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Hydrangea anomala ssp. Petiolaris

Climbing Hydrangea is a woody deciduous vine with root-like holdfasts for climbing. White, fragrant flowers in clusters blooming late June to early July are good for cutting and drying. Attractive exfoliating (peeling), reddish-brown bark of the mature vine provides winter interest. Use it as a flowering cover or screen on brick walls, arbors, and trees. It can be slow to develop at first, but will grow quickly once the roots are established.

Hudsonia tomentosa

Woolly Beach Heather is a slow-growing, mat-like evergreen for dry, sandy soils. Its scale-like, grayish-green leaves protect the plant from summer heat and drying winds. The roots help to hold loose sand in place, especially on dunes. Small, yellow flowers bloom at the top of the branches from late spring into summer. This plant is both drought- and salt-tolerant. It’s a good choice for beaches, dunes, and dry pinelands. Woolly Beach Heather may be difficult to find commercially. Tell your local garden center or nursery about your interest in this plant.

Hibiscus moscheutos

Rose Mallow is a shrub-like perennial with large, heart-shaped leaves, which are smooth on top and “hairy” underneath. Its large, showy, red, pink, white, or bicolor flowers bloom non-stop from midsummer to frost. This plant prefers moist, organic soil. Use it as a specimen plant or plant in masses. Good choice for low, wet sites and edges of ponds or water features.

Heuchera americana

Coral Bells is an excellent foliage plant with deep-green leaves turning to purple, red, and yellow in the fall. Clusters of tiny, greenish-white, delicate flowers on slender stalks rising above the leaves bloom in late spring to early summer. Use it as an edging plant, or plant in masses as a groundcover. Good choice for shade gardens.

Hemerocallis spp.

Daylily is an easy-care perennial with attractive, arching, blade-like leaves. Varieties are available in a wide range of flower colors, mainly shades of yellow, orange, and red. Its large, lily-shaped flowers bloom continuously from midsummer to fall. Use in the perennial flower border, massed in beds, or as a groundcover.

Heliopsis helianthoides

Smooth Oxeye’s daisy-like, yellow-orange flowers with darker centers bloom from midsummer to fall. The bright, showy flowers are excellent fresh-cut. Deadheading the spent flowers will prolong blooming. Smooth Oxeye grows naturally along stream banks and woodland edges. Use it in beds, borders, and wildflower gardens.

Helichrysum petiolare

Licorice-plant is grown for its silvery, fuzzy-textured foliage and trailing habit. Its foliage may have a slight licorice-like scent. This plant requires good drainage, as it is susceptible to root rot in poorly drained soils. Use it for contrast in hanging baskets and containers, or as an annual groundcover or edging plant.

Helianthus divaricatus

Woodland Sunflower’s bright yellow flowers with darker yellow centers bloom July-September; the showy flowers are good fresh-cut. This wildlife-friendly plant provides nectar and pollen for native butterflies and bees, and seeds for a variety of birds. Use it in shady borders, cutting gardens, or for naturalizing. It will spread over time by rhizomes (underground stems).

Helianthus annuus

Common Sunflower has large flower heads with dark centers and bright yellow rays. The flower heads, which turn to face the sun, bloom on tall, hairy stems July-August. Birds love to feast on the seeds, and the nectar is a valuable food source for native bees. Use the taller varieties, which may need staking, in the back of borders, and dwarf varieties in beds or the front of borders.

Helianthemum canadense

Frostweed’s yellow flowers bloom May-June at the top of the stems and only open in sunlight. This plant does well in sandy or dry, rocky soil. It is best suited for naturalizing rather than formal landscapes. As temperatures drop in late fall, sap from the stems of this plant form ice crystals, inspiring its common name. Use in sunny areas of woodland gardens or for naturalizing. Frostweed may be difficult to find commercially. Tell your local garden center or nursery about your interest in this plant.