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Echinacea purpurea

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.

Dryopteris carthusiana

Spinulose Woodfern’s lacy, finely toothed fronds are bright green and may remain green during mild winters. It prefers moist, organically rich soils, and should be protected from drying winds. Use in mass plantings in woodland gardens or as an accent plant in shady garden beds. This fern species may be difficult to find commercially. Tell your local garden center or nursery about your interest in this plant.

Dryopteris marginalis

Marginal Woodfern is an evergreen fern. Its dark green, leathery fronds provide year-round ornamental interest to the yard. Marginal Woodfern grows in a non-spreading clump. This plant will tolerate dry conditions once established. It should be protected from wind and direct sun. Use it as an accent plant, or plant in masses in shady or woodland gardens.

Dryopteris cristata

Crested Woodfern is an evergreen fern. The tall, fertile fronds die back in the winter, but the infertile fronds stay green throughout the winter months. Recommended for wet, shady sites, where other plants may not thrive. Use it in woodland or shady gardens.

Diospyros virginiana

Persimmon is a deciduous tree known for its edible fruit. Its white to whitish-green, fragrant flowers bloom in the spring. Persimmon is usually dioecious (separate male and female trees); a female tree needs a male in the area for pollination and fruit production. The green fruit is astringent, but becomes sweet when fully ripe. The orange to dark red, mature fruit is attractive and provides late fall/early winter color to the yard. Persimmon fruit is a food source for wildlife. This tree is also a host for larvae (caterpillars) of the Luna moth (Actias luna). The wood is especially heavy, hard, and strong, and is used for golf club heads, billiard cues, and flooring. Persimmon tolerates drought, air pollution, and a variety of soil conditions; it grows well in urban environments. Use as a specimen tree with edible fruit.

Deschampsia flexuosa

Wavy Hairgrass is a winter-hardy, ornamental grass with fine-textured, hair-like blades. Feathery purple to bronze flowers appear July-September, turning gold during the winter; the flowers are good fresh-cut or dried. Wavy Hairgrass is one of the few grass species that will grow well in dry shade, although it flowers best in partly shady conditions. Clumping grasses like this one provide nesting sites and winter cover for birds, such as quail and sparrows, and shelter for small mammals. The seeds provide fall and winter food for a number of birds, including cardinals, sparrows, and finches. Use as a specimen plant, or plant in groups in shady borders, woodland gardens, or wildlife habitat areas.

Dennstaedtia punctilobula

Eastern Hayscented Fern is a deciduous fern with light-green, finely textured, lacy fronds. The fronds can be cut for use in flower arrangements. When crushed or dried, the fronds release a fragrance like freshly-mowed hay, inspiring its common name. This plant prefers moist, acidic, organically rich soils. It spreads by rhizomes to form colonies, making it useful as a groundcover in shady areas of the yard. Use it in woodland gardens, shade gardens, or under trees. The fronds can be used in cut-flower bouquets.

Delosperma spp.

Ice Plant is a long-blooming, succulent plant with excellent drought resistance. Its attractive leaves reflect light in a way that makes them appear to be covered by ice crystals. Ice Plant flowers in a variety of bright colors (shades of pink, purple, and yellow) from June-September. It requires well-drained soils, so water sparingly. Plant it in an area protected from winter winds and cold temperatures. Ice Plant makes an excellent groundcover for south- or west-facing slopes. Also use in rock gardens and as an edging plant.

Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda

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.

Crocus vernus

Crocus is one of the first plants to bloom in the spring. It grows from a corm, which is a bulb-like underground stem structure. White or purple flowers bloom for two or three weeks in late winter to early spring. Crocus flowers close at night and on cloudy days. Its grass-like foliage fades as the plants go dormant in late spring. Plant Crocus in groups in flower beds, borders, or rock gardens for early spring color. Great choice for mass planting in lawns or under trees.