Big Bluestem, a native grass of the Midwestern prairie, has been rediscovered as a useful and beautiful landscape plant. Drought tolerant and easy to maintain, it is a natural choice for prairie, meadow and naturalistic plantings. But, Andropogon gerardii is also great as a background or accent in mixed plantings. Big Bluestem is especially interesting when in bloom - its curiously shaped seed heads resemble upside-down turkey feet.

Blue Joint Grass is one of the more abundant native grasses on the continent. It blooms in late spring to early summer with pink-green seeds that are attractive but not highly ornamental. Spreading quickly by shallow rhizomes in moist to wet soils, Blue Joint Grass can help to stabilize stream banks.

White Turtlehead has masses of beautiful white hooded flowers at the ends of the stems from late summer to mid fall, which are most effective when planted in groupings. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its serrated pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Kodiak Fresh® Diervilla features showy panicles of yellow trumpet-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from early to mid summer. It has lime green-variegated yellow foliage with hints of chartreuse which emerges red in spring. The pointy leaves turn outstanding shades of orange and in the fall. The brick red stems can be quite attractive.

Shortbeak Sedge is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It features airy spikes of chartreuse flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring. Its attractive grassy leaves remain forest green in color throughout the season.

Allegheny Spurge features tiny spikes of lightly-scented white flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring. Its serrated pointy leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year.

A good durable utility shrub with bronze tinged foliage and small yellow flowers. Tolerant of adverse conditions. Bush Honeysuckle has attractive dark green foliage which emerges burgundy in spring. It has lemon yellow trumpet-shaped flowers along the branches in early summer.

A beautiful, adaptable and hardy shrub offering four-seasons of interest. Vibrant red twigs are stunning in the winter garden. Spring flowers yield small ornamental fruit that is attractive to birds. Colorful fall foliage. Spreading habit is helpful in controlling erosion. Tolerates clay, wet soil. Deciduous.

Mature Height: 6’ to 9’

Mature Width: 8’ to 12’

Sunlight: Full sun to part shade

Soil: Rich, consistently moist soil

Hardiness Zone: 3 - 8

Woodland Stonecrop's succulent round leaves emerge light green in spring, turning green in color the rest of the year on a plant with an upright spreading habit of growth.

Black Chokeberry features showy panicles of white flowers with brick red anthers at the ends of the branches in mid spring. It has forest green deciduous foliage. The glossy oval leaves turn an outstanding red in the fall. It produces black berries from late summer to late winter.

Ruby Falls Redbud has lavender pea-like flowers with red overtones along the branches from early to mid spring before the leaves. It has attractive burgundy deciduous foliage which emerges brick red in spring. The heart-shaped leaves are highly ornamental and turn yellow in fall.

Brookside Cranesbill has masses of beautiful powder blue flowers with white eyes at the ends of the stems from late spring to mid summer, which are most effective when planted in groupings. Its deeply cut lobed palmate leaves are green in color. As an added bonus, the foliage turns a gorgeous scarlet in the fall.

Spectacular purple with yellow centre spikes of pea-flowers rise from blue-green foliage in early summer; use this plant for its outstanding display of vertical flowers as an accent in the garden

Steeplebush has spires of showy pink flowers and beautiful foliage that turns bright gold and auburn in fall. This native forms a colony of upright, slender, wand-like plants. Plant it three feet on center to create a low hedge. Requires a moist setting and is well suited for planting along around ponds, in rain gardens, in naturalized swale or detention areas, or included in a water garden/feature.

It prefers full sun, but light shade is ok. Faded flower clusters can be removed to encourage additional bloom. It flowers on new wood, so prune in late winter to early spring if needed.

Dense, glossy green foliage turns a splendid merlot color with cool winter temperatures. Clusters of delicate, bell-shaped, white summer flowers produce exceptionally large, red, ornamental berries that hold from fall through to spring. Works well as a foundation plant or groundcover. A delight in mixed holiday container plantings. Evergreen.