Unlike any other plant in the garden, Achillea or yarrow is an excellent plant for introducing reliable, long-lasting color and natural texture into sunny spaces.

Achillea, named for Achilles who is said to have carried the plant to treat the wounds of his army, is a rugged plant, tolerant of poor soils, road salt, and drought, and resistant to deer and rabbit feeding. Spreading gently by rhizome to form lush mounds of soft green foliage, Achillea have aromatic feather-like, minutely fringed leaves with fine hairs along their length, or in the case of Achillea ‘Moonshine,’ nearly white foliage in sharp contrast to its bright yellow blooms. Mature plants grow between 12-24” round, with the true species occasionally topping 36” in height with white blooms.

Regularly deadheaded to encourage reblooming and to keep foliage dense and full. Yarrow should be divided every few years to keep plants tidy and to avoid bare centers. After late season blooms have faded, seedheads can be left for winter interest and wildlife.

Perfect for sunny beds, natural-style gardens, pollinator gardens, water-wise gardens, as well as boulevard plantings, and excellent as cut flowers, yarrow thrive in areas of full sun with well-drained soil, intolerant of consistently wet conditions.

Among classic shady regulars, Astilbe stands out from the crowd, providing a dramatic show of bright plumes to brighten up shady and part sun locations alike. Astilbe is a stunning, durable, resistant to deer and rabbits, and tolerant of both road salt and juglone, produced by black walnut and hickory trees.

While Astilbe generally prefer moist, rich, well-drained soils in areas of partial sun, false goatsbeard is an incredibly tolerant and adaptable plant, thriving in dense clay soils and even tolerating periods of standing water. Astilbe will thrive in full shade to part sun, though will bloom most abundantly and vibrantly with at least three hours of direct sun each day.

Astilbe form clumps of attractive compound, fern-like foliage ranging in color from bright green to deep purple. Slender, upright stems hold airy panicles of flowers ranging in color from white, to pastel pinks, to bright fuchsias, and even reds. With seemingly endless varieties and hybrids, Astilbe offer a wide range of sizes and appearances, ranging in size from 18"-48” tall and 18"-36” wide. Astilbe is excellent in small groupings or massed as a groundcover and is best divided in the fall every three to four years to keep plants lush and blooming their best.

Astilbe are typically a cultivar of one of three species:

Astilbe chinensis, later blooming with coarse, often bronze-green foliage and narrow-branched flower panicles, including the vibrant pink blooms of ‘Maggie Daley’ and striking red stems and blooms of ‘Vision in Red.’

Astilbe japonica, early blooming with green, sometimes red-tinged, glossy leaves and dense pyramidal flowers, including the elegant white blooms of ‘Deutschland,’ and bright pink flowers of ‘Rheinland.’

Astilbe x arendsii, a diverse hybrid group of numerous crosses selected by German horticulturist Georg Arends, encompassing most Astilbe hybrids commonly sold, including the striking crimson plumes of ‘Fanal’ and bright white of ‘Happy Day.’

There’s nothing quite like the commanding, familiar blooms of the coneflower, Echinacea, an important North American native perennial.

Coneflowers are incredibly easy and carefree plants. While the purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is one of the most beloved with varieties such as ‘Magnus’ and ‘Ruby Star,’ there is a rainbow of color to choose from. Add pops of bright red to the garden with ‘Kismet Red,’ large double blooms with delicate hues of orange with ‘Supreme Cantaloupe’ or brighter hues of orange with ‘Prima Saffron’ shades of pink with 'Kismet Raspberry’ or even bright yellows with ‘Kismet Yellow.’

Echinacea prefer to be planted in well-draining, dry to moderately moist soil in areas of full sun, requiring little water once established in the garden. Coneflower range in size from roughly 18-36" tall and 12-24" wide, depending on the variety, and will bloom from early summer through fall. Spent blooms may be deadheaded to encourage reblooming, however many modern varieties will continue to bloom without any additional care.

There is only one coneflower truly native to Minnesota, the narrow-leaved coneflower, Echinacea angustifolia. This smaller, narrow-leaved coneflower matures to 18-24" tall and wide with coarse, narrow leaves and soft pink-purple blooms. Great drought tolerance once established. Narrow-leaved coneflower is a fantastic native for low sunny borders, water-wise designs, and also boulevard plantings thanks to their compact stature.

Coneflower blooms shine when massed in sunny borders, pollinator gardens, and foundation plantings. Their flowers are also a wonderful treat for pollinators like bees and butterflies, and if left to self-seed, not only can provide great winter interest, but are also a great food source for songbirds throughout the cold winter months.

Dianthus, or pinks, are long-blooming, salt tolerant, deer and rabbit resistant perennials with excellent foliage interest and fragrance.

