Mother-of-Thyme features tiny, red-purple flowers, which bloom in abundance, June-September. The nectar offers a valuable food source for native bees and butterflies. Mother-of-Thyme is easily grown in dry, sandy, rocky, gritty soil in full sun. This plant withstands light foot traffic. Use Mother-of-Thyme as a groundcover, edging plant, or along walkways or cascading borders. Mother-of-Thyme also tolerates drought well, making it a good choice for Jersey-Friendly Yards.
Goat’s Rue features attractive, yellow-pink bi-colored flowers, which bloom May-August. The nectar is a valued food source for native bees and butterflies. Goat’s Rue is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus). The seeds are eaten by ground birds. The roots fix nitrogen in the soil; they also contain rotenone, which is toxic to insects and fish. Goat’s Rue can be planted by seed; plant it in meadows, borders, and naturalized areas of your yard. It is difficult to transplant once established.
Marigold species come in many sizes and flower colors, ranging from red, orange, yellow and white, to a blend of colors. The flowers bloom June through frost, offering a long-lasting season of enjoyment. The flowers can be used either fresh-cut or dried in floral arrangements. The finely cut, fern-like leaves are often aromatic. This easy-to-grow plant is both disease- and pest-resistant. Plant Marigolds along borders, as accents in corners of your yard, or alongside tomatoes and peppers in your vegetable garden.
New York Aster features violet-purple flowers, which bloom July-October. This prolific bloomer provides fall color to the yard. It offers a valuable nectar source for native bees and butterflies, and its dried seeds provide food for birds. Use New York Aster in the front of borders, as an edging plant, or in sunny meadows and naturalized areas of your yard.
Lamb’s Ear is grown for its fuzzy, soft, ornamental leaves. The non-descript flower is often removed by gardeners to enhance the appeal of the foliage. It prefers sandy, dry soil and full sun. Lamb’s Ear is susceptible to midsummer foliage decline in humid climates; pick off the browned leaves to stimulate new leaf growth. This hardy plant tolerates rabbit, deer, drought, Black Walnut, air pollution, and a range of undesirable conditions that deter many other plants from optimum growth. Use Lamb’s Ear along edges of walkways, in mixed borders to offer texture, or as a groundcover in a small area of your yard.
Seaside Goldenrod features dense, deep-yellow flowers, which bloom on terminal stalks, August-October. The thick, waxy leaves deter salt and sand penetration, making this plant a good choice for coastal gardens. Seaside Goldenrod provides a nectar source for native bees, honeybees, and butterflies. The dried seeds provide a food source for birds. It attracts beneficial predatory insects, which prey on garden pest insects in your yard. Use Seaside Goldenrod in borders, butterfly gardens, seaside gardens, and coastal landscapes.
Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod features yellow flowers, which bloom September-October. The nectar provides a food source for native bees and honeybees. The dried seeds provide a food source for birds in fall and winter. Use Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod in borders, butterfly gardens, and naturalized areas in your yard.
Gray Goldenrod features showy, yellow flower clusters, which bloom on one side of hairy, leaved stalks, July-October. The nectar provides a food source for native bees, honeybees, and butterflies. Gray Goldenrod is a host plant for beneficial predatory insects, which prey on garden pest insects in your yard. The dried seeds provide a food source for birds in fall and winter. Use Gray Goldenrod in butterfly gardens and naturalized areas of your yard.