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Morella cerifera

Wax Myrtle is a densely branching, evergreen shrub. It is dioecious, with male and female catkins on separate plants. The fertilized female flowers are followed by tiny, round, waxy, gray fruits, which persist through winter. The waxy coating is used to make candles, scented by the fragrance of the crushed leaves. The berries are an excellent food source for birds. Wax Myrtle is an important host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops). Use Wax Myrtle in mass plantings for your shrub border or for naturalized areas in your yard. Its salt tolerance makes it an ideal choice for a seaside garden.

Monarda punctata

Spotted Beebalm features yellow-purple, bicolor, tubular flowers, which bloom June-July. The nectar is a valued food source for butterflies, native bees, bumblebees, and honeybees, and will attract many pollinators to your garden. Aromatic, toothed leaves offer an interesting display on its squared, stiff stem. Monardas are susceptible to powdery mildew; however, Spotted Beebalm offers some resistance to this nuisance. Use it in your perennial border, mixed bed, herb garden, and meadow for a wildlife-friendly addition to your yard.

Monarda didyma

Scarlet Beebalm features scarlet red flowers, which bloom June-August on top of stiff, erect stems. Cultivars offer flowers in many colors, including shades of pink, purple, and coral. The nectar is a valued food source for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees — it will attract many pollinators to your garden! Deadheading the spent flowers will prolong bloom time. Scarlet Beebalm leaves contain oils that give off a pleasant herbal scent. This plant spreads quickly through re-seeding, so your small patch will grow into a large area in just a few seasons. Scarlet Beebalm is susceptible to powdery mildew; look for resistant cultivars, such as Jacob Cline. Use it in your perennial border, butterfly garden, meadow, and in naturalized areas of your yard.

Mirabilis jalapa

Four o’clocks are tuberous perennials grown as annuals in New Jersey. Their fragrant, tubular-shaped flowers bloom June to frost. The flower buds open from late afternoon (four o’clock — as per their common name) until the next morning, then close during the day. Colors vary, including red, yellow, and pink, and the nectar is attractive to hummingbirds and moths. This plant adds nighttime color to gardens around outdoor living spaces. Use Four o’clocks in mixed borders, as an annual hedge, or in your patio containers.

Mertensia virginica

Virginia Bluebells provide early spring delight as clusters of pink buds emerge, blooming as blue-purple, trumpet-shaped flowers March through April. By midsummer, the foliage dies back as the plant goes dormant. Use it in your shade garden, woodland borders, or as a spring groundcover. Overplant with ferns or perennials that will fill in the empty space once the plants recede. A related species is Mertensia maritima (Sea Lungwort), which tolerates salt and can be used in coastal landscapes.

Mahonia aquifolium

Hollyleaved Barberry is an evergreen shrub with spiny, holly-like leaves. Small, bell-shaped yellow flowers bloom in spring, followed by edible blue-black berries resembling small grapes. An added ornamental feature of this shrub is the coppery color of new leaves in the spring. Bees and pollinating insects value the nectar, and birds eat the berries. The berries can be used to make jelly. Plant Hollyleaved Barberry in a mass for best fruit production. It will spread to form colonies, unless suckers are removed. Avoid planting this shrub in areas exposed to drying winter winds. Use Hollyleaved Barberry as a foundation plant or in shrub borders, shade gardens, or woodland gardens.

Magnolia virginiana

Sweetbay is a wildlife-friendly magnolia, native to New Jersey. This small, semi-evergreen, flowering tree offers creamy-white, waxy flowers, May-June. Cone-like fruits with red seeds mature in fall and are valued as a food source by wildlife. Sweetbay is a host plant for larvae (caterpillars) of the beautiful Sweetbay Silkmoth (Callosamia securifera). It prefers moist, acidic, organic soils, but will tolerate wet, boggy areas, heavy clay, and sandy loam. Use Sweetbay as a specimen tree in your yard, along borders, around foundations, along woodland edges, or in your rain garden.

Magnolia stellata

Star Magnolia is a small, flowering deciduous tree. Delicate, fragrant, star-shaped white flowers bloom in March, offering an early sign of spring. Star Magnolia is valued for its compact size, which easily accommodates small yards or small spaces in larger yards. Situate this tree where it will be protected from frost. Use it in your yard as a specimen or accent plant, or in groups as a shrub border or informal hedge.

Magnolia x soulangiana

Saucer Magnolia is a small to medium, deciduous hybrid tree (M. denudata x M. liliiflora). Its fragrant, pink-white-purplish flowers bloom in March, offering early spring color to your garden. Plant it in a protected area of your yard, as it does not handle frost well — the flowers may become brown and mushy. It can also be planted as a multi-stemmed shrub. You can use Saucer Magnolia as a specimen tree or wild hedge for your yard or neighborhood park.

Magnolia grandiflora

Southern Magnolia is a flowering, broadleaf, semi-evergreen (deciduous in colder climates) tree with a full, pyramidal shape. Its fragrant, large, creamy-white flowers bloom April-June, offering a stunning display. Southern Magnolia must be protected from winter winds, and is sensitive to frost. Plant it as a specimen, or as a shade tree in your yard or neighborhood park; select an appropriate place to ensure optimum growth. It is intolerant of urban conditions.