Plant Information Resource Center

A Service Provided by Bohn's Farm and Greenhouses

Bohn's Farm and Greenhouses, a WHOLESALE-TO-THE-TRADE ONLY grower of herbaceous plants, offers this Plant Information Resource Center for the benefit of the green industry professional and the home gardener/landscape enthusiast.  This section of our website can also be accessed via www.PerennialPicks.com.

The Plant Information Resource Center is supported by an extensive plant database that we initially developed in 1997.  Since its inception, the Bohn's Farm plant database has continuously been updated with the most relevant and timely plant information. The database has offered the foundation of information for publishing 4 editions of the Bohn's Farm Plant Reference Guide in the years 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006. The information presented on our extensive and ever-expanding custom plant tags is also supported by this central database.

The Bohn's Farm plant database is quite dynamic.  We encourage your comments for improving plant information content, accuracy and display format.  This website updated frequently with new plant information. 

Adiantum pedatum Fern, Northern Maidenhair Dainty bright green fronds on shiny black stems create a light, airy texture. Spreads by shallow rhizomes to form a dense groundcover . Thrives in moist, loose, rich soil. [ More Info ]

Artemisia schmidtiana 'Powis Castle' Wormwood Mounding, feathery, aromatic, silver foliage. Good filler plant. Drought tolerant. Foliage resists late season frost damage, thus maintaining garden interest into early winter. [ More Info ]

Artemisia schmidtiana 'Silver Mound' Wormwood Finely cut, soft, silver foliage forms a neat, rounded mound. Drought tolerant. Noninvasive variety. Insignificant flowers. Prefers poorly fertile soil. Cut back in late spring to avoid "melting out". [ More Info ]

Aruncus dioicus Goat'S Beard Large wands of frothy, creamy white flowers in May and June. Foliage is similar to astilbe but growth habit is shrub-like. A good native for woodland gardens. [ More Info ]

Arundo donax 'Versicolor' Grass, Striped Giant Reed A striking specimen plant with stiff, upright, variegated leaves. Plants resemble huge corn plants. Heat tolerant but needs moist, well-drained soil. Hardy with winter protection. [ More Info ]

Aster (syn Symphyotrichum) novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' Aster, New England Heavy blooming with deep purple flowers late July or early August and continuing through September and October. Densely compact mounded growth habit. While this plant may appear leggy in a container on the retail shelf, Purple Dome exhibits outstanding landscape performance and still offers the richest purple flower among all Asters. AKA Symphyotrichum novae-angliae. [ More Info ]

Astilbe chinensis var. pumila Astilbe, Chinese Lilac-pink fluffy flower plumes June through August on graceful, fernlike foliage mounds . Dwarf variety spreads to form an excellent ground cover. Needs consistent moisture for best performance. [ More Info ]

Astilbe japonica 'Deutschland' Astilbe Pure white, open lacy panicles in May and June above glossy deep green foliage. Early to midseason bloomer. [ More Info ]

Astilbe japonica 'Montgomery' Astilbe Dark magenta-red flower plumes rise above foliage in June. Glossy green, fern-like foliage, emerges bronze in spring. Stems are dark red. Thrives in moist conditions. Early to midseason bloomer. [ More Info ]

Astilbe japonica 'Peach Blossom' Astilbe Dense, pyramidal flower clusters are delicate peach with a hint of pink. Early blooming species blooms in mid May and early June. Fern-like mounds of glossy green foliage is sometimes tinged with red. Requires some sun to bloom. [ More Info ]

Astilbe japonica 'Rheinland' Astilbe Clear rose-pink flowers are held in large, diamond-shaped panicles. Very floriferous and vigorous. Large, mid-green leaves. One of the best early pink Astilbes. [ More Info ]

Astilbe x arendsii 'Fanal' Astilbe Blood red flowers are presented in upright spires. Foliage is mahogany red in spring, turning green by summer. Very popular selection. Midseason bloomer. [ More Info ]

Athyrium filix-femina Fern, Lady Bright green, lacy fronds arise from creeping rhizomes. Clumps are dense and upright. Vigorous and easy to grow. [ More Info ]

Athyrium niponicum 'Pictum' Fern, Japanese Painted Showy silvery-grey fronds with purple-red veining and stems. Low, mounding habit. Brightens dark spots in shade border. Partners well with purple and red foliage plants. A tough fern for the Midwest. Easy to grow. 2001 Illinois Perennial Plant of the Year. [ More Info ]

Calamagrostis arundinacea 'Karl Foerster' Grass, Feather Reed [ More Info ]

