Choose the Perfect Plant

Anaphalis margaritacea

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Poor sandy, dry or average
• Bloom Time: White flowers in July, August, September
• Size: 1-3 feet in height; 1-2 foot spread

Plant in rock gardens or to fill wide areas on slopes. It forms pearly mounds good for garden edges. Separate male and female flowers. Blossoms keep their color and shape well and are used in dried flower arrangements. Used by Native Americans as a substitute for tobacco and as a medicinal herb and in folk medicine as a salve for burns. Widely found and native to Cape Cod.

Garden Companions

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), Sweet Everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium), Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Nature Benefits

• Food plant for painted lady butterflies
• Larval host plant to the American Lady and Skipper butterflies

Natural Habitat

Occurs in disturbed areas, fields, shores of lakes.

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Helenium autumnale

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average, moist to wet
• Bloom Time: Yellow flowers in July, August, September
• Size: 1-3 feet in height; 2-3 foot spread

Plant this clump-forming perennial with daisy-like flowers in borders, meadows, and wild gardens. It blooms later in the summer when other blossoms have faded. Sneezeweed pollen does not cause allergies, but the leaves were crushed for snuff to induce sneezing for congestion or headaches. Not native on Cape Cod but is found in parts of New England.

Garden Companions

Rose Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts bees and other pollinators.
• Foliage is toxic and bitter, so mammalian herbivores don’t feed on it.

Natural Habitat

Occurs in meadows, shores of lakes, wetlands

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Pycnanthemum flexuosum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average, moist
• Bloom Time: White flowers in July, August
• Size: 2-3 feet in height; 1-3 foot spread

An aromatic, good soil stabilizer, it produces silvery white flowers above light green foliage. This species is not aggressive and will slowly expand. Plant in the border of a rain garden, pollinator, or native garden. Attracts throngs of desirable pollinators. Not a New England native but native to the southeast

Garden Companions

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), Big Bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii)

Nature Benefits

• Larval host for the Gray Hairstreak Butterfly and Wavy-lined Emerald
• Attracts bees, butterflies, moths, and wasps

Natural Habitat

Occurs in meadows, roadsides, open woodlands.

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Prunella vulgaris

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Moist, rich
• Bloom Time: Purple flowers in July, August
• Size: 6-12 inches in height

Selfheal is easy to grow under most conditions and can be aggressive. The common name comes from worldwide medicinal use of this plant. The leaves can be eaten cooked or raw. The plant commonly found in lawns is thought to be the Eurasian variety. Native to Cape Cod and the US.

Garden Companions

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Nature Benefits

• Flowers attract bees, small butterflies, and skippers.
• Larval host for the Clouded Sulphur Butterfly.
• Provides nectar for the Zabulon Skipper.

Natural Habitat

Occurs in meadows and fields, woodland borders, roadsides.

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Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average, dry
• Bloom Time:  White flowers in July, August, September
• Size: 8-20 inches in height; 12-36 inch spread

In addition to being a good garden plant with the narrow leaves and small white flower clusters Slender Mountain Mint stands out because of its above average attraction for pollinators. Plant in a perennial border, pollinator garden, rain garden, or near the vegetable garden to entice pollinators. The aromatic plant with shallow rhizomes is more aggressive than other Pycnanthemums so needs root pruning to keep from spreading. This is also called Narrow Leaved Mountain Mint and is native to Cape Cod.

Garden Companions

Sweet Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), Big Bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii)

Nature Benefits

• Flowers attract a wide variety of pollinators.
• Larval host plant for Gray Hairstreak Butterfly.

Natural Habitat

Occurs in meadows and fields, dry rocky, open woods, pine barrens.

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Echinacea pallida

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part sun
• Soils: Rich, dry to moist
• Bloom Time: Pale purple to pink flowers in June, July
• Size: up to 3 feet in height; 1 foot spread

Low maintenance and resilient with lance shaped drooping rays with a bold central reddish brown cone. Good planted with native grasses. Blooms earlier than purple coneflower so planted together gives many weeks of blooms. Many medicinal uses. Found on Cape Cod but not native here.

Garden Companions

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts bees and butterflies.
• Provides nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
• Goldfinches eat seeds.
• Wavy-Line Emerald Moth feeds on flower heads.

Natural Habitat

Occurs in old fields and roadsides, open wooded hillsides, and pinelands.

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Eragrostis spectabilis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Poor, average to dry
• Bloom Time: Bronzy purple/red inflorescence in August, September
• Size: 8-14 inches in height; 10-16 inch spread

Plant this low, bunching grass with a mounding habit in sunny open perennial borders, meadows, or along roadsides. The inflorescence exhibits a fluffy texture giving a purple haze to the landscape when planted in groups. Provides erosion control on roadsides and hillsides. Native to Cape Cod.

