Culver's Root Album

Veronicastrum is a native perennial of the eastern part of North America, where it grows in damp meadows and in bright forests. Its flowers, arranged in upright branched spikes, are impressive. They are a great attraction for insects and butterflies. After flowering, the plants are decorated long into winter by durable seed heads. These impressive perennials last about 7 days in a vase. Pink Glow is a garden cultivar of the wild light pink flowering form of Veronicastrum. It has sturdy light pink inflorescences.

Anemones come from the same family as buttercups. With their elegant flowers on long slender stems, they can liven up and brighten late summer and autumn beds. They stand out against the darker background of shrub groups and will also be grateful for their partial shade. The Czech Perennial Association chose autumn Anemones as the perennial of the season for 2022. They last 7 days in a vase. Whirlwind is a historical variety bred in 1887 in the USA. It has a semi-double pure white flower, often with inner twisted petals, and compact, strictly upright growth. The flowers are very durable.

Lady's mantle naturally grows on mountain pastures and meadows and in mixed forests. It is ornamental in both leaf and flower. The leaves have fine hairs giving the plant a velvety character. It is a perennial sought after by ancient alchemists for the drops of dew that appear in the pleated leaves. Valuable for florists for its multitude of tiny greenish-yellow flowers. Important in flower beds for its ground-covering character. Lasts 10 days in a vase.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. White Swan blooms with milky white flowers and brownish-orange centers. The petals are not spread entirely horizontally; they bend slightly downwards.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. It blooms in late summer and captivates with long drooping petals. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. It lasts 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central discs can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element.

Larkspurs are a classic and dominant feature among bedding perennials. We often see them accompanying roses and peonies. To stand out, they require plenty of space and regular fertilizing. You can enjoy their beauty in flower beds, bouquets, and even try drying them; the flowers retain their rich color well. They last 7 days in a vase but are sensitive to ethylene released from ripening fruit.

Anemones come from the same family as buttercups. With their elegant flowers on long slender stems, they can enliven and brighten late summer and autumn beds. They stand out against the darker background of shrub groups and will be grateful for their partial shade. The Czech Perennial Association chose autumn Anemones as the perennial of the 2022 season. They last 7 days in a vase. 'Lorelei' has semi-double flowers in a tender light pink tone.

Knautia macedonica is a profusely and long-blooming undemanding perennial. Its wild form originates from the Balkans, where it grows on meadows and in scrublands. Red Knight charms in flower beds with slender high stems that carry dark wine-colored flowers. It is suitable for naturally designed sunny to semi-shady beds and meadow bouquets.

Knautia macedonica is a profusely and long-blooming undemanding perennial. Its wild form originates from the Balkans, where it grows on meadows and in scrublands. In flower beds, it charms with slender high stems that carry pastel wine and pink flowers. It is suitable for naturally designed sunny to semi-shady beds and meadow bouquets.

Feather grass flowers capture attention in beds and bouquets with their lightness and delicacy. All feather grasses love full sun and dry, stony, well-drained soil. To look most natural in beds, it is good to plant them in loose groups of several pieces together with other drought-loving perennials and bulbs. Only then do their stems and inflorescences, set in motion by the slightest breath of wind, truly stand out. Stipa 'Ponny Tails' is a species native to the steppes of Mexico, Texas, and Patagonia. Airy, dense clumps of hair-like delicate leaves resemble horsehair. The leaves are green, turning up to straw-colored towards the flowers. In a suitable location, it also self-seeds.

An interesting tuberous perennial with flowers blooming from the top down. This peculiarity gave it its second Czech name – 'top-flower'. Most plants bloom the other way around, from bottom to top. The white flowers of a peculiar shape attract bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. Interesting for bouquets too.

An original wild perennial with a large distribution area from Europe to Siberia. Suitable for natural and wild plantings. It grows in meadows and dry grassy places. A very adaptable and undemanding plant, it grows in clumps and spreads by runners. By cutting back after the first flowering, we encourage a set of new flowers. For bouquets, we harvest when the florets are fully open. It lasts 10 days in a vase. Summer Pastels is characterized by a changeable and soft range of colors from white and vanilla to salmon, brick red, and bronze.

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial native to Texas and Louisiana. Here, it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flower beds. It is an excellent food source for insects. Tiny flowers resembling small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. For bouquets, harvest as soon as the first two or three flowers open on the stem. Siskiyou Pink is a beautiful variety with pink-red flowers on slightly arching stems. It is less hardy than the white-flowering varieties. The red-spotted leaves are also interesting.

Cupid's dart is a medium-tall short-lived perennial. It originates from the Mediterranean and is therefore suitable for areas with milder winters. Attractive with blue flowers that resemble chicory. The unopened flower buds and silvery spent inflorescences are also nice. It is also suitable for drying. Fresh, it lasts 7 days in a vase.

A valuable garden and medicinal perennial, native to North America. It blooms in summer with dark purple-pink flowers. The spiky flower centers are an irresistible attraction for butterflies. They last 7–10 days in a vase. After removing the petals, the stems with the central disks can be dried or used in fresh bouquets as an interesting element. Magnus features distinctive deep pink flowers with an orange-brown center.

