A gem in the late summer garden! Veronicastrum virginicum 'Lavendelturm' displays eye-catching branching spires of pale lavender flowers that seem to glow from mid-summer to early fall. With a candelabra look, these graceful inflorescences are nicely complemented by lanceolate, dark-green leaves that are arranged in whorls around the stem. Tough, and long-lasting, this Veronicastrum is perfect for adding interesting vertical lines and late summer color to the garden. Deer resistant, it attracts scores of butterflies and is highly prized for its cut flowers!

This Echinacea species gets the attention of many gardeners. Why? The lovely combination of the prominent central cone and thin, pale pink to purple flower petals gracefully hanging like tassels, makes them one of the most attractive prairie perennials. Aside from the subtle form and color of its elegant flowers, Echinacea pallida, commonly known as Pale Purple Coneflower also features a dark green foliage of long, slender, toothless leaves. Blooming from late spring to midsummer, this attractive upright perennial is worthy of a place in pollinator gardens, perennial borders, prairies, or wildflower gardens.

Hardy and reliable, Agastache 'Black Adder' (Giant Hyssop) is a charming herbaceous perennial boasting bottle-brush, terminal spikes, 6-8 in. long (15-20 cm), packed with fragrant, tubular, two-lipped red-violet flowers emerging from dark buds. Blooming from mid-summer to fall, they provide a remarkably long floral display and add color as well as a lovely spiky texture to the garden.

Striking, Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master) is an evergreen perennial with luminous clusters of small, egg-shaped flowerheads, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), tightly packed with tiny greenish-white flowers, subtended by white pointed bracts. Appearing at the top of smooth, stiff, branched stems in mid-summer, they rise atop a basal rosette of sword-shaped, spiny-edged, yucca-like, blue-gray leaves. Once credited with the curative power of treating rattlesnake bites, Eryngium yuccifolium is commonly known as Rattlesnake Master. And don't worry, it doesn't attract rattlesnakes!