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.
Kentucky Coffeetree is a deciduous tree that has large, compound leaves and brown bark with distinctive scale-like ridges. It is dioecious (separate male and female trees), with greenish-white flowers blooming in the late spring. The female trees bear reddish-brown seed pods that persist into winter. Use Kentucky Coffeetree in large yards or parks. Its tolerance for drought and air pollution makes it a good urban tree.
Purple Coneflower blooms, with their drooping, pinkish-purple rays and prominent centers, resemble badminton birdies. The showy, long-lasting, daisy-like flowers bloom non-stop throughout the summer and make excellent fresh-cut or dried flowers. While not native to all of New Jersey, this species is a native of similar ecoregions in North America. It tolerates a range of conditions, including drought and poor soil. Purple Coneflower is a wildlife-friendly plant, providing nectar for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds and seeds for birds. It also has multiple medicinal properties, and is commonly used as an herbal remedy. Plant in masses in beds, borders, wildflower gardens, and meadows.
Golden Tickseed is a brightly colored, long-blooming annual. The daisy-like flowers, which are yellow-orange with dark-red centers, bloom June-September. The flowers are good fresh-cut. The nectar is attractive to butterflies, native bees, and other beneficial pollinators, and the seeds attract birds. This plant aggressively self-seeds, but that can be minimized by removing spent flowers, which also encourages more blooms. The common name originated from the resemblance of the seeds to ticks. Plant Golden Tickseed in masses in borders, wildflower gardens, or naturalized areas.
Summersweet is a multi-branched deciduous shrub with dark green, aromatic leaves. It is one of the few summer-flowering shrubs that will bloom in shade. The sweetly fragrant, white flowers bloom in upright clusters on the tips of stems, July-August.
Virgin’s Bower is a deciduous, flowering, twining vine. Its fragrant, white, feathery flowers bloom August-October. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees benefit from the nectar. Use Virgin’s Bower to cover arbors, trellises, or fences, or plant it in a woodland garden.
Common Buttonbush’s fragrant, white, spherical-shaped flowers resemble pin cushions. The flowers bloom in June, followed by round, button-like fruits enclosing small nutlets, which persist into winter. The flowers provide a nectar source for native bees and butterflies. Buttonbush is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Titan sphinx (Aellopos titan) and Hydrangea sphinx (Darapsa versicolor). It prefers moist to wet conditions, and can tolerate flooding. The plants can be pruned or cut to the ground in early spring. Use Buttonbush in shrub borders, woodland gardens, rain gardens, and other moist areas of the yard, or plant along edges of ponds and other water features.
New Jersey Tea is a low-growing, wildlife-friendly deciduous shrub. Showy, fragrant, white flower clusters bloom May-July and are good fresh-cut. The flowers are a nectar source for hummingbirds, butterflies, and native bees. New Jersey Tea is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Spring Azure (Celastrina “ladon”), Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis), and Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta). Young, yellow twigs add color to the winter landscape. The common name originated when the dried leaves were used as a tea substitute during the Revolutionary War. Use New Jersey Tea in shrub borders, wildlife gardens, or as a groundcover on slopes.
Butterfly Weed is a long-blooming, drought-tolerant, wildlife-friendly perennial. Its showy, bright orange flowers bloom in flat-topped clusters, June-August. The nectar is attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; it has special value for native bees. The flowers are followed by attractive seed pods, which are used in dried flower arrangements. Butterfly Weed is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Queen (Danaus gilippus), and Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus). Butterfly Weed does not have milky sap like other milkweeds; however, like other milkweeds, the leaves contain cardiac glycosides. When ingested by Monarch butterfly larvae feeding on the leaves, these substances make them (and the adult butterflies) toxic to birds and other predators. This plant’s deep tap root makes it difficult to transplant once established. Use Butterfly Weed in sunny borders, meadows, rain gardens, and butterfly gardens.