Hophornbeam, or Ironwood, is a small to medium deciduous tree. It is monoecious; insignificant, reddish-brown male flowers and greenish-yellow female flowers appear separately on the same tree. The male catkins persist throughout winter. The female catkins lead to uniquely-shaped seed pods resembling the fruit of hops. Plant Hophornbeam in your small yard or woodland garden, or use it as a street tree.
Royal Fern is a clumping deciduous fern. Its broad, green fronds turn yellow in fall. Fertile brown clusters atop the fronds hold the spores. Royal Fern is an important host plant for moth larvae (caterpillars), including Osmunda Borer Moth (Papaipema speciosissima). Plant it along a water’s edge or in your shade garden, woodland garden, rain garden, and moist, shady areas of your yard.
Cinnamon Fern is a clumping deciduous fern. The fronds emerge as fiddleheads. Birds use the “fuzz” covering the fiddleheads as nesting material. Green, sterile fronds bend outward, encircling fertile, erect, spore-bearing fronds, which quickly turn chestnut-brown, giving this plant its common name. Cinnamon Fern makes an attractive accent in landscapes. Use it along the water’s edge and in woodland gardens, rain gardens, swales, or any moist, shady areas of the yard.
Prickly Pear is New Jersey’s only native cactus! Flat, fleshy, oval, evergreen pads stand erect or lie horizontally on the ground. The pads become somewhat dessicated and shriveled during the winter but plump-up again in the spring. Yellow, ornate flowers develop along the top of each pad and bloom June-July. Each flower is diurnal and blooms for only one day. A red edible fruit will follow fertilization. Flowers, fruits, and pads all offer food for wildlife. The pads and fruit are also edible for humans; however, tiny reddish spikes persist and necessitate much care in handling all parts of this plant. Use Prickly Pear in seaside gardens, rock gardens, sunny borders, dry sandy areas of your yard, or as groundcover.
Blackgum is a medium-sized, flowering, deciduous tree, which offers many benefits for wildlife. White, inconspicuous flowers bloom May-June. It is primarily dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees, although trees typically host a few “perfect” flowers. Blackgum offers an excellent nectar source for bees. Fertilized female flowers are followed by edible sour fruits, which provide an important food source for birds and wildlife. It is a host plant for many inconspicuous insects, which provide food for migrating and resident birds. It offers showy, red color in fall. Its medium-high wind resistance and tolerance to flooded and salty conditions makes it a valuable Jersey-Friendly tree for your yard!
Montauk Daisy offers white, daisy-like flowers, which bloom July-August. Deadhead flowers to stimulate a continuous bloom. Montauk Daisy forms rosettes of succulent green leaves above leafless stems. It grows well in nutrient-poor, sandy soil. Its high drought and salt tolerance, as well as its ability to grow in sandy soils, makes it a perfect plant for the seaside garden. Use it in mid-borders mixed with diversely textured and colored flowers. Montauk Daisy makes an excellent cut flower for bouquets.
Jasmine Tobacco is a tender perennial, which is grown and used as an annual in New Jersey. Its fragrant, tubular-shaped flowers in shades of red, white, green, and yellow bloom June to frost. This wildlife-friendly plant will attract a variety of pollinators to your yard, including hummingbirds and butterflies. Plant it in a mass to create borders, use it in your rock garden, or plant it in mixed containers to add color to your patio or yard.