clump shine as a textural accent.

Wild Quinine offers the calm, architectural beauty of flat-topped clusters of crisp white flowers that hover like clouds above coarse, dark green foliage all summer long. Native to the tallgrass prairies of the Midwest, it’s a tough, drought-tolerant perennial that thrives in full sun and lean soil once established. Reaching two to three feet tall and spreading into a substantial clump, it makes a striking accent or a quiet foil for showier prairie companions. Pollinators, especially small native bees and butterflies, work the blooms, while the seed heads dry to a handsome bronze that holds its shape into winter. It’s remarkably trouble-free—deer-resistant once established and untroubled by rabbits, insects, or disease. The papery flower clusters are also long-lasting in fresh and dried arrangements alike.

Leatherwood Fern is a dependable, semi-evergreen native fern with attractive, leathery fronds that hold their deep green color well into winter—adding structure and interest to shaded gardens long after deciduous companions have gone dormant. Growing 18 to 24 inches, it forms a tidy, upright clump ideal for borders, mass plantings, or as a ground cover beneath shade trees. As a Great Lakes native, it supports birds and wildlife while naturalizing gracefully in woodland garden settings. Resistant to deer and rabbits, it tolerates Juglone from black walnut trees—a practical choice for challenging garden spots. Low maintenance and long-lived, it rewards reliable performance once established.

Plum Rosy False Indigo is a stunning Baptisia with upright spikes of rosy-pink pea-like flowers that emerge in spring above fresh blue-green foliage. As a Great Lakes native and deep-rooted perennial, it takes a few seasons to establish but rewards patience with decades of increasingly impressive performance. Growing 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, it forms a substantial, shrub-like clump that looks beautiful even when not in bloom—the blue-green foliage provides a refined backdrop for summer companions, and the inflated seed pods add ornamental interest into fall. Deer resistant, drought tolerant once established, and Juglone tolerant. One of the most long-lived and distinguished perennials for the native garden.