Garden Companions

Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa), Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida), White Wood-aster (Eurybia divaricata)

Nature Benefits

• Popular with insect herbivores such as leafhoppers
• Caterpillar host for the Zabulon Skipper
• Birds use dry panicles for nesting

Natural Habitat

Occurs in coastal beaches, meadows and prefers disturbed sandy areas.

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Polystichum acrostichoides

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Part to full shade
• Soils: Medium to Moist, well-drained
• Bloom Time: Not a flowering plant
• Size: 1-2 feet in height

This glossy green leathery fern is green year-round. It grows in clumps. Silvery fiddleheads appear in spring. It grows happily in the Cape’s sandy soils but likes it moist and shady. It will grow successfully under walnut trees. Great choice for accent, borders, mass planting as a groundcover, or as a potted plant.

Garden Companions

Violets (Viola sororia), Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum), Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Nature Benefits

• Provides winter cover.
• Songbirds use parts of the plant for nesting material.

Native Habitat

Occurs in woods, stream banks, swamps, and thickets.

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Eupatorium hyssopifolium

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun to Part
• Soils: Wet to dry soil conditions
• Bloom Time: White flowers in August, September
• Size: 2-4 feet in height

This meadow plant is a vase shaped perennial. Foliage is narrow and gray green. In late summer plants are covered with dense flat terminal clusters of white florets. The clouds of flowers attract a myriad of pollinators. This species thrives in well drained or dry sites. Good in a grouping or mass planting. Use in a cottage garden, rain garden, perennial border, or xeric-scape design. This is a true Cape Cod native.

Garden Companions

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Goldenrods (Solidago spp), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Nature Benefits

• Unappealing to deer and rabbits.
• A favorite of butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.
• Particularly important to beneficial insects.

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in sandy soils of fields, roadsides, pondshores, and cranberry bog borrow pits.

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Photos

Actaea racemosa

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Partial sun, shade
• Soils: Moist, average
• Bloom Time: White spike flowers in June, July, August
• Size: 4-5 feet in height; 2-3 foot spread

Also known as black snakeroot with striking tall flower spikes and sharply divided foliage. It is an excellent choice for massing in a naturalistic garden. Flowering commences as spring wildflowers fade. Deer and rabbit resistant. Formerly Cimicifuga racemosa. Extremely rare in the wild in Massachusetts and some populations are introduced as escapes from gardens. Not found naturally on Cape Cod. Native to states west and south in the eastern U.S.

Garden Companions

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Maple-leaved Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)

Nature Benefits

• Host plant for the Spring Azure.
• Attractive to pollinators.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forest edges and shady upland woods.

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Photos

Tradescantia ohiensis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full Sun, Partial
• Soils: Medium to dry
• Bloom Time: June, July
• Size: 2-4 feet tall

Its grass-like foliage grows in an upright form. The lavender blue flowers bloom from morning to midday, and close in the heat of the afternoon. This helps the plant conserve energy that can be put toward flowering for a longer period. A good choice for a rain garden.

Garden Companions

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata), Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

Nature Benefits

• Attract pollinators and butterflies

Native Habitat

Occurs in fields and along roadsides.

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Photos

Meehania cordata

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Part shade, shade, sun
• Soils: Average, moist
• Bloom Time: Lavender blue in May, June
• Size: 4-8 inches in height; 4-32 inch spread

This rare well-behaved mint, with its trailing stems, will root as it spreads although less readily in dry shade than in moist shaded areas. Plant Meehan’s Mint as a groundcover, as living mulch under shrubs, or border edging in woodland or shade gardens. It prefers shade but tolerates dry sites in deep shade or full sun with sufficient moisture. This mint is not found in New England in the wild but is native to Pennsylvania and other states further to the south.

Garden Companions

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Plaintain Sedge (Carex plantaginea), Green and Gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)

Nature Benefits

• Nectar source for hummingbirds and insects

Native Habitat

Occurs in rich woods and wooded slopes.

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Liatris spicata

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average, moist
• Bloom Time: Purple flowers in July, August
• Size: 12-24 inches in height; 12-18 inch spread

Also known as gayfeather it has an upright habit taking little space to grow. Well-suited for a small gardens, perennial border, natural or wildlife garden, or planted in masses. It is the most moisture-tolerant of the Liatris species. Cherokee used the plant, especially roots, in herbal medicine. Popular garden plant although not a native to Cape Cod. Native range is eastern U.S., but from Pennsylvania to the south. Good choice for a rain garden.

Garden Companions

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts native bees and butterflies, birds, and hummingbirds
• Seeds provide forage for wildlife
• Nectar source for Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Painted Lady (Vanessa Cardui)

Native Habitat

Occurs in wood openings, moist prairies, and marsh edges.

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Photos

Echinacea purpurea

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average, well-drained
• Bloom Time: Purple in July, August
• Size: 2-3 feet in height; 18-24 inch spread

Plant this easy-to-grow, drought tolerant wildflower in the perennial border or in masses. Native range includes New York and Pennsylvania and parts west. It is not a New England native, but it is a popular garden plant that does well on Cape Cod.

