Gardening From The Ground Up

 

.
Site map

[ What is a Garden ] [ The Gov.  and the scientist. ] [ Frequent Questions ] [ Landscape horticulture ] [ The Biosphere ] [ NM Soils ] [ Botany ] [ Native Trees and Shrubs ] [ Plants for NM ] [ Vegetable Varieties ] [ Fruits ] [ Grass1 ] [ Plant Disease Defined ] [ Pest Management (IPM) ] [ Weeds ] [ Water Gardening ] [ Drip Irrigation ] [ Composting ] [ House plants ] [ Other Resources ]

What's New

Tomatoes 2008
Composting.ppt
Iris with music.ppt
Flowers and bulbs in garden.ppt

Perennials

by Ellen Reed, Lifetime Master Gardener

Perennial plants live more than two years and usually bloom and produce seed in the second year.  Most are herbaceous (i.e. not woody) and die to the ground once a year, usually in winter.  Some may rebloom if they are dead headed or cut back after blooming.  Dead heading may be done as you walk around the garden. Some, such as peonies will live and increase the clump size for many years.  Mark the place of ones which die to below the ground, such as balloon flower, to prevent digging them up accidentally when they are dormant. Cut back dead stalks after frost.  Remove fallen leaves that pile too thickly over crowns or they may rot.  Winter protection may be provided with cut evergreen branches to keep the soil cool and prevent it from drying out in the winter.  Water once or twice a month in winter on a warm day depending on rain or snow fall. 

Perennials may be considered good investments as they usually live many years, but they are not 'no work.'  Many need to be divided every 3-5 years. The more vigorous outside parts of clumps are replanted in soil renewed by compost and slow acting fertilizer.  Discard the woody centers.  Butterfly weed, bleeding heart, gas plant, balloon flower and others with deep taproots are better not divided.  Division of spring bloomers is usually done in the fall and summer and of fall bloomers in the spring.

Perennial plants vary from low ground covers to plants 6 or 8 feet tall and thrive in a variety of situations.  By experimenting with different sites, many plants can be accommodated.  Culture is easier when plants which prefer the same sun/shade and wet/dry conditions are grouped together.  They are often planted in beds along lot lines or used in free standing islands to be viewed from all sides.  Often it is more pleasing if the edges of these beds are slightly curving.  Their outlines may be established by laying out a garden hose until the desired shape is attained.  Usually taller plants are placed toward the back of beds or center of islands.  Occasionally, taller, lacy varieties may be used toward the front for contrast.  The siting (N, S, E, W) will influence what will thrive as will the background, i.e. against wall, under house eaves, on a berm or near tree roots.  The edge of shady areas may be used for plants which need half sun.  Filtered shade at noon may extend bloom time by preventing flowers from sun burning.  Early spring bloomers may get enough light to flower before deciduous trees leaf out.  Some bulbs whose foliage is above ground in winter may photosynthesize enough during that season to allow them to flower in relatively shady spots. Tree roots, especially of mulberry, Norway maple, elm, and Arizona cypress greedily use water and fertilizer.  The heavy shade and root competition from low growing junipers and blue spruce is a very challenging environment and few plants thrive there.

Perennials generally have only a 2 to 4 week period of bloom so it is important to consider their appearance after the flowers fade.  Many have attractive leaves or disappear completely when through blooming.  Some will rebloom if faded flowers are removed and the plants are lightly fertilized.  Choose plants with complementary or contrasting foliage which is attractive throughout the seasons.  Some seed stalks remain interesting and may be a source of food for birds in winter.

Because these plants are expected to perform for many years, the bed should be enriched with compost and slow acting phosphate fertilizer at planting time.  A nitrogenous fertilizer may be scratched in around the clumps as they emerge in spring. The bed may be foliar fed with a soluble fertilizer at biweekly intervals during the summer.  Mulching with compost or other organic material helps the soil to retain moisture and renews it’s organic content.  Eventually the plants may cover enough of the soil to furnish their own root shade.

