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.
Goat’s Rue features attractive, yellow-pink bi-colored flowers, which bloom May-August. The nectar is a valued food source for native bees and butterflies. Goat’s Rue is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus). The seeds are eaten by ground birds. The roots fix nitrogen in the soil; they also contain rotenone, which is toxic to insects and fish. Goat’s Rue can be planted by seed; plant it in meadows, borders, and naturalized areas of your yard. It is difficult to transplant once established.
Marigold species come in many sizes and flower colors, ranging from red, orange, yellow and white, to a blend of colors. The flowers bloom June through frost, offering a long-lasting season of enjoyment. The flowers can be used either fresh-cut or dried in floral arrangements. The finely cut, fern-like leaves are often aromatic. This easy-to-grow plant is both disease- and pest-resistant. Plant Marigolds along borders, as accents in corners of your yard, or alongside tomatoes and peppers in your vegetable garden.
Japanese Tree Lilac is a small to medium, deciduous tree with large clusters of creamy-white, fragrant flowers. The flowers bloom in June, later than most other lilac shrubs. For best blooms, plant Japanese Tree Lilac in full sun. The flowers provide a rich nectar source for native bees and butterflies. Use Japanese Tree Lilac as an ornamental specimen tree in your yard, or a street tree in your neighborhood.
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.
Blue-eyed Grass has petite blue flowers with yellow centers, which bloom on stalks above grass-like leaves, May-June.
Shrubby Fivefingers is a low-growing, mat-forming perennial, which features small, white flowers blooming June-August. Patience is necessary with new plants, as seedlings take two years to flower. The green leaves turn red in the fall if planted in full sun. Shrubby Fivefingers prefers sandy, nutrient-poor soil. It is drought-tolerant, but dislikes excessive summer heat. Use Shrubby Fivefingers in rock gardens, around borders, or as a groundcover. This plant may be difficult to find commercially. Tell your local garden center or nursery about your interest in this species.