Perennials with Native Roots

1 of 35

“We're losing biodiversity globally at an alarming rate, and we need a cornucopia of different plants and animals, for the planet's health and our own.”

Diane Ackerman – Author of "The Zookeeper's Wife" and "A Natural History of the Senses,"

To many people, 'biodiversity' is almost synonymous with the word 'nature,' and 'nature' brings to mind steamy forests and the big creatures that dwell there. Fair enough. But biodiversity is much more than that, for it encompasses not only the diversity of species, but also the diversity within species.

Cary Fowler – the "father" of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

2 of 35

North America is resplendent with native plants, with more beauty occurring just down than street than most homeowners realize. Proven Winners® Perennials includes a broad selection of plants with native roots. These are plants that may be single species hybrids, or crosses of multiple species that do not naturally interact in nature.

The result of mixing species often brings the best of both worlds. That may be finding additional cold hardiness for a tender perennial, or adding heat and drought tolerance to plants that will find themselves sandwiched in between hot concrete foundations and sidewalks.

The goal of such hybrids is to preserve the beauty and benefits of the plant as they occur in nature and pair it with the superior performance necessary to thrive in the garden of today's homeowner.

3 of 35

Dark green indicates a state or province where background species are commonly occurring. Light green indicates present but less common.

4 of 35

Firefly Achillea

Taller Yarrow nature with beautiful habits and exceptional sturdiness. Hybrid of native and non native species.

Height: 24-36” | Width: 40-48” | Zones: 3-8 | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade

Variety Pictured: Achillea 'Firefly Sunshine'

5 of 35

MEANT TO BEE™ Agastache

Large, full plants with substantial landscape presence and hardiness. A favorite of pollinators.

Height: 28-36” | Width: 28-36” | Zones: 5-9 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Agastache MEANT TO BEE™ 'Queen Nectarine'

6 of 35

'Storm Cloud' Amsonia tabernaemontana

Spring blooming perennial and exceptionally long lived. Near black stems emerge early in spring.

Height: 24-30” | Width: 38-42” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Storm Cloud'

7 of 35

'String Theory' Amsonia

Threadleaf Bluestar with excellent garden texture. Clusters of blue flowers in late spring. Foliage turns golden orange in fall.

Height: 18-22” | Width: 32-36” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Amsonia 'String Theory'

8 of 35

'Silver Lining' Artemisia

A highly durable perennial with a low, wide habit of silver foliage. Excellent as a filler in the landscape.

Height: 12-16” | Width: 32-36” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Artemisia 'Silver Lining'

9 of 35

'Chantilly Lace' Aruncus

An excellent perennial for garden texture. Sprays of cream flowers in early summer. Hybrid of native and non native species.

Height: 30-32” | Width: 40-48” | Zones: 3-7 | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade

Variety Pictured: Aruncus 'Chantilly Lace'

10 of 35

DECADENCE® Baptisia

Sizeable, long-lived perennials with deep root systems. Hard to move and hard to kill once established. Tall flower spikes in late spring.

Height: 2½-4½' | Width: 2½-4' | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Baptisia DECADENCE® 'Lemon Meringue'

11 of 35

DECADENCE® DELUXE Baptisia

DECADENCE® DELUXE Baptisia were bred and selected for their larger, more substantial landscape presence as well as vivid flower colors.

Height: 3½-4½' | Width: 3-4' | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Baptisia DECADENCE® DELUXE 'Pink Lemonade'

12 of 35

COLOR CODED® Echinacea

Large flowers have horizontal, overlapping petals to maximize floral display. Excellent for sunny, dry areas and to please pollinators.

Height: 20-26” | Width: 16-20” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Echinacea COLOR CODED® 'Yellow My Darling'

13 of 35

Summersong™ Firefinch™ Echinacea

A pollinator magnet in the summer, with decorative seedheads in fall. Excellent heat and drought tolerance.

Height: 12-16” | Width: 16-18” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Echinacea Summersong™ Firefinch™

14 of 35

'Bit of Honey' Heliopsis helianthoides

Leaves appear white with deep green veining on a low, dense habit. This variety blooms in midsummer, lasting into early fall.

Height: 24-28” | Width: 26-30” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Heliopsis helianthoides 'Bit of Honey'

15 of 35

Tuscan Gold™ Heliopsis helianthoides

A well-branched habit bears numerous flowers in mid to late summer. Resistant to powdery mildew.

Height: 24-36” | Width: 20-24” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Heliopsis helianthoides Tuscan Gold™

16 of 35

'Tuscan Sun' Heliopsis helianthoides

This beautiful and carefree native cultivar offers a more compact habit and good disease resistance compared to other varieties of Heliopsis.

Height: 24-36” | Width: 20-24” | Zones: 3-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Heliopsis helianthoides 'Tuscan Sun'

17 of 35

DOLCE® Heuchera

Mainly grown for their foliage color. DOLCE® are moderate size plants for use in containers and small spaces in the garden.

Height: 8-12” | Flower Height: 18-26” | Width: 16-24” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade

Variety Pictured: Heuchera DOLCE® 'Wildberry'

18 of 35

DRESSED UP™ Heuchera

Heuchera in the DRESSED UP™ Series have heavily ruffled foliage and large habits.

