Plant Encyclopedia
Discover plants for your garden — filter by sun, water, bloom time and more.
78 plants
PerennialsAcanthus mollis
Bear's Breeches
Bear's Breeches is an architectural perennial with large, deeply lobed, glossy dark green leaves that have inspired the Corinthian column in architecture for centuries. In summer, impressive flower spikes up to 1.5 metres tall bear white and purple hooded blooms. A true eye-catcher in any border.
PerennialsAchillea millefolium
Yarrow
Yarrow is a robust native perennial with finely divided, fern-like foliage and flat flower clusters in yellow, white, or pink. The plant blooms prolifically from June to September, attracting countless pollinators. Yarrow is remarkably drought-resistant and fits almost any garden style, from prairie borders to wildflower meadows.
PerennialsActaea simplex
Bugbane
Bugbane is a stately shade plant that blooms late in the season with elegant, fragrant white flower spires above dark purple foliage. The slender flower spikes appear in September and October when most plants have finished blooming. The combination of dark foliage and white flowers is breathtaking.
PerennialsAgapanthus africanus
African Lily
The African Lily produces spectacular globe-shaped flower heads in blue or white on sturdy, tall stems above strap-like foliage. It blooms from June to August and lends a Mediterranean feel to any patio or container planting. In mild climates the plant is evergreen.
PerennialsAgave americana
Century Plant
The century plant is an imposing rosette-forming succulent with broad, blue-green, sharply pointed leaves reaching up to two metres in length. The plant grows for decades before flowering once with a spectacular, multi-metre tall flower stalk — after which the mother plant dies, leaving behind offsets. As an architectural focal point it fits perfectly in modern and Mediterranean gardens.
PerennialsAjania pacifica
Pacific Chrysanthemum
The Pacific chrysanthemum is a compact perennial with silver-green leaves edged in white. In October and November it produces abundant small, button-like yellow flowers. An ideal late-season bloomer that requires very little care.
PerennialsAlchemilla mollis
Lady's Mantle
Lady's Mantle is a reliable perennial treasured for its beautiful, scalloped leaves that catch dewdrops like tiny pearls. From June to July, clouds of delicate yellow-green flowers appear, making excellent cut flowers. The plant forms attractive, rounded clumps and works beautifully as edging.
PerennialsAmsonia tabernaemontana
Eastern Bluestar
Eastern bluestar is an elegant, low-maintenance perennial with willow-like leaves and ice-blue, star-shaped flowers in loose clusters in May and June. The narrow foliage turns a stunning golden yellow in autumn, making the plant decorative across two seasons. Over the years it forms a sturdy, vase-shaped silhouette.
PerennialsAnemone hupehensis
Japanese Anemone
The Japanese anemone is an elegant perennial that graces the garden from August to October with graceful, saucer-shaped flowers in pink or white. On tall, wiry stems the blooms dance above the dark green, three-lobed foliage. The plant truly comes into its own in the second or third year, forming lush colonies.
PerennialsAquilegia vulgaris
Common Columbine
Common Columbine is a charming perennial with graceful, spurred flowers in purple, blue, and pink hues. The grey-green, three-lobed leaves form a loose rosette. From May to June, the distinctive blooms appear on slender, branched stems — a delightful sight in any partly shaded border.
PerennialsAruncus dioicus
Goat's Beard
Goat's beard is a stately, woodland perennial with large, compound leaves and spectacular creamy-white flower plumes that rise above the foliage in June and July. This native plant can reach 180 cm tall and is perfect for partial shade beneath trees or along waterways.
PerennialsAster novae-angliae
New England Aster
New England Aster is the queen of the autumn garden, producing masses of purple to pink daisy-like flowers. From September to October, this vigorous perennial creates a colourful display buzzing with butterflies and bees. An indispensable plant for late-season colour.
PerennialsAstilbe × arendsii
False Spirea
False Spirea is an elegant shade plant with feathery plumes in pink, red, or white above deeply cut foliage. It blooms from June to August, and the plumes retain their ornamental value even when dried. Astilbe thrives in moist, shady spots where many other plants struggle.
PerennialsBaptisia australis
Blue Wild Indigo
Blue wild indigo is a stately, long-lived perennial with blue-green trifoliate leaves and striking racemes of indigo-blue, lupin-like flowers in May and June. After flowering, decorative inflated dark seed pods appear that remain attractive into winter. The plant forms a sturdy, shrub-like clump that grows larger and more impressive each year.
PerennialsBergenia cordifolia
Elephant's Ears
Elephant's Ears is a tough ground cover with large, leathery leaves that turn a stunning red in autumn and winter. From March to May, clusters of pink flowers appear on sturdy stems. The plant is evergreen, extremely hardy, and thrives in almost any position.
