Perennials and Red Dragon Roots

Cultural Requirements

• Choose perennial companions with similar light, soil and moisture requirements. Red dragons grow well in sunny to shady sites and tolerate a range of soil types, including heavy clay. Red dragons are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 4 to 9, so they tolerate average annual low temperatures between minus 30 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spring Blooms

• Spring-blooming perennials provide the earliest color of the season. The blue star flower (Amsonia tabernaemontana) produces delicate, pale blue blossoms in spring. These 3-foot-tall plants are hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9 and thrive in full sun to partial shade and fertile soil. The bright yellow flowers of lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) complement red dragon’s burgundy and silver foliage. This perennial grows from 1 to 2 feet tall and blooms in late spring. Lanceleaf coreopsis plants are hardy in Zones 3 to 8 and thrive in sunny, well-drained sites.

Summer Blooms

• Summer-blooming perennials usually begin flowering in June or July. Threadleaf coreopsis (C. verticillata) blooms in summer with yellow-to-gold blossoms. Native to the eastern U.S., this 18-inch-tall perennial thrives in sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. It is hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9 and has fine foliage. Foxtail lilies (Eremurus spp.) produce tall spikes of blooms, ranging from bronze to yellow. They grow up to 5 feet tall and are hardy in Zones 5 to 8. Foxtail lilies prefer sunny sites with well-drained, fertile soil. Globe thistles also bloom in summer. They are hardy in Zones 3 to 8, grow to 4 feet tall and produce spherical clusters of deep blue flowers that attract bees. Globe thistles grow well in well-drained soil and sun to partial shade.

Fall Blooms

• The latest bloomers don’t start producing flowers until August or September. Artemisia (Artemisia absinthium) starts blooming in late summer. Hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 9, artemisia has gray foliage offset by small yellow flowers. It grows to 3 feet tall and prefers dry, sunny sites. Asters (Aster spp.) bloom from late summer through fall and grow to 4 feet tall. These North American natives produce purple, blue, white and pink blossoms and thrive in sun and well-draining soil. They are hardy in Zones 5 to 8.