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Actaea rubra

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

Allium tricoccum

This shade-loving plant features creamy white flowers clustered atop a single stalk.

Anemone canadensis

Windflower exhibits small white flowers that bloom above whirled leaves from May-July.

Hydrangea quercifolia

Oak Leaf Hydrangea is a flowering, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with oak-like, dark green leaves. Large flower clusters bloom May to July; flowers are white turning to pale pink and are good cut or dried.

Hosta spp.

Hosta is a flowering perennial mainly grown for its attractive foliage. The Hosta genus includes many species and varieties with different combinations of leaf shapes, colors, and patterns. Bell-shaped flowers in a variety of colors bloom in late spring to summer on top of stalks extending above the foliage. This plant prefers moist, well-drained, organically rich soil. Use Hosta in shady beds and borders or in woodland gardens. Protect Hosta from deer browse, as it can be one of their favorite plants!

Lamprocapnos spectabilis

Bleeding Heart is a shade-loving, spring-flowering perennial. Blooming April-May, the heart-shaped, pink flowers dangle from long, arching stems that extend above the attractive foliage. The flowering stems are excellent fresh-cut. After flowering, this plant will usually go dormant by mid-summer. Use Bleeding Heart in shady borders or in a woodland garden. Plant it next to other bushy perennials, which can fill in gaps as the plants die back.

Scaevola aemula

Fanflower is a sprawling, tender perennial grown as an annual in New Jersey. Bluish-purple, fan-shaped flowers with yellow “throats” bloom on trailing stems non-stop throughout the spring and summer. Fanflower thrives in the heat of summer. This plant tolerates dry, sandy soils and salt spray, making it a good choice for seashore gardens. Use Fanflower in beds, containers, and hanging baskets, or as an annual groundcover.

Catharanthus roseus

Madagascar Periwinkle is a tender perennial grown as an annual in New Jersey. It has attractive, glossy leaves and rose-pink, phlox-like flowers, which bloom from June to frost. Cultivars offer additional color choices, including red, purple, and white. This plant thrives in summer heat, and is drought-tolerant once established. It grows best in well-drained soil. Minimize overhead watering to avoid root rot. Use Madagascar Periwinkle in beds and borders, as an edging plant, or as an annual groundcover. It can also be used in containers.

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.

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.