PerennialsBrunnera macrophylla
Siberian Bugloss
Siberian Bugloss is an elegant shade plant with clouds of small sky-blue flowers above large, heart-shaped foliage. Blooming occurs in April and May, reminiscent of common forget-me-nots. The silver-toned leaves of popular cultivars remain decorative throughout the season.
PerennialsCampanula persicifolia
Peach-leaved Bellflower
The peach-leaved bellflower is a graceful perennial with slender stems bearing open, bell-shaped flowers in blue or white. Blooming in June and July, the plant self-seeds modestly, gradually drifting through the border. The narrow, glossy foliage forms compact rosettes at the base.
PerennialsCentranthus ruber
Red Valerian
Red Valerian is a carefree, long-flowering perennial with clusters of small red to pink flowers on grey-green stems. Blooming from May to September, it thrives even in the most impoverished conditions — in cracks, on walls, and in dry soil.
PerennialsChelone obliqua
Turtlehead
Turtlehead gets its name from its unusual flower shape that resembles a turtle's head. The pink, lip-shaped flowers appear in dense spikes from August to September. This sturdy plant thrives in moist, shady spots and is perfect for waterside planting.
PerennialsConvallaria majalis
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley is an enchanting shade plant with delightfully fragrant, small white bell-shaped flowers on arching stems. The plant blooms in April and May, spreading an unforgettable sweet scent through the garden. Note: all parts of the plant are poisonous.
PerennialsCoreopsis grandiflora
Tickseed
Tickseed is a cheerful perennial that floods the garden with bright yellow daisy-like flowers from June to September. The plant grows compactly and is particularly suited to dry, sunny borders. Butterflies and bees happily visit the blooms.
PerennialsCorydalis lutea
Yellow Corydalis
Yellow corydalis is a charming, long-flowering perennial with fern-like light green foliage and clusters of yellow, spurred flowers. From May to October it continually produces new blooms. The plant self-seeds effortlessly in wall crevices and between stones.
PerennialsCrambe cordifolia
Greater Sea Kale
Greater Sea Kale is a spectacular perennial that produces a cloud of thousands of tiny white flowers on widely branching stems in June and July. The bloom resembles a giant white Gypsophila and is truly breathtaking. The large, rounded, dark green leaves form a substantial rosette at the base. An unmatched presence in the summer border.
PerennialsDelphinium elatum
Larkspur
Larkspur is an imposing border plant whose tall spikes of blue to purple flowers become the focal point of any garden. It blooms in June and July and can reach up to 180 cm. The plant is toxic if ingested, but indispensable for those seeking dramatic vertical accents.
PerennialsDianthus caryophyllus
Carnation
The carnation is a classic garden plant with fragrant, ruffled flowers in shades of pink, red, and white. The blue-green, grass-like foliage forms a compact, cushion-shaped mound. Carnations bloom profusely from June to August and are popular with pollinators.
PerennialsDicentra spectabilis
Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart is a charming perennial with gracefully arching flower sprays full of heart-shaped pink and white blooms. Flowering appears from April to June above refined blue-green foliage. After blooming, the plant retreats and the foliage disappears entirely.
PerennialsDigitalis purpurea
Foxglove
Foxglove is an imposing plant with tall flower spikes packed with thimble-shaped blooms in purple, pink, or white. The flowers appear from June to July on one-sided spires reaching up to one and a half metres. The plant is biennial but self-sows reliably, returning each summer. Note: all parts are poisonous.
PerennialsEchinacea purpurea
Purple Coneflower
Purple Coneflower is a sturdy perennial with distinctive pink-purple petals surrounding an orange-brown cone. The flowers appear from July to September and are a magnet for butterflies and bees. In autumn and winter, the seed heads attract goldfinches and other seed-eating birds.
PerennialsEryngium planum
Sea Holly
Sea Holly is a striking perennial with steel-blue, thistle-like flower heads on branching stems. Blooming in July and August, it adds unique texture and colour to sunny borders. Excellent as a dried flower and a magnet for pollinators.
PerennialsEupatorium purpureum
Joe Pye Weed
Joe Pye weed is an impressive perennial that can reach up to two metres in height. The large, dome-shaped flower clusters in pink to purple appear from July to September and are a paradise for butterflies. A powerful structural plant for the back of large borders.
PerennialsEuphorbia characias
Mediterranean Spurge
Mediterranean Spurge is an architectural, evergreen perennial with blue-green foliage and striking yellow-green flower heads in spring. The columnar flower stems can reach 120 cm and bring colour and structure to the garden early in the season.
