Perennials For Damp Soil

'Hot Lips' Turtlehead is a compact, fast-growing cultivar, reaching 2' in height and width. Very dark, shiny, bronze-green leaves in regular mounds and rosy-pink flowers in dense spikes. Rarely bothered by pests and deer. The genus...

Very late bloomer, covered with 2" golden flowers with a dark center. Forms dense mounds and has narrow, dark green foliage.   Blooming Time: September until frostSize: 24-26" tall x 24" wide clumpsUSDA Zones: Hardy in zones 5-10Culture: Full sun,...

Cultivar 'Black Ace' offers nearly black sprouts and foliage in the early season (leaves turn green at the beginning of summer). Taller and slender-looking perennial with white turtlehead-like flowers in August to September. Grows into narrow, upright...

Clump forming, shade-loving perennial with cobalt blue flowers in mid spring and spotted leaves. Leaves may be semi-evergreen in warm winters.  Lungwort with better tolerance to heat and humidity and very good resistance to powdery mildew. Divide in...

Ground covering fern, tough, with firm leaves that don't break up easily. Vigorous and slowly spreading wide. Underused and not much known in horticultural trade. P. decursive-pinnata is a deciduous, upright fern with beautifully tapered, feathery...

This gorgeous, reliable perennial is a perfect ground cover. The bright green, simple, lanceolate foliage smells of freshly-mown straw or hay when damaged, and the small, white, 4-petaled flowers appear in late spring through early summer. The...

Tight vase-shaped, clumping grass with small purple flowers. Leaves stay at the base only. The flowering stems turn yellow and coppery-yellow in the early fall. Compact, bushy selection made by famous Danish garden designer Piet Oudolf. Cool season...

2020 introduction from Intrinsic Perennial Gardens (Hebron, IL) - Culver's Root with very healthy clean foliage, upright growth and soft pink flowers. Wine-red emerging tips, blooms in mid summer (July or August, depending on the region). This...

The fuzzy, arrow-shaped leaves are fragrant, ornamental and grow up to 6" long. Larger, yellow flowers that are also scented bloom from late summer through mid fall. This sage forms clumps, creeps with trailing stems, and may self-seed in ideal...

The green-white or green-yellow flowers are followed by dark brown berries. Grass-like wetland perennial that spreads via rhizomes to form dense stands, which provide excellent support for wildlife and appear similar to cattails or irises from far away...

'Lunar Eclipse' is an exceptional hybrid valued for its large, unique blooms which emerge pale yellow/cream white along long spikes and darken over the flowering period to light purple/lilac and then shades of dark violet and bluish purple, creating a...

Bold structural native Astilbe for half shade or shade garden. One of the two only North American Astilbes. Reminicent of Aruncus dioicus (Goat's Beard), but the terminal leaflet is lobbed, which is the key diagnostic feature. Compound leaves turn yellow...

Highly adaptable and freely seeding native perennial. This is fairly small/narrow plant that grows from flat basal rosette of leaves with showy flowers.  Great for naturalization or groundcovering substitute for lawn.  Blooming Time: Flower in...

Highly ornamental and well behaved clump sedge that likes moisture, but will do fine in medium moist garden in half shade. Usually grows to 2' (up to 3' in rich and moist soil) x 1-1.5' wide clumps. Cool season grass (grows actively since early spring),...

Easy to grow, forgiving, long-flowering perennial, very valuable for many native insects, several butterflies and skippers and small birds. Tough and longer-lived. Stays in clumps, and has coarse leaves Blooming Time: June to AugustSize: 3' tall x 1...

Delicate native lobelia for drier soils (while the majority of lobelias like more moisture). 2' tall x 0.5' wide, narrow subtle looking that intermingles with other taller plants (under-story plant). Blooms in June to July with whitish, white or pale...

Nativar with light blue-violet flowers, vertical structure and nice foliage arranged in whorls. Clump perennial, 4-5' tall x 2' wide, long-lived perennial that usually takes it's time to establish in the garden (up to several years). Blooms July to...

Non-spreading toad lily with arching stems, white flowers with pink-lavender edges (and no spots) along the whole stem and a bit earlier to bloom. Very good performer in Toad Lily Evaluation in Chicago Botanic Garden trials, gaining 4 of 5 possible stars...