I continue to report to you on plants that perform. I am quick to eliminate plants that don’t live up to expectations.Here are six topnotch perennials you will enjoy in your garden for many years.

Arkansas bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) grows into a 2-3 feet tall arching clump of soft, feathery green leaves. Blue starry flowers appear in late April into May (in Tennessee). This sun-loving plant is long-lived. Light green fine needle-like summer foliage turns an exceptional bright golden color in fall. 2011 Perennial Plant of the Year. (Z 6-8).

‘Gold Standard’ coreopsis (C. tripteris ‘Gold Standard’) is an unusually tall growing 5 – 7 feet high coreopsis. Starting in late July, multitudes of sunshine yellow flowers stand tall on sturdy wiry branches The bright floral display stands out over 2-3 months. ‘Gold Standard’ has a rhizomatous spreading habit, about 2 feet over 3 years. (Z 3-8)

‘American Gold Rush‘ blackeye Susan (Rudbeckia x ‘American Gold Rush’) is a compact hybrid cultivar, only 24 inches high compared to  taller ‘Goldsturm’. Its narrow 2-inch wide hairy leaves are highly  resistant to Septoria leaf spot disease. Bright, yellow-gold flowers cover the plant from July to September and attract lots of pollinators.  Z 3-8

‘Glamour Girl’ Summer Phlox (Phlox paniculata ‘Glamour Girl’) bears large panicles of hot coral pink flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Flower heads are supported on strong 30 – 36 inch dark purple stems. This standout cultivar exhibits bright green foliage with good mildew resistance all season long. Z 4-8

Allium ‘Millenium’ is rhizomatous clumping onion with globe-shaped floral heads full of tiny rosy-purple florets. Compared to bulbous alliums, Millenium does not self-seed readily and is a lot less weedy. Flowers grow 16 – 18 inches tall and blooms are particularly attractive to butterflies. 2018 Perennial Plant of the Year. (Z 5-8).

White Cloud muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘White Cloud’) is a native ornamental grass that delivers quite a show in early fall. White billowy flower heads (inflorescences) stands tall on sturdy erect 4 feet tall stems along with blue-green foliage. Its bloom period begins a few days after pink muhly grass (M. capillaris). (Z 6-10).