Perennials with palmately divided leaves and delicate flowers. In nature, we find them in damp meadows or light woodlands. They grow in clumps. Upright stems suitable for cutting branch out and bear tiny umbels of flowers. These are further emphasized around the perimeter by jagged bracts in the color of the flower with translucent green. Lasts 10–14 days in a vase.

A classic perennial for early summer bouquets and cottage gardens. For bouquets, we harvest flowers with firm, smooth central disks. Then they last 7–10 days in a vase. Maikönigin is an exceptionally abundantly flowering garden form.

A perennial that finds its place in naturalistic steppe and gravel beds. It attracts bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. It is floristically valuable for its flowers with striking bracts, which are also perfect for drying. The roots of some species were formerly eaten candied as sweets in England and France and added to pastries and jellies. In herbal medicine, it was used as an aphrodisiac, among other things, hence its folk name "male fidelity".

Gaura is a clump-forming perennial originally from Texas and Louisiana. Here it behaves more like a short-lived perennial. It combines beautifully with grasses and adds lightness and airiness to flowerbeds. It is excellent pasture for insects. Tiny flowers similar to small butterflies bloom tirelessly from June until the first frosts. Harvest for bouquets immediately as soon as the first two to three flowers open on the stem. Whirling Butterflies blooms with pure white flowers that gradually acquire a pink tinge. Buds are also usually pinkish. Characterized by compact growth and blooms profusely.

Like Lavender, Hyssop is considered a low woody subshrub. It works well in similar planting schemes, with roses or even in steppe-style gravel beds. It can be used in the kitchen and as a medicinal plant. A huge attraction for bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. Sweet pink flowers.

This species of sage originates from the steppe regions of Central and Eastern Europe. It forms profusely flowering small clumps with straight, upright stems. In flower beds, it looks best in groups. It is traditionally planted as a companion to roses due to the matching flowering time. However, it looks equally good in mixed drought-tolerant steppe plantings with grasses. It is an excellent food source for bees. Lasts 7 days in a vase. Amethyst is an elegant variety with long stems and a pink flower color that is unusual for sages.

An impressive solitary perennial with a massive, sparsely branched growth type. It produces light yellow-green flowers on long stems resembling Scabious flowers. The contrast between the relatively massive mass of leaves and the airy wire-like stems with small flower heads is very effective. It lasts about 5 days in a vase. Spent inflorescences are also interesting in beds and bouquets.

Catmints are ideal companions for roses, suitable for naturalistic gardens, and lower species also for boxes and pots. Some of them are an irresistible attraction for cats, caused by the hallucinogen nepetalactone. This should be present in the highest amount in the species Nepeta cataria. Conversely, lemon-scented catmints reportedly do not attract cats. The botanical name Nepeta likely comes from the name of the ancient Etruscan city Nepet - Nepi in the territory of today's Italian province of Viterbo, where the plant was once cultivated. Nepeta racemosa naturally grows on dry meadows and rocky, stony slopes from the Caucasus to Central Asia. It has aromatic grey-green leaves and forms a tufted semi-spherical bush. Walker’s Low got its name after an Irish estate where it was bred in 1970. It has the most intense blue-violet flower coloration.

Garden cultivars of goldenrod are attractive and low-maintenance perennials bred from native North American wild species. Unlike them, however, they are not invasive and do not spread uncontrollably in flower beds. They are specially bred for cutting, which is why they are relatively tall, grow upright, and bloom profusely. For bouquets, we can harvest both freshly bloomed plants and stems with buds. They last 10 days in a vase. In flower beds, they are an essential food source for bees. Moonlight Glory is our lightest milky-white goldenrod. Its elegant shade combines well with other perennials.

A magnificent plant with feathery terminal inflorescences of a sweet pink color. It smells pleasant, and the pinnate dark green leaves are also aromatic. Unlike the common meadowsweet, it loves moisture, so it is excellent for waterlogged areas and near ponds. Lasts 7 days in a vase. The cultivar Kahome blooms with fluffy deep pink clouds of flowers that spread a honey scent around.

Perovskia are sparsely branched subshrubs, native to regions from Afghanistan to Tibet. They grow in open, sunny, rocky, and stony habitats. Their white felted shoots and grayish aromatic leaves are striking. They are suitable for sunny flower beds alongside other drought-loving perennials, where they create interesting structures even in the winter months.

Phlomis is a valuable structural perennial that originates from the Greek islands and Turkey. It is also called Jerusalem sage. In plantings, it is used as a groundcover species and can even be successfully grown under trees. Both the flowers and stems with effective fruits are usable for cutting. If we do not cut them back in the autumn, they will adorn the beds throughout the winter, just like the dense carpet of leaves. Phlomis is also attractive to pollinators.

Forms a delicate, airy bush. Compared to Aster ericoides, the flowers are less numerous, placed singly at the ends of branch tips, which gives the plant an airy effect. The plant has a very delicate appearance. It is beautiful in combination with other late asters and ornamental grasses. Healthy and long-blooming, the pink flower is slightly larger than that of Aster ericoides. Lasts 7 to 10 days in a vase.

A perennial species of Verbena native to North America. In natural habitats, it grows in wet meadows, pastures, and along water bodies. It is a great attraction for bees and butterflies. Although not very long-lived, it can maintain itself in good conditions by self-seeding. It blooms gradually over a long period with many tiny flowers. The spent inflorescences are also effective, both in beds and in bouquets. White Spires is an elegant cultivar with pure white flowers.