LITTLE BLUESTEM 

Schizachyrium scoparium 

This ornamental grass gets its name from the blueish color of the base leaf blades in spring. In fall it turns reddish brown which lasts through winter. Small birds love their silvery-white seeds. This plant is best suited for a meadow, a border in masses or as an accent.

Attracts: birds, butterflies, Skippers spotted in PP

Growth: Grass, 2-3’ h, sun, tolerates all soil types, likes dry, drought tolerant, some deer resistance

Blooms: Mid to late summer

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed slope

PENNSYLVANIA SEDGE

Carex Pensylvanica

This green sedge grows in small clumps and spreads through rhizomes to form a ground cover worthy as a lawn substitute for shady areas with light foot traffic. Often spotted near oaks giving it one of its common names, ‘oak sedge’. Blooms in spring and is semi-evergreen.

Attracts: Birds

Growth: Sedge, .5-1’ h, dry soil, shade/partial shade, deer resistant

Blooms: Spring

Location: Milkweed Slope

BLUE WOOD ASTER

Symphyotrichum cordifolium

This late-blooming (late summer-fall) perennial is a much needed nectar source for pollinators in fall. The flowers are a mix of blues and purples. Cutting back the flowers in mid-July will create bushier plants and will prevent it from falling over.

Attracts: Butterflies including the Pearl Crescent seen at the garden

Growth: Perennial, 2-4’, full sun to part shade, tolerates all soil types but prefers moist, rich soils,

Location: Every part of the garden

ASTER, NEW ENGLAND - purple, lavender, pink, & white forms

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Large and showy flowers that bloom in late summer into fall. Prune mid-summer to encourage bushiness and to prevent from flopping over. Pairs nicely with goldenrod. It thrives best in moist meadows and woodland’s edge.

Attracts: Butterflies, moths, bees and birds. Host plant to the Pearl Crescent Butterfly

Growth: Perennial, 3-5’ h, Partial sun, moist soil

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed slope

BLUE MIST FLOWER

Conoclinium coelestinum

The compact clusters of blueish white flowers bloom from mid summer until frost. It is an important food source for native bees. In the home garden cutting it back in the middle of the summer will make it bushier. It spreads by rhizomes and will need dividing to keep it in check.

Attracts: Native Bees, butterflies Hosts: Lined Ruby Tiger Moth

Growth: perennial, 1-2’ h, full sun/part shade, dry/moist soil

Bloom: August - October

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope, Woodland Garden

BLAZING STAR, ROUGH

Liatris aspera

This blazing star blooms in the hottest time of the year and has fewer flowers on its spike than other Liatris. The flowers are pollinated by insects with long tongues that can reach the bottom of the tubular flowers. The corms (base of the stems) are a favorite food for rodents - especially voles. A vivid addition to the back of a border.

Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, other insects, Hosts: Flower Moths

Growth: perennial, 2-3’ h, sun, multiple types of soil

Bloom: August - Sept

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

Columbine, Wild Eastern, Red

Aquilegia canadensis

This versatile beauty does well in beds, borders, woodland’s edges and container pots and is a wildlife magnet. When well placed, Columbine will self seed and form colonies. Plant and watch hummingbirds drink nectar from its bell-shaped flowers.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, Hawk moths, birds. Host to Columbine Duskywing Butterfly

Growth: 1-2’h, partial shade, moist soil, deer resistant

Blooms: April, May

Location: Woodland Garden, Milkweed Slope, Shady Slope

Coneflower, Orange

Rudbeckia fulgida

This perennial with its big showy yellow-orange flowers and long bloom time is easy to grow. Leave the seed heads and watch goldfinches swaying in the wind while eating seeds. Plant in masses.

Attracts: Birds bees

Growth: 2-3’h, Sun, moist soil of all types

Blooms: July-October

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

Coneflower, Pale

Echinacia pallida

The distinct characteristic of this coneflower is its thin, drooping pale purple petals. It blooms a few weeks earlier than the more common purple coneflower and has a long lasting bloom time.

Attracts: Bees, butterflies, birds

Growth: 2-4’h, Sun/part shade, tolerates range of moisture

Blooms: May-July

Location: Pollinator Patch. Milkweed Slope

IRONWEED, NEW YORK

Vernonia noveboracensis

Ironweed offers glorious, tall flowers in late summer that would compliment a stand of asters or offer a contrast to the yellow of late summer goldenrods. This will self-seed with great delight!

Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Birds for seeds

Growth: perennial, up to 8’, full sun, many soil types

Bloom: Aug-Sept

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

JACOB’S LADDER

Polemonium reptans

The lovely light blue flowers of this plant bloom for a few weeks but the leaves provide a mounded ground cover all summer long. It will self seed and is a nice addition to a shady border, keeping weeds at bay while providing a pop of color.

Attracts: native bees, honeybees, butterflies and moths

Growth: perennial, 1’h, part shade, moist loamy, rich soil

Bloom: April-May

Location: Milkweed Slope

JOE PYE WEED sweet

Eutrochium purpureum

This tall plant fits best in the back of borders. Hosting many pollinators, it’s a keystone plant in the garden. It is named after Joe Pye, a Native American herbalist who used it to cure a variety of illnesses including typhoid. Research confirms this was the nickname for Joseph Shauquethqueat, a Mohican chief.

Attracts: butterflies, native bees. Host: Ruby Tiger Moth

Growth: perennial, 5-7’ h, full sun/part shade, medium/wet soil, deer resistant

Bloom: July-September

Location: Milkweed Slope

MILKWEED, Common

Asclepius syriaca

Milkweed’s unique flower supports a complicated pollination strategy. First, a visitor’s leg accidentally falls into a crevice in the flower, when it’s extracted a pollen sack attaches to the leg. Milkweeds bank on the insect then going to another milkweed flower, accidentally getting its leg caught again and leaving the pollen sack behind. Orchids have a similar pollination strategy - more details can be found here

Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds Host plant: Monarch Butterfly

Growth: perennial, -4+’h, sun/part shade, all soil types

Bloom: May-June

Location: Entire Garden

MONARDA, Wild Bergamot

Monada fistulosa

This monarda’s showy flowers are as at home in a butterfly or native garden as in a traditional border. These flowers are visited by hummingbirds, once they find the flower in your yard they tend to come back daily. While monarda can get powdery mildew this does not harm the plant or others in the border and seems a small price to pay for hummingbird visits!

Attracts: Hummingbirds, song birds, bees, butterflies

Growth: perennial, 3-4’, sun/part shade , dry soil

Bloom: May-July

Location: Milkweed Slope, Pollinator Patch

Onion, Nodding

Allium cernuum

This plant easily grows in the home garden, it’s tolerant of drought and deer and will even grow near black walnuts. You can transplant these, grow them from seeds in the spring or from bulbs planted in the fall. Unlike other onions, this flower hangs downward on its stalk.

Attracts: Butterflies

Growth: perennial, 1-2’ h, sun/part shade, dry to medium soil

Bloom: July-September

Location: Milkweed Slope

Primrose, Common Evening

Oenothera biennis

This plant has a 2-year lifecycle. In the first year it produces a rosette of leaves (8-16” wide) without flowers. The second year brings on the flower stalk with yellow flowers that open at dusk. The flowers smell lemony and are fertilized by night flying moths or early morning bees. All parts of this plant including the roots were eaten by Native Americans.

Attracts: Moths, bees Hosts: Primrose Moth

Growth: biennial, 4-6’h, sun, well drained soil

Bloom: June-September

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

Rattlesnake Master

Eryngium yuccifollium

The common name refers to its use in the 1700s for preventing and treating snake bites, but there is no proof of its efficacy. The scientific name describes the long (up to 30”) fibrous leaves that form at the base of this plant. Today this plant and its cultivated varieties are increasingly used as an ornamental plant.

Attracts: wasps, bees, butterflies, flies Hosts: Rattlesnake Master Stem-borer, Seed Eating Moth

Growth: perennial, 4’h, sun, moist soils

Bloom: June-August

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

Rose, Virginia

Rosa virginiana

This native rose adds glorious pink flowers, orange rose hips and yellow leaves in the fall to your garden.  It is as lovely as any cultivated rose and provides food to wildlife - a winner!

Attracts: birds, bees, hummingbirds 

Growth: perennial, 2-4’h, sun, well drained, acidic soil

Bloom: May-June

Location: Milkweed Slope

Senna, Wild

Senna hebecarpa

Senna has an interesting relationship with insects.  It’s yellow flowers have pollen which feeds bees but do not have any nectar.  The stalk of each leaflet has a gland that secretes nectar which attracts ants, ladybird beetles and flies.