Garden Companions

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Nature Benefits

• Nectar plant for native bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, and wasps.
• Goldfinches eat seeds in the fall.

Native Habitat

Occurs in disturbed habitats, forest edges, and meadows.

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Eutrochium maculatum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade
• Soils: Average
• Bloom Time: August, September
• Size: 4-5 feet in height

Not indigenous to Cape Cod, but native to much of the rest of New England. Plants can be cut back to half its height in early summer for late summer blooms on shorter stems. This plant is best showcased in masses or dramatic accent in a cottage or wildlife garden. Flower heads are 12” wide clusters of flowers that will dry to seedheads giving interest to a winter garden. Cut back in early spring leaving 6-18” remaining to provide hollow stems for wild bees. Good choice for rain gardens and meadows. Makes a good cut flower.

Garden Companions

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Nature Benefits

• Pollinator magnet
• Seeds are attractive to birds

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in openings in marshes, meadows, and fields.

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Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Prefers full sun
• Soils: Prefers lean, medium-dry soil conditions
• Bloom Time: Light purple flowers in September, October, sometimes into November
• Size: 2 feet in height, stiff stems will branch out giving a bush-like appearance

Native to other parts of the country, this is an aster that can be easily found in retail nurseries to add to late flowering plants to support pollinators. It is the leaves that are aromatic on this
aster. When in bloom, the light purple flowers cover the bush-like plant and slowly bronze to a reddish purple. The plant may “open up” if it gets too top heavy, so a good prune in June is helpful. This aster does well in lean soils.

Garden Companions

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Nature Benefits

• Highly resistant to deer and rabbits
• A favorite for butterflies and bees

Native Habitat

In its native range, it occurs in rocky and sandy soils such as those found in prairies and bluffs as well as in moist woodland habitats.

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Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Partial shade, full shade, full sun
• Soils: Medium to medium-dry soil conditions
• Bloom Time: Light blue flowers in September, October
• Size: 3 feet in height; 1-2 foot spread

Blue Wood Aster has a wonderful array of dainty blue flowers that attract butterflies and bees. It is an excellent fall bloomer in a perennial border when others are starting to fade. It also makes an attractive cut flower and is a great naturalizer at the edge of woods.

Garden Companions

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)

Nature Benefits

• Root system is an effective erosion control on hillsides.
• Offers nectar and pollen for butterflies and bees.
• Supports specialist Adrenid Bees.
• Host plant for Pearl Crescent butterfly caterpillars.

Native Habitat

Occurs at the woodland edge, upland meadows, and forests.

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Photo Gallery

Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average, moist
• Bloom Time: Red in July, August
• Size: 3-4 feet in height; 3 foot spread

Plant in a wildlife or cut flower garden or meadow and enjoy the aromatic foliage and showy blooms. The Jacob Cline is common native beebalm cultivar that is resistant to powdery mildew and thrives, sometimes aggressively, in sunny, moist, well-drained soil. Also known as Oswego Tea because the leaves were used for tea by the Oswego Indians of New York. It is native to New York State and states south.

Garden Companions

Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Nature Benefits

• Nectar source for hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies.
• Caterpillars of some moth species feed on the foliage.

Native Habitat

Occurs in moist open woods, meadows, stream banks.

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Photos

Solidago flexicaulis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, Part shade, shade, sun
• Soils: Average, dry, moist
• Bloom Time: Yellow in August, September, October
• Size: 1-3 feet in height; 1-3 foot spread

Compact pollinator plant that is shade tolerant and well-suited for a wildlife or shade garden or a natural area. Zigzag Goldenrod is good for massing and will spread by seed unless it is deadheaded. Does not require mulching because it is adapted to dry conditions. Semievergreen basal leaves provide erosion control.

Garden Companions

Goldenrods (Solidago spp.), Oxeye Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

Nature Benefits

• Seeds attract Swamp Sparrows, Pine Siskins, and Meadow Mice
• Host plants for some moth caterpillar species
• Nectar plant for native bees, wasps, butterflies, and pollinating flies

Native Habitat

Occurs in forests, protected slopes, wooded shores of rivers or lakes.

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Oenothera fruticosa

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, Part shade
• Soils: Average, well-drained
• Bloom Time: Yellow in May, June, July
• Size: 12-24 inches in height; 24-30 inch spread

Plant as a companion in a border or meadow. Also called narrow-leaf evening primrose it grows in challenging conditions and provides yellow flowers for months. It is a rapid spreader but not usually aggressive. This evening primrose blooms during the day rather than the evening.

Garden Companions

Greater Tickseed (Coreopsis major), Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts wide variety of bees, birds, butterflies
• Larval host for Sphinx moths

Native Habitat

Occurs along edges of salt marshes, brackish ponds, and tidal rivers.

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Photos

Eurybia spectabilis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, Partial
• Soils: Medium to dry
• Bloom Time: August, September
• Size: 1-2 feet tall; 2 foot spread

Extremely drought tolerant. Plants are somewhat unpalatable to deer and rabbits. This plant will form small colonies, spreading by rhizomes, but it is not an aggressive spreader. A good addition to a pollinator garden, for mass plantings, cottage gardens and for naturalizing.

Garden Companions

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Anise-scented Goldenrod (Solidago odora), Pennyslvania Sedge (Carex pennsylvanica), Little Bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts pollinators
• Offers nectar for hummingbirds

Native Habitat

Occurs in woodlands.

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Phlox divaricata

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, Partial
• Soils: Medium to dry
• Bloom Time: May, June
• Size: 1-2 feet in height

This true native wild phlox has five petals and opposite leaves. It is a native to Connecticut, but not indigenous to Cape Cod. It spreads by its roots, but slowly. The showy flowers of blue to lavender attract pollinators making it an excellent addition to a pollinator garden. It is also an effective, shallow-rooted cover for early spring bulbs. A good plant for a small space.

Garden Companions

Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Wild Columbine (Aquigelia canadensis), Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts pollinators
• Offers nectar for hummingbirds

Native Habitat

Occurs in woodlands.

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PHOTOS

Rudbeckia laciniata

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, Partial, Shade
• Soils: Dry to moderate moisture
• Bloom Time: Yellow flowers July, August
• Size: 5-6 feet in height; 3 foot spread

Also called green-headed coneflower. Because it spreads rampantly by underground stems, cut-leaf coneflower is only appropriate for large sites. May need staking in garden situations but otherwise very hardy.

Garden Companions

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida or Rudbeckia hirta)

Nature Benefits

• Pollinator magnet.
• Attracts birds.

Native Habitat

Occurs on shorelines of lakes and rivers and swamps.

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Helianthus helianthoides

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, Part Sun
• Soils: Average, Moist or Dry
• Bloom Time: Yellow flowers in July, August, September
• Size: 3-5 feet in height; 1-3 foot spread

Useful for accent, mass or grouping. Excellent for a wildlife garden or meadow. Plants provide showy blooms and erosion control. Appropriate for cottage gardens, water-wise landscapes, low maintenance plantings, perennial borders, and shade gardens.

Garden Companions

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), White Snakeroot (Eupatorium coelestinum), Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Nature Benefits

• Pollinator powerhouse!
• Goldfinches and other songbirds relish the seeds.

Native Habitat

Occurs in open woods, woodland borders, grassy meadows, stream banks, disturbed roadsides.

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Eurybia divaricata

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Part shade, Shade
• Soils: Average, Moist or Dry
• Bloom Time: White flowers in August, September
• Size: 1-2 feet in height

Plant as a groundcover, border, or accent plant—it is an especially great choice for dry shade and under trees. Readily spreads by seeds and will fill in, but easily controlled by cutting seed heads or easy weeding. This plant is unpalatable to rabbits and deer.

Garden Companions

White Snakeroot (Ageratum altissima), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia), King Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Nature Benefits

• Host plant for the caterpillar stage of the Pearl Crescent and Checkerspot butterflies.
• Provides nectar for pollinators.

Native Habitat

Occurs in dry open woodlands and woodland edges.

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Polygonatum biflorum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, part shade
• Soils: Average, moist
• Bloom Time: White bell-shaped flowers in May, June
• Size: 12-42 inches in height; 16-24 inch spread

Arching stems and vertical character provide a refined look to woodland, wild, rock, or native plant gardens. Golden leaves in fall contrast with round fruit to add interest. Grows well at base of trees. Drought tolerant and rabbit resistant.

Garden Companions

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Foam Flower (Tiarella cordifolia), Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Nature Benefits

• Fruit attracts birds.
• Flowers attract pollinators.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forest edges, forests, meadows, fields, woodlands.

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Photos

Tiarella cordifolia

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, part shade
• Soils: Average, well-drained
• Bloom Time: White in May, June
• Size: 3-12 inches in height; 12-24 inch spread

Foam Flower makes an excellent ground cover, border, or filler for shady, woodland sites. It spreads by underground stems to form colonies and is a good alternative to mulch or lily-of- the-valley. After the spring blooming flower spikes have passed the leaves provide texture and color year-round.

Garden Companions

Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra culcullaria), Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina), White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts pollinators.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forests, swamps, wetland margins.

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Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, part shade
• Soils: Moist, rich to average
• Bloom Time: Non-flowering
• Size: Size: 2-4 feet in height; 2-3 foot spread

A vase-shaped clump of green leaves provides height and texture to a woodland garden, pond edge, bog garden, or wetland. The cinnamon-colored fertile fronds grow upright out of the center of the plant. Tolerates some sun if soil kept moist. Deer resistant.

