3-4'H Perennials

Dense clusters of large pink tubular flowers with a white lower lip are born in late summer and early fall on this easy native perennial. Excellent for attracting bees. This is the latest flowering Physostegia that we grow. The Fall Obedient Plant will readily spread by rhizomes creating a mass of sturdy, 3-4' stems. An easy and reliable native perennial. Item# 10420.

Large rounded clusters composed of a multitude 2" tubular flowers open a deep red, fade through orange, and finally to a coral pink are produced throughout summer and into fall attracting hummingbirds for miles around. The Firecracker Bush, Bouvardia ternifolia, is a naturally small upright to rounded subtropical shrub native to the US desert southwest and Mexico. Its desert roots makes this an easy and forgiving container plant as well as an excellent addition to the garden and landscape. Provide the Firecracker Bush with a well-drained soil in a fertile, average moist soil in part shade to bright shade for optimum vigor and flowering. Under warm frost free conditions it may flower nearly year-round. Item# 13182

Brilliant red tubular flowers are borne in tall branching spikes atop the glossy deep green foliage in fall and winter. An upright yet bushy shrubby perennial that enjoys shady conditions. Firespike is sure to attract hummingbirds and larger butterflies. It also makes an easy indoor plant where its flowers can be enjoyed through much of winter. Item# 420.

2022 Missouri Botanic Garden Plants of Merit selection! 18" long arching spikes composed of numerous dark golden yellow flowers burst onto the scene in late summer and fall creating a much needed feast of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies including migratory Monarchs, and other garden beneficials. Fireworks is an award winning selection of the native Roughleaf Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa, and it won top marks in the Goldenrod trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. This is a hardy, clump-forming slowly spreading (a.k.a. short rhizomatous) herbaceous perennial that is both adaptable and manageable. Fireworks Goldenrod prefers a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist to moist fertile soil although it is tolerant of part shade, part sun conditions. Use this easy to grow native perennial in naturalistic settings and in mixed perennial gardens and landscapes. Item# 12313

The fountaining clumps of large, dark burgundy to near black, 1"+ wide, sword shaped foliage makes an outstanding accent or backdrop for smaller growing perennials in the summer and fall garden and landscape. First Knight™ Hybrid Purple Fountain Grass, a trispecific seed sterile hybrid Pennisetum, was developed and selected for its exceptionally dark foliage color, vigor, disease resistance, and zone 8 cold hardiness. In areas with mild winters, the plants produce tall fuzzy spikes in late summer and fall adding to its interest. We have a similar selection growing at the back of one of our beds and have always been impressed with the statement it makes each year. We have even been known to utilize the foliage and occasional seed heads in cut flower arrangements. This is a vigorous and easy growing, low maintenance addition to the garden and landscape and it is vigorous enough to be used as an annual outside of its hardiness zones. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist, soil with average or better drainage. Item# 12853

The Fragrant White Mistflower produces clusters of fragrant, white, nectar-rich flowers in fall just as the Monarch butterflies are migrating southward. The flowers attract a large variety of pollinators including bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. This shrubby perennial native of the Edwards Plateau is a tough hombre that is moderately drought resistant and can develop into a somewhat woody shrub. Item# 11358

The showy and long-lasting deep red pine-cone like flower heads are produced throughout the growing season and may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. French Kiss is a selection of the Red Buttons Ginger with a free flowering habit that lends it to use en mass in a partly shaded garden or landscape or as a low maintenance specimen plant for containers. Orange and yellow individual flowers emerge singly or a few at the time from between the showy red bracts that make up the flower heads. Medium green rounded foliage. The flowers of this compact ginger attract hummingbirds and make an easy long-lasting cut flower. We previously offered this item as 'Dwarf French Kiss Red Buttons Ginger' but it appears to grow just as large as the species. Item# 11513

Fuzzy deep fuchsia colored tubular flowers emerge from short dense spikes atop the large deep green foliage beginning in spring and continuing through fall. Fuzzy Bolivian Sage is a vigorous perennial Salvia with large deep green tropical looking foliage on a vigorous plant that can reach 4' high by the end of summer. This species is moderately shade tolerant and may prefer midday shade in hot summer climates. Provide a moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Item# 11201

Vigorous, repeat flowering, and reliably hardy to zone 6! Large rounded clusters, to 5" across, composed of deep blue trumpets are perched atop strong 3-4' sturdy stems on a tight clump forming plant with upright to arching narrow rich green foliage. Galaxy Blue Agapanthus has been successfully trialed for over 7 years in Zeeland, Michigan by the folks at Walter's Gardens with excellent reliability, vigor and cold hardiness.Flowering may begin in mid spring in zone 8 but will likely flower in summer where winters are coldest. Use Galaxy Blue Agapanthus anywhere you want to make a statement, including as a specimen container plants. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item#12735

Vigorous and reliably hardy to zone 6! Large rounded clusters, to 5" across, composed of pure white trumpets are perched atop strong 3-4' sturdy stems on a tight clump forming plant with upright to arching narrow rich green foliage. Galaxy White Agapanthus has been successfully trialed for over 7 years in Zeeland, Michigan by the folks at Walter's Gardens with excellent reliability, vigor and cold hardiness. Our plants are in bud at the time of this writing, 5-25-2020, but will likely flower in summer where winters are coldest. Use Galaxy White Agapanthus anywhere you want to make a statement and the flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item#12137

