Low Maintenance Plant Combo with Strong Fall Finale

This trio of easy-care plants offers low-maintenance garden performance over a long season. The airy disposition of the thread leaf blue star set against the bold, coarse foliage of the oakleaf hydrangea is visually appealing year-round due the strong contrast in texture and leaf size. In late spring, early summer the Amsonia hubrechtii is covered in delicate, light blue flowers. Shortly thereafter, the hydrangea produces panicles of bloom that start as ivory, but often take on deeper shades of pink as the season progresses. The handsome blue-green foliage of the Himalayan huckleberry acts is the evergreen anchor, and the shrub offers the added benefit of edible fruit, albeit sparse. As pictured here, the party really gets rocking in fall as the hydrangea's rich mahogany tones dance with the swaying mounds of golden foliage donned by Amsonia hubrechtii in autumn.

Growing Conditions

Zone: 5, 6, 7, 8
Exposure: Full Sun, Morning Sun, Part Sun
Water Needs: Average, Low

Design Considerations

Style: Northwest Eclectic, Woodland
Features: Varied Foliage, Texture, and Form, Fabulous Foliage, Fall Color
Focus: Mixed Border, Pleasing Seasonal Flow
Seasons of Interest: Spring, Summer, Fall, Pleasing Seasonal Changes, Three Seasons of Interest

Care and Maintenance


Maintenance Level: low



Plants In this Combo