Garden Companions

Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens), Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Nature Benefits

• Downy wool used by hummingbirds and other birds as nest lining.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forests, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland edges.

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Photos

Matteuccia struthiopteris

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, part shade
• Soils: Moist, rich
• Bloom Time: Non-flowering
• Size: Size: 2-3 feet in height; 2-4 foot spread

Ostrich Fern fronds look like ostrich feathers and provide a striking bright green display as a background planting. The tall size of this fern allows use as a foundation planting on the northern side. With rich moist soils in a shady location, it can form a colony. Fiddleheads are edible. Deer resistant.

Garden Companions

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), Cinnamon fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum), Lady Fern (Athyrium filix-femina), Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

Nature Benefits

• Larval host for several moth species.
• Fiddleheads offer food for herbivores.

Native Habitat

Occurs in rich woods, swamps, river or lake shores.

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Photos

Oenothera biennis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun to shade
• Soils: Dry, sandy
• Bloom Time: Yellow in July, August, September
• Size: Size: 2-6 feet in height; 3 foot spread

The lemon-scented large yellow flowers open in the evening and close by noon. Grows vegetatively its first year then flowers its second year but does not persist. Seeds germinate if soil is disturbed. Can become weedy but it is an important native plant with a long and late bloom time supporting many insects. Drought tolerant and good for naturalizing.

Garden Companions

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Nature Benefits

• Host plant for the pink Primrose Moth (Schinia florida).
• Attracts wide variety of other moths, birds, hummingbirds and specialized bees.
• Birds eat seeds – especially goldfinches.
• Small mammals eat roots and leaves.

Native Habitat

Occurs in meadows, fields, floodplains, river or lake shores.

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Photos

Fragaria virginiana

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Dry, average
• Bloom Time: White flowers in April, May, June
• Size: Size: 2-5 inches in height; 12-24 inch spread

A fast-spreading ground cover which suppresses the establishment of invasive species, Wild Strawberry tolerates foot traffic. Tasty edible fruit appear in early to mid-summer. This species is one of the parent plants to cultivated strawberries.

Garden Companions

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), Sessile-leaved Bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia), Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Nature Benefits

• Supports 75 species of moths and butterflies.
• Provides food for caterpillars and nectar for adult insects.
• Flowers accessible to short-tongued bees.
• Fruits attract chipmunks, squirrels, and birds.

Native Habitat

Occurs in meadows and fields.

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Photos

Hibiscus moscheutos

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun
• Soils: Wet, average
• Bloom Time: White to pink with dark centers in July, August, September
• Size: 3-6 feet in height; 2-4 foot spread

Shrub-like growth, mallow can be planted as a late summer living fence, in a wetland edge, or rain garden. Dramatic large flowers last only one day, but once established a clump of Rose Mallow will flower for weeks. Also called Swamp Mallow.

Garden Companions

Inkberry (Ilex glabra), Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Sweet Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Nature Benefits

• Rose Mallow bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis) only collects pollen from this and a few other Hibiscus species.
• Attracts hummingbirds.

Native Habitat

Occurs in borders of saline and brackish marshes wetlands.

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Photos

Osmunda regalis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Wet
• Bloom Time: Non-flowering
• Size: 24-42 inches in height; 24-36 inch spread

Plant Royal Fern as a visual attraction in a moist to wet woodland or native shade garden. In spring the red fronds unfurl then mature to orange then green. Fertile fronds grow late in the season. Great fall color of gold and brown. Deer resistant.

Garden Companions

Blue flag (Iris versicolor), White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra), Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Nature Benefits

• Multiple plants provide protective cover for animals and birds.

Native Habitat

Occurs in swamps, shorelines, riparian forests.

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Photos

Baptisia australis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full sun, part shade
• Soils: Acidic moist, well-drained, average
• Bloom Time: Blue flowers in May, June
• Size: 3-5 feet in height; 2-4 foot spread

In the legume family, also called Wild Blue Indigo and Blue False Indigo. Flowers are pea shaped. Foliage is bluish green. Drought and salt tolerant. Does well in the Cape’s poor soils. Dark seed pods are good for winter interest in the garden used in dried flower bouquets.

Garden Companions

Yellow Baptisia (Baptisia tinctoria), Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Nature Benefits

• Attractive to butterflies, bees, and other insects.
• Is a larval host plant for a variety of butterflies including: Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Frosted Elfin, Eastern Tailed Blue, Hoary Edge, and Wild Indigo Duskywing.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forest edges, shady upland woods, and wetland edges.

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Photos

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Average to dry moisture
• Bloom Time: White to pinkish bell-shaped flowers in April, May
• Size: 12 inches tall, spreading to 15 feet

Woody plant that is slow growing but can form large mats in the toughest of places. Technically speaking, it is a sub-shrub and is also called kinnikinick, sandberry, and hog cranberry.

