American Wisteria is a woody vine featuring fragrant, lilac-purple flowers, which bloom June-August. Full sun is needed for optimum flowering. The flowers provide an attractive nectar source for native bees. American Wisteria is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) and Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco). It requires regular pruning to maintain control; however, it is not as aggressive as the non-native, invasive Wisteria species. American Wisteria is an excellent alternative to Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda), both invasive. Train American Wisteria to grow on your trellis, arbor, climbing wall, or around fences in your yard.
Speedwell features deep blue-purple flowers on tall spikes, which bloom June-August. Deadhead flowers to promote continuous blooms. Speedwell prefers constant moisture in well-drained soil, but it will tolerate drought once established. The genus Veronica contains many cultivars offering other colors and characteristics. Use it in rock gardens and borders around your yard.
New York Ironweed features purple flowers, which bloom on tall stalks, August-September. The flower nectar offers food to bees and butterflies, and the dried seeds offer food to birds. New York Ironweed can self-seed vigorously. Plant in a mass to use as a background plant in borders, meadows, and in moist naturalized areas of your yard.
Swamp Verbena features purplish-blue flowers, which bloom on tall spikes, a few at a time from bottom to top, June-September. The flowers are a nectar source for bees and butterflies. Swamp Verbena is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia). This plant prefers moist soil conditions. Use it in rain gardens, along water features, or in other moist areas of the yard. It can also be planted in borders and meadows.
Eastern Gamagrass is a warm-season bunchgrass, which displays purple female flowers and orange male flowers on the same plant (monoecious), May-September. It is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Byssus Skipper (Problema byssus). Deer eat the seeds. Cut back Eastern Gamagrass to 8 inches in the winter, after the foliage has died back from frost. Use it in woodland gardens, perennial borders, meadows, or naturalized areas in your yard.
Mother-of-Thyme features tiny, red-purple flowers, which bloom in abundance, June-September. The nectar offers a valuable food source for native bees and butterflies. Mother-of-Thyme is easily grown in dry, sandy, rocky, gritty soil in full sun. This plant withstands light foot traffic. Use Mother-of-Thyme as a groundcover, edging plant, or along walkways or cascading borders. Mother-of-Thyme also tolerates drought well, making it a good choice for Jersey-Friendly Yards.
New York Aster features violet-purple flowers, which bloom July-October. This prolific bloomer provides fall color to the yard. It offers a valuable nectar source for native bees and butterflies, and its dried seeds provide food for birds. Use New York Aster in the front of borders, as an edging plant, or in sunny meadows and naturalized areas of your yard.
Lamb’s Ear is grown for its fuzzy, soft, ornamental leaves. The non-descript flower is often removed by gardeners to enhance the appeal of the foliage. It prefers sandy, dry soil and full sun. Lamb’s Ear is susceptible to midsummer foliage decline in humid climates; pick off the browned leaves to stimulate new leaf growth. This hardy plant tolerates rabbit, deer, drought, Black Walnut, air pollution, and a range of undesirable conditions that deter many other plants from optimum growth. Use Lamb’s Ear along edges of walkways, in mixed borders to offer texture, or as a groundcover in a small area of your yard.