Liven up your landscape with these less-familiar perennials.
Baptisia
The most commonly plantedBaptisiaspecies is false indigo(Baptisia australis).
This beauty is a tough, reliablenative perennialthat will bloom year after year for decades in any sunny garden.
Credit: Matthew Benson
OtherBaptisiaspecies bloom in purple, yellow, or white flowers every spring.
The plants areheat- and drought-resistant, and the divided, blue-green leaves add interest to the garden.
After the flowers fade, the plant forms star-shaped seed heads.
Credit: Blaine Moats
However, it self-sows frequently, so there’s often a new crop of plants growing nearby.
It can be invasive in some areas, so keep an eye out for runaway plants.
This sun-loving perennial produces showy bright blue or white thistlelike spherical blooms from mid to late summer.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
The flowers look beautiful in fresh or dried arrangements.
Size:Up to 2 feet tall
Bergenia
Bergenia(Bergenia spp.
Culver’s root produces a nonstop display of white, candelabra-like flower heads throughout the summer.
Credit: Matthew Benson
This perennial is also popular with butterflies that feast onits nectar-rich blooms.
It’s not bothered by disease or insect pests butmight require stakingif it doesn’t receive enough sunlight.
The plants produce armloads of thistlelike blooms from June to September.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
This easy-care perennial does best in dry, sandy soil.
If you fertilize or overwater sea holly, you might end up killing it with kindness.
This pretty plant develops cheerful green or variegated foliage and small, bell-shaped white flowers in April and May.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
It prefers rich soil and slowly spreads through the garden by underground roots.
Use perennial geraniums in thefront of the border, rock garden, or woodland setting.
Veronica
Once found in every perennial border,veronica(Veronicaspp.)
Credit: Janet Mesic Mackie
isn’t always the first plant you see when you visit the garden center.
Veronicais a great cut flower.
This plant produces attractive snapdragon-like, rose-purple, pink, or white flowers from July to September.
Credit: Matthew Benson
This native perennialthrives in rich, moist, almost swampy soil.
Turtlehead is the perfect choice for bog or rain gardens or alongside koi ponds and waterfalls.
The plants areresistant to deer and rabbitsand have virtually no disease or insect problems.
Credit: Kindra Clineff
Wild ginger is a slow grower can take several years to form a sizeable clump.
The plants flowers are tiny and grow at ground level, so they often go unnoticed.
Despite this plants name, it isnt related to culinary ginger.
Credit: Kritsada Panichgul
The spectacular flowers appear on long stems in shades of white and pink.
These plants do well in cold weather.
These are perfect for a perennial border or near patios or decks.
Credit: Matthew Benson
These summer bloomers are heat- and drought-tolerant.
Credit: Bob Stefko
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Justin Hancock
Credit: Mike Jensen
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit: Brie Passano
Credit: Marty Baldwin
Credit:Matthew Benson
