There are two types of plants that most people refer to as “geraniums”.
There are “true geraniums”, which are hardy, native and wild plants that make excellent groundcover and space filler in your garden and landscape.
There are also Pelargoniums, which are more delicate plants hailing from South Africa. In this article, we will discuss both members of the geranium family and share some smart tips for their use and care.
Yellow Giant Hyssop grows quickly to reach heights of 3 to 8 feet. The bigger, lower leaves can grow to be as huge as a thick piece of bread. And, depending on the plant’s age and general height, its bloom spike can be up to 16 inches long! The creamy tiny blooms that gather together…
Silver Wormwood attracts many pollinators and is one of the host plants for the American Lady and Painted Lady butterflies. It is a fragrant, silvery-white shrub-like perennial with woolly grey or white hairs on the stems and leaves. Its flowers are nodding clusters of yellowish flowers that bloom throughout the summer. This plant spreads via…
The Flat-topped Aster attracts a wide range of types of pollinators: long-and short-tongued bees, wasps, beetles, flies, and butterflies. It is a great candidate for pollinator gardens, cottage gardens, and wildflower gardens.
Native to the marshes of North America, common boneset has a long history of use as a medicine and a lovely, recognizable appearance. It is still occasionally cultivated and harvested for its medicinal qualities. Gardeners also find it appealing as a native plant that draws pollinators. It grows thick and hairy in wet areas like…
Swamp Rose Mallow, known as hibiscus moscheutos, has exotic, oversized flowers that are very striking. There are five overlapping petals, each with a reddish-purple to dark crimson base that forms a sharp contrast with the central eye of the flower. The bloom lasts only 1-2 days, but new flowers open every day over the long…
Wild senna is an underrated plant with striking yellow blooms and attractive foliage. Exposure to full sun provides the energy for more flowers. It is a host plant for sulphur butterflies ( Phoebis sennae, Phoebis philea, and Abaeis nicippe). Birds appreciate the many seedpods, and the plant is an essential food source for game birds…
Common Blue Violet is a ground cover that provides an early nectar source for bees and other pollinators. It is also self-seeding and spreads. This violet is found throughout central and eastern North America in suburban lawns, busy roadsides, city parks, cracks in the sidewalk, and overgrown areas, in addition to the lush forest floors…
The Great Blue Lobelia is a clump-forming perennial which grows large spikes featuring bright blue tubular flowers. The showy flowers form an elongated cluster on a leafy stem. This blue counterpart of the Cardinal Flower is the most desirable plant for woodland gardens since the blue flowers offer a welcome contrast to the yellows and…
Twin flower is a charming evergreen creeping vine that forms large mats in moist, shady woods. Its sweet-smelling blooms attract bees. After the flowers have faded, the plant’s evergreen leaves remain beneath the snow all winter. The Twin flower (Linnaea borealis) is a plant found throughout the northern hemisphere in circumboreal habitats. It occurs across…
Yellow Loosestrife is a colorful wildflower which likes moist to wet and even seasonally wet conditions in nature but will also grow well in loamy rich soils. With bright showy blooms and deep maroon fall foliage, this plant will have an impact on the landscape. Its natural habitats are meadows and damp woods with dappled…
Lavender is a popular and fragrant plant for both commercial and personal use. It is also one of the simplest plants to cultivate from seed. Growing and caring for Lavandula angustifolia in your yard can provide you with a pleasant fragrance all year. It has a peaceful and tranquil aroma, which provides therapeutic benefits that…
Grey headed Coneflower is a North American wildflower with eye-catching yellow flowers that entice birds and pollinators. This perennial is ideal for natural plantings and meadows. It is known as the gray-headed Mexican hat, and it also goes by the names pinnate prairie coneflower, yellow coneflower, and gray-headed coneflower. A thin, hairy-stemmed plant that produces…
Dense Blazing Star, Liatris spicata, has long-lasting purple wands of packed blooms that face all directions and bloom from the top of the stem down from midsummer to fall. The blooms resemble feather boas held upright on numerous spikes per plant. Although it lacks smell, Dense Blazing Star will please your other senses: the purple…
The Hairy Beardtongue possesses many beneficial characteristics. It is, for example, small and controllable, does not compete or spread widely, has attractive and delicate blooms, and is tough (meaning it is hard to kill). It is a larval host for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly and is an excellent choice for a butterfly garden or many…
Eutrochium maculatum, sometimes known as Joe Pye Weed, is a stunning plant that grows tall with robust stems that rarely need to be anchored. It is excellent for establishing views in the garden. The purple-speckled stems match the dusty rose-colored blooms, which appear from July to early October. Because it self-produces and ‘travels’ effectively, it…
Virginia Mountain Mint is a vigorous and long-lasting plant that is ideal for meadows, wildlife gardens, and woodland edges where it can roam freely. When crushed, the leaves emit a strong odour, and the flowers and leaves have numerous applications in Native American herbal medicine. A fantastic choice for a pollinator garden.
Anise Hyssop is simple to cultivate and care for in an ornamental or herb garden. Plants self-sow freely, but unwanted seedlings are easily removed. This plant belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae), but its fragrant leaves smell like licorice, especially when you rub them, hence the name anise. Salad dressings, herbal tea mixes, and potpourri…
Purple Giant Hyssop sets soft plumes of the palest purple flowers that top out at 6 feet, soaring above most other plants in the garden. The individual blossoms open over a period of several weeks in the fall. From seed, it is easy to grow, but be mindful that the first blooms will typically appear…
The Spotted Beebalm is an unusual beauty in form and colour, distinguished by its pagoda-like blossoms. It has eye-catching clusters of creamy purple-spotted tubular blooms sitting on pink, lavender, or ivory bracts. Flowering starts in mid-summer and continues into the fall. Spotted Beebalm, a member of the mint family, has a sweet and pleasant scent….
Lance-Leaved Figwort, and figworts for that matter, are plants which may not have the most attractive appearance. However, they provide a large amount of nectar, and they equally attract bees, butterflies, and other insects, in addition to birds such as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird! Think of them as pollinator magnets. It grows easily and you can…
Royal Catchfly has showy, brilliant red flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies such as the Black Swallowtail. It is ideal for butterfly gardens, open woods, rocky soils, borders, and prairies. It gets its name from the sticky calyx on its leaves, which can trap or catch small insects; but It seems its main purpose is…
Butterfly Milkweed is valued for its magnificent clusters of bright orange to yellow-orange blooms that bloom all summer. They tend to be a great additon to many gardens. The lush vegetation creates a dark green backdrop that enhances the colourful blooms. This plant is a well-known choice for all sorts of gardens due to its…
Wood Betony is a valuable and attractive native flower that is an indicator of pristine prairies. Its roots attach to the roots of nearby plants and uptake nutrients. Therefore, wood betony parasitizes other plants, using them as a water and nutrient source. This parasitism helps reduce the vigor of the tall prairie plants. Flowers are…
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