Fall 2008 Plant List E--H
Echinacea purpurea
Coneflower
N. America, z. 3-9. A popular and very showy 2'-3' native with large, lavender-pink flowers whose petals often flare back
interestingly from the prominent golden brown cones. Flowers for a long period in summer in full sun to half shade and average
soil. An excellent border or meadow plant, and fine for cutting. Goldfinches love it. $5.00
Epimedium x perralchicum 'Frohnleiten'
'Frohnleiten' Barrenwort
Garden origin, z. 5-9. A very handsome evergreen Epimedium with sprays of bright yellow flowers in spring, followed by elegantly
bronzed new leaves that turn deep green and leathery in summer. Rapid spreading for an Epimedium but not aggressive, it is
a valuable specimen or groundcover in partial to full shade and moist, well drained soil. Drought tolerant once established.
Very desirable. $6.00
Euonymus americanus
Strawberry Bush
N. America, z. 5-9. Strawberry Bush is a thin, suckering shrub with green stems and sparse, leathery leaves that passes almost
unnoticed in its woodland haunts—until its seed capsules ripen in the fall. The capsules are large, spiky, and strawberry-pink, and split open upon maturity
to reveal four vermilion berries dangling from fine threads. A bushful of them is an astonishing and beautiful sight. Strawberry
Bush is a dubious choice for gardens because of its lax habit and susceptibility to scale insects, but is quite nice for naturalizing
at woods' edge. It will grow readily in dense shade but sets fruit best with some sun; the green stems add winter interest.
Available at the nursery; price will vary by size.
Eupatorium purpureum 'Little Red'
'Little Red' Sweet Joe-Pye
N. America, z. 3-8. A New England Wild Flower Society selection for compact
size, 'Little Red' will supposedly top out at
4' instead of 7' at maturity, but since the plants are
seed-grown they may vary somewhat. At any height, however, Sweet
Joe-Pye's broad adaptability and big heads of hazy purple,
butterfly-attracting flowers in late summer make it well worthwhile.
Sun to part shade, average to wet soil. $6.00
Fagus grandifolia
American Beech
Geranium maculatum
Wild Geranium, Spotted Cranesbill
N. America, z. 3-8. A late-spring flowering native with a neat mound of deeply cut, dark green foliage and 1" open-faced flowers in varying shades of lavender-pink. A pretty, long-lived perennial for part to full shade and average
to moist soil. $5.00
Helenium flexuosum
Purple-headed Sneezeweed
N. America, z. 5-9. The flowers of this little-known native are as comical as its name. Each consists of a nearly spherical
purple-brown knob poised on top of a ring of scalloped yellow petals that remind me of cheerleaders' skirts. I'm not fond
of the adjective "perky", but in this case it fits. The flowers are borne on branching, 1'-3' stems above a basal rosette in mid/late summer. Sun
to part shade, average to wet soil. $5.00
Heuchera americana 'Dale's Strain'
'Dale's Strain' Common Alumroot
N. America, z. 4-8. A woodland plant grown more for its 12" mounds of variably silver-mottled leaves than for its sprays of greenish-white flowers. The seed-grown variety 'Dale's Strain'
was selected by Dale Hendricks of North Creek Nurseries in PA for superior foliage. A good accent, edging, or groundcover
plant for partial shade and moist to dry soil, the silvery foliage contrasts well with other perennials. $5.00
Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride'
Hairy Alumroot
N. America, z. 5-8. Softly furred light green leaves form mounds over 1′ tall and wide, erupting in late summer/fall with
plumes of airy white flowers which look cool and elegant against an autumn backdrop. A strong, easy grower for use either
as a specimen or groundcover, it prefers partial to full shade and withstands dry shade. One of the best of the Heucheras.
5.00
Hibiscus coccineus
Scarlet Rose Mallow, Texas Star
N. America, z. 7-9. A real showstopper! This southeastern perennial can reach 7' in a season when mature, and its stiff canes
are clad in large, deeply cut, palmate leaves that look like something straight out of the jungle. But the late-summer flowers
are the real show: 6"-wide crimson pinwheels with feathery stamens that protrude like an arrow from a bullseye. Striking as a mass planting or
a single accent in rain gardens, at the edge of ponds, or any sunny spot with moist to wet soil. $6.00
Hibiscus laevis
Halberdleaf Rosemallow
N. America, z. 4-9. The common name of this large and handsome perennial derives from the leaves' resemblance to an antique
weapon, but far more noticeable are the saucer-sized, rose-pink flowers with a deep-red eye that burst open exuberantly at
summer's height. Like other mallows it sprouts late in spring but grows very rapidly as the days heat up, reaching 6' tall
and 3' wide at maturity. Tolerant of average to very wet soil in sun to part shade, it's a fine choice for either inland
or seashore plantings, and attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. $6.00
Hydrangea macrophylla var. serrata 'Blue Billow'
'Blue Billow' Lacecap Hydrangea
Korea, z. 5-8. This beautiful oriental creates a 4' by 6' mound of boldly textured foliage, studded from top to bottom in
June with flat, 4"-5" heads of flowers of a gorgeous medium blue in acid soil, turning lavender to pink in more alkaline soils. As with most Hydrangeas,
the flowers fade and change color but remain attractive for a very long period. 'Blue Billow' prefers shade and its lacecap
form, with large sterile flowers surrounding the smaller fertile flowers, is more refined than the snowball types and stunning
in the woodland garden. Moist to wet soil.
Available at the nursery; price will vary by size.
Hydrangea quercifolia
Oakleaf Hydrangea
N. America, z. 6-9. A superb native shrub, big in every way. Growing 6' by 6' or better, its leaves can be 1' long and wide
and are matched in scale by the gracefully swaying heads of creamy white flowers in early summer. By midsummer the flowers
fade to dusky rose, then to a soft brown complementing the spectacular late fall coloring of the leaves. In winter the bare
branches are enlivened by flaking, reddish-brown bark, and still tipped with the dry flower heads. The seeds therein are very
small, but still seem to attract winter birds. What more can one ask? A great choice either for specimen use or mass plantings,
Oakleaf Hydrangea will tolerate either full sun or full shade, but is best in partial shade with moist, well-drained soil.
Available at the nursery; price will vary by size.
Hypericum densiflorum
Bushy St. John's Wort
N. America, z. 5-8. Native to Maryland and much of the Southeast, Bushy St. John's Wort is an upright, suckering shrub 4'-6'
in height. Its crown is twiggy and thickly clad in small, semi-oval leaves like green minnows; the stems have exoliating
bark of a rich mahogany color. In mid-summer it produces clusters of small, golden powderpuff flowers followed by brown
seed capsules, both attractive to wildlife. Very adaptable, it grows in dry to wet soils, but prefers full or nearly full
sun. Available at the nursery in limited supply. $12.00