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Packera aurea

This easy-to-grow flowering groundcover offers early spring blooms of yellow daisy-like flowers and year-round lush green foliage.

Stylophorum diphyllum

One of the first plants to bloom in the spring, this perky low-growing plant has lobed green leaves and bright yellow poppy-like flowers.

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.

Aruncus dioicus

Goat’s Beard is a tall perennial with astilbe-like flowers. Large feathery spikes of small, creamy-white flowers bloom April-June. This perennial is dioecious (male and female flowers are on separate plants); the males have slightly showier flowers. The flowers can be used fresh-cut or dried in floral arrangements. The nectar attracts butterflies and bees. Goat’s Beard is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Dusky Azure (Celastrina nigra). It prefers consistently moist soils and can tolerate occasional flooding. Plant Goat’s Beard in masses in the back of borders, woodland gardens, rain gardens, or along edges of ponds or streams. It can also be used as a specimen or as a screening plant.

Xanthorhiza simplicissima

Yellowroot is a low-growing shrub with yellowish bark and roots. Clusters of small, star-like, purple flowers with yellow centers bloom April-May. The attractive, green foliage can turn a golden-yellow, orange, or sometimes slightly purple color in the fall. Plant Yellowroot as a groundcover or low-growing shrub in moist, shady areas of your yard.

Waldsteinia fragarioides

Appalachian Barren Strawberry features small, yellow flowers, which bloom April-May. The flowers produce inedible fruits enjoyed for their ornamental qualities. Appalachian Barren Strawberry offers evergreen foliage, but can brown in very cold winters. It is intolerant of extreme heat and high humidity. It is best grown in cooler climates of northern New Jersey. Plant Appalachian Barren Strawberry as a groundcover in your yard.

Viburnum prunifolium

Blackhaw is a wildlife-friendly deciduous shrub featuring white flowers, which bloom April-May. The nectar is attractive to native bees and butterflies. The fruit is pinkish-rose and matures to bluish-black; it provides a good food source for birds and wildlife. The edible fruit is used for preserves and jellies. Blackhaw can be planted as a shrub border or as a small specimen tree in your yard.

Viburnum opulus var. americanum

American Cranberrybush is a rounded deciduous shrub featuring white, lacy flower clusters, which bloom April-May. The flower nectar attracts bees and butterflies. Conspicuous, drooping, red, edible berries mature in fall, and are used for jams and jellies. The berries are also a valued food source for birds. American Cranberrybush is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon). American Cranberrybush prefers acidic soil and needs moisture for optimum growth. Plant it in shrub borders, as a hedge, or in naturalized areas of your yard.