Dianthus barbatus, or Sweet William, is a North American biennial commonly found along roadsides and in natural areas including areas of Minnesota, growing 12-24” tall with dense terminal clusters of scented blooms in many shades of pink, red, and white. Other excellent landscape Dianthus include D. plumarius, D. deltoides, and D. gratianapolitanus.

Dianthus plumarius, known as garden or feathered pinks, is native to Austria, Croatia, and Slovenia. Maturing to 12-18” tall and forming a clump 8-12” wide, garden pinks are drought tolerant, thriving in full sun conditions in well-drained soil, including sandy soils, prone to disease when planted in overly moist sites. Often featuring bicolored blooms, feathered pinks bloom from late spring to fall, looking their best when regularly deadheaded to maintain an attractive, colorful appearance perfect for low sunny borders, rock gardens, cottage gardens, and water-wise gardens.

Trailing Dianthus also serve as attractive sunny groundcovers, with many popular varieties of cheddar pinks (D. gratianopolitanus) and maiden pinks (D. deltoides), to choose from. Native to western and central Europe including their namesake, England’s Cheddar Gorge, cheddar pinks form a dense, low mat in full sun conditions, reaching a mature height of 8-12” with numerous scented pink blooms, including the popular ‘Firewitch’ Dianthus with vibrant magenta blooms and blue-gray foliage, perfect for rock gardens or mounding over retaining walls. Native to Europe and western Asia, maiden pinks mature to an even lower 4-6” tall, including the pink-centered white blooms of ‘Arctic Fire’ and bright pink ‘Zing Rose.’

Geranium are beautiful problem-solving perennials tolerant of a wide range of site conditions. First blooming in late spring and then lightly reblooming throughout the summer, generally growing 12-24” tall and wide. After blooming, hardy Geranium can be cut back to encourage bushier growth and reblooming if desired.

Excellent massed as a sunny or part sun groundcover, or used along retaining walls, in low borders, woodland gardens, rock gardens, or cottage gardens, cranesbill is deer and rabbit resistant and very low maintenance, preferring moist, well-drained soil in areas.

Popular varieties include the vibrant fuchsia flowers, lush deep green foliage, and bright red fall color of ‘Max Frei,’ the glossy emerald foliage and white blooms with pronounced pink stamens of ‘Biokovo,’ and popular violet-blue blooms and lightly variegated foliage of ‘Rozanne.’

A standout garden staple, Leucanthemum or Shasta daisy, is right at home in cottage gardens, wildflower gardens, pollinator gardens, and sunny borders, and is especially impactful in mass plantings or used as fresh cut flowers. Blooming from mid-summer into fall, plants emerge in the spring from underground rhizomes, spreading slowly to create lush deer and rabbit resistant mounds of succulent, coarsely toothed, lance-like green foliage maturing to 18-48” tall and 18-24” wide depending on variety.

For a classic Shasta daisy appearance, ‘Becky’ is a longstanding favorite, featuring large blooms up to four inches across on rigid stems growing upwards of 48” tall, excellent for cut flower applications or taller sunny backdrops. For a mid-sized option, ‘Alaska’ provides blooms up to three inches across atop rigid stems of about 36” tall. More modern cultivars can also provide a new spin on the classics, including the buttery yellow blooms of the compact ‘Western Star Gemini’ which fade to a lovely ivory white, as well as the truly unique feathery white double blooms of ‘Coconut.’

Somewhat drought tolerant when established, plant Leucanthemum in full sun areas with moist, well-drained soils and trim spent blooms to promote reblooming.

A common mid-season sight, bee balm, Monarda didyma, is a beautiful eastern North American native perennial that provides not only bright, beautiful color in the garden, but also fragrant, animal resistant foliage.

Ranging in height from 18-48" depending on variety, and spreading gently to form clumps 24-48" wide, Monarda provide an excellent variety of colors and sizes, making them a great choice for sunny border plantings, pollinator gardens, cutting gardens, and cottage gardens. Bee Balm looks best when massed together in large plantings and thrives in areas of part to full sun, preferring rich, moist soil, but will also tolerate a wide range of soil conditions as long as there is some moisture present. Monarda flowers span a colorful range of pinks, reds, and purples, including the lovely pink flowers of the compact ‘Grand Mum,' light purple flowers of the compact ‘Grand Marshall,’ lavender flowers of ‘Grand Parade,’ and bright raspberry blooms of ‘Raspberry Wine.’

Additionally, the Minnesota native, Monarda fistulosa, also known as wild bergamot, is excellent for larger home landscapes, pollinator gardens, and natural areas. Maturing to 36-48" tall, wild bergamot blooms beautiful light lavender flowers beloved by native pollinators. Forming larger stands over time if allowed to spread, spent bloom heads can be removed to prevent seed dispersal and limit spread. Plants are also easily pulled or may be divided as needed to keep clusters tidy and well-behaved in the landscape.

