The often overlooked plants in the genus Helenium are members of the family Asteraceae and as such sport the ubiquitous daisy-like flowers anywhere from mid June to late autumn, depending upon which of the approximately forty species the plant derives from, and of course, the local climate. Helenium are native to North and Central America and are yet another of our native plants that have achieved fame and acceptance in Europe while being virtually ignored here at home.

The first record of a Helenium species in a European garden was in the late eighteenth century but it was not until the twentieth century that named cultivars started to make their appearance, mostly from European breeders.

The genus Clematis is found within the family Ranuculaceae along with other garden favorites such as Helleborus, Paeonia, Anemone and Thalictrum.  Currently there are over 300 recognized species of Clematis found all over the world but predominantly in the more temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.  To help clarify the situation many taxonomists will subdivide the genus into groups or subgroups according to species or growth habit.  The stereotypical Clematis is a climbing vine with large colorful flowers, usually appearing in mid summer. These are usually known as the ‘large flowered hybrids’ and there are, by conservative estimates, over 700 cultivars available.  But there is so much more to this genus than just the well-known vines with their beautiful, large, open blooms.