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.
Grey dogwood is a hardy, low-maintenance shrub that provides subdued beauty all year round. Around June, white flower panicles enliven the surroundings. In the late summer and early fall, white berries draw a large number of birds. And the gray bark is nicely contrasted by the reddish-pink fruit stems that survive into the winter. Dogwoods…
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….
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…
The Snowberry is a great addition to many types of landscapes or gardens as an ornamental shrub, as it is easy to care for and very low maintenance. Native to North America, snowberry shrubs are sometimes known as waxberry or ghostberry. Due to their deciduous nature, they shed their leaves in the winter season like…
The White Oak has been an important tree in North American society over the centuries. It can live for several hundred years and starts producing acorns at around 50-100 years old, which are eaten by many types of wildlife. Its wood is used in many ways, including wine and whiskey barrel production due to its…
If you love seeing wildlife, the white spruce provides nesting sites and shelter as well as food for many kinds of wildlife. Birds and ducks prefer the seeds. Leaves are eaten by rabbits and deer. Red squirrels eat the seeds from the pinecones, and the spruce shoots. The bark is enjoyed by both porcupines and…
Winterberry holly has pointed, dark-green foliage that is surrounded by red berries. While the berries remain, the leaves fall off in late fall and early winter, leaving a stunning display of brilliant red fruit in your garden. The deciduous holly shrub is native to eastern North America and several Asian regions. Once established, winterberries just…
Eastern Redbud is an easy-going ornamental that can be grown as a shrub or as a small tree. Plant this one in full sun to partial shade for a stunning display of spring colour and for the emergence of heart-shaped leaves. Its natural habitat includes woodlands, thickets, and rocky streams. Eastern Redbud is not an…
Wood betony, Pedicularis canadensis, 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….
Baptisia australis is beautiful and a sure bet to be introduced into your garden. Slow to develop, it is not uncommon to wait 2 years before the first flower. It adapts to all soils. Flowers are great for cutting. Baptisia hybrids can have exceptionally beautiful colours. Baptisia lives up to its name as a perennial…
False sunflowers bloom throughout summer in the perennial border or cutting garden. It also works well in a native plant or wild garden, as well as in a naturalized planting or prairie environment. The false sunflower attracts birds, bees, and hummingbirds and is resistant to deer. They are simple to cultivate, drought-resistant, and resilient. It’s…
Common Sneezeweed looks gorgeous when planted en masse and mixes wonderfully with decorative grasses or other perennial plants. It has daisy-like blooms that often attract bees and butterflies. Their blooms have characteristic wedge-shaped, brilliant yellow rays and conspicuous, dome-like, yellow centre discs. The three-lobed petals of all sneezeweeds differentiate them from Rudbeckia and other yellow…
Named monkeyflower after the apparent resemblance the blooms have to a monkey’s face, the Square-Stemmed Monkeyflower bears asymmetrical, tubular violet or pink flowers which bloom nearly continuously over a long season from early summer to fall. The flowers contrast nicely with the bright green leaves; both the foliage and the flowers of this plant are…
Cosmos plants are highly resilient, blooming lavishly from early or midsummer to fall, depending on variety, and have beautiful cut leaves, spectacular blooms, and a lengthy blooming season. They are often used in pollinator gardens to attract birds, bees, and butterflies. Cosmos are freely flowering annual plants in the asteraceae or sunflower family. They are…
Although the milky sap is poisonous to humans, poke milkweed is an important nectar source for native bees, wasps, and other nectar-seeking insects. Unfortunately, non-native honey bees commonly get trapped in the stigmatic slits and die. Milkweeds are also the larval food source for monarch butterflies and their relatives, as well as a variety of…
Alternate leaf dogwood has, as one would expect, alternate leaves, which turn to maroon foliage in the fall. When it is not competing with nearby trees or buildings, its branches will tier or layer horizontally, giving the appearance of a layered tierred pagoda with upturned branches. It has a fibrous, spreading root system and prefers…
Native to eastern North America, the American beech will stand out in any forest. It is a large deciduous tree, sometimes growing up to 120 feet tall . Its crown is typically dense, upright-oval to rounded-spreading. It blooms yellowish green flowers in the spring, the male flowers in drooping, long-stemmed, globular clusters and the female…
At least 50 species of songbirds, upland game birds, and small mammals relish the fruit of American elder during summer and early fall. American Elder is fast-growing shrub is known for its large clusters of yellowish-white, star-shaped flowers. Grown as a border, it provides an incredible summer floral display. The dark purple elderberries are used…
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