Bulbs, annuals and shrubs may be mixed in perennial beds, but it is best to plant bulbs toward the back of beds so maturing foliage is disguised by new growth.  Since it may be necessary to divide crowded bulb clumps, it is easier to plant them in drifts between drifts of perennials so that digging one causes less disturbance to the other. Because most perennials are deeply rooted the soil surface may be allowed to dry between deep waterings.  Tall plants and ones in more shade may need staking.  Various wire and fencing methods are available.  These are best placed before the plant flops, this allows for new growth to hide the support.

  In planning a perennial garden consider what blooms together.  Observe neighbors gardens and keep records.  Think about what is important to the gardener, i.e. plant form, flower color or form, flowers for cutting, fragrance, views from windows, and the season the garden will be viewed.  If you are away all summer plant a spring, fall and winter garden.

Choose plants which are not invasive either by roots or seedlings and which will not need great efforts to control their height or spread.  A few are thugs and should be avoided. Spanish bluebells or Lady bells (adenophora), Bishop’s weed, snow on the mountain, Aegopodium, lily of the valley or perennial Vinca may all be invasive as are some campanula (Blue Bells). Some self sow vigorously and must be dead headed after bloom. Euphorbias and columbine are notorious for sending seed far and wide.

Plants that do not live up to expectations should be removed.  Unsatisfactory plants take as much water and fertilizer as ones that please. Dealing with disease or insect problems takes more trouble than avoiding pest prone plants.  As you enjoy the garden, keep an eye out for pests so as to stop an infestation before it gets out of hand. Pull weeds when they are small and before they go to seed. Weeds such as purslane, spurge and annual blue grass that have gone to seed should not be put in the compost pile.

Sources of perennial plants are seeds, mail order nurseries, local nurseries, plant sales and friends.  Always be alert for hitchhiking pests and weeds. For more information about the following perennials click on the blue links under comments or use this link.  MBG Kemper Center PlantFinder and conduct a search either by botanic or common name. (Care instructions are given for Missouri on the MBG Kemper list and may be different than for the New Mexico list below)

New Mexico Perennials.

