Perennials that are 4 ft tall in zone 5 by now- not shrubs

I'm looking for more height in the back of my beds.
The tallest thing I have is thalictrum (meadow rue) which is 4 ft tall right now.
What other early height plants do you suggest?

Is Joe Pye weed 4 ft tall now?

Is there a Heliopsis that is 4 ft by now? Mine is H. 'Summer Nights' 3 1/2 ft and has powdery mildew issues by fall so not thinking I'm going to keep it .

My tallest siberian iris is only 3 1/2 ft now as well.

If there are no other options maybe I'll move lilium back there but I prefer them closer to my nose! he he he :)

This picture has nothing to do with my post. I just thought I'd share it. It is Heritage Canyon, Fulton, IL

Helianthus???
http://www.bluestoneperennials.com/b/bp/HEMIS.html

Hollyhocks???

Hi Cheerpeople!
I'm just getting back into gardens/flowers myself after quite a few yrs, so I don't really have any suggestions. I've just started planting perennials this year, so mine are 'babies'. We used to have Pampas Grass along our property borderlines and they seemed like they came back after cutting back fairly quickly every year. The only other thing we have now is azalea bushes, and they've been here for years (I just moved here in 2008), so I'm not sure how old they really are.
Anyway, just wanted to comment on your picture. For some reason, I started taking pictures of old churches that we find out on our roadtrips and this one fits right in with them! The old country churches that were built by tradespeople, farmers and the congregational members seem to have the most charm. Alot of them are abandoned for new and bigger, it seems and alot of the history is lost. Thanks for adding it in!
Kathy

Have you tried Turtle Head? Ours gets to be about 3 to 3.5 feet tall with hundreds of pink flowers that look similar to snap dragon flowers. When the plant isn't flowering it's a nice clean vertical element, they start to flower for us in late June all the way through July. But I do have to warn you, it spreads fairly quickly. What started out in a half gallon container, after about 5 years can now easily fill the back of a full size pickup truck. Solidly. Beautiful none the less.

The image I've attached has Turtle Head in the foreground, it's about 3 feet tall. Took that picture this past Saturday morning.

This message was edited Jun 1, 2010 3:34 PM

thx for that suggestion.
Yes I just got that one last year at a MG plant sale!
Right now it is only 1 ft tall.
Thx for the warning about spreading. I always check that on the plant info here before I plant things now. I also plant them in a observation garden until I'm sure they'll behave. I don't have time for naughty plants. Not every plant they sell is a good idea.
I see it's doubled in size in a year so I kept it in check by selling half.

So far this year again, thalictrum is the tallest perennial at 5' 6" by june 1st.
:)

my blazing stars get 3 feet tall and my shasta daisies get 4 ft. How about a butterfly bush or are you just sticking to perennial flowers. A butterfly bush will give you 4+ feet and it grows fast and thick. Looks beautiful in a vase as well.

Some of it depends on your sun there...I like the turtlehead idea...or I've got some daylilies (nice colors, not just the basic orange) that get almost that tall, but they also need width.

Filipendula rubra - Queen of the Prairies. Grows to 6 feet and has big fluffy pink flowers, reminds me of cotton candy. Mine is about 4 feet tall now. Zone 3 - 9. Don't let the name fool you I have some planted in a wet area and some in a place where it is almost straight gravel and both do fine. Spreads a bit but easy to control. Will grow in shade or sun.

I just found one of those this spring! It's a foot tall right now.
K