Height: 10-14” | Flower Height: 18-30” | Width: 20-28” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade

Variety Pictured: Heuchera DRESSED UP™ 'Evening Gown'

19 of 35

PRIMO®

Members of this series were selected for their ability to grow to incredible size. Large plants with large leaves and flower scapes.

Height: 10-12” | Flower Height: 18-26” | Width: 24-32” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full Sun - Full Shade

Variety Pictured: Heuchera PRIMO® 'Peachberry Ice'

20 of 35

FUN AND GAMES® Heucherella

Hybrids of Heuchera and Tiarella. From Heuchera comes a variety of foliage colors and from Tiarella new leaf shapes and central patterns.

Height: 8-10” | Flower Height: 18-22” | Width: 16-24” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Shade

Variety Pictured: Heucherella FUN AND GAMES® 'Eye Spy'

21 of 35

SUMMERIFIC® Hibiscus

Massive 7-8” flowers appear beginning in midsummer, persisting to fall. Excellent as a focal point in rain gardens.

Height: 3½-5½' | Width: 3-5' | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Hibiscus SUMMERIFIC® 'Edge of Night'

22 of 35

Leading Lady Monarda

Compared to the Pardon My M. didyma hybrids, these M. bradburiana hybrids are shorter and flower two weeks earlier.

Height: 10-14” | Width: 22-28” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Monarda 'Leading Lady Razzberry'

23 of 35

Pardon My Monarda didyma

Moderate sized selections that are well-behaved in the garden. Bee Balm are a favorite of pollinators when they bloom in summer.

Height: 14-18” | Width: 22-28” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Monarda didyma 'Pardon My Rose'

24 of 35

UPSCALE™ Monarda

A tall series excellent for landscape plantings and filling space in the middle of the border. A favorite of pollinators.

Height: 22-32” | Width: 24-36” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Monarda UPSCALE™ 'Red Velvet'

25 of 35

PRAIRIE WINDS® Panicum virgatum

Heat and drought tolerant perennial grass present throughout much of North America. Seedheads appear in late summer.

Height: 3-6' | Width: 1½-4 | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Panicum virgatum PRAIRIE WINDS® 'Niagara Falls'

26 of 35

'Midnight Masquerade' Penstemon

An excellent perennial for adding height to narrow spaces. This summer bloomer combines dark foliage with lavender flowers.

Height: 36-40” | Width: 28-32” | Zones: 3-8 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Penstemon 'Midnight Masquerade'

27 of 35

'Cloudburst' Hybrid Phlox

Tall, billowy habit flowers nearly to the ground. The initial flush of flowers appears in early summer, with rebloom into fall.

Height: 28” | Width: 42” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Phlox 'Cloudburst'

28 of 35

Opening Act Hybrid Phlox

Earlier to bloom than Tall Garden Phlox by 2-4 weeks with excellent rebloom. Slowly spreading stoloniferous habits.

Height: 18-26” | Width: 24-32” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Phlox 'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot'

29 of 35

LUMINARY™ Phlox paniculata

Tall, brightly-colored perennials. Selected for mildew resistance and rebloom, these varieties will give you more flowers and clean plants.

Height: 30-36” | Width: 24-32” | Zones: 3-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Phlox paniculata LUMINARY™ 'Opalescence'

30 of 35

MOUNTAINSIDE™ Hybrid Spring Phlox

More refined spreaders than normal Creeping Phlox and less prone to overrun the garden, blooming 1-2 weeks earlier.

Height: 4-6” | Width: 24-28” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Phlox MOUNTAINSIDE™ 'Crater Lake'

31 of 35

SPRING BLING™ Hybrid Creeping Phlox

The most similar to Creeping Phlox with space-filling, mounded habits; adding larger flowers and an earlier bloom.

Height: 4-8” / Width: 24-28” / Zones: (3)4-8 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Phlox subulata SPRING BLING™ 'Ruby Riot'

32 of 35

Sprite Hybrid Spring Phlox

Later to bloom and more shade tolerant than other types of spring blooming Phlox. Spreads slowly.

Height: 6-8” | Width: 18-22” | Zones: 4-8 | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Variety Pictured: Phlox 'Purple Sprite'

33 of 35

'Heaven Scent' Polemonium

An intersection of fabulous foliage, flowers, and fragrance. Hybrid of native and non native species.

Height: 18-24” | Width: 15-18” | Zones: 3-7 | Exposure: Full - Part Shade

Variety Pictured: Polemonium 'Heaven Scent'

34 of 35

PRAIRIE WINDS® Schizachyrium scoparium

Silvery blue leaves create a vase-shaped habit. Foliage transitions to wine-purple at summer's end before turning deep red in fall.

Height: 3-3½' | Width: 2' | Zones: 3-9 | Exposure: Full Sun

Variety Pictured: Schizachyrium scoparium PRAIRIE WINDS® 'Blue Paradise'

35 of 35

'Cutting Edge' Tiarella

A woodland perennial with fantastic foliage and a profusion of spring blooms. Excellent in shady places.

Height: 8-10” | Width: 16-18” | Zones: 4-9 | Exposure: Full - Part Shade

Variety Pictured: Tiarella 'Cutting Edge'