Garden Companions

Inkberry (Ilex glabra), Eastern Woodfern (Dryopteris marginalis), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Nature Benefits

• Birds and mammals eat the fruit.
• Host plant for several butterfly species including Hoary Elfin and Brown Elfin.

Native Habitat

Occurs in roadsides, bog roads, dune edges and woodland edges.

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Photos

Asarum canadense

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade
• Soils: Dry to moist
• Bloom Time: Inconspicuous, burgundy-colored flowers in May, June
• Size: 1-2 feet in height, spreads by rhizomes

Also called American Ginger, Asarum canadense differs from the non-native European Ginger in that its foliage is dull and the non-native’s foliage is shiny. Flower are hidden beneath the leaves, almost laying on the ground.

Garden Companions

Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum), Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis)

Nature Benefits

• Seeds have an elaiosome, a sticky residue attractive to ants that help with seed dispersal.
• Flowers have scent of carrion to attract tiny flies who are responsible for pollination of the ginger flowers.
• Serves as an alternate host plant for the caterpillar of the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

Native Habitat

Occurs in shady deciduous forests.

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Photos

Symphyotrichum ericoides

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun
• Soils: Dry, average
• Bloom Time: White flowers in August, September, October
• Size: 1-3 feet in height; up to 1.5 foot spread

Colony forming Heath Aster provides profuse, bloom for a border, rock, wildflower, or native plant garden. Tolerates poor soil and drought. Sometimes sold as Aster ericoides which is likely to be a cultivar or hybrid of other aster species.

Garden Companions

Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolius), Frost Aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum)

Nature Benefits

• Good plant for a large variety of late season pollinators.
• Host plant for the Banded Woolly Bear caterpillar, the larval form of the Isabella Tiger Moth.

Native Habitat

Occurs along roadsides, sandy, open areas, fields.

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Carex pensylvanica

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun to shade
• Soils: Average, dry
• Bloom Time: Non-flowering
• Size: 6-12 inches in height; 12-18 inch spread

Plant fine-textured Pennsylvania Sedge as a shade ground cover, border, or underplanting for shade perennials – grows in containers. Drought tolerant. Deer resistant.

Garden Companions

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadense), White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), Huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.)

Nature Benefits

• Forage and habitat for butterfly larvae, birds, and small mammals.
• Used by ducks for nesting material and some cover.

Native Habitat

Occurs in grasslands, woodlands, forests.

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Veronicastrum virginicum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, part shade
• Soils: Moist, average
• Bloom Time: Flowers light pink to white in July, August
• Size: 3-5 feet in height; 1-3 foot spread

Candelabra-like flower spikes top an erect stem providing a good accent plant in a perennial garden or plant Culver’s Root in a mixed border, meadow, pollinator garden, or naturalized area. Deadhead flowers to extend bloom time or cut the plant to the ground for a second flush of growth. Not a Cape Cod native but found in the wild in western Massachusetts.

Garden Companions

Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya), Broomsedge Bluestem (Andropogon virginicus), New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

Nature Benefits

• Host plant for Buckeye butterfly.
• Pollen and nectar used by bees, wasps, flies, moths, and butterflies.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forests, meadows, fields.

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Photos

Gaultheria procumbens

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Shade, Part Shade
• Soils: Average, dry
• Bloom Time: White flowers in June, July, August
• Size: 1-4 inches in height; 6-12 inch spread

Plant evergreen Teaberry as a low, woody, ground cover. Grows and flowers best in sunny openings with light shade during midday. Showy red fruits may persist through the winter on the colony forming plants. Wintergreen flavoring originated with this plant. Drought tolerant.

Garden Companions

Hillside Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), Partridge-berry (Mitchella repens), Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia), Common Star-grass (Hypoxis hirsuta), Canada-mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), Flax-leaved Stiff-aster (Ionactis linariifolia)

Nature Benefits

• Provides food for birds, foxes, and small mammals in winter.

Native Habitat

Occurs in forest edges, pine and oak forests, meadows or fields, bogs.

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Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial • Sunlight: Sun, Part Shade • Soils: Average to moist • Bloom Time: Deep violet to pink flowers appear in August, September • Size: 3-4 feet in height Two adaptations of being a meadow plant are that it wants to grow tall and the lowest leaves will die out at the bottom. However, it can be pinched back a few times before mid-July so it will blossom on shorter stems.

Garden Companions

Small Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Anise Scent Goldenrod (Solidago odoro), Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Nature Benefits

• Supports pollinators in late summer fall when they need sustenance most. • Host plant for the caterpillars of the Pearl Crescent. • Songbirds and small mammals eat the seeds. • Supports bee specialists in the Adrena genus.

