Woodland Phlox is smothered in stunning lightly-scented lavender star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from mid to late spring. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry is covered in stunning clusters of white flowers rising above the foliage in early spring before the leaves. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The oval leaves turn an outstanding brick red in the fall. It produces blue berries in late spring. The smooth gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) is a beautiful, long-blooming wildflower that is especially useful for establishing in difficult areas with poor soils and dry conditions. Native to the Midwest, the plant begins blooming in late spring with showy pale-yellow flowers that attract a variety of native bees and sulphur butterflies.

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

This vigorous variety produces large, 3" wide, golden-yellow daisies with dark brown eyes; bred to be highly resistant to Septoria leaf spot; deadhead for re-blooming; drought tolerant once established; wonderful along borders or in containers

An early blooming phlox with a naturally dwarf habit; lavender-pink blushed flowers with deeper pink eyes; blooms profusely in early to mid-summer; great for borders or in containers; dark green glossy foliage is mildew and disease resistant

This bold garden perennial features very showy deep red flowers; attractive, glossy, deep violet-purple leaves that mature to green; ideal for the mixed garden border or in mass; do not allow to dry to wilting point

Scattered along the stiff, upright stem of this unusual perennial are tough, blue-green, yucca-like, parallel-veined leaves. Smooth, rigid stem bearing thistle-like flower heads made up of small greenish-white florets mingled with pointed bracts. The individual, greenish-white flowers cluster into unique, globular heads. These occur on branch ends atop the 6 ft. plant.

Rattlesnake master can be an aggressive self-seeder. Remove seed heads to keep the plant in check. Scattered along the stiff, upright stem of this unusual perennial are tough, blue-green, yucca-like, parallel-veined leaves. Smooth, rigid stem bearing thistle-like flower heads made up of small greenish-white florets. The individual, greenish-white flowers cluster into unique, globular heads. Their spiny leaves make walking through clumps of these plants difficult.

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.

Yarrow is an easy perennial, growing in nearly any sunny situation, even where there is poor soil. Plants form low mounds of fragrant ferny foliage, with clusters of flowers appearing on upright stems in early summer. This strain gives a wide range of soft pastel shades, from white through to cream, yellow, pink, salmon, mauve and red.

Also called Prairie Alumroot. Airy spikes of green to cream bells rise from a compact, dense mound of cupped, ruffled green foliage, great versatility; give some afternoon shade in hot southern areas; drought tolerant

Prairie Blazing Star has masses of beautiful spikes of violet flowers rising above the foliage from mid summer to early fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its grassy leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Rebecca Violet is a sweet, spring-blooming native that brings soft color to shaded spots and woodland edges right when the garden is most ready for it. Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, it settles easily into partial shade with regular moisture and spreads gradually to form a tidy groundcover of heart-shaped leaves. Soft purple flowers open in spring and are beloved by early-season butterflies, including the larvae of several fritillary species that depend on violets as a host plant. Compact and clump-forming, it tucks neatly into borders, along shaded paths, or among taller woodland companions like hostas and ferns. Deer and rabbits generally leave violets alone, and it asks for very little maintenance once it’s settled in. It’s a quietly lovely plant that earns a cherished place in any naturalistic or shade garden.

Pale yellow buds open to creamy vanilla pea-flowers, that rise from a compact clump of gray-green foliage in late spring to early summer; use this plant for its outstanding display of vertical flowers as an accent in the garden or borders

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.

Chicago Lustre Viburnum is covered in stunning creamy white flat-top flowers at the ends of the branches in late spring. The royal blue fruits are held in abundance in spectacular clusters from early to late fall. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The serrated oval leaves turn an outstanding deep purple in the fall. Native to Southern Illinois.

Mature Height: 8’ to 12’

Mature Width: 6’ to 10’

Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade

Soil: Well-drained soil

Hardiness zone: 3 - 8

Golden Alexanders is one of spring’s most welcome native perennials—a cheerful burst of flat-topped, bright yellow flower clusters that lights up partial shade at a time when the garden is still waking up. Native to the woodland edges and moist meadows of the eastern United States, it grows reliably in part sun with average moisture, forming neat, upright clumps reaching about two feet tall. It serves as a host plant for the Black Swallowtail butterfly and draws a parade of early-emerging pollinators just when they need the foraging most. In fall, the foliage turns warm golden-yellow before winter, extending its season of interest well past the initial spring display. Deer and rabbits tend to pass it by, and it handles the challenging soil conditions near black walnut trees without complaint. Tuck it into a woodland edge, naturalized border, or rain garden where its early, bright color can be fully appreciated.

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