Actaea simplex 'Brunette' (Baneberry, Snakeroot)

'Hillside Black Beauty' differs from other bugbanes because of its deep purple–black foliage. From late spring to late summer, it provides the perfect backdrop for colorful foliage and flowering shade plants (it’s even deer resistant). In fall, fragrant, cream-colored flowers emerge on wandlike, 5- to 6-foot-tall wiry stems.

The leaves of this hardy hibiscus are copper-red on top and orange-red underneath. Ruffly white to pale pink flowers, 10 to 12 inches across with a distinct red eye, bloom from midsummer to mid-fall with deadheading. Because the top of 'Kopper King' dies back to the ground in autumn and is late to break dormancy in the spring, interplant it with spring bulbs and overplant it with winter annuals not only to provide year-round color but also to allow the hibiscus to grow undisturbed.

(2 user reviews)

The deliciously colored maroon-brown leaves contrast nicely with neighboring plants through the season. Pure white flowerheads bloom in midsummer and stay open well into autumn.

Though relatively pest-free, 'Crimson Curls' heuchera needs constant moisture to look its best. The white flowers contrast nicely with the ruby-colored foliage that deepens in direct sun, and the late-spring flowering repeats by late summer if deadheaded. Due to its constant-moisture requirement, don't grow 'Crimson Curls' in a pot. Use it massed along a walkway or in a woodland setting.