The silver, velvety leaves of lamb’s ear, coupled with purple flowers, entice a bumble bee to visit. Submitted Photo

Perennials are selected for their fragrant and eye-catching blooms, which attract and nurture pollinators. While a gardener’s eyes are drawn to this tantalizing display, the attractive foliage of perennials whose blooms are not quite showy may be overlooked or neglected.

Here are a few examples of perennials with interesting foliage that grow in sun and shade in our USDA Zone.

Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantine) is a member of the mint family and is native to America, Iran, and Turkey. his plant sports soft, wooly leaves that are silver (in full sun) or gray-green (in part sun) in color.

Lamb’s ear grows close to the ground, creating a smooth ground cover among taller, darker leaved perennials. Its bright purple flowers grow as stalks and are sought after by honey bees and other pollinators. Lamb’s ear grows in any soil condition, preferring less water to prevent root rotting.

This plant is easy to grow and propagate. Lamb’s ear is useful in a moon garden, and its soft leaves are safe for touching by children and adults alike.

The spiked flower of bear’s breeches stands among its spiky, sharp leaves. Look for large bees that may become trapped in the foliage. Submitted Photo

Bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis), a full sun perennial whose spiky leaves are a direct contrast to the softness of the Lamb’s ears, are native to southeastern Europe, eastern Mediterranean areas, northeastern Italy and western Turkey.

Bear’s breeches have dark green leaves that grow to about 12 inches in length. Its two-foot tall spikes of white and purple blooms arrive in mid-summer.

This perennial prefers well drained, rich soil. rown as a clump, bear’s breeches can be interspersed with lamb’s ears, echinacea (E. purpura), catmint (Nepeta), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) and other showy flowering perennials.

Dappled light casts interesting shadows on large, graceful ligularia foliage. Submitted Photo

For shade loving plants, ligularia varieties offer an array of foliage that pop in any garden.

This genus is native to wet, boggy areas of Europe and Asia. Ligularia grow best in dappled light and not full shade. They prefer rich soil that is well drained.

Their flowers of yellow spikes are very bright and showy. Their foliage, however, is what draws your eye to their location. Ligularia leaves can be large and flat or ruffled and cupped, emerging at the end of a 10 to 12 inch stem.

Pair ligularia with smaller shade plants, such as lungwort (Pulmonaria), hosta, and astilbe. Surround ligularia with a ground cover, such as leopard’s bane (Doronicum) or bishop’s weed (Agapodium podagraria), to add the element of surprise when appreciating the tall ligularia foliage popping out of the ground.

When purchasing perennials, take a closer look at the foliage and determine if you can dress up your flower beds not with flowers but with leaves!

If you have questions about perennials, call the Butler County Master Gardener Garden Hotline at 724-287 4761, Ext. 7 or email the Master Gardeners at butlermg@psu.edu.

Lisa Marie Bernardo is a Penn State Extension Butler County Master Gardener.

Lisa Marie Bernardo