Native Habitat

Occurs in meadows, old fields, and stream banks. Download Plant Datasheet

Photos

Waldsteinia fragarioides

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun, Part Shade
• Soils: Sandy, well-drained to clay and medium loam, dry to moist
• Bloom Time: Yellow flowers in May, June
• Size: 3-6 inches in height; 6-12 inch spread

Plant the tough, semi-evergreen Barren Strawberry as a woodland ground cover. It will naturalize via rhizomes and out-compete weeds. Although called strawberry, the fruit is neither fleshy nor edible. Deer resistant.

Garden Companions

Small Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), White Wood Aster (Eurybia divaricata), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Slender Woodland Sedge (Carex digitalis)

Nature Benefits

• May support pollinators.
• Provides cover for ground-nesting bees.

Native Habitat

Occurs in woods, thickets, fields, and uplands bordering calcareous wetland communities.

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Photos

Solidago sempervirens

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Sun
• Soils: Sandy, average moisture to dry
• Bloom Time: Yellow flowers in August, September, October
• Size: 2-6 feet in height; 2-3 foot spread

Perennial with low maintenance is perfect in a pollinator garden and ornamental flower bed. Spreads easily by seeds but does not become invasive. This goldenrod has almost succulent leaves to protect against winds and salt spray. Drought tolerant. Salt spray tolerant. Pinch the growing tips in June for a more compact plant in gardens.

Garden Companions

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae), Brown Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba)

Nature Benefits

• Food source for migrating monarch butterflies.
• Attracts songbirds, other butterflies, and small mammals.

Native Habitat

Occurs on coastal beaches, dunes, and marshes.

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Photos

Athyrium filix-femina

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Part Shade, Shade
• Soils: Well-drained soils, moist to dry
• Bloom Time: Non-flowering
• Size: 1-2 feet in height; 12-18 inch spread

Plant low maintenance Lady Fern in perennial borders, moist nooks, low spots, and woodland gardens. Typically grows in full to part shade in drier soils than most ferns, and it can tolerate full sun if kept cool and soil is moist. Like most ferns it is deer resistant. Upright stems are green or red.

Garden Companions

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum), Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis), Jack-in-the Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

Nature Benefits

• No known direct benefits to wildlife.

Native Habitat

Occurs in river or stream floodplains, forests, swamps, woodlands.

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Photos

Packera aurea

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Prefers full sun to shade.
• Soils: Moist to dry
• Bloom Time: Spring blossoms – April, May, June
• Size: 1 foot in height

Also called Golden Ragwort and Butterweed, this rugged plant can handle tough places like rain gardens. It self-seeds and spreads by rhizomes. The foliage is green most of the year and stays low to the ground. In early spring, the aster-like flowers present on 1ft stems above the foliage in a stunning display of yellow-gold.

Garden Companions

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Nature Benefits

• Nectar and pollen attract small bees, such as little carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, and various halictid bees.

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in openings in moist to dry woodlands, areas along woodland paths and abandoned fields.

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Photos

Verbena hastata

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full to part sun
• Soils: Medium to Moist
• Bloom Time: July, August
• Size: 3-4 feet in height

Short-lived, doesn’t compete well with more aggressive vegetation. It self-seeds readily and is easy to germinate.

Garden Companions

Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana), Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

Nature Benefits

• Pollinators will visit.
• Seeds are valuable to small mammals and birds.

Native Habitat

Occurs in marshes, swamp margins, and ditches.

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Photos

Asclepias syriaca

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full sun, partial shade
• Soils: Well-drained sandy soils
• Bloom Time: Pink to purple flowers in June, July, August
• Size: 3-4 feet in height

Drought tolerant. Fragrant flowers! Plant in area where rhizomes can spread. Seed pods release seeds in late summer and fall.

Garden Companions

Rose Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Nature Benefits

• Pollinator magnet! Attracts a variety of insects including Milkweed Bugs and Oleander Aphids that don’t hurt the plant.
• Host plant for the caterpillars of the Monarch Butterfly and the Tussock Moth.

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in fields, meadows, abandoned lots and roadsides.

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Photos

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full to part sun
• Soils: Sandy to clay, needs consistent moisture
• Bloom Time: White flowers from June, July, August
• Size: 3-6 feet in height, 2 foot spread

Use in border and wildflower gardens, around banks of a pond, wildflower meadow, pollinator garden, rain garden. Useful in habitat restoration projects.

Garden Companions

Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium maculatum), Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

Nature Benefits

• Pollinator magnet. Butterflies and bees are attracted to the flowers.
• Host plant for caterpillars of the Lined Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia lineate), Burdock Borer Moth (Papaipema cataphracta), Three-lined Flower Moth (Schinia trifascia).

Native Habitat

Occurs in marshes, swamp margins, stream banks, and shores of rivers or lakes.

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Photos

Geranium maculatum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Partial to full shade
• Soils: Dry to moist
• Bloom Time: Lavender or pink flowers in April, May, June
• Size: 1-2 feet

Also called Cranesbill. Its seed capsule is explosive. As a woodland native, Geranium maculatum does prefer some shade.

