The plants in the following list are 30″ or more tall and will stand out among the majority of the plants in a meadow garden. They are suitable for lean to average soil and grow in a wide variety of USDA hardness zones. The color palette ranges from red and pinks to blues and purple but more color can be added with mid-sized plants and groundcovers. More height and texture can be added with grasses.
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Native Range: Northern North America
Height: 36″
Width: 24″
Bloom Time: Early summer to fall
Bloom Color: Lavender to purple
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Magnus Manske, Wikimedia Commons
Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)
Native Range: Eastern and central North America
Height: 30″
Width: 18″
Bloom Time: Mid-summer
Bloom Color: Pale purple
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10
Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Native Range: Eastern and midwestern US
Height: 36″
Width: 18″
Bloom Time: Mid summer to late summer
Bloom Color: Purple-pink
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Photo Credit: Eric Hunt, Wikimedia Commons
Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Native Range: Eastern US
Height: 54″
Width: 30″
Bloom Time: Early summer to fall
Bloom Color: Greenish white
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-9
Photo Credit: Eric Hunt, Wikimedia Commons
Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon stricta)
Native Range: Southern Wyoming and western Colorado south to northeastern Arizona and northern New Mexico
Height: 30″
Width: 24″
Bloom Time: Spring to early summer
Bloom Color: Blue
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-8
Photo Credit: Jerry Friedman, Wikimedia Commons
Blue Sage (Salvia azurea var. grandiflora)
Native Range: Central North America
Height: 48″
Width: 36″
Bloom Time: Late summer to fall
Bloom Color: Blue
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons