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Its cheerful, early spring blooms crawl over slopes and spill over walls, providing a welcome blanket of vibrant color to winter-weary gardens and gardeners.Winding through rock gardens, edgings, and naturalizations with a profusion of showy color and vigorous growth, Phlox subulata is a semi-evergreen, blooming groundcover, hardy to Zone 2. This tough, durable, North American native tops out at less than half a foot, just right for between pavers, bordering walkways, and edging perennial beds.S

Now that we've learned how vital pollinators and native plants are, gardeners and designers want to welcome them with open arms...and wallets.Savvy growers can respond to gardeners' expanding pollinator and native plant awareness by offering the reliable garden performance of economical, easy-to-grow Echinacea purpurea. It's a win for the birds, the bees, and your bottom line.Also known as "coneflower" this North American native showcases an enticing nectar-filled central cone surrounded by

Unwrap a rich, golden, native genus that sparkles in the sunlight and sways in the slightest breeze.Amsonia xButterscotch® is a Midwestern selection that one-ups the standard with improved vigor, abundant blooms, and better disease resistance.Emerging in spring, "Blue Star" soon settles into its role as a bushy foliage plant, with finely divided foliage swaying seductively on reddish 3' stems. Early summer brings a flush of steel blue perennial blooms that cover uniform, willowy green foliage. C

Native to the North American prairie, and yet still a stylish and ornamental vertical landscape element, Panicum virgatum is perfectly at home in any sunny landscape.(Pictured above) 'Heavy Metal'Glaucous blue leaves and a strong upright form create a formal look that is softened by its delicate seedheads.Tolerates a wide range of soils.Mature height: 5'Tough and carefree, "switch grass" is a long-lived, warm-season grower. In mid to late summer soft, airy panicles rise above sturdy, color-

A backbone of the sunny border, Gaillardia is loved worldwide for its array of bright, cheerful, daisy-like flowers.First-year flowering, the long-lasting blooms of Gaillardia, a.k.a. "Blanket flower" cluster in the warm end of the spectrum. These tough, drought-tolerant perennials are American native, and most varieties are hardy for Zones 3-10.Pictured above:Gaillardia a. SpinTop™ Orange Halo PP29205Intense orange petals with yellow tips that form a halo around the flower.Gaillardia a. SpinTop