In my span as a gardener and a grower, it is interesting to note where the perennial world has gone in terms of new plants. Some that were once popular are no longer available at local nurseries, even though they may have been the single most favored by wise gardeners some ten or fifteen years ago. I have a few theories, none of which devalue those lovely and much missed choices from the good old days.

One speculation is height or growing habit; a sprawling perennial may not perform or look great in a one-gallon container, or for that matter, in a three-gallon container, so they are pegged as inventory that doesn't sell. Sadly, if the gardener has not seen how effective they may be in a garden setting, they can't imagine the greatness. Here I highlight Salvia azurea (once referred to as Salvia pitcheri), which seems to have completely disappeared from sight. Reminiscing this spring, I ordered three plants online, and they are currently flowering amidst other established perennials, just as lovely as I remember. The blue flowers on weaving stems are a delightful surprise in late August. Salvia azurea is native to much of the mid and eastern United States, commonly known as pitcher sage, most likely from the large lower lip that functions as a landing pad for pollinators but looks like the spout on a pitcher. Available online, I purchased a seed strain known as 'Nekan' from an isolated population near Lincoln, Nebraska. Perhaps improved; larger flowers, stiffer stems, and hardier, it still flops around which is definitely an attribute when mixed with suitable partners. If the stems were to be cut for a couple of months prior to flowering, I suppose it might make a decent container plant, appearing bushier and sales worthy, although the meandering habit is best viewed in a garden setting.

Based on height alone, quite a few perennials are rarely available, most replaced by more compact hybrids and cultivars which are not always an improvement. And this leads me to my second theory, beyond the look of a plant in a one-gallon container, there is the patented cultivar that brings royalties for every plant sold. Joe-Pye weed or Eutrochium purpureum in now available as 'Baby Joe', 'Little Red', and 'Little Joe' (from Eutrochium dubium). The straight species, a locally abundant native wildflower can reach eight feet in height, something that is hard to offer in a container and patent free, essentially cutting out big producers from earning extra income. Other tallish perennials that have been reduced in height to feed the container and royalty market are summer phlox, asters, hardy hibiscus, and lilies.

If there is a third theory, it's the lack of knowledge on how spectacular these perennials are only because they only way to see them is in a garden setting. Rudbeckia maxima or the great coneflower is not only tall but produces glorious powder blue foliage. The stems will splay in every direction after the flowers finish, but gold finch love the seed.

Silphiums are another group of tall daisies for late summer, none of which are vertically challenged. Butterfly magnets and worthy, they need big space. It's rare to find them for sale on a nursery bench, sadly.

So if there is a moral to this story about the lose of great perennials, the gardener must visit public gardens like Green Spring, Meadowlark, Longwood, or Chanticleer to see what is missing at the garden centers. You may come away with a whole new list of "must haves" or as we used to joke - another plant for our lust list.