Botanic Name	Common Name	Size	Sun	Colors	Seasons	Comments
Achillea	Yarrow	4" 4'	s	Wh, Y P, R	Su-F	Many varieties; spreads, DT aromatic : Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Aconitum	Monkshood	2-4'	sh	B	F	Poisonous : Aconitum
Ajuga	Bugleweed	6-8"	s	B	S	Ground cover, mildews  Floridata: Ajuga reptans
Aegopodium	Bishop's Weed	6-12"	s-sh	Wh	S-Su	VERY INVASIVE-Plant in circle of cement; ground cover; may be pruned to maintain height.  Aegopodium podagraria page
Alchemilla	Ladys Mantle	8-10"	s+ -	Chartreuse	LS-EF	Attractive leaves; Flowers dry. DT : botany/alchemilla
Alcea rosea	Hollyhock	4-10'	s	various	S F	reseeds generously. remove stalks to ground after bloom. root hardy.
Anacyclus	Mt.Atlas Daisy	6-8"	s	Wh/R	S-LF	Finely cut grey foliage. DT
Anaphalis	Pearly Everlasting	1-2'	s		Su	Button like flowers dry. DT
Anemone sylvestris	Snowdrop	10-12"	sh	Wh	Su
Anemone pulsatilla aka Pulsatilla vulgaris	Pasque flower	4-8"	s-sh	Pu	Su	Attractive foliage. DT
Anemone hybrida	Japanese	2-4'	sh	P,Wh	Su
Aquilegia	Columbine	1-3'	s-sh	P, Wh, B, Y	ES-MS
Arabis	Rockcress	6-12"	s	P, Wh	S	Cut back after blooming.
Armeria	Thrift Sea Pinks	6-12"	s	Wh, P	ES	DT
Artemesia	Dusty Miller	1-3'			Su	Spreads DT aromatic
Asclepias tuberosum	Butterfly Weed	1-2'	s	Y, Or	Su-F	DT
Aster	Fall Aster	1-4'	s	Wh, P, Pu, B	Su-F	Spreads
Aubretia	Rockcress	6-10"	s	Wh, P, Pu	S	Cut back after blooming
Aurinia saxatilis	Basket of Gold	1-2'	s	Y	S
Baptisia sp.	False Indigo	2-3'	s=sh	B, Wh	Su	DT
Belamcandra	Blackberry Lilly	1-2'	s			Dry seed pods
Bergenia	Pig Squeak	1-2'	sh	P, Wh	S	Leaves turn red in winter
Brunnera	For get me not	1.5-2'	sh		ES-S
Calamintha aka Satureja	Calamint aka Savory	10-12"	s	P	S	aromatic
Campanula ssp.	Blue Bells	6"-3'	s-sh	PU, Wh, Pu	Su	Some varieties invasive
Catananche	Cupid's Dart	10-12"	s	B, Wh	SuSh	Flowers can be dried. DT
Centaurea	Perennial Corn flower	1-2'	s	B	Su	DT
Catharanthus aka Vinca rosea	Periwinkle	1 - 2'	Su Sh	Wh,P	Su F	SS
Centranthus	Garden Valerian	1.5-2'	s	Rose, Wh	Su	SS; Also Jupiter's Beard DT
Cerastium	Snow in Summer	4-19"	s	Wh, Grey Leaves	Su	Spreads  DT
Ceratostigma	Plumbago	1-1.5'	s	B flowers R fall leaves	Su-F	Comes out of dormancy late spring early summer DT
Cheiranthus aka erysimum	Wallflowers	2-1.5'	s-sh	Mauve, Pu	Su	Bowles mauve DT aromatic
Chrysanthemum	Shasta Daisy	1-2'	s	Wh Daisy	Su
Chrysanthemum	Chrysanthemums	8"-3'	s	Various	Su	Divide in spring aromatic Click here: Chrysanthemum [Article]
Clematis	Clematis	vine	s	Various	Various	Click here: http://www.ccenassau.org_clematis_problems_
Convalaria	Lily of the Valley	8-10"	sh	White bells	S	aromatic toxic
Convolvulus mauritanicus	Morning glory	1-2'	s	B	Su	Cut back in spring DT
Coreopsis verticillita	Zagreb, Moonbeam	1-2'	s	Y Daisy	Su	DT
Cynara sp.	Artichoke, Cardoon	4-6'	s	Pu thistles	Su-F	architectural foliage DT
Callirhoe involucrata	Wine Cups	8-12"	s		Su	Spreads to 3 feet DT
Delphinium	Blue Butterflies	1-2'	s	B, Wh, Lv	Su-F	Pacific Giants not long lived toxic
Dianthus	Pinks	6-12"	s	P, Wh, R	Su	Not long lived DT
