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Top Perennials for Central Minnesota

Julie Schroer and Jodie Ramsay

Jean’s - The Right Plant Place

Perham, MN

If you’re looking for some tough perennials to survive our challenging climate, then we’ve got a list for you! These are some of the perennial plants that should reliably come back inZone 3, and some that are even hardy to Zone 2.

Perennials for the Shade:

Aralia cordata 'Sun King': This large (3’ tall), tropical-looking plant has large compound leaves that emerge bright gold in mid-spring. If given a few hours of sun per day, the foliage will remain yellow all summer. The reddish brown stems provide a lovely contrast to the foliage. Tiny white flowers are produced in mid to late summer, followed by deep purplish black berries. A newer, unique addition to shade gardens! Zone 3.

Brunnera: 12-15” tall. Brunneras show delightful, tiny clusters of small blue flowers resembling Forget-Me-Nots in early spring. These moisture-loving plants are ideal for woodland settings, performing best in partial to deep shade. Shown here areB. ‘Jack Frost,’ which has green veins and a silver overlay (Perennial Plant of the Year for 2012), and B. ‘Henry’s Eyes’, a wonderful Brunnera with bright green, heart-shaped leaves. It stands out from other varieties because the light blue flowers have white edges. It flowers early, but the tidy mound of foliage looks great all season long. Zone 3.

Ferns: These versatile shade plants provide texture for a shady spot. Japanese painted ferns (Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’) have beautiful silvery 12-15” foliage with burgundy stems, great in combination with dark-leaved Cimicifugas. Plant ferns with hostas or heucheras for lovely contrast. If you love the coloring of the Japanese Painted Fern, you will adore its giant relative Athyrium ‘Godzilla’, which reaches a massive 3’ tall! A. ‘Dre’s Dagger’ (18”) has a different look. Its narrow, deep green fronds are crisscrossed, coming to a narrow point with a terminal crest. Zone 3.

Alchemilla: Lady’s Mantle has a wonderful habit of trapping dew or raindrops in its corrugated leaves, producing a jewel-like effect. Small chartreuse flower clusters appear in June. A. mollis grows to 18”, whileA. erythropodaonly gains 6”, but both form neat and tidy mounds. Zone 3.

Dodecatheon: Shooting stars are unique woodland plants that add a splash of color (white, lavender, or hot pink) to your shade garden in May. They prefer moist soil and will likely go dormant when it gets hot in July, so make sure to mark their location in your garden! 12-20” tall. Zone 4.

Uvularia grandiflora: Clusters of clear, gold bells on 1-2 foot arching stems in early spring. A native wildflower that prefers semi-shade and soil with lots of organic matter – think compost or peat moss! Propagate in early spring, before blooming, by division. These plants spread some and work well in naturalized areas. Zone 3.

Hosta: Zone 3. What’s a shade garden without hostas? They’re lush-looking, extremely versatile, durable plants for the shade. If you don’t have any of these beauties, get on the bandwagon! These are primarily grown for leaf color, which includes golds, greens, blues, and variegations of all of the above. While they are frequently grown for their foliage, some have beautiful (or fragrant) flowers too. Some of our favorites include:

  • H. ‘Brother Stefan’ (20”W x 15”H) is the Hosta of the Year for 2017! It forms a large clump of thick, puckered leaves. Leaves mature to gold with green margins as the season progresses. White flowers.
  • H. ‘Raspberry Sundae’ (21”W x 9”H) has very unique coloration. The petioles, flower stalks, and buds are raspberry-red; the leaves have creamy centers and irregular green edges. Lovely!
  • H. ‘Forbidden Fruit’ (36”W x 20”H). Thick leaves have glowing yellow-orange centers with wide blue-green borders that flare towards the center. A stunning sport of H. ‘Orange Marmalade’.
  • H.‘Curly Fries’: 16”W x 5”H. Arching clumps of extremely rippled, narrow leaves start out gold and fade to yellow. Hosta of the Year for 2016.
  • H. ‘Sunset Grooves’: 32”W x 16” H. Round, puckered leaves have wide green margins with yellow centers. The leaves are shiny with rippled margins. Lavender flowers.

Dicentra: Bleeding hearts are oldies but goodies! D. spectabilis, the old-fashioned variety, has pink flowers; this variety also comes in white (D. spectabilis ‘Alba’). D. spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’has beautiful gold foliage and produces heart-shaped pink and white flowers in spring. D. spectabilis ‘Valentine’ has dark stems and red and white flowers. These varieties all get 3-4’ tall. Zone 3.

Perennials for the Sun:

Amsonia: A. ‘Blue Ice’ is covered with navy blue buds that open to star-shaped lavender-blue flowers in late spring. It forms a neat mount of 12-16” foliage that turns bright yellow in fall. A tidy plant, it does not need to be cut back after flowering. Great for borders and rock gardens! Zone 4.

Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus': Commonly known as Red Valerian, this interesting perennial gets 18-24” tall and produces clusters of small bright reddish flowers for a long time in the summer and may re-bloom if cut back. Zone 4.

Echinops bannaticus ‘Blue Glow’: 36-42” tall. Intense blue flower heads cover vigorous plants resembling thistles Best in full sun in dryish, well-drained soil, globe thistles are popular as a cut flower and easily dried. These are not weedy thistles (although they have prickles), but instead are unique garden specimens. Zone 3.

Hemerocallis: Zone 3. Called daylilies because each blossom lasts only one day, these blooms will grace your gardens in July or August, depending on the variety. Colors range from whites and yellows to pinks and reds, even a few purples and oranges, and different varieties may be ruffled, have a “spider” look, or even double. Some are fragrant, and others may rebloom if you remove spent flowers. Our favorites include:

  • H.‘Stella de Oro’ – Yes, you see them everywhere, but for a reason. Stella is the longest blooming of any daylily, a wonderful gold that blooms June until frost if deadheaded. 18” tall.
  • H. ‘Judy Judy’ – 6” lavender, fragrant flowers have frilly, yellow picotee edges with creamy yellow throats. 28” tall. Evergreen. New in 2017.
  • H. ‘Monterrey Jack’: 5.5” ruffled flowers have raspberry red eyes with light midribs and are diamond-dusted. 24” tall. Dormant.
  • H. ‘Ruby Spider’— Wow! This beauty has 9” ruby red blooms with golden-yellow throats. Spider daylilies have relatively long, narrow, widely spaced petals. 26” tall. Dormant.
  • H. ‘Tiger Swirl’—6.5” triangular-shaped flowers are light golden yellow with raspberry red eyes. The bottom sepals are smooth and curl into a ‘swirling’ pattern. 18” tall. Dormant. New in 2017.
  • H.‘Omomuki’: Chartreuse yellow flowers reach 5" in size. This tetraploid is fragrant AND has an extended bloom time. Dormant. 26" tall.

Echinacea: This list of cultivars give you a bit of an idea of the diversity in this group. Echinacea ‘Green Jewel’ (20-24” light green flowers with darker green cones, Zone 3), E. ‘Rainbow Marcella’ (18”sherbet-colored flowers, Zone 4), E. ‘Pow Wow Wildberry’ (22” deep rose, Zone 3),E. ‘Aloha’ (32” buttery yellow with orange cones, Zone 4) and E. ‘Pink Sensation’ (16-18” magenta, Zone 4) are sure to brighten a sunny spot. Plant these early in the season to give their taproots time to grow and they will have a better chance of overwintering. Most are very hardy, tolerate full sun and dry conditions at maturity. They attract butterflies, and when they set seed, the finches love them!

Lychnis: L. ‘Orange Gnome’ produces brilliant, orange-scarlet flowers measuring 1.5” across. This relatively little plant (8”) makes up for its short stature by blooming for 8 weeks! Dark green leaves are flushed with purplish bronze and are an excellent foil for the blossoms. Sit back and wait for the hummingbirds and butterflies to arrive! Zone 3.

Dianthus: Pinks start blooming early and many continue to bloom throughout the summer as long as they are deadheaded. D. FRUIT PUNCH®‘Cranberry Cocktail’ has full, double magenta-pink flowers. New this year is D. ‘Black Cherry Frost’ (6-8”), with semi-double velvety red flowers with white edges. Great for borders and rock gardens! Deadhead them to keep them blooming long-term. Zone 4.

Armeria: This 6-8” plant makes a great border or rock garden plant. Dark green tufts of foliage form compact mounds or mats. Short flower stalks of A. ‘Bloodstone’ produce small pom-pom pink flowers. A fun little clumper for early season bloom; they should rebloom if deadheaded. Zone 3.

Physostegia virginiana‘Miss Manners’: 24” tall. The white flowering P. ‘Miss Manners’ has remained one of the most popular of all Obedient Plants for years because of its relatively well-behaved, clump forming habit. Its flowers can be faced any direction and they will stay that way! Zone 3.

Penstemon: The common name of ‘Beardtongue’ doesn’t do justice to these versatile and tough native plants. Its dark red leaves makeP. ‘Dark Towers’ really stands out in the garden. It produces spikes of pink tubular flowers in early-mid summer and reaches 3’ in height. P. ‘Elfin Pink’ tops out at 12” (compared to 24” for many other varieties) and produces clear pink spikes. Many penstemons may rebloom if deadheaded. Zone 3.

Oenothera missouriensis: Missouri primrose flowers open late in the day. At 10” tall, this plant works well in front of taller perennials. Their large, fragrant, lemon-yellow flowers make a lovely combination with purples and reds. Flowers last from June-August and are followed by unique, red-speckled seed pods in the fall. Zone 4.

