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Heliopsis helianthoides

Smooth Oxeye’s daisy-like, yellow-orange flowers with darker centers bloom from midsummer to fall. The bright, showy flowers are excellent fresh-cut. Deadheading the spent flowers will prolong blooming. Smooth Oxeye grows naturally along stream banks and woodland edges. Use it in beds, borders, and wildflower gardens.

Helianthus divaricatus

Woodland Sunflower’s bright yellow flowers with darker yellow centers bloom July-September; the showy flowers are good fresh-cut. This wildlife-friendly plant provides nectar and pollen for native butterflies and bees, and seeds for a variety of birds. Use it in shady borders, cutting gardens, or for naturalizing. It will spread over time by rhizomes (underground stems).

Helianthus angustifolius

Swamp Sunflowers have yellow rays and reddish-brown to purple centers; they bloom September-November. Pinch the growth in early June for bushier plants with more blooms in the fall. This plant tolerates wet areas of the yard and bog-like conditions, and is suitable for rain gardens or the edges of water features. Use as a specimen plant or massed in beds.

Hamamelis virginiana

The floral display of American Witchhazel is unique. Its fragrant, cream to yellow flowers with tassle-like, crumpled petals bloom September-December, persisting for some time after leaf drop.

Halesia tetraptera

Carolina Silverbell is a large shrub or medium tree with a rounded crown. Drooping clusters of showy, white, bell-shaped flowers bloom in early spring. The flowers are followed by four-winged fruits, which turn tan in the fall. This plant prefers moist, well-drained, organic soils, and grows well with Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Use it in the shrub border or woodland garden, as an accent tree near decks or patios, or as a specimen tree for the lawn.

Gazania rigens

Gazania is an annual with trailing stems and daisy-like flowers, which bloom from summer into fall. Its bright yellow-orange flowers close at night and may not fully open on cloudy days. It tolerates hot, dry conditions and prefers sandy soil. Remove the spent flowers to encourage more blooming. Excellent in hanging baskets as well as in beds and borders.

Gaylussacia baccata

Black Huckleberry is a deciduous shrub with green leaves, which turn orange-crimson in the fall. Its white-pink, bell-shaped flowers bloom May-July, followed by purplish-black edible berries, which can be eaten fresh or baked into pies and muffins. The berries are an important food source for songbirds, turkeys, upland game birds, and other wildlife. The plants tends to colonize. Use Black Huckleberry in wildlife gardens, shrub borders, and foundation plantings.

Gaultheria procumbens

Eastern Teaberry is a woody, evergreen groundcover. Its small, white, bell-shaped flowers bloom June-July, followed by small, red, edible berries that have a refreshing wintergreen flavor. Birds feed on the berries, which persist through the winter. The waxy, dark green leaves also smell like wintergreen when crushed. The leaves, which turn reddish in cold weather, are also a winter food source for wildlife. Both the leaves and berries can be used to make an herbal tea. Use Eastern Teaberry as groundcover or in woodland gardens, shade gardens, or naturalized areas.

Gaillardia x grandiflora

Blanket Flower has daisy-like, tri-colored flowers with yellow-orange petals and dark red centers. It has a long bloom time, from June-September, and makes an excellent cut flower. Butterflies benefit from the nectar, and finches eat the dried seeds. Blanket Flower prefers moist soil, but will tolerate some drought. Use in borders, cutting gardens, or mixed container plantings.

Festuca glauca

Blue Fescue is a semi-evergreen ornamental grass with attractive blue-green foliage. It grows in a small, neat, cushion-like clump and does not spread by runners. Divide the plants in early spring every couple of years. Blue Fescue prefers dry, sandy soils and is tolerant of salt spray, making it a good choice for seaside gardens. Use it as an edging plant or in borders. Space plants close together to form a beautiful groundcover.