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Andropogon gerardii

Big Bluestem is a tall, attractive, drought-tolerant native grass with colorful foliage and enormous benefits for wildlife.

Actaea rubra

Red baneberry is a bushy flowering perennial that offers a delightful textured appearance in the shade garden.

Pinus strobus ‘Fastigiata’

Columnar Eastern White Pine is a small- to medium-sized, long-needled evergreen conifer with a narrow, columnar shape. Branches grow upright, giving this tree its compact shape. Bundles of five needles are soft to the touch and appear bluish-green. Columnar Eastern White Pine is a good choice for a screen planting. It can also be used as a specimen tree.

Hylotelephium telephium

Sedum is an easy-to-grow perennial with succulent green leaves and dense clusters of rosy-pink, star-shaped flowers which bloom from late summer until frost (August-October).  With age the flower color changes to a burgundy-red, and the attractive dried flower heads can last well into the winter months.  Sedum is an excellent choice for dry,sunny areas of the yard.  It can be planted as a specimen or in masses.

Monarda fistulosa

Wild Bergamot is a highly adaptable, wildlife-friendly perennial. Its showy, tubular, white, pink, or purple flowers form round, wispy clusters atop tall stems, July through September. The foliage is fragrant, offering additional interest in the garden. Wild Bergamot is valued by hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, which benefit from the nectar. The genus Monarda is prone to powdery mildew, but this species, Monarda fistulosa, offers some resistance. Use Wild Bergamot in borders, meadows, and naturalized areas in your yard.

Eupatorium perfoliatum

Common Boneset is a clumping perennial. Clusters of small white flowers bloom atop tall stems, July-September. Butterflies and bees value the nectar as a food source. Its green leaves fuse around the stem, offering a unique vegetative feature in the garden setting. Boneset is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Lined Ruby Tiger Moth (Phragmatobia lineate), Burdock Borer Moth (Papaipema cataphracta), Three-lined Flower Moth (Schinia trifascia), Blackberry Looper (Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria), Geometrid Moth (Semiothisa continuata) and Clymene Moth (Haploa clymene). Use Boneset in the back of borders to add depth to your landscape. Plant it in your rain garden, along woodland edges, meadows, or in naturalized areas around your yard.

Coreopsis rosea

Pink Tickseed is a multi-stemmed, clumping perennial with dense, green foliage. Small, pink-purple, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers are scattered within the vegetation. It blooms all summer, June-September. The native habitat of Pink Tickseed consists of wet, sandy soils. It needs consistent moisture and does not tolerate clay soils. It may self-seed to form a dense groundcover. Use Pink Tickseed in borders, along walkways, in your native plant garden, and in moist meadows.

Eutrochium fistulosum

Joe-Pye Weed is a tall, sturdy perennial with dark green leaves. Clusters of tiny, fragrant, pinkish-rose-colored flowers bloom July-September. The nectar is highly valued by butterflies and honeybees. The flowers are followed by seed heads (which persist into winter), providing an important food source for sparrows, as well as providing seasonal interest. Joe-Pye Weed is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Three-lined Flower Moth (Schinia trifascia), Eupatorium Borer Moth (Papaipema eupatorii), and Clymene Moth (Haploa clymene). It prefers moist, fertile soils, and is intolerant of dry conditions. Use Joe-Pye Weed in masses in the back of borders to offer depth to your garden. It is best planted in groups in meadows, native plant gardens, butterfly gardens, rain gardens, or naturalized areas. It is valued by native Americans for its medicinal properties.

Ammophila breviligulata

American Beachgrass is an evergreen grass, ubiquitous to the northeastern seaside landscape. Yellow, inconspicuous flowers bloom on spikes, May-September. It is commonly used as a dune stabilizer along the east coast. Rhizomes (underground stems) travel vertically and horizontally for up to 20 feet, creating a “net,” which holds the sand in place. As sand builds up around the plant, the vertical stems grow higher; this continuous process builds the dune. American Beachgrass is best planted during its dormancy period, October-March.

Panicum amarum

Coastal Panicgrass is a clump-forming, warm season, perennial grass that supports wildlife throughout the year.