There
are both annual and perennial types of coreopsis. C. grandiflora
and C. lanceolata are two perennials that are tough and
beautiful.
Purple
Coneflower (Echinacea
purpurea)
Flowers
have purple-pink petals surrounding orangey-bronze cones. Blooms
over a long period in late summer. White-flowered cultivars are
also available.
Black-eyed
Susan (Rudbeckia
hirta and R. fulgida)
Showy
yellow flowers adorn these clump-forming plants in mid to late summer.
Flowers are excellent for cutting. The cultivar 'Irish Eyes' has
a pale green center.
Gayfeather
(Liatris spicata)
Tall
stems sporting narrow leaves are topped by plumes of fluffy flowers
in mid summer. Strong stems usually don't need staking.
Sedum
'Autumn Joy' (Sedum spectabile)
Fleshy-leaved
clumps form broad, dense flower clusters in late summer. Color changes
from pink to copper to bronze as summer progresses into autumn.
