Late summer perennials worthy of admiration

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/08/2012 (4875 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I always admire late summer flowering perennials. At a time when most of us are nearing the end of our gardening endeavours, the late flowering perennials are just gearing up.

After this summer’s heat and drought, you’ve got to admire any plant with the pluck and fortitude to pull off late summer flowering. I know I’d be tempted to cancel the whole affair.

There are a few, though, that thrive in hot dry conditions.

Goldenrod (Solidago) looks like freshly exploded fireworks in that moment when they hang frozen in the sky. There are a few cultivars available as well as two native species. All come in vibrant celebratory golds. All prefer full sun, and some will do OK in partial sun. They are drought tolerant, butterflies love them, and an added bonus is deer don’t like them. Goldenrod is often mistakenly blamed as a contributor to fall hay fever. It isn’t. So what’s not to like? It can be a bit aggressive, particularly the native species. Know what you’re planting, and how much space you’re willing to give it.

With a name like globe thistle (Echinops), you know it’s going to do just fine in a dry hot summer. Don’t be put off by the name. It is in all ways a thistle — the leaves are edged in thorns and they’re pokey. Even the flower is pokey. Unlike the weed, globe thistle doesn’t gallop about the yard in wild abandon. It’s big (90 to 120 centimetres tall) and undemanding. Put it in full sun, average to poor soil, and average to dry moisture, and it’ll humbly fill in that spot throughout the summer and then finish up with an understated sprinkling of silvery-purple globed-shaped flowers. Lovely at this time of year, and fabulous throughout the fall and winter.

Joe Pye (Eupatorium) prefers moisture, but will persevere in dry conditions. At a height of a one to one and half meters, this is one of the big dramatic perennials. It’s tall, robust, and a stalwart anchor at the back of the bed. Ironically its flower is light, feathery, and pink. Go figure! It prefers full or partial sun. There are smaller cultivars available. The native species is one of the big ones, but is very well behaved.

These late summer flowering perennials are worthy of our admiration. Come really hot and really dry, they deliver!

Carla Keast has a master’s degree in landscape architecture and is a Winnipeg-based freelance landscape designer. She can be reached at contact@carlakeast.com.