Little Bluestem is an ornamental grass with small, delicate, purplish-blue-bronze flowers, which appear in August. Leaf blades are blue at the base, turning green at the tip. Dried seed heads are silvery-white and offer winter interest. Use Little Bluestem in massed plantings in borders, native gardens, and meadows, or simply as an accent plant in your yard.
Sassafras is a slender, flowering tree. Yellow flowers blooming April-May provide a nectar source for bees. Fruits ripen in September and are attractive to birds. It is dioecious; both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit. This tree has stunning fall foliage in shades of yellow, orange, scarlet, and purple. Sassafras is an important host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), Promethea Silkmoth (Callosamia promethea), and Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon). The best results for fruit and foliage color are achieved if planted in groups. Use Sassafras in naturalized areas or as a specimen tree.
Lavender Cotton is a mounding perennial, which is also sometimes used as an annual. It has silvery-blue evergreen leaves and features button-like, bright yellow flowers, which bloom on rising stalks, July-August. The aromatic foliage has been used in sachets and as a moth repellant. This plant requires good drainage. Use Lavender Cotton in borders, or as a groundcover or edging plant.
American Black Elderberry is a spreading, deciduous shrub with clusters of white flowers from June-July. It provides an attractve nectar source for butterflies and bees. Berries ripen in late summer and provide a food source for birds. The fruit can be used in jellies, pies, juice, and wine. Use American Black Elderberry in shrub borders, moist roadside plantings, or as a privacy screen around your yard.
Blackeyed Susan features daisy-like flowers with bright yellow-orange rays and brown center disks. The long bloom time lasts from June-September. This plant provides a nectar source for bees, and birds eat the ripe seeds. Blackeyed Susan is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) and Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone). It does not tolerate prolonged, wet weather. Use Blackeyed Susan in your borders, beds, meadows, and naturalized areas. It also makes an excellent fresh-cut flower for bouquets.
Virginia Rose features pink flowers which bloom June-August. This plant provides a nectar source and nesting material for native bees and honeybees. Virginia Rose is valued by beneficial predatory insects, which prey on garden pest insects. The fruit, called “hips,” contain vitamin C. Fall foliage is purple, to orange-red, to crimson and yellow. The red fruit and canes can be attractive in winter. Use Virginia Rose in the back of borders, along foundations, and in natural areas of your yard.
Winged Sumac features yellowish-green flowers blooming July-August. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit. Flowers provide nectar for native bees. Fertilized female flowers lead to large clusters of edible, sour, red berries which ripen in August. The berries provide a valuable food source for birds. Fall foliage is a rich red, crimson, and scarlet. Winged Sumac provides habitat for birds, bees, and wildlife. Use Winged Sumac in dry rocky places, coastal gardens, along stream banks, in naturalistic plantings, and in large areas of your yard. It will spread to form colonies.
Fragrant Sumac features yellow flowers, which bloom March-April. It is monoecious; male and female flowers appear separately on the same plant. Female flowers produce berries, which are eaten by birds. Leaves and twigs are aromatic when bruised. Fall foliage is orange to red to reddish-purple. Branches will root themselves where they touch the ground. Fragrant Sumac is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops). Use Fragrant Sumac in mass plantings, foundations, borders, and for stabilizing slopes.