Planting Drifts In Color
If you've ever dreamed of a large garden planted with drifts of blazing color, you've come to the right place. There are many perennial plants that will meet your needs. They require very little maintenance and will come back year after year. You can increase the size of the drift by planting 2 or 3 of the same plant together.
In the chart below you'll find plants we recommend for the Mid Atlantic States - generally Zones 4-10. We've listed the common and Latin names, height and spread, bloom time and color, and light requirements.
Common Name | Latin Name | Bloom Color | Bloom Time | Height/Spread | Light |
Black Eyed Susan | Rudbeckia | yellow | June to frost | 18"-30"/16" | sun/part shade |
Goblin Gaillardia | Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Goblin' | yellow with red eye | spring to frost | 15"/12" | sun |
Pink Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea | purple-pink | mid to late summer | 2-4 ft./24" | sun/part shade |
Russian Sage | Pervoskia atriplicifolia | purple | mid summer to early fall | 3-4 ft./2.5-5 ft. | sun/part shade |
Red Coral Bells | Heuchera Sanguinea | red | late spring to mid summer | 15-20"/12"-15" | sun/part shade |
Ivory Peach Bellflower | Campanula persicifolia 'Alba' | white | summer | 30"/24" | sun/part shade |
Pink Coreopsis | Coreopsis rosea | pink | summer into fall | 12"/18" | sun |
Moonbeam Coreopsis | Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' | light yellow | summer | 24"/18" | sun/part shade |
Jacob Cline Monarda | Monarda 'Jacob Cline' | red | summer | 3-4 ft./2-3 ft. | sun/part shade |
Burgundy Gaillardia | Gaillardia aristata 'Burgundy' | wine red | summer | 24"-36"/18"-24" | sun |
Golden Marguerite | Anthemis tinctoria 'E.C. Buxton' | lemon yellow | early summer to fall | 24"-36"/18"-24" | sun |
Blue Stocking Monarda | Monards 'Blue Stocking' | lavendar | summer | 3-4 ft./2-3 ft. | sun/part shade |
Red Penstemon | Penstemon barbatus 'Coccineus' | red | late spring to early summer | 18"-24"/18"-24" | sun/part shade |
Anchusa Azurea | Anchusa Azurea | blue | early summer | 3-5 ft./3-5 ft. | sun/part shade |
Keys of Heaven | Centranthus ruber coccineus | red | summer | 3 ft./2 ft. | sun |
White Dragon Flower | Physostegia virginiana alba | white | late summer to fall | 18"-36"/12"-18" | sun/part shade |
Salvia Plumosa | Salvia nemorosa 'Plumosa' | purple | summer | 15"-18"/12"-18" | sun/part shade |
Summer Sun Heliopsis | Heliopsis helianthoides var. 'Summer Sun' | yellow | mid-summer to frost | 3-4 ft./8-12" | sun |
Achillea 'The Pearl' | Achillea ptarmatica 'The Pearl' | white | late spring through summer | 24"-36"/18"-24" | sun |
Peony | Paeonia Lactiflora | pink, red or white | early summer | 3-4 ft./36" | sun/part shade |
Red Hot Poker | Kniphofia | red to orange | early to mid-summer | 3-4 ft./24" | sun/part shade |
Shasta Daisy | Leucanthemum | white with yellow center | summer | 15"-18"/36" | sun/part shade |
Coronation Gold Yarrow | A. filipendulina x 'Coronation Gold' | yellow | early summer to fall | 36"/36" | sun/part shade |
Nikko Blue Hydrangea | Hydrangea macrophylla | blue | early summer to frost | 3-6 ft./4 ft. | sun or shade |
Blue Globe Thistle | Echinops Ritro | blue | summer | 30"-36"/24" | sun/part shade |
Caryopteris | Caryopteris x clandonensis | blue | mid-summer to frost | 2-4 ft./2-4 ft. | sun |
Autumn Joy Sedum | Sedum 'Autumn Joy' | red | late summer to fall | 18"-24"/24" | sun/part shade |
Catmint | Nepeta mussinii | purple | summer | 15"/1-3 ft. | sun/part shade |
Lavender 'hidcote' | Lavandula augustifolia | purple | summer | 12"/12" | sun |
Lavender 'munstead' | Lavandula augustifolia | purple | summer | 12"-14"/24" | sun |
Thread Leaf Coreopsis | Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' | yellow | summer into fall | 18"/36" | sun |
Yarrow | Achillea millefolium | white | spring to fall | 1-3 ft./36" | sun |