Russian Sage is a woody perennial with a spreading form. Small, abundant, tubular, light-blue flowers bloom on erect stems, July-October. Aromatic, gray-green leaves offer texture to your summer garden. Cut the plants back to the ground in early spring before new growth begins for best flowering. Use Russian Sage massed in borders or as an accent plant in your yard. Its tolerance to drought and salt spray makes it a good choice for seashore gardens.
Virginia Creeper is a wildlife-friendly, woody, deciduous vine. Insignificant, greenish-white flowers bloom May-August, leading to attractive, dark blue to black berries, valued as food by birds and wildlife. Green, compound-palmate leaves turn deep red-crimson in the fall. Virginia Creeper is a vigorous tendril climber; however, it is not parasitic and will not smother its host. Virginia Creeper is an important host plant for moth larvae (caterpillars), including Abbotts Sphinx Moth (Sphecodina abbottii), Pandora Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha pandorus), Virginia Creeper Sphinx Moth (Darapsa myron), and White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata). This is a low-maintenance plant once established. Use Virginia Creeper to add color and accent on climbing walls, trellises, and over rock piles. Prune as necessary.
Switchgrass is a clumping ornamental grass, which may naturalize by rhizomes and through self-seeding. Pink-tinged flowers display from July through February, turning beige in mid- to late summer. The seeds are a good food source for birds. Switchgrass is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Delaware Skipper (Anatrytone logan) and Dotted Skipper (Hesperia attalus), as well as most banded skippers and satyrs. Cut it back to the ground in late winter-early spring. Plant Switchgrass in masses to use as a screen or in naturalized areas of your yard. Use cut stems and seed heads as an accent in fresh or dried flower arrangements.