PerennialsGaillardia aristata
Blanket Flower
Blanket Flower is a striking perennial with warm bicoloured blooms in red and yellow, like small suns. Flowering lasts from June through September and attracts plenty of butterflies and bees. This uncomplicated plant is ideal for dry, sunny gardens.
PerennialsGaura lindheimeri
Whirling Butterflies
Whirling Butterflies is an elegant perennial with graceful, swaying stems adorned with butterfly-shaped white or pink flowers. Blooming non-stop from June to October, it dances beautifully in the breeze, lending an airy, romantic feel to any border.
PerennialsGeranium 'Rozanne'
Geranium 'Rozanne'
Geranium 'Rozanne' is one of the longest-flowering perennials, producing bright blue-violet blooms from June until the first frost. It grows as a wide, low mound and makes an outstanding ground cover. Rozanne is tough, disease-free, and fits nearly any garden style.
PerennialsHedychium gardnerianum
Ginger Lily
The ginger lily is an imposing tropical perennial with broad, lance-shaped leaves along tall stems, crowned by large spikes of bright yellow, wonderfully fragrant flowers from August to October. The sweet, exotic scent carries far through the garden atmosphere. With protection the rhizome overwinters in temperate climates.
PerennialsHelenium autumnale
Sneezeweed
Sneezeweed is a vigorous perennial that brightens the garden from August to October with warm shades of yellow, orange, and red. The daisy-like flowers with their prominent domed centres are magnets for bees and butterflies. Excellent for prairie borders and cut flowers.
PerennialsHelleborus orientalis
Lenten Rose
The Lenten Rose is one of the first bloomers of the garden year, with saucer-shaped flowers in purple, pink or white appearing as early as February. The evergreen, palmate foliage forms attractive clumps that remain decorative year-round. The plant is a valuable early nectar source for bees.
PerennialsHemerocallis 'Stella de Oro'
Daylily 'Stella de Oro'
Stella de Oro is the best-known compact daylily, with golden-yellow trumpet-shaped flowers that appear throughout summer. Each bloom lasts only a day, but the plant continuously produces new buds. The grass-like foliage forms a neat, low clump.
PerennialsHeuchera micrantha
Coral Bells
Coral Bells is an elegant perennial prized primarily for its striking foliage in shades of purple, bronze and green. The delicate flower stems carry airy clusters of white or pink bells in summer. The plant is evergreen and provides year-round colour.
PerennialsHosta sieboldiana
Hosta
Hosta is the quintessential shade plant, valued for its large, blue-green, ribbed leaves. Light purple or white bell-shaped flowers appear on tall stems in July and August. Over the years the plant forms substantial clumps that give a shaded border a lush character.
PerennialsIris germanica
Bearded Iris
The bearded iris is a stately perennial with sword-shaped grey-green leaves and elegant, multi-coloured flowers. In May and June, striking blooms appear in purple, blue, or yellow, often with a characteristic 'beard' on the drooping petals. The plant is perfect for formal borders or along pathways.
PerennialsKirengeshoma palmata
Yellow Wax Bells
Yellow wax bells is an elegant shade plant with palmate, maple-like leaves and pendulous, waxy yellow bell-shaped flowers appearing in August and September. The graceful, arching stems give this rare plant a particularly refined appearance.
PerennialsKniphofia uvaria
Red Hot Poker
Red Hot Poker is a spectacular perennial with torch-shaped flower clusters in fiery shades of red, orange and yellow. The blooms appear from June to September on sturdy stems above grass-like foliage. The plant is a magnet for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
PerennialsLeucanthemum vulgare
Oxeye Daisy
The oxeye daisy is a cheerful native perennial with the familiar white petals surrounding a golden centre. From June to August, this uncomplicated plant blooms profusely in any sunny garden. Oxeye daisies make excellent cut flowers and work well in both structured borders and wildflower meadows.
PerennialsLiatris spicata
Blazing Star
Blazing Star is an elegant perennial with striking purple flower spikes that bloom from top to bottom. The stiff, vertical stems appear in July and August and provide a wonderful contrast with rounder garden plants. Butterflies and bees adore the nectar-rich flowers.
PerennialsLigularia dentata
Leopard Plant
Leopard Plant is an imposing foliage plant with large, rounded, dark green leaves that often sport a purple-brown underside. From July to September, striking orange-yellow, daisy-like flowers appear on sturdy stems. The plant looks its best at pond margins and in moist, shaded borders.
PerennialsLupinus polyphyllus
Lupin
The lupin is a striking perennial with tall, candle-shaped flower spikes in spectacular colours. From June to July, this plant adorns the garden with blue, pink, purple, or white flower spires. The palmate leaves form a decorative foliage canopy. As a legume, the lupin enriches the soil with nitrogen.