Attracts: bees, ants, ladybird beetles and flies  Host plant: Sleepy Orange and Cloudless Sulfur Butterflies, Black Witch Moth

Growth: perennial, 3-4’h, sun, moist, rich soil

Bloom: July-August

Location: Monarch Slope

Snakeroot, White

Ageratina altissima

As one of the latest blooming flowers its nectar is important for bees, butterflies and moths preparing to overwinter or migrate.  The milk from cows that eat this plant can cause vomiting, tremors, liver failure and death.  Abraham Lincoln’s mother is thought to have died from this “milk sickness”. 

Attracts: bees and butterflies, 

Growth: perennial, 1-3’h, part shade, moist rich soil

Bloom: August-October

Location: All areas

Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

Pinching back these plants in June will give a bushier plant with more flowers. Use it in the back of the border to give height to your garden.  Its name comes from past use of dried leaves to create a snuff, which was inhaled in to cause sneezing in order to loosen a head cold.

Attracts: bees, butterflies, other pollinators

Growth: perennial, 3-4’h, sun, wet soil

Bloom: July-September

Location: Milkweed Slope

Violets

Viola sororia 

Violets are our state flower and important our ecosystem. Fritillary butterfly larvae eat only violets.  While some  people prefer a very tidy lawn or flower border, letting violets run through your yard provides color  and supports fritillaries.  Violets come in a variety of colors, blue, pink, white and bi colored.

Attracts: bees, butterflies, birds  Host plant: Grand Spangled Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary Butterflies

Growth: perennial, .5’h, sun/part shade, well-drained soil

Bloom: April-June 

Location: Milkweed and Shady Slopes, Woodland Garden

Zinnias

Zinnia x

These are native to Mexico but as a rich source of food they have space in our garden and are constantly abuzz with visitors.  Zinnia are wonderful to grow with children; the seed germinates readily right in your garden, they grow a rainbow of colors, and flowers last for weeks in a vase.  While they self seed they are distinctive and easy to control.

Attracts: butterflies, hummingbirds

Growth: annual, 3-4’h, full sun, most soils 

Bloom:  July-October

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

Blueberry, Highbush

Vaccinium corymbosum

This bush is “buzz pollinated” just like the Shooting Star.  Pollination by bees is what brings you the delicious blueberries.  Nesting birds come by and pick the bushes clean to feed their babies and later will return as a family group.  In the fall the brightly colored leaves are glorious.  

Attracts: bees, butterflies, birds  Host plant: Spring/Summer Azure Butterfly, Striped Hairstreak Butterfly

Growth: shrub, 2-4+’h, sun/part sun, dry soil

Bloom: May

Location: Pollinator Patch, Milkweed Slope

St John’s Wort, Shrubby

Hypericum prolificum

This deer resistant shrub adds 3 season color to your yard and is easy to maintain as a hedge or to control erosion.  Its bright yellow flowers are followed by yellow green leaves in the fall and red/brown stems in the winter providing three season interest. 

Attracts: bees, butterflies

Growth: shrub, 4’h sun, most soils

Bloom: Late Spring/Early Summer

Location: Milkweed Slope

Coral Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

This native honeysuckle vine is a winner, plant it in your garden and train it on a fence or trellis to be treated to its red/pink/orange flowers.  Hummingbirds find the flowers irresistible and in the fall the seeds are sought after by finches and robins.

Attracts: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, birds  Host plant: Spring Azure butterfly and Snowberry Clearwing moth

Growth: vine, up to 12’ long, sun, most dry soils

Bloom: May-June

Location: Milkweed Slope, Woodland Garden, Shady Slope

Poison Ivy, Eastern

Toxicodendron radicans

Poison ivy can be on a tree, bush or or on the ground.  “Leaves of three let it be” is wise advice!  The middle leaflet is longer than the two side leaflets.  Leaves can be glossy or dull, smooth-edged or toothed.  The itch/burn takes  between 12 hours and 5 days to develop. You can also be irritated from clothes and other items that touched the ivy.  It is best to take care and avoid it.  Rutgers has advice to address it in your yard.

Growth: vine, 20+’ l, grows in most soil/light conditions

Bloom: Spring

Location: entire garden