Plant ID Summer Flashcards
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
12” to 36” tall
Spreading habit
Flowers:
Small (1/4”) white flowers arranged in a flat,
dense corymbs 2” to 3” across
Cultivars can have pink, lavender, orange,
and red flower colors.
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, lanceolate, up to 8” long, strongly
aromatic, finely divided. Fern-like leaves are
even more finely divided than A. filipendulina.
Propagation:
Division and seed
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zone 4-8
Soil type
Well-drained
Europe native
Common yarrow
Achillea millefolium
a-kill’ee-a mil-lee-fo’lee-um
Season of Bloom: Habit:
Late spring to summer
Flowers:
Yellow, small flowers arranged in dense,
flat-topped corymbs that get up to 5” across
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, fern-like lanceolate leaves up to
10” long. Leaves deeply, pinnately-lobed,
with toothed segments, pubescent, aromatic,
and gray-green color.
Propagation:
Division, cuttings
Light
Full sun
Hardiness zone
Zone 3-8
Soil type
Well drained
Caucus Native
Fernleaf Yarrow
Achillea filipendulina
a-kill’ee-a fi-li-pen-dew’lye-na
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
4’ to 6’ tall
2’ to 4’ wide
Flowers:
Small, white on long, slender, branched
racemes 2’ long. Fragrant. Flower buds
resemble pearls; flowers persist up to 4 wks.
Leaves/Stems:
Ternately compound leaves (divided into 3, 3
times),
medium to dark green. Leaflets ovate, lobed,
1” to 3” long and irregularly toothed.
Propagation:
Division and seed
Light
Part shade
Hardiness
Zone 3-8
Soil Type
Fertile, moist
Native to E. US
Black snakeroot
Actaea racemosa
ak-tee’-a ray-ce-mo’sa
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit
3’ to 6’ tall
18” wide
upright clump
Flowers:
Colorful, 3” to 5” single or double flowers are
borne in terminal racemes of 3 to 10 flowers.
Flowers are red, pink, white, rose, yellow
and purple.
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, 3” to 5” wide, light green leaves are
arranged on pole-like, relatively unbranched
stems covered with bristly pubescence. Basal leaves
are rugose with 3, 5 or 7 lobes.
Propagation:
Seed, division
Light:
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 7
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to Turkey and Asia
Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
al-see’a rose-ee’a
Season of Bloom:
Early summer
Habit:
4’ to 6’ tall & wide
Sub-shrub
Flowers:
Small (1/8”) cream flowers arranged in dense,
plume-like panicles up to 12”. It is dioecious,
having male & female plants, but there is little
flower difference between the two sexes.
Leaves/Stems:
Dark green, pinnately compound, alternate leaves
2’ to 3’ (yes, feet!) long. Leaflets are lanceolate,
2” to 4” long and sharply double serrate.
Propagation:
Division (difficult due to woody roots), seed
Light
Part shade
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 7
Soil Type
Moist
Native to North America
Goats Beard
Aruncus dioicus
ah-run’kus die-o-eye’kus
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
2’ to 3’ tall
2’ wide
Flowers:
Small, ¼” short-peduncled flowers arranged
in umbels. Color is one of the best oranges
that can be found; also yellow and reddish-
orange.
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, lanceolate, closely spaced leaves
2” to 6” long. Leaves sessile, or nearly so,
and hispid. Stems have milky sap.
Propagation:
Seed, terminal cuttings
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 4 to 9
Soil Type
Dry, infertile
Native to eastern North America
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa
as-klee’pe-as tew-be-ro’sa
Season of Bloom:
Early summer
Habit:
2’ to 4’ tall
2’ wide
Flowers:
Small red, pink, white, or lavender flowers
arranged in dense, plume-like, feathery
panicles 6” long
Leaves/Stems:
Medium to dark green, ternately compound
(each division is further divided into 3). Leaflets
are ovate-oblong and doubly serrate.
Propagation:
Seed, tissue culture, division
Light
Part shade
Hardiness
Zones 4 to 9
Soil Type
Moist, fertile
Hybrid first created by Georg Arends of Germany
Astilbe
Astilbe x arendsii
as-til’bee ah-rendz-ee-ie
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
4’ to 7’ tall
3’ wide, erect
Flowers:
Large blue, showy flowers on tall racemes
Flowers have one spur. Flowers also red,
pink, white, violet, and yellow.
