Plants with attractive seedheads

Rudbeckia

Rudbeckias light up the garden in late summer and autumn, in shades of yellow and orange, before leaving distinctive black seedheads. Here, the spent flowers of Rudbeckia fulgida look beautiful against a backdrop of golden ornamental grasses.

Eryngium

Erygium (sea holly), such as Eryngium varifolium, pictured, bears distinctive, powder blue flowers. In autumn, it forms equally distinctive seedheads.

Sedum

Sedums (Hylotelephium) are great for the front of the border and combine beautifully with other late summer and autumn plants such as asters, rudbeckias and ornamental grasses. Once the show is over, the flat forms of their seedheads comes to the fore.

Hydrangea

It's best to leave the seedheads on hydrangeas over winter, as they give protection to the delicate shoots forming below. Prune hydrangeas when the new growth starts in spring.

Teasels

Teasels (Dipsacus fullonum) make a statuesque addition to the back of a border when in flower and are adored by bees. The conical seedheads are a favourite with birds in winter.

Love-in-a-mist

Love-in-a-mist, (Nigella damascena) has an airy, ethereal form when in flower in summer, and this quality is retained in winter. It's a hardy annual that is easy to sow from seed.

Alliums

Alliums are a key part of any border in spring, with their lollipop-like purple or white flower heads on tall, strong stems. Their seedheads are attractive, too, and look good in a vase. Alliums have a tendency to self-seed, so if you don't want more plants, remove the spent flowers.

Heleniums

Heleniums, such as Helenium 'Sahin's Gold' shown here, bring russet tones to late summer and autumn borders, and have distinctive black flowerheads afterwards.

Ornamental grasses

All ornamental grasses look wonderful over winter, in shades of buff and brown. They bring light and movement and look especially good when covered in hoar frost. They look especially good grown in groups or drifts and combine well with late-flowering perennials. Cut back ornamental grasses in spring.

Globe thistle (Echinops)

Echinops ritro 'Veitch's Blue' seems to almost glow in the border, and is very popular with wildlife. The round flowerheads combine well with other flower forms, and lead to very distinctive seedheads.