Aster: While most people think of mums for late season color, asters are actually hardier and bloom just as reliably. In late August to October, asters produce masses of brightly colored 1” flowers on sturdy plants, some of which can grow to the size of small shrubs. We especially love A. ‘Purple Dome’ (18” tall with deep purple flowers). Butterflies and bees also love these plants. Outstanding! Zone 3.

Asclepias: Speaking of butterflies, you wouldn’t have a butterfly garden without butterfly weed. Asclepias sports clusters of orange, pink, or white flowers that look individually like a dancing lady. Monarch butterflies are especially attracted to these plants, so don’t be afraid to feed a caterpillar! Asclepias tuberosa, Perennial Plant of the Year for 2017, is the orange-flowering species (24”, Zone 3). Rose-colored flowers are found on Asclepias incarnata ‘Soulmate’ (a bit taller at 36”, Zone 4). A. tuberosa‘Hello Yellow’ (24”, Zone 4) has large clusters of yellow flowers. The A. incarnata cultivars can tolerate more water than A. tuberosa.

Eupatorium (Joe-Pye-Weed): This interesting native is also a butterfly magnet! They have thick, red stems, with large flower clusters that appear in late summer. E. maculatum ‘Gateway’ (Zone 4) has 8-12” dusty reddish-pink flower clusters and can get up to 6’ tall in the right conditions! E. ‘Prairie Jewel’ (Zone 4) is a bit shorter at 3’; it has misted foliage with white flowers. E. ‘Baby Joe’ (Zone 3) is a compact variety, growing to only 24-30” tall; it has lavender rose flowers supported by dark stems over bright green foliage in mid-summer.

Papaver nudicale Pulcinella Series: Iceland poppies bloom early and the flowers last several weeks. They thrive in colder zones all the way to Zone 2. These compact plants (12-15”) are ideal for rock gardens but require good moisture and drainage. They come in a variety of colors, including red, orange, white, and yellow. Flowers appear in spring and last through much of the summer.

Paeonia: Peonies are old standbys that seem to grow with virtually no care. Many of the newer hybrids grow to similar heights (3’) but don’t droop like the old-fashioned peonies. One example is P. ‘Red Charm’, with purple-red double bomb form flowers (Zone 3). Tree peonies reach 4-5’ and have very large flowers; new this year is P. ‘Hanakisoi’ (Zone 4), with apricot-pink flowers.

Persicaria polymorpha: This knotweed is a wonderful addition to the garden if you have space! It will reach 4-5’ and will bloom much of the summer – no deadheading required! We think it is vastly underused in the sun. Zone 3.

Sempervivum: Hens and Chicks grow to 3-4”. They form large, fleshy rosettes which prefer lots of sun and dry soil. As the ‘chicks’ multiply, they may be separated and used to start additional patches. Great in containers too! One example is S. ‘Ruby Heart’, whose blue-green leaves are flushed rosy red at the base. The color intensifies in cold temperatures. Zone 3.

Sedum: Some varieties of sedums are taller, 18-24” mound-forming plants, while others are shorter (6” tall or less) groundcovers. Most bloom late summer, in shades of white, yellow, pink, rose, and red. Foliage can be green, blue, gold, variegated, or even mahogany, but all are thick and fleshy, and the plants are drought-tolerant. Highlighted are S. ‘Pure Joy’ (Zone 3), which forms blue-green leaves that are covered by bubblegum-pink flowers in fall. S. ‘Star Dust’ (18-24”) has white flowers with a tinge of pink (Zone 3). A wonderful groundcover variety is S. ‘Lime Zinger’ (Zone 4), with red-edged green foliage (4”).

Baptisia: What a statement! False indigo is a member of the pea family, which will be apparent when the petals fall and the black pods develop. The DECADENCE®series of Baptisias has a more compact habit than the older varieties. B. ‘Sparkling Sapphires’ (30-36”) has vibrant blue flowers, while B. ‘Lemon Meringue’has yellow flowers on charcoal-colored stems. Zone 4.

Campanula persicifolia: Long-blooming and easy to maintain—every gardener’s dream! Reaching 16-20” tall, these clumpers are covered with masses of bell-shaped flowers that face upward and outward. Flower colors are purple (C. ‘Takion Blue’) or white (C. ‘Takion White’). Shear them after flowering to encourage rebloom. Zone 3.

Clematis ‘Wildfire’: This stunning selection reaches 8-10’ in height and has huge, 6-8” violet purple flowers with reddish purple bars. It flowers in early summer and may rebloom later in the season. Zone 4.

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Jodie Ramsay and Julie Schroer

Think Spring!

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Offer good May 1 through September 30, 2017.

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