Leaves/Stems:
Large, palmately lobed nearly to the base;
palmately veined. Medium green and very similar
to Aconitum, a close relative
Propagation:
Primarily seed; also careful division
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 7
Soil Type
Fertile, well-drained
Delphinium
Delphinium x elatum
del-fin’ee-um ee-lay’tum
Season of Bloom:
Early summer
Habit
2’ to 5’ tall
Erect habit
Flowers:
Large, pendulous, with a corolla 3” long borne
on a 1’ to 2’ raceme. Flowers have spotted throats;
most common in purple, but also pink, white, or
yellow.
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, rugose, serrate, and somewhat downy.
Mostly basal and ovate with long petioles
Propagation:
Seed
Light
Full to part sun
Hardiness
Zones 4 to 8
Soil Type
Moist, well-drained
Native to Europe
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
dij-i-tah’lis pur-pewr-ree-a
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
erect
2’ to 4’ tall
2’ wide
Flowers:
Solitary heads with purple, pink, reddish, yellow,
greenish, white, and peach drooping rays.
Disk flowers in brown cone. Flowers resemble
shuttlecocks (badminton birds).
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, ovate to broadly lanceolate. Coarsely
toothed, long petioles. Dark green, 4” to 8” long
Propagation:
Clump division, root cuttings, seeds
(don’t always reproduce true to type)
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 8
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to the eastern United States
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
ek-in-ay’see-a pur-pewr’ree-a
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
3’ to 4’ tall
2’ to 3’ wide
erect habit
Flowers:
Small, individual, dark blue to purple or white
flowers surrounded by bristly bracts are borne in
numerous, globose heads 1 ½” to 2” across.
Leaves/Stems:
Lanceolate, acuminate, dark green, spiny,
alternate leaves. Upper surface rough and
lower surface silvery white and tomentose
Propagation:
Division, root cuttings, seed
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 8
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to Europe and Western Asia
Globe thistle
Echinops ritro
ek’in-ops rit’ro
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
6’ to 8’ tall
4’ wide
Flowers:
Pink, small, ¼” flowers on large, dense panicles
that is reminiscent of cotton candy
Leaves/Stems:
Pinnately compound, alternate, glossy leaves with
large leaflets. The terminal leaflet is 5” to 8” long
with 7 to 9 small lobes; lateral leaflets have 3 to 5
lobes. Prominent stipules on petioles
Propagation:
Division, seed
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 7
Soil Type
Well-drained, soggy
Native to central and eastern United States, including Iowa
Queen-of-the-prairie
Filipendula rubra
fil-i-pen’dew-la rew’bra
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
2’ to 3’ tall
2’ wide
Flowers:
Daisy-like flowers 3” to 4” across; orange to
red center fades out to a yellow edge. Yellow
and dark red forms also available.
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, mostly basal; pinnately lobed and
8” to 10” long. Gray-green in color, coarsely
toothed and hirsute.
Propagation:
Seed, division, root cuttings
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 10
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to western United States
Blanket flower
Gaillardia x grandiflora
gay-lard’ee-a grand-i-flo’ra
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
1’ to 2’ tall w/flwrs
4” to 6” tall w/o flwrs
Flowers:
Thousands of tiny, 1/16”, white or pink flowers borne
on large, airy panicles. Single or double flowers
forms available.
Leaves/Stems:
Narrow, 4” long gray-green leaves
Mostly basal, glabrous, linear to lanceolate
Propagation:
Seed, tissue culture
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 7
Soil Type
Well-drained
High pH
Native to Europe and Northern Asia
Babys breath
Gypsophila paniculata
gyp-soff’ill-a pa nik-ew-lah’ta
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
1’ to 3-4’ tall
clumps
Flowers:
5 to 9 flowers oar borne on scapes up to 4’ tall.
3” to 4” long flowers in nearly every color but
true blue, black, & white. Individual flowers last
one day, but bloom lasts 2-3 weeks.
Leaves/Stems:
Narrow, long, linear leaves 1’ to 2’ long and
½” to 1” wide. Foliage is very grass-like.
Propagation:
Division; should be done every 3-5 years
depending on cultivar
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 9
Soil Type
Well-drained
Many species are native to Siberia, Japan, and China
Hemerocallis hybrids
Daylily
hem-er-o-kal’is
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
Most 12”-18” tall
24” wide
Some 3’ to 6’
Flowers:
White or lavender, trumpet-shaped, 4” flowers are
borne on 1 ½’ to 2 ½’ scapes.
Leaves/Stems:
Broad, basal. Cordate to ovate, long-petioled leaves.
