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Clethra alnifolia

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.

Cleome hassleriana

Cleome is an annual plant with palm-shaped, aromatic leaves and showy, fragrant flowers blooming on tall, rigid stems from summer to first frost. Flower colors are combinations of white, pink, and purple. The nectar attracts hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and the seeds are a food source for birds. If left on the plants, the seed pods dry and split open, dispersing seeds for next year’s growth. The seed pods can be removed to prevent aggressive self-seeding. Use Cleome in beds, back of borders, foundation plantings, wildlife gardens, and mixed in with shrubs.

Clematis virginiana

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.

Claytonia virginica

Spring Beauty is one of the first wildflowers to bloom in the spring. Its small, star-shaped, white to light pink flowers, striped with pink, bloom in April. The nectar provides an important early spring food source for native bees. The small, underground, bulb-like corms are edible; they were consumed by early Americans, and their chestnut-like flavor is still enjoyed by edible wild plant enthusiasts. The entire plant goes dormant by late spring, similar to spring crocuses. It prefers moist, organic soils. Use Spring Beauty massed in woodland gardens, rock gardens, or for naturalizing.

Actaea racemosa

The showy, fragrant, bottlebrush-shaped, white flowers of Black Baneberry bloom on long stalks above the foliage, June-July. This plant’s dark green, lacy foliage adds texture to the garden. Black Baneberry is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Spring Azure (Celastrina “ladon”). It needs consistent moisture and organically-rich soil. The tall flower spires may need some support. Plant Black Baneberry in masses in partly shady sections of borders, shade gardens, woodland gardens, and naturalized areas.

Chrysopsis mariana

Maryland Goldenaster’s clusters of daisy-like, bright yellow flowers bloom August-October, adding color to the fall garden. This drought-tolerant plant grows well in dry, sandy soils. Use it in borders or wildflower gardens, along woodland edges, or as a groundcover in partly shady areas.

Chrysogonum virginianum

Green and Gold is a low-growing, mat-forming perennial, which spreads by rhizomes (underground stems). The bright yellow, star-shaped flowers on erect, “hairy” stems bloom in spring and sometimes again in fall. This plant’s tolerance for shade makes it a good groundcover for moist, shady areas. Use in rain gardens, woodland gardens, shady border-fronts, and rock gardens.

Chimaphila maculata

Spotted Wintergreen is a low-growing evergreen perennial. The thick, dark green, waxy leaf has a white stripe down the center and serrated edges. Small, fragrant, waxy, white, or pale pink flowers bloom on erect, red stalks, June-August. The flowers attract insect pollinators. The flowers turn upward after fertilization and develop into attractive, dried seed capsules. The leaves have a darker, purplish color in the winter. Use Spotted Wintergreen in woodland gardens, shady naturalized areas, or as a groundcover. It is a good plant to keep if already growing in your yard.

Chamaedaphne calyculata

Leatherleaf is a broadleaf evergreen shrub native to wet soils. It has leathery, green leaves and small, bell-shaped, white flowers, which bloom April-May. This shrub is used by birds and other wildlife for nesting and cover. It grows well in boggy locations. Use Leatherleaf in moist borders, woodland gardens, rain gardens, or along edges of ponds or other water features.

Cercis canadensis

Eastern Redbud is a New Jersey native tree. It is covered with dense clusters lavender-pink flowers that bloom directly from branches before the leaves emerge. The flowers are a nectar source for native pollinators.