Northern Gardening

Guide to Hardy Perennials 

C-D

A-B, E-G, H-L, M-Q, R-Z  

(Click the thumbnail photo under each plant name for a larger picture and description.)

 

PLANT NAME

ZONE

HEIGHT

LIGHT NEEDS

BLOOM TIME

PLANT DESCRIPTION

CAMPANULA        

C. carpatica 'Blue Clips'

3

8 in.

 Full Sun to Partial Shade Late Spring Small blue cup-shaped flowers. Heart shaped foliage. A good edging plant.
C. glomerata
 'Joan Elliott'
(Clustered Bellflower)
 3 20 in. Full Sun to Partial Shade Early Summer Very bright purple flower clusters on stiff, upright stems. If you keep spent blossoms trimmed, there will be a smaller repeat bloom.
C. persicifolia 'Telham Beauty'' 3 30 in. Full Sun to Partial Shade Early Summer Lavender cup-shaped flowers on tall stems. May need staking.
C. portenschlagiana
 'Birch Hybrid'
 4 4-8 in. Full Sun to Partial Shade Early Summer Very durable and drought tolerant. Blue flowers all summer long.
C. punctata
 (Spotted bellflower)		 4 12-18 in. Full Sun to Partial Shade Early Summer Mauve or purple blossoms that resemble the flowers of the "cup and saucers" biennial campanula.  Can be invasive, but may be worth planting for the long bloom period.

CENTAUREAS

C. dealbata
(Persian Cornflower)
'John Coutts'

 3 2 ft. Full Sun Late Spring/
Early Summer		 Rose-pink flowers followed by silvery daisy-like seed heads.
C. macrocephala  (Yellow Thistle) 3 3-4 ft. Full Sun Mid-Summer 3 inch yellow, thistle-like flowers. a coarse plant this is best placed a the back of the border.
C. montana
'Perennial Corn Flower, Mountain Bluet'Centaurea Montana		 3 2 ft. Full Sun Early Summer Purple "bachelor buttons" with a dark pink or red center. Cut it back after the first flowering and it will rebloom. Conscientious deadheading will promote summer-long bloom. 

CERASTIUM
(Snow-in-Summer) 

C. tomentosum

 

 2 6 in. Full Sun Late Spring Silvery foliage with small white flowers. Can be invasive, but good as a ground cover in hot, dry areas where nothing else will grow.

CHELONE
(Turtlehead)             

C. lyoniiChelone (turtlehead)

 		 3 2-3 ft. Full Sun to Partial Shade Late Summer Bright rose-pink flowers which come at a time when not a lot is in flower. Likes a moist soil.
C. glabra 3 3-4 ft. Full Sun to Partial Shade Late Summer Vase-shaped plant with white flowers tinged with rose or violet.
chrysanthemum 
 (Garden Mum)

D. x hybridaChrysanthemum

4 15-24 in. Full Sun Early Fall To do their best you must divide mums every year and replant only the outside, new growth. They are also prone to a number of diseases.

CIMICIFUGA
(Snakeroot, Bugbane)

 3 4-8 ft. Partial Shade Late Spring White flower spikes above shiny green or deep purple foliage. Good for a woodland planting. Needs consistently moist soil.
C. simplex 'White Pearl'' 3 4 ft. Partial Shade Mid-Fall Larger creamy white flowers on a smaller plant. May get nipped by an early frost, but superior to the common plant.
COREOPSIS
 (Tickseed)

C. verticillata
'Golden Shower' 'Zagreb', 'Moonbeam'Coreopsis 'Moonbeam'

 

3 18-24 in. Full Sun Mid-Summer Every garden should include this long blooming easy-care perennial. Yellow flowers  throughout the summer.
delphinium
 (Larkspur)

D. x hybrida

 3 3-6 ft. Full Sun Early Summer Very labor intensive plant. Needs staking even in protected areas. A heavy feeder and requires constant moisture and good drainage or it will die over winter. Division every 1-3 years.
dianthus

D. deltoides
(Maiden Pinks)
'Zing Rose', Brilliant'Dianthus 'Zing Rose'

4 4-6 in. Full Sun Late Spring Crown rot can be a problem so good drainage is essential. Small bright pink or red blossoms. A good rock garden plant or used as a ground cover for small areas.
D. gratianopolitanus (Cheddar Pinks)
'Firewitch'
 Dianthus 'Firewitch'

 

 

 3 6-8 in. Full Sun Late Spring If deadheaded will bloom from spring through late fall. 'Firewitch' was voted 2005 Perennial of the Year.
DICENTRA
(Bleeding Heart)

D. spectabilisDicentra (Bleeding Hearts)

 3 30 in. Partial Shade Late Spring An old-fashioned favorite. Large drooping racemes with heart-shaped red flowers.
D. eximia 3 12 in. Partial Shade Late Spring Blooms off and on most of the summer. Pink flowers held above the foliage.
D. formosa 3 15 in. Partial Shade Late Spring Spreads rapidly and can be used as a light shade ground cover. Pink to cherry red flowers.
DICTAMNUS
(Gas Plant)

D. alba

 3 30-36 in. Full Sun Late Spring Lemon-scented foliage and white flowers. Resents transplanting so plant it where it will stay. Do not touch with bare skin on a hot day. Can cause severe dermatitis.
D. alba
'Purpureus'
 3 30-36 in. Full Sun Late Spring Pink flowers with deep purple veins. (See above for further description.)

 
doronicum
 (Leopard's Bane)

D. orientaleDoronicum

4 18 in. Partial Shade to Full Sun Mid Spring This plant doesn't always come back after a hard winter but I still grow it because I welcome its very early 2" yellow daisies. The  heart shaped foliage is quite attractive but will go dormant and leave a bare spot if it is given too much sun.

Perennials A-B, E-G, H-L, M-Q, R-Z 

You'll find more info on choosing the right perennials in:

"Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the Start" by C. Colston Burrell.  The author, a former Minneapolis landscaper, takes the guesswork out of choosing perennials for your new garden.  This book includes 120 of the best perennial combinations with photos of each combination.  There are also 22 original garden designs to help get you started.

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