Size varies from 10” long and 4” to 6” wide with various
degrees of green, white, blue, & yellow leaf color and
combinations available.
Propagation:
Division, tissue culture
Light Hardiness Soil Type
Shade
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 8
Soil Type
Well-drained
native to China and Japan
Hosta hybrids
Hosta
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit
2’ to 3’ tall
2’ wide
erect habit
Flowers:
Orange, star-shaped flowers dotted with red,
(up to 4’ stems). Capsule splits, revealing
clusters of black seeds resembling blackberries
Leaves/Stems:
Equitant, sword-shaped leaves with parallel
veins 10” long. Leaves resemble Bearded Iris.
Propagation:
Division, seeds
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 5 to 10
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to China
Iris domestica
Blackberry lily
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
3’ tall
Erect habit
Flowers:
Small mauve/lavender flowers, 1” across in a
racemose inflorescence. Flowers open from top
to bottom and can also be pink or white.
Leaves/Stems:
Alternate, linear leaves 5” long and 1” wide
Medium green color and resemble Asiatic lilies
Propagation:
Seed or division
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 9
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to North America
Liatris spicata
Gayfeather
lie’a-tris spi-kah’ta
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
5’ to 6’ tall
Flowers:
Small, bright yellow flowers on 4’ to 6’
wand-like racemes or daisies.
Racemes appear to “rocket” out of the
foliage on some species.
Leaves/Stems:
Basal, cordate, large 8” to 12” long leaves
with dentate leaf margins. Veins and leaf
bases are purple-black. Underside of foliage
can be burgundy-purple
Propagation:
Division
Light
Filtered shade
Hardiness
Zones 5 to 8
Soil Type
Moist, organic
native to China and Japan
Ligularia species
Ligularia
lig-yew-layer’ee-a
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
18” to 36” tall
Flowers:
Tubular, two-lipped flowers; lower lip has short,
bristly hairs. 1” to 2” long, white flowers are borne
in terminal racemes and occasionally flushed with
pink. There are 5 stamens, 4 fertile and 1 sterile.
Leaves/Stems:
Opposite, lanceolate, entire, and 2” to 4” long; leaves &
stem are glaucous. Leaves and stems are a deep maroon
color.
Propagation:
Seed, division
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 8
Soil Type
Well-drained
native to Eastern US
Penstemon digitalis
Husker red beardtongue
pen-stay’mon di-gi-tah’lis
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
10” to 36” tall
18” to 24” wide
Flowers:
Small, ¼” blue flowers borne in dense,
terminal racemes, 1’ to 3’ long. Flowers
also in purple, pink, or white.
Leaves/Stems:
Opposite, lanceolate, and serrulate except at
the base and tip. Glossy, medium green and
2” long; Round stems
Propagation:
Seed, division
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 8
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to Europe and Northern Asia
Veronica spicata
Spike speedwell
ve-ron’i-ca spee-kah’ta
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
4’ to 10’ tall
3’ to 6’ wide
Flowers:
Small, blue-violet, lavender, pink, or white flowers on
large (4-12”) panicles; orange/yellow throats; fragrant
Leaves/Stems:
Opposite, ovate-lanceolate; 4-10 inches long; serrate;
acuminate; gray-green to dark-green above, silvery-white
with pubescence below
Propagation:
Seed; stem cuttings
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 5 to 9
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to China
Buddleia davidii
Butterfly bush
bud-lee’a da-vid-ee’eye
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
3’ to 5’ tall
2’ to 3’ wide
Flowers:
Creamy- greenish, button-like flower heads; spiny-
looking and unusual
Leaves/Stems:
Strap-like, stiff, narrow basal leaves; parallel veins;
bristly leaf margins; resembles yucca foliage; gray-
green
Propagation:
Division, Seed
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 5 to 9
Soil Type
Well-drained
Native to US and parts of Iowa
Eryngium yuccifolium
Rattlesnake master
Season of Bloom:
Summer
Habit:
3’ to 5’ tall
2’ to 3’ wide
erect habit
Flowers:
Reddish-purple, 1” flowers on dense, 1’ long spikes
Leaves/Stems:
Opposite to whorled, sessile/clasping
lanceolate leaves, 2” to 4” long with heart-shaped
base. Stems are square.
Propagation:
Division
Light
Full sun
Hardiness
Zones 3 to 9
Soil Type
Any; prefers moist
Native to Europe and Asia
Lythrum salicaria
Purple loosestrife
