Drought, Xeric & Dry Soil Plants
Showing 121–128 of 133 results
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Solidago caesia syn. Solidago axillaris Blue-stemmed goldenrod, Wreath goldenrod Z 4-9
Graceful, arching wands of clustered gold, with contrasting blue-green stems in September-October. One of the last perennials to bloom. Clump forming, noninvasive perennial.
Graceful, arching wands of clustered gold, with contrasting blue-green stems, in September-October. Clump forming, noninvasive perennial.
Size: 18-24” x 16-20”
Care: part shade to shade in well-drained soil, drought tolerant
Native: Nova Scotia to WI, south to FL and west to TX, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: With both nectar and pollen this attracts, bees, wasps and flies. It is host to caterpillars of some moths.The Latin name is a combination of solidus and ago, meaning “I make whole”, referring to its historic medicinal uses. According to William Cullina it has antioxidant, diuretic, astringent and antifungal properties and was used to treat urinary tract and yeast infections, sore throats and diarrhea. (W. Cullina, NEWFS, p. 197) Collected before 1753.
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Solidago cutleri Cutler’s alpine goldenrod Z 3-9
Golden tufts of flowers on this mounding, compact, bone-hardy goldenrod July-September
Golden tufts of flowers on this mounding, compact, bone-hardy goldenrod July-September
Size: 6-10” x 12”
Care: sun in well-drained to moist well-drained soil
Native: Mountains of New England and NY, north through Nova Scotia
Wildlife Value: attracts butterfliesNamed for New England plant explorer Manasseh Cutler , Rhodora 10(113): 87. 1908 by M.L. Fernald
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Sporobolus heterolepsis Prairie dropseed Zone 3 – 9
Mound of graceful thinnest of grass blades
The description in the Chiltern Seeds catalog cannot be improved: “This is the most elegant and refined of the North American prairie grasses …the finest texture composed of the thinnest of thin, thread-like, glossy green blades,.. in autumn turning deep orange before fading to a light copper for the winter. In late summer the plants bear, on very slender stalks high above the foliage, unbelievably delicate, graceful flower panicles, excellent for cutting.”
Size: 2’ x 2’
Care: Full sun in well-drained soil
Native: from Canada in the north to Texas in the south, Wisconsin nativeSporobolos is Greek from sporo meaning seed and ballein meaning to cast forth because the seed readily falls from the flower (or dropseed, the common name). Ojibwa “Medicine Society” used roots to cure sores & “remove bile.”
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Stachys byzantina Lamb’s ears, Woolly betony Z 4-8
Velvety granite gray leaves, as soft as a lamb's ear
Velvety granite-gray leaves, as soft as a lamb’s ear, bearing spikes with pale lavender flowers all summer.
Size: 12-15" x 12-15"
Care: Full sun in moist well-drained to well-drained soil. Drought tolerant & deer resistant.
Native: IranStachys is Greek meaning, “spike.” Believed to cure almost everything. Italians urged people to: “sell your coat and buy betony.” Cultivated by George Washington at Mount Vernon.
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Syneilesis aconitifolia syn. Senecio aconitifolia Shredded umbrella plant; in China, tu er san Z 4-9
Grown for its excellent foliage in dry shade. I guess “Shredded umbrella” best describes this plant with thin, dissected leaves atop a leafless stem. drooping in a rounded shape, like an umbrella, but it wouldn’t shelter from rain. Pale pink to white flowers in early to mid-summer.
OUT OF STOCK
Grown for its excellent foliage in dry shade. I guess “Shredded umbrella” best describes this plant with thin, dissected leaves atop a leafless stem. drooping in a rounded shape, like an umbrella, but it wouldn’t shelter from rain. Pale pink to white flowers in early to mid-summer.
Size: 3’ x 2’
Care: part shade in moist well-drained to well-drained soil
Native: China, on forest edges on slopes, Korea & Japan
Wildlife Value: Attracts bees, butterflies and birds. Drought tolerant once established. Deer and rabbit resistant.Described in Flora of China in 1833. Chinese used the whole plant for medicine, to relax and activate the tendons, alleviate pain around the waist and legs, and to treat most any injuries.
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Tanacetum niveum Silver tansy, Snow tansy Z 5-9
Profusion of small classic daisies May-July atop fragrant silver foliage
Profusion of small classic daisies May-July atop fragrant silver foliage
Size: 2’ x 3’
Care: sun in moist well drained soilNamed by Carl Heinrich Schultz (1805-1867)
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Thermopsis caroliniana syn. Thermopsis villosa Carolina lupine Z 4-9
Dense spikes of buttery yellow in June, resembling Baptisia or Lupin with clover like foliage.
OUT OF STOCK
Note: This is a plant not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.Dense spikes of buttery yellow in June, resembling Baptisia or Lupin with clover-like foliage.
Size: 4’ x 2’ spreading by root
Care: Sun in well-drained soil. Drought & Heat tolerant.
Native: forest openings in the Appalachians
Wildlife Value: Attracts bees & butterflies, Deer & rabbit resistant.Collected before 1843
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Thymus serpyllum ‘Minus’ syn. T. praecox ‘Minus’ Dwarf thyme Z 5-9
Miniscule gray-green leaves, topped by tiny pink flowers
OUT OF STOCK
Miniscule gray-green leaves, topped by tiny pink flowers in midsummer, spreads to form a tight carpet.
Size: 1” x 12” spreads
Care: sun to part shade in well-drained soil
Native: Europe
Wildlife Value: Deer resistant.
Size: Great for rock gardens, groundcover, drought tolerant.Thymus from the Greek word for “odor” due to the plant’s fragrance. Ancient Greeks made incense with thyme. ‘Minus’ described by Parkinson in 1640. He called it Thymus serphyllum vulgare minus.
