Top Ten Toughest Perennials For Northeast Ohio
If you live in the Cleveland, Ohio area like I do, you are aware of the iradic weather that we have. The saying is "if you don't like the weather in Cleveland, wait a day." The winters here may be mild or bitterly cold. The growing season might be cool and damp, or hot and dry, or any of these combinations. This puts a lot of stress on plants. Having such a variable climate, there are also conditions that encourage a different pest or plant pathogen to flurish every year. Our plants have to adapt to being bombarded by pests, along with the ever changing weather patterns. This is why it is especially important for people in northeast Ohio to choose tough plants for their landscaping.
Some ornamental plants seem to be ironclad against any diversity once they are established. This of course can change considering the spread of foreign pests throughout our area. Viburnums for example were once rarely bothered by pests and pathogens. In the last couple of years the viburnum leaf beetle has attacked most species of viburnum. The devestation has been so bad that many growers stopped growing susceptible species. Other examples are the impatiens/ downy mildew, and the ash tree/ emerald ash borer.
Its difficult to judge what plants will be effected by future pests and pathogens. Most of the plants effected by significant pest and disease problems are woody plants. This is why I chose to write about some tough perennials. Perennials are real difference makers in the garden. They provide color, texture, and form to the American garden that is dominated by shrubs sheared into geometric shapes. Here are my top ten toughest perennials for the Cleveland, Ohio region, or zone 5b. All of these plants are resistant to pests and disease.
#10 Feverfew
Feverfew is a small shrubby perennial that you cut back every year. It can be invasive in some parts. To avoid this, I cut mine back before it sets seed. If you need a strong perennial for full sun that will take up space, try feverfew.
#09 'Sundrops' Evening Primrose'
This is a low profile plant that pops with color. This is number nine on the list because the plant itself isn't adorable. To an untrained eye, it may be mistaken for a weed. Sundrops form a fairly tall clump. Then all of a sudden the plant explodes with yellow flowers. This plant is very drought tolerant. It grows best in part sun and will tolerate a fair amount of dry shade. Its a perfect plant to grow in those tricky areas where other plants struggle in. It looks best grouped with other plants where some height is needed. I enjoy these plants mixed in along a fenceline.
#08 Spiderwort
Spiderwort is a great native plant just like the evening primrose. This plant will tolerate sun or shade and average to wet soils. There are not a whole lot of ornamental plants that are commonly available that will tolerate sun and wet ground. So this is why it ends up on this list. And guess what? It is basically disease and pest free! The plant itself resembles a daylily with its grasslike foliage. It shoots up in spring and flowers purple. At midsummer the plant can be cut back by half. This will stimulate the plant to flower again by season's end. Its not a bad plant to mix into a border.
#07 Shasta Daisy
Shasta Daisies are an evergreen perennial. Not many people consider perennials to be evergreens. This characteristic and the classic blooms of this plant get it on the list. This plant is very tolerable of poor soil conditions. It acts as a soil indicator. It shows up in calcium deficient soils and actually corrects the deficiency over time.
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| This daisy grew for many years in barren soil where weeds couldn't even gain foothold. Daisies are tough! #06 Daylily |
No other plant grows in a ditch better than a daylily. That makes it tough right? This plant has been bred like crazy. There are so many more options than the reblooming stella d'oro daylily. Find some fun new cultivars and you will be glad you did.
#05 Heuchera
Heucheras are very useful plants. Besides hostas no other shade perennial has as many variations of foliage. There are a ton of purple, silver, and caramel cultivars. This plant has also been bred with the native foam flower to create even more variants of foliage. This plant is very deer resistant and an all around tough plant. I would say one in ten heucheras peter off because of improper planting depth either at the nursery or in the ground. I love these plants if they are planted where they compliment other plants.
#04 Catmint
Not many people are aware of how great of a plant catmint is. It doesn't spread like crazy like pepermint does. It holds a nice tidy clump and blooms for a very long time. I feel that its silvery aromatic foliage and purple flowers make it similar to lavender. It is the easiest perennial to grow with these kind of ornamental qualities. You really can't go wrong with catmint.
#03 Lilyturf
The evergreen grass-like foliage of lilyturf can tolerate full sun to full shade. Not many plants are as good as lilyturf in that respect. Yes it looks like grass but it has a nice purple flower to it followed by black berries. You can even get lilyturf foliage variegated in white or yellow. It is deer resistant too. Lilyturf is a fantastic plant for edging or the front of the border.
#02 Hardy Hibiscus
Hardy Hibiscus is an herbaceous perennial that can grow larger than some woody shrubs. Speaking of large, the flowers will stop you in your tracks. The only downfalls to this plant is that it is slow to start in spring and that it doesn't have many ornamental qualities besides the flowers. It tolerates anything a summer in the city will throw at it. It loves the hot summer sun and can tolerate poor soil and drought. I have never seen this plant bothered by insects or disease. This is a large tough plant for the sunny garden. It can even be used in butterfly and hummingbird gardens!
#01 Lenten Rose
Lenton rose is an evergreen perennial with thick leathery leaves. This deer resistant plant gets to be the size of most hosta. The plant flowers in late winter, hence its name Lenton Rose. This is a shade plant that is tolerant of dry shade under trees. This is my choice for the toughest perennial.
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