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Perennial of the Month-Purple coneflower
With a rainbow of colors available, my favorite coneflower is still the straight species, Echinacea purpurea. Purple coneflower is among our area’s top perennials, regardless of whether you are into natives or ornamentals. Native coneflowers…
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October Perennial of the Month-Stonecrop
Oh, the joys of Autumn Joy sedum. There is a reason this cultivar has been around for so long. It’s tough. long-lived, and it performs in fall, giving our late-season gardens a very…
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September Perennial of the Month-Rattlesnake master
The common name, rattlesnake master, supposedly comes from the medicinal properties of Eryngium yuccifolium to cure snake bites. One must wonder just exactly what had to happen for the folks back then to…
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September Shrub of the Month-Blue mist shrub
It’s the type of shrub you see in a magazine or catalog and want to try immediately. With a coveted blue color rarely found in the garden, let alone in a late-season bloomer,…
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September Tree of the Month-Persimmon
After one or two cooler mornings, everyone starts talking about winter. Will it be cold? Will there be snow? Despite climate change that has turned our seasons inside out lately, you can count…
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August Shrub of the Month-Smoke bush
To be, or not to be…a shrub or a tree? Well, in the plant world, there is a lot of gray area between what makes a tree a “tree” versus a “shrub”. RHS…
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November Perennial of the Month-Blue star
It might seem odd to feature a spring-blooming perennial for November, but look at that golden fall color! Not many perennials give so much; flowers, structure, fall color, texture, and winter interest…blue star…
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September Perennial of the Month-Pink turtlehead
I love plants that shine in late summer or autumn! After the trials of a typical St. Louis Summer, most plants show some wear and tear, so it’s refreshing to see a beautiful…
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September Shrub of the Month-Carolina allspice
With a common name as beautiful and intriguing as Carolina allspice, you’d think it would be more popular. Sadly, it’s another underused and underappreciated shrub that I hope this article will help change.…
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August Perennial of the Month-Black-eyed Susan
An Old English poem titled ‘Sweet William’s Farewell to Black-Eyed Susan’ is supposedly the origin of the common name for Rudbeckia fulgida. This Missouri native might have English roots, but she knows how…
