1. But Holy Cow (as Harry Carey would say), I forgot Butterfly weed! Asclepias tuberosa (zone 3-9) has orange flowers in June, seeds itself around, draws the larvae of Monarchs, and is gorgeous. The flowerhead consists of lots of tiny orange blooms, which produce nectar for whatever butterflies are around at the time, but it got its reputation from the Monarchs whose larvae eat the plant and absorb a bad-tasting and even perhaps poisonous substance, giving them some defense against predators. I plant them with purple sage/Salvia nemerosa 'May Night' and Veronica spicata 'Royal Candles'. The spiky purples contrast nicely with the bright orange. The Veronica and Salvia will rebloom if you deadhead them. The Butterfly weed, sadly, won't.
2. The other Butterfly Weed is Asclepias incarnata, (zone 3-6) which is also called Swamp Milkweed. That gives you a hint about soil moisture, but I've grown them in an area I don't water much, and they do fine. Both the butterfly weeds will self-seed, so you do need to decide where you want the babies and just be firm. The Incarnata version is pinky-purple, blooms in August, and draws the butterflies themselves, not just the larvae. I have mine growing near my False Indigo, which I wrote about last week.
OK, now on to the h's.
3. Of course, there's Hemerocallis, or Daylilies (zone 3-9). You need to choose carefully as there are a lot of varieties of daylily. Some are reliable repeat bloomers, like 'Happy Returns' and 'Stella d'Oro' (though you don't want to plant those two together, because the colors are just off enough to clash). The flowers of daylilies are stunningly beautiful, and they are quite easy to grow. You can choose varieties to give you flowering for quite a long time. The petals are also tasty and great in salads! Some of my favorites are Chicago Apache (of course), a deep scarlet with a yellow center, and Hyperion, a tall, light yellow lovely.
4. Among my reliables are Heuchera, or Coral Bells (zones 3-8). There are a lot of varieties of these plants, which I grow primarily as foliage plants and groundcover. My very favorites are Heuchera 'Obsidian,' a dark purple, almost black leaved variety, and 'Caramel,' a lovely bronze that is very hardy. I had bad experiences last summer with 'Lime Rickey' and I don't recommend it. 'Plum pudding' is nice, too, but the foliage isn't as nice as Obsidian. Plant these with the variegated Jacob's Ladder or with another fabulous variegated foliage plant, Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance'. This sedge is a little clump of fun and its spiky leaves look great with the broader leaves of the Coral Bells.
5. Hostas (3-8). I don't need to tell you much about Hostas, right? Some of them are so boring you want to snooze, but others are just delightful. I'm especially fond of the large leaved yellow ones – Sum and Substance and Gold Standard – and the big blue ones – Big Daddy and Blue Angel. Slugs like Hostas, so look fro slug resistant ones: Frances Williams, Fragrant Bouquet, Great Expectations, Halcyon, Krossa Regal, Regal Splendor, and Sum and Substance. Plant Hostas under trees, on the north side of the building, in front of the border, or wherever there's shade.
6. Lavander (Lavandula angustifolia), zones 5-9, is a Mediterranean plant, which means it takes hot, dry places in the garden. While it has quite attractive purple flowers, I grow it for the scented foliage. The two varieties I've used and been happy with are 'Munstead', which is compact and very fragrant, and 'Hidcote', taller, and also very fragrant. I grow mine around roses.
7. Monarda, or Bee Balm, or Bergamot,( zones 4-9) is another plant that draws butterflies, along with other 'beneficials,' like bees, who are so useful if you have a vegetable or fruit garden! The brightly colored puff ball flowers bloom in full sun in ordinary soil. They come in a variety of reds, pinks, and purples. 'Jacob Cline' is a nice bright red, and 'Raspberry Wine' is berry colored. Bee Balm is susceptible to powdery mildew, so give them plenty of room for air circulation and if possible, water at the roots rather than from above. When the plant is in seed, collect some seed and smell it; gorgeous!
8. Nepeta, or Cat Mint, (zone3-8) is another very useful filler plant. Since it's a mint, it will spread, and it will put up with poor soil and dry conditions. It flowers best in full sun, but it'll take some shade. My cats really like it. I doesn't get them high the way catnip does, but they are drawn to it, nibble a bit, and then roll around. (Maybe it does get them high.) Two summers ago I got mad at a catmint for invading the space I wanted for something else, so I dug it up and threw it on the side of the house. It's now a big, healthy plant right where I cast it; I didn't even dig it in. So it's a survivor. It blooms for a long time from early summer through fall, and it's hardy enough that it's used in planting median strips down Chicago streets. It's a nice plant to grow as the socks under roses. 'Walker's Low' is a good cultivar, although it isn't short.
9. Phlox divaricata, or Woodland Phlox (zone 3-8) , is a very useful spring bloomer. It's native to our woodlands, grows by stream banks, and likes moist soil. It will form a dense ground cover eventually, and it does appreciate some extra water when the summers get very hot. Phlox subulata, or Creeping Phlox, is a full sun groundcover that also forms dense mats. It has profuse bright, blooms in April and May, and it may pop a bloom or two throughout the summer. The foliage is semi-evergreen, and you can cut it back by half after it's bloomed to promote new growth.
10. The last plant I'm going to include here is Stachys, or Lamb's Ears, zones 4-8. This is a plant for grandchildren. The fuzzy leaves of the Stachys draw kids the way other flowers draw butterflies. While Stachys does bloom, that's not really the point, and lots of gardeners just cut off the flower stems. 'Helen von Stein' has lovely large fuzzy leaves. I like to put these in the front of the border in full sun; it should stay nice all summer.
So: next time I'll write some about catalog shopping for fruit plants and vegetable seeds. Please contribute your favorite plants so we can all learn. Also, I'd love it if you're interested in my new book, which was just released last month by University of Virginia Press. There's a link at view link And do visit my website, view link
