Today’s Plant of the Week is seldom used but always adored when making its ephemeral blooms burst on the scene in June and persist through the summer.

Allium sphaerocephalon, commonly called round-headed leek or drumstick allium, provides a unique and timely explosion of color that punctuates the garden come Fourth of July.

Dawn redwoods have a spotty record in Minnesota. Some specimens die their first year, others persist until succumbing to our cold winters, and yet others keep reaching skyward year after year

For those gardeners who love ground covers but want more variety in their color scheme, consider this diminutive cousin of fern leaf tansy, Tanacetum densum ssp. amani.

Shady locations with poor soil are a perennial dilemma for Minnesota gardeners and usually result in a sea of hostas. There are precious few shrubs that grow in such conditions that maintain a tidy form.

Beardtongue may sound like a fearsome pirate, but alas it is merely a charming perennial which can be found in prairie settings throughout Minnesota.

Today’s Plant of the Week, fragrant abelia (Abelia mosanensis), will not wow anybody in a photograph, but if you happen across it in the landscape while it is in full bloom, be prepared to be swept off your feet by its unearthly fragrance.

Spruces have been utility plants in Minnesota landscape for years, but most of them are standard blue, Norway, black, or white spruces.

Arborvitae are ubiquitous in the Minnesota landscape, but the range of larger cultivars in common use is limited.