As their name suggests, bee balm flowers are a favorite of bees, among many other pollinators, especially hummingbirds and butterflies which prefer their long, tubular flower structure. After flowering, plants can be deadheaded to promote reblooming, or toward the end of the season, spent blooms may be left to develop into interesting seed heads for winter interest and food for local songbirds through the cold winter months.

Offering a beautiful diversity of size, color, and habit, Phlox are the perfect problem-solving perennials sure to brighten up even the toughest areas of the garden. Largely native to North America Phlox are wonderfully hardy, abundantly blooming perennial classics. Typically blooming from mid-summer to fall, garden Phlox are available in numerous colors including the tall white blooms of ‘David,’ compact size and vibrant purple blooms of ‘Flame Pro Violet Charm,’ mid-sized bicolor purple and white blooms of ‘Sweet Summer Fantasy,’ and tall purple bicolor blooms of ‘Laura.'

Phlox paniculata, or garden Phlox, are exceptional upright clump-forming plants blooming large, showy panicles of sweetly fragrant blooms that serve as excellent nectar sources for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other local pollinators. Phlox prefers rich, well-drained soils in areas of full or partial sun and matures to 18-48” tall and 12-36” wide depending on variety. Garden Phlox are perfect for many applications including tall garden backdrops, low sunny borders, cottage gardens, foundation plantings and are even tolerant of salt spray.

Boasting higher shade tolerance, Phlox divaricata is native to woodlands of North America including here in Minnesota. Maturing to only 12" tall with a sprawling habit, woodland Phlox is a durable shady groundcover, able to handle even the toughest dry shady areas of the garden, preferring moist to dry soils in part sun or shade. Blooming fragrant five-petaled blue flowers from late spring to early summer, woodland Phlox is phenomenal massed as a groundcover, planted in woodland gardens, used in low shady borders, or planted along shady hillsides.

Salvia blooms are a sure sign that summer is here, offering a versatile pop of color sure to brighten up sunny plantings.

Blooming most abundantly from late spring through early summer, meadow sage produces numerous tall spikes composed of many small, tubular flowers, ranging in color from blues to pinks and purples, as well as white. Following their initial summer performance, Salvia often begin to lay down and lean, but don’t fret, another show is just around the corner. After blooming, trim spent blooming stems back by half to encourage dense summer growth and another flush of color. Thankfully, their coarse leaf texture and scented foliage will also make sure that you are the only one trimming your Salvia back, not your local deer and rabbit population.

Preferring moist, well-drained soils in areas of full sun, and drought tolerant once established, Salvia is excellent for sunny borders, cottage gardens, pollinator gardens, and rock gardens, and is stunning when massed or used in cut flower arrangements. Mature plants range in size from one to two feet in width and one to three feet in height, available in a wide range of sizes and appearances, such as the tall royal purple blooms and dark stems of ‘Caradonna,’ the compact size and bright pink flowers of ‘Rose Marvel’ or blue flowers of ‘Blue Marvel,’ or the moderately sized, dense pink blooms of ‘Apex Pink.’ With the endless varieties and versatility of Salvia, you are bound to find at least a few fantastic varieties of this classic perennial to bring home for you garden.

With countless spires of blooms buzzing with pollinators, Veronica, or speedwell, is a summer garden favorite perfect for adding vertical interest and lasting, deer and rabbit resistant color.

Speedwell is perfect for borders, pollinator gardens, and rock gardens among other spaces, producing dense mounds of stiff lance-like, opposite green leaves maturing to 12-36” tall and 18-24” wide. Veronica bloom from early summer through late summer, sending up dense, tapered, foxtail-like rspikes of numerous star-shaped flowers in shades of blue, purple, pink, and white that bloom from the bottom up.

Plant speedwell in full sun areas with moist, well-drained soils and avoid wet sites. Drought tolerant once established, care should be taken to avoid overwatering established Veronica plants, and overhead irrigation should be avoided to prevent development of powdery mildew. Trim plants back after blooming to promote a bushier habit and to encourage reblooming.

Popular cultivars include the mid-sized rosy-pink spikes of ‘Red Fox’ and blue-violet spikes of ‘Ronica Blue.’ Numerous interspecific hybrids offer unique spins on spiked speedwell’s classic appearance as well, including ‘Pure Silver,’ with lavender blooms and silver foliage, and ‘Blue Bomb,’ with unique clustered blooms of branched white and blue spikes. Cultivars of the taller garden or longleaf speedwell, Veronica longifolia, are also excellent for adding height and structure, including the mildew-resistant pink of ‘Vernique Rose’ and deep purple-blue color of ‘Vernique Blue.’

Take a look at our Continous Color Planting Guide and our contiuous color care card for SUN and SHADE.