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Epimedium spp.

Barrenwort not only tolerates shade, it prefers it! Attractive mounds of medium-green foliage on wiry stems spread through rhizomes (underground stems). Plants bloom in spring in a variey of flower colors (purple, pink, orange, yellow, or white). The leaves turn attractive shades of yellow, red, or bronze in the fall. The shape of the flower resembles a bishop’s hat, inspiring the common name. Plants do best in moist, well-drained soil, but will tolerate drought and competition with tree roots. Excellent choice for any shady garden area, including border-fronts, path edges, woodland gardens, rock gardens, and under trees.

Enkianthus campanulatus

Redveined Enkianthus is a flowering deciduous shrub. Its small, bell-shaped, creamy-white flowers with rosy “veins” bloom in clusters May-June. Leaves turn shades of yellow to orange to red in the fall. Use it as a specimen or group in a shrub border or woodland garden. Good for planting around a patio and combining with Rhododendrons, which prefer similar acidic soils.

Echinops ritro

Globe Thistle is a tall plant with dark green, thistle-like leaves. The golf ball-sized, blue flowers bloom July-September and are excellent for cutting and drying. This plant is tolerant of summer heat and humidity. Globe Thistle self-seeds; deadhead if you want to prevent re-seeding. Use it at the back of a perennial border or in a cut-flower garden.

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.

Dianthus plumarius

Grass Pink is a mat-forming, flowering perennial with narrow, grass-like, gray-green leaves. It is covered with fragrant, pink flowers May-July. This plant needs good drainage and air circulation. Use in rock gardens or as an edging plant.

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.