Dicentra spectabilis	Bleeding Heart	2-3'	sh	P, Wh	Su-F	Heart shaped flower
Dicentra eximia	Fringed Bleeding Heart.	1-1.5'	sh	P, Wh	Su-F	Heart shaped flower ;bluish ferny leaves; ;may rebloom thru summer
Dictamnus	Gas Plant	2-3'	s	P, Wh	Su-F	Do not transplant + - aromatic
Digitalis	Foxglove	2-4'	sh	P	S-ESu	Some biennial; May SS; Some more perennial than others; Poisonous
Doronicum	Leopard's Bane	1-2'	sh	Y Daisy	S
Echinacea	Cone Flower	2-3'	s	P,Wh	S-F	DT
Echinops	Globe Thistle	2-3'	s	B	Su-F	Grey thistle like leaves; Spiney globe flower; can be dried DT
Erigeron	Fleabane	6" 2'	s	P,W,B	Su-F	Daisy like flower, some spread vigorously
Erigonum	Sulfur Flower	2-12"	s	Cream, Y	Su	Scattered red leaves,; can be dried DT
Erodium	Crane's Bill	3-12"	s	Rose, Wh	Su	Some ground covers or taller DT
Eryngium	Sea Holly	2-3'	s	Steel Blue	Su	Blue-grey spiney leaves; can be dried DT
Euphorbia	Spurge	1-3'	s		Su	Some spread vigorously; may be allergenic
Filipendula hexapetala	Dropwort	6"-2'	s-sh	Wh	Su	Plume like flower heads, fern like leaves DT
Foeniculum purpurcun	Bronze Fennel	3-4'	s	Y	Su-F	Flowers attract butterflies, ferny leaves aromatic
Gaillardia	Blanket Flower	2-3'	s	R, Y, Bicolor	Su-F	DT
Gaura lindheimeri		3-4'	s	Dainty Wh P	Su	SS DT other varieties and species also available including the native G. Coccinea. Gaura lindheimeri
Gallium	Sweet Woodruff	6-12"	sh	Wh	LS-Su	Ground cover aromatic
Geranium	Hardy Geranium	6"-3'	+ -	P, B, Wh	S-F	Many varieties; Attractive foliage; some invasive aromatic
Geum	Avens	2-4"	s-sh	Y,Or,R	LS-EF	Geum triflorum
Gypsophila	Baby's Breath	8"-2'	s	P, Wh	LS-EF	Ground cover or tall varieties;  prefers alkaline soil DT SS
Helenium	Sneeze Weed	4-6'	s	R,Or, Y	F-EW	Daisy like flowers NOT DT
Helianthemum	Sun Rose	8"-2'	s	Wh, Y, R, Or	Su-F	Cut back after blooming DT
Helianthus	Sunflower	4-6'	s	Y	F	Maximillian sunflower, native DT
Helleborus	Lenten Rose	1-2'	sh	Wh, P, Gr	S-Su	Evergreen leaves, SS
Hemerocallis	Daylily	1-3'	s	Y, R, Or	Su-F	DT  Daylily - Hemerocallis the Daylily
Hesperaloe parviflora	Red Yucca	3-5'	s	R	Su-F	Long flower stalks, spiney leaves DT
Hesperis matronalis	Dame's Rocket	1-3'	s-sh	Wh, Pu	Su	Phlox like flower, attracts aphids aromatic SS
Heuchera	Coral Bells	6-12"	s	R, Wh, Bells	Su-F	Attractive foliage, attracts butterflies DT
Hibiscus		3-5'		R, Wh, P	Su-F	Small to huge flowers depending on variety
Hosta		6"-3'	s-sh	B, Wh, Lv	Su-F	Attractive foliage, attracts snails aromatic
Houttuynia cordata	Chameleon Plant	6-12'	s-sh	P,Wh,Gr	Su-F	Variegated leaves; Invasive-grow in pots in ponds
Iberis	Candy Tuff	6-12"		Wh	Su-F	Evergreen foliage
Iris	Siberian Iris	3'	s-sh	Many		Many sizes
Iris	Bearded Iris	6"-3'	s	Many		Many sizes DT aromatic
Kniphofia	Red Hot Poker	4'	s	R, Y, Or	Su-F	Spiky foliage DT
Lamiastrum	Dead Nettle	6-12"	s-sh			Variegated foliage; ground cover-some invasive; "Herman's Pride" is non-spreading
Liatris	Gayfeather	1-3'	s	Wh, Lv spikes	Su	DT
Limonium	Flax	1-2'	s	Wh, B, Y	Su	DT
Liriope	Lily Turf	6'-2'	+ -	Pu spikes	S-F	Evergreen or variegated leaves; groundcover; aka "Mondo Grass"
