Can you correctly identify all of the following perennial plants that are commonly found in East Idaho gardens? Submit your answers to steve@idahofallsmagazine.com for a chance to have your own garden featured in an upcoming summer issue of Idaho Falls magazine.
1.
The petals usually open up in the early a.m., only to wither the next evening. Contrary to the plant's name, some species actually bloom at night!
2.
This mid-summer bloomer can radiate its colors for several weeks. It's simple to grow and super-easy to maintain. The plant mixes well with any other sun-loving plants. It also pairs nicely with sunflowers.
3.
This blazing showpiece flower grows up to 5 feet tall and is a sure-fire attractant for wildlife, hummingbirds, butterflies and birds. Elegant leafy spears surround the base of its towering stem, topped by eye-popping tubular flowers.
4.
It's the host with the most when it comes to leafy landscapes surrounded by plush bark ground covers and tight flowerbeds. Known mostly for its heavily patterned fanning leaves, this perennial divides well year after year.
5.
Native to the U.S., it can be found in the wild throughout the West. (Try Island Park, for instance.) Like Purple Cone Flowers (echinacea), this plant is believed to have medicinal properties. Most of the plant is not edible but parts of it do have nutritional value.
6.
It's an extremely early bloomer in eastern Idaho. Mauve, yellow, and white are its predominant colors, although colors vary enormously. It's one of the easiest bulbs to plant and care for.
7.
Found in abundance throughout local forests, this hardy perennial comes in an array of colorful hybrid varieties. It's easy to spot thanks to its distinctive, bell-shaped, spurred flowers. Self-seeds, which is nice considering that it only lives a few years at most.
Source material: www.easytogrowbulbs.com, www.longfield-gardens.com. Photos by Steve Smede