The floriferous namesake of St. Michael the Archangel, who is supposed to have revealed its power to battle the plague, Angelica archangelica’s luxuriant, tropical-looking foliage makes a dramatic entrance each spring as leaves unfurl to a length of 2 to 3 ft. Flower buds of mauve, strikingly set against its deeply divided bright green verdure, herald the imposing lime-tinted white flowers surmounting thick, erect stalks. This Angelica’s aromatic young shoots have long been used as a flavoring in sweet confections.

Blooms August–September.

Size: 5' 0" high x 4' 0" – 5' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 4.

Painted in vivid tones of deep plum, the round buds open into extraordinary domed flowers that reach an astonishing 8 in. across and, set against burly, freely branching burgundy stems plus vigorous green foliage, possess a dark magnetism. Give this Korean native plenty of room as it rockets skyward. Penstemon ‘Blackbird’ provides an echo of bloom color while delivering vertical contrast.

Blooms August–September

Size: 4-1/2' – 5' 0" high x 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

The sizable rounded mound of this Angelica‘s lustrous dark green foliage looks like a parsley plant on steroids. Endemic to New Zealand, its copious deeply fingered leaves offer handsome deer resistant support to the fanciful and fragrant snowy umbels that crown strong stalks. Growing as an undemanding somewhat short-lived perennial, but offering up seedlings as a consolation, Angelica pachycarpa‘s bold leaves bring fantastic architecture to a good-sized con- tainer or the border, especially when grouped with Actaea, ‘Brunette’ or Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing’.

Blooms April–June

Size: 3' 0" high x 3' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 5.

While the species traipses throughout Europe and Eurasia’s roadsides, meadows and riverbanks, this impressive, yet slightly shorter cultivar can be invited into the moist loamy corners of your garden. The enormous pale pink umbels surmount towering, straight, dark reddish purple stalks and pinnate maroon-infused leaves sporting sawtooth-serrated margins. A mainstay for flower arrangers, honeybees and garden visitors,‘Vicar’s Mead’s robust biennial profile is exemplary for the back of the border where it lends bold yet lacy accents, plus readily reseeds.

Blooms June–July

Size: 4' 0" – 5' 0" high x 2' 0" – 2-1/2' wide.

Hardy to zone 4.