Perennials for Your Rock Garden

A properly constructed rock garden, with rocks and soil elevated in tiers provides good drainage for many small plants that might otherwise succumb to winter and spring wetness.

Rocks are best situated where the plants will receive maximum sunshine and not be shaded by trees.

In addition to perennials and small spring flowering bulbs such as Crocus, Snowdrop and Winter Aconite, using dwarf evergreen enhances and maintains year-round interest in any rock garden. Many varieties of Dwarf Spruce, Yew and Hemlock are very suitable and widely available.

Sedum

Sedum is a very important rock garden family. Dozens of varieties are readily available and hundreds are possible. All sedum varieties flower in their season from early summer to late fall. Flower colours vary from pink, red, white or yellow. More important than their flowers, however, is their interesting and colourful foliage. Sedums are a MUST in any rock garden.

Hens and Chickens

Another important rock garden plant, Sempervivum has fleshy rosettes of foliage with the mother plant surrounded by many small plantlets. These can be detatched and planted in another spot.

 

Varieties of Sedum & Supervivum

Foliage Plants

There are many named varieties, all with interesting colourful leaves. They include:

Moss Campion – Silene Schafta
Blue-eyed Grass – Sisyrinchium
Lamb’s Ears – Satchys
Germander – Teuchrium

Thyme

Many varieties of Thyme are available. All are flowering plants but are valued more for their foliage ñ in shades of green, plus gray, gold and silver.

Veronica & Viola

Many small Violet-Viola, Veronicas, or Speedwells are available, including creeping varieties.

Grasses

The smaller, clump-forming (non-invasive) grasses add great charm and quite a different touch in a rock garden. Recommended ñ Blue Fescue varieties, Tuberous  Oat Grass, Blue Oat Grass, June Grass (Koeleria), plus grass-like plants such as Sedges (Carex) and Wood Rush (Luzula).

Rock Garden Perennials A-Z

Common Name

Botanical Name

Wooly Yarrow

Achillea

Lebanon or Persian Cress

Aethionema

Bugle Flower  

Ajuga

Lady’s Mantle

Alchemilla

Ornamental Onion

Allium moly and others

Basket of Gold  

Alyssum

Pearly Everlasting  

Anaphalis

Rock Jasmine

Androsace

Pasque Flower  

Anemone or Pulsatilla

Pussy Toes

Antennaria

Dwarf Columbine  

Aquilegia

Rock Cress

Arabis

Thrift  

Armeria

Silver Mound

Artemisia

Silver Brocade      

Artemisia

Alpine Aster

Aster

Dwarf Astilbe

Astilbe

Purple Rock Cress

Aubretia

English Daisy

Bellis

Heartleaf

Bergenia

Slipperwort    

Calceolaria

Carpathian Harebell

Campanula

Dalmation Bellflower

Campanula

Silver Thistle  

Carlina

Dwarf Coreopsis

Coreopsis

Dianthus/Pinks

Dianthus

Dwarf Columbine

Dicentra eximia

Draba  

Draba  

Cushion Spurge

Euphorbia

Indian Strawberry

Fragaria

Yellow Bedstraw

Galium

Creeping Baby’s Breath

Gypsophila

Rock Rose/Sun Rose

Helianthemum

Coral Bells

Heuchera

St. John’s Wort (Dwarf)

Hypericum

Houstonia

Houstonia

Hardy Gloxinia

Incarvillea

Dead Nettle  

Lamium

Golden Flax

Linum flavum

Catmint

Nepeta

Prickly Pear

Opuntia

Dwarf Beardstongue  

Penstemon

Perennial Potentilla

Potentilla

Rock Soapwort

Saponaria

Dwarf Blanket Flower

Gaillardia

True Geranium

Geranium

Geum

Geum

Strawflower

Helichrysum

Hosta (sun tolerant varieties)

Hosta

Hutchinsia

Hutchinsia

Candy Tuft

Iberis

Dwarf Iris

Iris pupils

Edelweiss

Leontopodium

Dwarf Feverfew

Matricaria

Evening Primrose

Oenothera

Iceland Poppy

Papaver

Creeping Phlox

Phlox

Gold Moss

Sagina