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Amorpha fruticosa

Purple and orange flowers are an important nectar source for native bees, butterflies and beneficial insects.

Packera aurea

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

Anemone canadensis

Windflower exhibits small white flowers that bloom above whirled leaves from May-July.

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.

Hydrangea quercifolia

Oak Leaf Hydrangea is a flowering, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with oak-like, dark green leaves. Large flower clusters bloom May to July; flowers are white turning to pale pink and are good cut or dried.

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.

Catharanthus roseus

Madagascar Periwinkle is a tender perennial grown as an annual in New Jersey. It has attractive, glossy leaves and rose-pink, phlox-like flowers, which bloom from June to frost. Cultivars offer additional color choices, including red, purple, and white. This plant thrives in summer heat, and is drought-tolerant once established. It grows best in well-drained soil. Minimize overhead watering to avoid root rot. Use Madagascar Periwinkle in beds and borders, as an edging plant, or as an annual groundcover. It can also be used in containers.

Pentas lanceolata

Egyptian Starcluster is a flowering tropical plant grown as an annual in New Jersey. It has lush, green foliage and large, rounded clusters of star-shaped flowers, which are available in a variety of colors (pink, lavender, red, and white). This plant flowers prolifically from summer to frost. The nectar attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Egyptian Starcluster grows best in organically rich soils. Plant it in beds, borders, and containers, or use it indoors as a houseplant. If desired, outdoor plants can be moved indoors for overwintering.

Monarda fistulosa

Wild Bergamot is a highly adaptable, wildlife-friendly perennial. Its showy, tubular, white, pink, or purple flowers form round, wispy clusters atop tall stems, July through September. The foliage is fragrant, offering additional interest in the garden. Wild Bergamot is valued by hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, which benefit from the nectar. The genus Monarda is prone to powdery mildew, but this species, Monarda fistulosa, offers some resistance. Use Wild Bergamot in borders, meadows, and naturalized areas in your yard.

Ammophila breviligulata

American Beachgrass is an evergreen grass, ubiquitous to the northeastern seaside landscape. Yellow, inconspicuous flowers bloom on spikes, May-September. It is commonly used as a dune stabilizer along the east coast. Rhizomes (underground stems) travel vertically and horizontally for up to 20 feet, creating a “net,” which holds the sand in place. As sand builds up around the plant, the vertical stems grow higher; this continuous process builds the dune. American Beachgrass is best planted during its dormancy period, October-March.