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.
Joe-Pye Weed has large, rounded flower heads with pale pinkish-purple, fragrant flowers blooming July-September. Flowers are followed by attractive seed heads, which last well into winter. Joe-Pye Weed has special value for native bees and attracts many species of butterflies. The tall flowering plants make a striking display when massed in the back of borders, meadows, or wildflower gardens, or along edges of ponds or other water features.
Mistflower has compact clusters of fuzzy-looking, bluish-purple flowers from midsummer until frost. This plant has special value for native bees, and attracts many species of butterflies. Mistflower spreads by rhizomes (underground stems), sometimes aggressively, and may need to be divided every few years. Cut back in summer to promote bushier growth. Use Mistflower in wildflower gardens, woodland gardens, and along edges of ponds and water 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.
Purple Lovegrass is a warm-season grass with good drought-resistance. Its small, reddish-purple flowers bloom July-August and turn brown by the fall. The flowers add texture and year-round interest to the garden, and are excellent for dried flower arrangements. Purple Lovegrass is beneficial to multiple butterfly species. It grows best in hot, dry condtions and does not tolerate wet or shady sites. Use massed in borders, native plant gardens, or meadows. Recommended for butterfly gardens and wildlife habitat areas.
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.