Eastern Showy Aster has bright purple flowers with yellow centers, which bloom August-October. It grows well in dry, sandy soils and is tolerant of salt spray. It spreads by rhizomes (underground stems) to form loose colonies. Use in sunny borders, wildflower gardens, and seashore gardens. Good addition to cut-flower bouquets.
White Wood Aster has small, daisy-like flowers with white petals and yellow to red centers; it blooms August-September. The flowers are a nectar source for butterflies. This plant tolerates dry, shady conditions. Plant in masses in shady borders or wildflower gardens, or as an understory planting in woodland gardens.
Trout Lily has two tulip-like leaves at the base of the plant and lily-shaped, yellow flowers, which bloom in early spring. The flowers bloom during the spring trout-fishing season, hence the common name. The plants go into dormancy by late spring. Trout Lily prefers moist, acidic, organic soils. Use it in shady garden areas, woodland gardens, rock gardens, and along ponds or other water features.
Redveined Enkianthus is a flowering deciduous shrub. Its small, bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers with rosy “veins” bloom in clusters May-June. Leaves turn shades of yellow to orange to red in the fall. Use it as a specimen or group in a shrub border or woodland garden. Good for planting around a patio and combining with Rhododendrons, which prefer similar acidic soils.
Purple Coneflower blooms, with their drooping, pinkish-purple rays and prominent centers, resemble badminton birdies. The showy, long-lasting, daisy-like flowers bloom non-stop throughout the summer and make excellent fresh-cut or dried flowers. While not native to all of New Jersey, this species is a native of similar ecoregions in North America. It tolerates a range of conditions, including drought and poor soil. Purple Coneflower is a wildlife-friendly plant, providing nectar for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds and seeds for birds. It also has multiple medicinal properties, and is commonly used as an herbal remedy. Plant in masses in beds, borders, wildflower gardens, and meadows.
Shrubby Cinquefoil is a low-growing, long-blooming, deciduous shrub. It has small, grayish-green, compound leaves and is covered with showy, yellow flowers from June-September. This plant has excellent winter hardiness. Shrubby Cinquefoil has special value for native bees, and attracts beneficial insects, which prey upon insect pests. Use as a specimen plant, in shrub borders, or as an informal hedge.
Cockspur Hawthorn is a small, low-branched tree, also grown as a tall shrub. Flat clusters of white flowers with a somewhat unpleasant odor bloom in late spring, followed by bright red fruits in late summer. The fruits persist into winter, providing a food source for birds. The shiny green leaves turn bronze to red in the fall. This plant has 2-inch-long thorns, so avoid planting in areas with small children. Crus-galli in Latin means “leg of a cock,” referring to the resemblance of the formidable thorns to a cock
Common Smoketree is a deciduous shrub with bluish-green leaves. It gets its name from flower parts covering the shrub with attractive, smoke-like, pink to purplish-pink puffs throughout the summer. This shrub has colorful fall foliage, ranging from yellow to red to purple. Common Smoketree requires well-drained soil and is drought-resistant. Plant as a specimen, or in groups in shrub borders or hedges.
Maryland Goldenaster’s clusters of daisy-like, bright yellow flowers bloom August-October, adding color to the fall garden. This drought-tolerant plant grows well in dry, sandy soils. Use it in borders or wildflower gardens, along woodland edges, or as a groundcover in partly shady areas.