PerennialsMonarda didyma
Bee Balm
Bee balm is a striking perennial with aromatic foliage and crown-like flowers in fiery red, pink or purple that appear in whorls around the stem in July and August. The blooms are a magnet for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The aromatic leaves release a bergamot scent when rubbed between the fingers.
PerennialsMusa basjoo
Japanese Banana
The Japanese banana is the hardiest banana species in the world and brings a truly tropical feel to the garden with its enormous, fan-shaped leaves. The plant can reach up to four metres tall and grows at astonishing speed. The above-ground parts die back in winter, but the roots survive temperatures down to -15°C and reshoot vigorously in spring.
PerennialsNepeta × faassenii
Catmint
Catmint is a tough border plant with grey-green, aromatic foliage and soft blue flower plumes. It blooms from May to September, making it one of the longest-flowering perennials. Bees love the flowers and cats are drawn to the leaves.
PerennialsOenothera biennis
Evening Primrose
Evening Primrose is a graceful biennial that opens its bright yellow flowers on warm summer evenings. The blooms release a sweet scent that attracts moths. From June to September, fresh flowers appear continuously along the upright stems. The plant self-seeds and naturalises beautifully in informal gardens.
PerennialsPaeonia lactiflora
Chinese Peony
The Chinese peony is one of the most beloved garden plants, prized for its sumptuous, fragrant flowers in pink, white or red. The large, often double blooms appear in May and June and are unrivalled as cut flowers. Peonies can thrive in the same spot for decades.
PerennialsPenstemon digitalis
Foxglove Beardtongue
Foxglove beardtongue is a graceful North American native perennial with striking clusters of white, tubular flowers on elegant upright stems in June and July. The blooms attract a wide range of pollinators. The dark green foliage often has a reddish flush, especially in spring. An excellent choice for naturalistic plantings and prairie gardens.
PerennialsPerovskia atriplicifolia
Russian Sage
Russian Sage is a graceful sub-shrub with silvery-grey aromatic foliage and airy lavender-blue flower plumes from July to September. The plant can reach 150 cm and gives borders a hazy, ethereal quality. Russian Sage is highly drought-tolerant and thrives on poor, dry soil.
PerennialsPersicaria amplexicaulis
Mountain Fleece
Mountain Fleece is a vigorous, reliable perennial with slender, upright flower spikes in red or pink. It blooms tirelessly from July to October and forms dense clumps of fresh green foliage. Excellent for partial shade and moist conditions.
PerennialsPhlox paniculata
Garden Phlox
Garden Phlox is a stately border plant with large, dome-shaped flower clusters in pink, purple, or white. The blooms release a sweet fragrance and appear from July to September. Phlox is indispensable in the classic cottage garden.
PerennialsPhormium tenax
New Zealand Flax
New Zealand flax is a vigorous evergreen plant with long, sword-shaped, stiffly upright leaves that create a spectacular architectural statement. Cultivars come in green, bronze, red and striped forms. At maturity a tall flower stalk appears with dark red tubular flowers that attract birds. A showpiece in modern and coastal gardens.
PerennialsPhysostegia virginiana
Obedient Plant
The Obedient Plant earns its name from the unique ability of individual flowers to be pushed to any position on the spike, where they stay put. From July to September, the plant produces dense spikes of pink or white tubular flowers. A vigorous grower that spreads by underground runners.
PerennialsPolemonium caeruleum
Jacob's Ladder
Jacob's ladder is a graceful perennial with elegantly pinnate foliage and clusters of sky-blue, bell-shaped flowers appearing in May and June. The name refers to the ladder-like arrangement of leaflets along the leaf stem. A valuable spring bloomer for partial shade.
PerennialsPrimula vulgaris
Common Primrose
The Common Primrose is one of the most beloved spring flowers, with soft, pale yellow blooms emerging from a compact leaf rosette. Flowering lasts from March to May and heralds the arrival of spring. The plant thrives best in a natural, partially shaded garden.
PerennialsPulmonaria officinalis
Lungwort
Lungwort is an early-flowering shade plant with strikingly spotted foliage and charming flowers that change from pink to blue. The plant blooms as early as March, providing vital early nectar for bees. The decorative leaves remain attractive throughout the season.
PerennialsRodgersia pinnata
Featherleaf Rodgersia
Featherleaf rodgersia is an imposing foliage plant with large, pinnate, bronze-green leaves that emerge with a striking bronze tint in spring. The plume-shaped pink flowers appear in June and July, towering above the foliage. An architectural plant for moist, sheltered spots.
