My sister gave me a couple of planters with two types of unknown perennials. I would like to give the plants away and repurpose the planters, but first I need to know : What they are? What conditions do they like? Whether they can be pinched/cut back to make them shorter, bushier and easier to transplant The first photo was taken this week. The whorls of (5 or 7) toothed leaves on the left side plants have me stumped. The tallest plants are currently about 4' high, unbranched, with no flower buds. My sister says they have narrow spires of dark purple flowers in the summer. The second photo was taken last October, after they'd gone to seed. She had them growing and flowering in part shade, but they have been in a very shady spot all spring, so are probably taller and less advanced than they would be in a brighter spot. I'd also like to know what the lower plants on the right of the first photo are. They have coarsely toothed, opposite leaves.
Agreed that the one is likely Veronicastrum. The lower right hand plant looks asteraceous, maybe we'll need to wait for an inflorescence.
