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Pelargonium x hortorum

Zonal Geranium is grown as an annual in New Jersey. The distinctive foliage of this plant has a zone of darker green circling the leaf centers. Clusters of colorful flowers on long stalks bloom throughout the summer and early fall; varieties are available in shades of pink, red, purple, orange, and white. Deadhead the spent flowers to promote new blooms. This plant prefers well-drained soil and good air circulation. Use Zonal Geranium in hanging baskets, window boxes, and in borders around your yard.

Paxistima canbyi

Canby’s Mountain-lover is a broadleaf evergreen groundcover. Its glossy, leathery, dark green leaves turn bronze-purple in winter. This low-maintenance plant is drought-tolerant once established. Use Canby’s Mountain-lover in your shade garden, as a groundcover, along woodland edges, in rock gardens, and in naturalized areas of your yard.

Panicum virgatum

Switchgrass is a clumping ornamental grass, which may naturalize by rhizomes and through self-seeding. Pink-tinged flowers display from July through February, turning beige in mid- to late summer. The seeds are a good food source for birds. Switchgrass is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) and Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus), as well as most banded skippers and satyrs. Cut it back to the ground in late winter-early spring. Plant Switchgrass in masses to use as a screen or in naturalized areas of your yard. Use cut stems and seed heads as an accent in fresh or dried flower arrangements.

Oxydendrum arboreum

Sourwood, or Sorrel Tree, is a small to medium, flowering, deciduous understory tree. It offers four seasons of ornamental interest for your yard. Numerous small, fragrant, white flowers bloom on drooping stalks, June-July. The fall foliage is stunning crimson, red, and purple. Dried seeds persist through colder months and offer winter interest. Plant Sourwood as a specimen in your yard, around your patio, or in your shade garden.

Ostrya virginiana

Hophornbeam, or Ironwood, is a small to medium deciduous tree. It is monoecious; insignificant, reddish-brown male flowers and greenish-yellow female flowers appear separately on the same tree. The male catkins persist throughout winter. The female catkins lead to uniquely-shaped seed pods resembling the fruit of hops. Plant Hophornbeam in your small yard or woodland garden, or use it as a street tree.

Muhlenbergia lindheimeri

Lindheimer’s Muhly is a clump-forming, perennial grass. Its light-green to blue-green leaves surround delicate, lacy, white flower heads, which bloom May-November. Avoid cutting back the plants, since the leaves provide nesting material for birds through the winter. Use Lindheimer’s Muhly as a specimen in your yard, in groups for a screen, or next to foundations for wildlife-friendly appeal.

Morus rubra

Red Mulberry is a small to medium, deciduous tree. It can be monoecious or dioecious. Monoecious plants have separate male and female flowers on the same tree. Dioecious plants have separate male and female trees. Small, greenish, male and female flowers appear March-April. The fertilized female flowers bear juicy fruit edible to humans and wildlife. Red Mulberry is an important host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars) of the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa). Although the fruits can be messy on the ground, the benefits that this tree provides to wildlife far outweigh the nuisance; plant away from your house, buildings, or cars to avoid any staining. Try planting this wildlife-friendly tree in naturalized areas of your yard, or near the perimeter.

Morella cerifera

Wax Myrtle is a densely branching, evergreen shrub. It is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. The fertilized female flowers are followed by tiny, round, waxy, gray fruits, which persist through winter. The waxy coating is used to make candles, scented by the fragrance of the crushed leaves. The berries are an excellent food source for birds. Wax Myrtle is an important host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops). Use Wax Myrtle in mass plantings for your shrub border or for naturalized areas in your yard. Its salt tolerance makes it an ideal choice for a seaside garden.

Monarda punctata

Spotted Beebalm features yellow-purple, bicolor, tubular flowers, which bloom June-July. The nectar is a valued food source for butterflies, native bees, bumblebees, and honeybees, and will attract many pollinators to your garden. Aromatic, toothed leaves offer an interesting display on its squared, stiff stem. Monardas are susceptible to powdery mildew; however, Spotted Beebalm offers some resistance to this nuisance. Use it in your perennial border, mixed bed, herb garden, and meadow for a wildlife-friendly addition to your yard.

Mirabilis jalapa

Four o’clocks are tuberous perennials grown as annuals in New Jersey. Their fragrant, tubular-shaped flowers bloom June to frost. The flower buds open from late afternoon (four o’clock — as per their common name) until the next morning, then close during the day. Colors vary, including red, yellow, and pink, and the nectar is attractive to hummingbirds and moths. This plant adds nighttime color to gardens around outdoor living spaces. Use Four o’clocks in mixed borders, as an annual hedge, or in your patio containers.