PerennialsRudbeckia fulgida
Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan blooms from July through October with radiant golden-yellow petals surrounding a dark brown center. The plant is virtually indestructible, spreads gradually, and suits large borders and prairie-style gardens. After flowering, the seed heads provide food for birds.
PerennialsSalvia nemorosa
Woodland Sage
Woodland Sage is a compact perennial with striking purple-blue flower spikes blooming from June to August. It attracts plenty of bees and butterflies and works well in sunny borders. Cutting back spent flower stems often triggers a second flush of blooms.
PerennialsScabiosa caucasica
Caucasian Scabious
Caucasian Scabious is a charming perennial with large, pincushion-shaped flowers in soft blue to lavender on slender stems. Blooming generously from June to September, it is a magnet for butterflies and bees. Beautiful as a cut flower and in cottage-garden borders.
PerennialsSedum spectabile
Stonecrop
Stonecrop is a succulent perennial with thick, grey-green leaves and flat pink flower heads from August to October. The plant is extremely drought-tolerant and attracts large numbers of butterflies and bees in late summer. The dried flower heads provide striking winter interest.
PerennialsSidalcea malviflora
Checkerbloom
Checkerbloom is an elegant perennial with slender flower spikes covered in soft pink, saucer-shaped blooms. The plant flowers from June to August and resembles a more delicate hollyhock. With its upright habit, it is perfect for the middle to back of a sunny border.
PerennialsSolidago canadensis
Canada Goldenrod
Canada goldenrod is a robust perennial with plume-shaped, golden-yellow flower clusters that bloom from August to October. The plant spreads via rhizomes and forms impressive colonies. A valuable late-season nectar source for bees and butterflies.
PerennialsStachys byzantina
Lamb's Ear
Lamb's Ear is a versatile perennial with soft, silvery, woolly leaves that invite touch. The plant forms dense mats of fuzzy rosettes and blooms in summer with small pink-purple flowers on upright stems.
PerennialsStrelitzia reginae
Bird of Paradise
The bird of paradise is a striking tropical plant with sturdy, blue-green, banana-like leaves and spectacular flowers resembling the head of an exotic bird. The blooms combine vivid orange sepals with sky-blue petals and appear almost year-round. An architectural showpiece as a container plant.
PerennialsTiarella cordifolia
Foam Flower
Foam Flower is a delicate shade plant with clouds of small white to pink flowers that seem to float above the heart-shaped foliage. Blooming lasts from April to June, adding an airy accent to the shade border. The foliage is evergreen and often turns an attractive bronze-red in autumn.
PerennialsTradescantia virginiana
Virginia Spiderwort
Virginia Spiderwort is a graceful perennial with grass-like foliage and three-petalled flower clusters in blue to purple. Each individual bloom lasts only a day, but new buds open continuously from June to September. The plant forms a dense clump and suits borders as well as naturalistic gardens.
PerennialsTricyrtis hirta
Toad Lily
The toad lily is a fascinating shade plant with exotic-looking, orchid-like flowers speckled with purple spots on a white background. The blooms appear in September and October on arching stems, creating a unique presence in the autumn garden.
PerennialsTrollius chinensis
Chinese Globeflower
The Chinese globeflower is an elegant moisture-loving perennial with open, bowl-shaped flowers in warm orange to yellow. The blooms appear in May and June above finely divided, palmate foliage. This plant thrives along pond margins and in moist borders.
PerennialsVerbena bonariensis
Tall Verbena
Tall Verbena is a graceful perennial with slender stems carrying clouds of purple flower clusters. Blooming from June until the first frost, it is a magnet for butterflies. Its airy, see-through habit makes it ideal for weaving through other plants in borders.
PerennialsVeronica spicata
Spike Speedwell
Spike Speedwell is a compact perennial with striking, slender flower spikes in blue to purple. The stiffly upright racemes appear from June to August and attract plenty of bees and butterflies. Perfect for the front of borders and combinations with roses.
PerennialsYucca filamentosa
Adam's Needle
Adam's needle is a robust evergreen plant with sword-shaped leaves growing in a compact rosette. Characteristic curling threads line the leaf edges. In summer an impressive flower stalk rises up to one and a half metres, laden with creamy-white bell-shaped flowers. Surprisingly hardy for a plant with such an exotic appearance.
PerennialsZantedeschia aethiopica
Arum Lily
The arum lily is a stately perennial with large, funnel-shaped white spathes surrounding a yellow spadix. Its glossy, arrow-shaped leaves create lush ground-level foliage. This plant thrives in moist to wet conditions and flowers from June to August.