Smooth Solomon’s Seal features small, bell-shaped, greenish-white flowers, which bloom April-May. The flowers occur under arching stems and are followed by blue-black berries in the fall. The showy, smooth leaves turn yellow in fall. Smooth Solomon’s Seal can be planted in naturalized areas of your yard, shade gardens, woodlands, or in a shady part of your perennial border.
Pitch Pine is a wildlife-friendly, New Jersey native, and is the dominant pine tree of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. This medium-sized, evergreen conifer features an irregular form. Bundles of three, yellowish-green, stiff needles sprout from branches, and sometimes from the trunk. The bark is thick and layered, offering extreme fire-tolerance. It will re-sprout after a fire or from the stump. Twigs, leaves, and seeds offer a valuable food source for wildlife. Pitch Pine prefers nutrient-poor, dry, sandy soils, and will grow where other trees cannot. It takes about five years to establish, then grows quickly. Plant Pitch Pine in woodland borders around your yard.
Russian Sage is a woody perennial with a spreading form. Small, abundant, tubular, light-blue flowers bloom on erect stems, July-October. Aromatic, gray-green leaves offer texture to your summer garden. Cut the plants back to the ground in early spring before new growth begins for best flowering. Use Russian Sage massed in borders or as an accent plant in your yard. Its tolerance to drought and salt spray makes it a good choice for seashore gardens.
Royal Fern is a clumping deciduous fern. Its broad, green fronds turn yellow in fall. Fertile brown clusters atop the fronds hold the spores. Royal Fern is an important host plant for moth larvae (caterpillars), including Osmunda Borer Moth (Papaipema speciosissima). Plant it along a water’s edge or in your shade garden, woodland garden, rain garden, and moist, shady areas of your yard.
Cinnamon Fern is a clumping deciduous fern. The fronds emerge as fiddleheads. Birds use the “fuzz” covering the fiddleheads as nesting material. Green, sterile fronds bend outward, encircling fertile, erect, spore-bearing fronds, which quickly turn chestnut-brown, giving this plant its common name. Cinnamon Fern makes an attractive accent in landscapes. Use it along the water’s edge and in woodland gardens, rain gardens, swales, or any moist, shady areas of the yard.
Prickly Pear is New Jersey’s only native cactus! Flat, fleshy, oval, evergreen pads stand erect or lie horizontally on the ground. The pads become somewhat dessicated and shriveled during the winter but plump-up again in the spring. Yellow, ornate flowers develop along the top of each pad and bloom June-July. Each flower is diurnal and blooms for only one day. A red edible fruit will follow fertilization. Flowers, fruits, and pads all offer food for wildlife. The pads and fruit are also edible for humans; however, tiny reddish spikes persist and necessitate much care in handling all parts of this plant. Use Prickly Pear in seaside gardens, rock gardens, sunny borders, dry sandy areas of your yard, or as groundcover.
Blackgum is a medium-sized, flowering, deciduous tree, which offers many benefits for wildlife. White, inconspicuous flowers bloom May-June. It is primarily dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees, although trees typically host a few “perfect” flowers. Blackgum offers an excellent nectar source for bees. Fertilized female flowers are followed by edible sour fruits, which provide an important food source for birds and wildlife. It is a host plant for many inconspicuous insects, which provide food for migrating and resident birds. It offers showy, red color in fall. Its medium-high wind resistance and tolerance to flooded and salty conditions makes it a valuable Jersey-Friendly tree for your yard!