The large 1-1/2" long tubular color-changing flowers are produced in spike-like clusters from the leaf axils and start out yellow and fade through orange into red tones and are held on 3-4'H sturdy stems. The flowers are produced during the spring, where plants are not frozen to the ground, and/or in fall just in time for migrating hummingbirds. The Giant Cigar Plant, Cuphea micropetala, is a herbaceous, slowly spreading, upright to branching perennial cloaked in dark green glossy foliage. Considered by many to be the most reliably cold hardy Cuphea species surviving into zone 7B if provided a breathable winter mulch. It typically spreads stoloniferously and via rhizomes but is not considered invasive or aggressive. As with basically all Cupheas, the Giant Cigar is heat and sunloving and will benefit from average moisture, in fertile soils with average or better drainage. Where not hardy it can easily be maintained as a medium to medium-large container plant. Item# 429

The most floriferous Esperanza that we grow! Gold Star Esperanza produces an endless display of large clusters of large golden yellow, lightly fragrant trumpets from late spring to frost. This Greg Grant selection is the standard by which all other Esperanza's are judged. Hardy, heat and sun loving, and with a nicely branched habit Gold Star Esperanza is great for tropical settings in containers and in the garden. Attracts pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Item # 9902

3-4" high fuzzy yellow spikes of tubular flowers are borne throughout the year on this easily grown tropical. Golden Plume is very similar to most Justicias in form and habit. The wide dark green foliage makes a nice foil for the spikes of yellow flowers. Item# 9684.

Few plants can consistently attract as many butterflies as this Lantana making the plant appear alive with these fluttering wonders, especially in summer and fall. Grandpa's Pumpkin Patch Lantana produces yellow centered clusters of brilliant pumpkin orange flowers from late spring to frost on this vigorous Lantana that can certainly keep up with New Gold for flowering ability. Item# 9605

The tall dusky flower spikes are adorned with grape juice purple buds that open to display the deep magenta, pea-like flowers with a starkly contrasting creamy to yellow keel and are produced in summer held above the dense mounds of lush green foliage. The flowers attract a variety of bee species. Grape Escape Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of our native species (a.k.a. nativar), replaces the older Grape Taffy and boasts deeper richer colors, heavier flowering and vigor. Grape Escape grows to about 4' high and nearly as wide with a neat vase shaped habit. Baptisia or False Indigo are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide Baptisias with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13145

Steel blue spring and summer foliage is topped by nicely contrasting tan colored airy panicles in late summer and fall. In fall the foliage changes to yellow and finally beige creating winter interest and providing food, habitat, and nesting material for a variety of birds and other fauna. Gunsmoke is a selection of our native Switchgrass, Panicum virgatum, with an initially upright to vase shaped habit becoming rounded once flowering begins. This is a naturally clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is found throughout much of the US and into Canada, except for the westernmost states, and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies. Switchgrass was also used by native Americans to build long-lasting, rain resistant shelters. The foliage is a larval host to the Delaware Skipper and Dotted Skippers. Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and moisture regimes. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12305

Dense clusters of dainty white to lavender tubular flowers top the hairy blue-green to green fragrant foliage in summer. The small nectar rich flowers of Hairy Mountain Mint attract a wide variety of pollinators, and are especially important to native bees. This is a rhizomatous native perennial that will readily spread especially in moist soils. Hairy Mountainmint, Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum, is native to the northcentral US, mainly Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky and as far south as northern Mississippi. It is typically found in moist, calcareous soils but can tolerate drier sites where it is less likely to spread aggressively. Item# 11763

Steely blue-gray spring and summer foliage is topped by nicely contrasting tan colored airy panicles in late summer and fall. In fall the foliage changes to yellow and finally beige creating winter interest and providing food, habitat, and nesting material for a variety of birds and other fauna. Heavy Metal Switchgrass, a selection of the native Panicum virgatum, with an with a strongly upright, columnar, dense habit that remains upright even through heavy rains. This is a naturally clump-forming herbaceous perennial that is found throughout much of the US and into Canada, except for the westernmost states, and is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairies. Switchgrass was also used by native Americans to build long-lasting, rain resistant shelters. The foliage is a larval host to the Delaware Skipper and Dotted Skippers. Adaptable to a wide variety of soil types and moisture regimes. Item# 12854

The dense spikes of bicolor mahogany and yellow pea-like flowers lighten into yellow as they age creating an orangish overall effect from a distance and are produced in mid to late spring to early summer depending on your zone. The flowers attract mainly bees. Honey Roasted Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of US native species (a.k.a. nativar), is a vigorous, heavy and early flowering selection of this clump forming perennial growing to about 36-42"H x 42-48"W. Baptisias are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide them with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12898

1/2"-3/4" wide, white to greenish white, mimosa-like flowers sit atop short stalks that emerge from the leaf axils. The flowers are often followed by an unusual and decorative curling cluster of brown to black seedpods that are excellent for wildlife. The fine, fern-like foliage and stems may also be browsed by wildlife and also serve as the host plant for the Northern and Southern Cloudywing Skipper butterflies. Attracts pollinators. Item# 10459.

Long spikes of deep indigo, tubular flowers are borne continuously from spring to frost on this vigorous perennial Salvia. Indigo Spires has long been one of our favorites and is a reliable performer in the landscape producing a 2-4' high plant with medium green foliage. The nectar rich flowers provide fodder for a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, butterflies, and a variety of bees but especially bumblebees in our gardens. The flower color may appear more purple or more blue to different people, in this case it is all in the eye of the beholder. Item# 909.