Lychnis	Maltese Cross	2-3'	s	P, Wh, Or	S	DT
Mimulus	Monkey Flower	6-12"	sh	Many	Su	Needs extra water
Monarda	Beebalm	1-3'	s	Wh, P, Pu	Su-F	Attracts Hummingbirds; may mildew aromatic
Nepeta	Catnip	1-2'	s	Lv	Su-F	Grey leaves aromatic
Oenothera	Evening Primrose	1-2'	s	Wh, P, Y	Su-F	Some invasive
Origanum	Oregano	6-12"	s	Pu, Y foliage	Su-F	Some invasive; some variegated leaves DT aromatic
Paeonia	Peony	1-3'	s	Wh, R,P	S-ESu	Early bloomers do best aromatic
Papaver	Oriental Poppy	6"-3'	s	Many	Su	Dormant after blooming; spider mites
Penstemon	Beard Tongue	3-Jan	s	B, R, Wh	Su-F	Attract Hummingbirds; many native varieties; short lived DT
Perovskia	Russian  Sage	2-3'	s	B, Grey	F-EW	DT aromatic : Perovskia atriplicifolia
Phlomis	Jerusalem Sage	2-3'	s	Y	Su
Phlox	Phlox	6"-3'	s		S-Su	Ground covers to tall; mildews DT aromatic  botany/phlox
Phygelius	Cape fuchsia	1-3'	s	R, Y	Su-F	Tubular flowers attract hummingbirds : Cape Fuchsias (Phygelius species)-- Perennials With Punch
Physotegia	Obedient Plant	1-3'	s	P, Wh	Su	May be invasive  Physostegia virginiana
Platycodon	Balloon Flower	6"-2'	s	B, Wh, P	Su	Don't transplant  Platycodon
Polemonium	Jacob's Ladder	1-2'	s-sh	B, Wh	Su	: POLEMONIUM
Potentilla	Cinquefoil	6"-2'	s	Y, R, Wh	MSu-EF	Potentilla, Buttercup Shrub
Pulmonaria	Lungwort	6-12"	sh	B, P, Wh	Su-F	Variegated leaves NOT DT
Rudbeckia	Black-eyed Susan	1-3'	s	Y daisy	MSu-MF	DT
Salvia greggii	Autumn Sage	1-3'	s	Wh, Y, R	MSu-MF	DT
Salvia superba	Blue Queen	1-2'	s	Dark Blue	LSu-MF	DT aromatic
Saponaria ocymoides	Rock Soapwort	9-12"	s	P	F	DT
Scabiosa caucasica	Butterfly Blue	6-8"	s	P, B	Su-F	aromatic
Scabiosa atropurpurea	Pincushion Flower	1-2'	s	B, Wh	M Su-MF
Scutellaria	Skullcap	4-8"	s	Small B	L Su-F	DT
Sedum		2"-3'	s		Su-F	Many succulent plants DT
Sempervivum	Hens & Chicks	2-6"	s	Many	Su-F	Many sizes DT
Senecio	Dusty Miller	8-16"	s	Y	Su-F	Grey foliage DT
Sidalcea	Prairie Mallow	2-4'	s	P	L Su-EF
Solidago	Goldenrod	1-3'	s	Golden	F	Not the cause of hay fever
Stachys	Lamb's ears	12-18"	s	Grey foliage	Su-F	DT
Stokesia	Stokes' aster	1-2'	s	B, Wh	L Su- F	DT
Tanacetum	Tansy	1-3'	s	Y	L Su-F	Ferny flowers, may be invasive DT aromatic
Tradescantia	Spiderwort	6-12"	s-sh	B, Wh, P	L Su- F	May be invasive
Tricyrtis	Toad Lily	1-2'	sh	Pu spotted	L Su-F
Verbena		6"-2'	s	R, P, Wh, Pu	Su-F	DT
Veronica	Speedwell	6"-2'	s	P, B, Wh	S-F	Many varieties; upright to ground covers
Viola	Violet	4-6"	sh	P, Pu, Wh	MS-E Su	May be invasive aromatic
Yucca	Spanish Bayonet	3-7'	s	Cream bells	Su	Pointed leaves DT
Zauschneria	CA Fuchsia	6"-2'	s	R/Or Tubular	Su	Grey foliage, aka Hummingbird Trumpet DT

SS = Self Sows  DT = Drought Tolerant Aromatic=has fragrant flowers or leaves
Color Code: B=Blue, Br=Brown, R=Red, Y=Yellow, P=Pink, Or=Orange, Wh=White, Pu=Purple, Lv=Lavender, Mg=Magenta, Gr=Green 
Season Code:  ES=Early Spring, S=Spring, Su=Summer, EF=Early Fall, F=Fall, W=Winter 

Click here: http://www.ccenassau.org/hort/fact_sheets/a224_clematis_problems_jul01.pdf
 

06/13/2005