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With the first warm days of spring, the 'early risers' of the perennial world start to grow. Along with the early blooming fall bulbs, like snow drops, chinodoxa, and crocus, these perennials provide a much needed burst of color in the early spring landscape:
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Epimedium (Barronwort)– A great groundcover for shady areas, Barrenwort produces dainty, columbine-looking flowers on wiry stems in red, pink or yellow. E. roseum has pink flowers, E. rubrum has red flowers with white throats, and E. sulphureum has yellow blooms with white throats. Grow about 18" high.
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Helleborus (Lenten Rose)– An evergreen perennial for shady areas, the Lenten Rose comes in many colors. Ballard hybrids are a mixture of upwardly-facing blooms of purple, pink, white, red and yellow. Royal Heritage is a mixture of mainly black, purple and white. Blue Lady has blooms of dark-blue to purple. Golden Sunrise produces yellow blooms with varying touches of red. Red Lady has rich burgundy-red flowers. Helleborus grow about 18"-24" tall, and prefer partial shade.
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Pulmonaria (Lungwort)– Another perennial that prefers part or full shade, Lungworts bloom in April, and have longish, dark green leaves that are usually splotched with silver. Majeste has light pink buds that open to blue flowers, and long, silvery leaves. Mrs. Moon has pink buds that open to blue flowers, and apple-green leaves that are heavily splotched with silver. Raspberry Splash has raspberry pink blooms, and dark green leaves with silver spots. Roy Davidson has pink flowers that fade to a pale blue, and small, narrow green leaves with silver splotches.
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Stylophorum diphyllum (Wood Poppy)– Wood Poppy is an early bloomer that produces deep yellow, four-petaled blooms on 18" stems in mid to late April. It prefers partial shade, and naturalizes easily.
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