Plants grow in clumps and can form a groundcover. Its seed capsule is explosive.

Garden Companions

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense), Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris), Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)

Nature Benefits

• Seed heads attract songbirds.
• Value to bumble bees and other native bees, butterflies, and other insects.

Native Habitat

Occurs in woods, roadsides, and fields. Download Plant Datasheet

Photos

Conoclinium coelestinum

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Prefers full sun to part shade.
• Soils: Prefers medium to wet soils, rich in organic matter which do not dry out.
• Bloom Time: Lavender-blue flowers in July, August, September
• Size: 1-2 feet in height

The root system will spread to form colonies and can spread aggressively in moist open ground, but not problematic. Flowers have no scent. Flower resembles the annual purple ageratum. Taller plants can be cut back in summer to prevent flopping.

Garden Companions

Blue Stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia); White Wood Aster (Eurybia divarcatus)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts long-tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, short-tongued bees, various flies, moths, and beetles. Insects seek nectar primarily, although the bees often collect pollen.
• Host plant for caterpillars of such moths as the Clymene Moth (Haploa clymene), Lined Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia lineata), Three-lined Flower Moth (Schinia trifascia).

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in wet meadows, along streams, in ditches.

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Zizea aurea

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Prefers full sun to part shade.
• Soils: Moist to average moisture
• Bloom Time: Spring blossoms – April, May, June
• Size: 1-2 feet in height

Tolerates drier summer soils, provided it receives moist soils in early spring. In the carrot family, the plant is care-free, and is capable of self-pollination. It is an important early flowering plant for beneficial insects.

Garden Companions

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Nature Benefits

• May host caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail butterfly
• Flowers are attractive to many kinds of insects seeking pollen or nectar, especially short-tongued bees, such as green metallic bees and andrenid bees, wasps, flies, and beetles. Other insects include valuable predator wasps, small butterflies, and long-tongued bumblebees.

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in openings in moist to dry woodlands, areas along woodland paths and abandoned fields.

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Parthenium integrifolium

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade
• Soils: wide range of soil types
• Bloom Time: Summer- June, July, August – dense clusters of pure white flowers
• Size: 3-5 feet in height

Makes a great cut flower. Foliage is aromatic. Native Americans used wild quinine for medicinal and veterinary purposes. The leaves contain tannin, which is thought to be beneficial for treating burns.

Garden Companions

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa); Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts pollinators

Native Habitat

In Massachusetts occurs naturally in central part of the state, found in dry fields, open wooded areas, rocky woods, and hillsides.

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Lobelia siphilitica

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Prefers full sun to part shade.
• Soils: Moist, well-drained soils
• Bloom Time: Late summer blossoms – July, August, September; vivid blue flower
• Size: 1-3 feet in height, 1 foot spread

In average soil conditions, you may need to water occasionally—don’t let it dry out. Most striking when planted in mass, rather than a single plant. Pollinators love it.

Garden Companions

Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata); Flat-topped Aster (Aster umbellatus); Spotted Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum); White Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)

Nature Benefits

• Bumblebees, other bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in swamps and wet meadows.

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Photos

Aquilegia canadensis

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Part shade to full shade
• Soils: Well-drained and average moisture
• Bloom Time: Spring blossoms – April, May, June; flower is bell-shaped red spurs with a yellow center
• Size: 1-2 feet in height, 1 foot spread

May go dormant in mid-summer. Although a perennial, it readily self-seeds. Leave the seed heads or collect and spread the seeds where you want more Columbine in your garden.

Garden Companions

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), Wild Geranium (Geranium maculata), Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Nature Benefits

• The spurs contain nectar that attracts long-tongued bees and moths, and hummingbirds who are specially adapted to reach the nectar.
• Seeds are consumed by finches and buntings.
• Host to the caterpillar of the Columbine Duskywing (Erynnis lucilius)

Native Habitat

Occurs naturally in rich rocky woods, north-facing slopes, cliffs, ledges, pastures, and roadsides.

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Photos

Monarda fistulosa

Growing Information

• Plant Type: Perennial
• Sunlight: Full sun to part shade
• Soils: A wide range from moist to dry, organically rich, well-drained sand, loam, clay.
• Bloom Time: Lavender flowers bloom in July, August, September
• Size: 1-3 feet in height; 3 foot spread

Easy to grow in a perennial border, wildflower garden or meadow. A great naturalizing wildflower and a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. Leave the seed heads.

Garden Companions

Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata), Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)

Nature Benefits

• Attracts long-tongued bees, bee flies, butterflies, skippers, and hummingbird moths
• Birds eat the seeds
• Host plant for the Raspberry Pyrausta Moth

Native Habitat

Occurs in dry open woods, fields, wet meadows and ditches, edges of woods and marshes

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Photos