Centranthus ruber 'Coccineus' Valerian A profusion of cherry red flowers on top of glaucous foliage with a spreading habit. Cut back after the first bloom to encourage repeat bloom. Prefers well-drained, infertile, alkaline soil. [ More Info ]

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides Leadwort (Pumbago) Long blooming gentian blue flowers from late June or July through frost. Glossy green leaves turn reddish bronze in autumn. Excellent, long-lived groundcover tolerates a wide range of conditions. Not evergreen. An excellent ground cover. [ More Info ]

Chelone obliqua Turtlehead [ More Info ]

Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' Coreopsis, Thread-Leaf Long-blooming, pale lemon flowers on mounds of needlelike foliage. [PPA-1992] [ More Info ]

Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' Coreopsis, Thread-Leaf Bright golden yellow flowers on upright compact, vase-shaped plants with airy, fernlike foliage. Long bloom time. Easy to grow. Long lived species of coreopsis. Drought tolerant once established. [ More Info ]

Dennstaedtia punctilobula Fern, Hay-Scented A fast spreading ground cover that produces a thick mat of bright green fronds. Crushed fronds smell of hay. [ More Info ]

Dicentra spectabilis Bleeding Heart, Old Fashioned This is the old-fashioned favorite with nodding pink and white heart-shaped flowers. It is a lovely compliment to Hosta but foliage dies down in summer if temperatures are high and adequate moisture is not maintained. [ More Info ]

Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba' Bleeding Heart, Old Fashioned Similar to D. spectabilis but with white flowers. [ More Info ]

Dryopteris erythrosora Fern, Autumn "Autumn Fern" refers to the coppery-orange color of the emerging fronds. Foliage matures to shiny dark green. A deciduous fern with an erect habit. A durable perennial fern for the Midwest. [ More Info ]

Dryopteris marginalis Fern, Eastern Wood Tough, adaptable evergreen fern with olive green arching fronds that grow in a vase shape. Established plants are reasonably drought tolerant. The leathery leaves of Dryopteris marginalis are a beautiful addition to the woodland garden and can form a lovely an easy to maintain groundcover. A sturdy east coast native, it forms a tidy clump that will not spread and is very tolerant of dry shade conditions once it has established. Marginal wood fern is often found in shaded crevices of rocky ledges and bluffs from Newfoundland to Georgia, west to Oklahoma and Minnesota. [ More Info ]

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' Coneflower Intense rose-pink ray petals with a coppery-brown cone. Petals fade to pale pink as they age. Huge, flat flower heads with non-drooping petals. [PPA-1998] [ More Info ]

Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' Coneflower Pure white ray petals reflex downward away from the coppery-brown, spiky central cone. Their fragrance attracts masses of butterflies. [ More Info ]

Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' Cranesbill Long-blooming, lavender-blue flowers on upright plants. [ More Info ]

Geranium sanguineum Cranesbill Shell pink flowers with dark pink veins. Compact selection with small, deeply cut fragrant leaves. Foliage often turns red in autumn. Prefers protection from hot afternoon sun. Well drained soil is key. (syn `Lancastriense') [ More Info ]

Geranium sanguineum 'Max Frei' Cranesbill Purple-pink flowers on compact mounded plants. Blooms May and June with sporadic rebloom. Glossy green foliage turns red in autumn. Prefers protection from hot afternoon sun. Well drained soil is key. [ More Info ]

Geranium sanguineum 'New Hampshire Purple' Cranesbill Long-blooming flowers are larger, have greater substance, and are a shade darker than the species. Deeply cut, glossy green leaves form a low-growing clump turning red in autumn. 2000 Illinois Perennial Plant of the Year. [ More Info ]

Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokova' Cranesbill Large white to pale pink flowers repeat bloom through the summer. Trailing stems with glossy leaves form an excellent colonizing ground cover. [ More Info ]

Geranium x cantabrigiense 'Biokova Karmina' Cranesbill Large rich, raspberry-pink flowers repeat bloom through the summer. Trailing stems with glossy leaves form an excellent colonizing ground cover. Raspberry-pink flowering form of 'Biokova'. [ More Info ]

Matteuccia struthiopteris Fern, Ostrich One of the largest and most popular perennial ferns. Dark green fronds are shaped like ostrich plumes. Clump forming, upright to arching habit. Rapid spreader requiring space to grow. Good ground cover that spreads rapidly in moist areas. [ More Info ]

Polystichum acrostichoides Fern, Christmas Glossy, dark green foliage is evergreen. Fronds emerge upright, arching as they mature to cover ground. Drought tolerant once established. Tiny leaves resemble Christmas stockings. [ More Info ]