Monarch Butterfly

Host plant for monarch caterpillars and excellent nectar plant for adults. Very showy flowers. Prefers dry soils and full sun.

Description:  Sometimes called Orange Milkweed, this perennial has large, flat-topped clusters of yellow-orange or bright-orange flowers and blooms May to September.

Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight, drought tolerant, dry or moist soil

Plant Size:  1-2 ft (30-60 cm)

Host plant for monarch caterpillars and excellent nectar plant for adults. Fragrant flowers. Thrives in a wide range of soils.

This tall perennial has large balls of pink or purplish flowers that have an attractive odor. The flowers bloom from June to August.

Growing Conditions: Shade intolerant, needs lots of sunlight, moist soil

Plant Size:  Usually 3-5 feet (90-150 cm), sometimes reaching 8 feet (240 cm) in ditches and gardens

The milky juice from this perennial is known to remove warts. The flowers are deep magenta red and bloom May to July.

Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight and dry soil

Plant Size: 2-4 ft (61 to 122 cm)

This perennial has small white flowers with purplish centers crowded into round, terminal clusters that resemble snowballs and blooms May to September.

Growing Conditions: Low water use, dry soil, moderately shade tolerant

Plant Size:  1-3 ft (30- 91 cm)

The stem of this plant has the milky sap typical of most milkweeds. The species name describes the bicolored flowers, which are quite showy in masses. Endangered in CT, NY, PA.

Monarch caterpillar host plant.

Also known as Green Antelopehorn Milkweed, this perennial has white flowers – mostly one per plant and lacks the “horns” seen on Antelopehorn Milkwed. These milkweeds bloom from May to August.

Growing Conditions: Needs sunlight, cold and heat tolerant, moist soil, low water use

Plant Size: Matures to 4 ft (122 cm) in height

Monarch caterpillar host plant.

Also known as Pink Milkweed, this perennial has large blossoms composed of small, rose-purple flowers. The deep pink flowers are clustered at the top of a tall, branching stem and bloom June to October.

Growing Conditions: Needs lots of water, shade tolerant, moist to wet soil

Plant Size: 2-5 ft (60-152 cm)

The juice of this wetland milkweed is less milky than that of other species. The genus was named in honor of Aesculapius, Greek god of medicine, undoubtedly because some species have long been used to treat a variety of ailments. The Latin species name means flesh-colored.

Monarch caterpillar host plant and exceptional nectar plant. This small milkweed plant is great for landscaping. Dry soils.

This single-stemmed perennial has narrow, linear leaves whorled along the stem. Small, greenish-white flowers occur in flat-topped clusters on the upper part of the stem and bloom May to September.

Growing Conditions: Low water use, moderately shade tolerant, dry soil

Plant Size: 1-3 ft (30- 91 cm)

Because of its toxicity to livestock, this plant is considered a weed in range areas.

Biennial but can self-seed. Butterfly attractant. Also visited by longhorn bees, green sweat bees, and other pollinators.

This cheerful, widespread wildflower is considered an annual to a short-lived perennial across its range. Bright-yellow, 2-3 in. wide, daisy-like flowers with dark centers are its claim-to-fame. They occur singly atop 1-2 ft. stems. The stems and scattered, oval leaves are covered with bristly hairs. Coarse, rough-stemmed plant with daisy-like flower heads made up of showy golden-yellow ray flowers, with disk flowers forming a brown central cone.

This native prairie biennial forms a rosette of leaves the first year, followed by flowers the second year. It is covered with hairs that give it a slightly rough texture. The Green-headed Coneflower (R. laciniata) has yellow ray flowers pointing downward, a greenish-yellow disk, and irregularly divided leaves.

Thin regularly to control spread by runners.

Mistflower grows to 3 feet high, but often lower, with leaves opposite, somewhat triangular in shape, and bluntly toothed. At the top of the plant the branches, with their short-stemmed clusters of flowers, form an almost flat top. Disk flowers are bright blue or violet, about 1/4 inch long. There are no ray flowers.

Blue Mistflower attracts bees and butterflies. However, this wildflower spreads quickly and can become a pest.

Highly adaptable and easy to grow. Attracts many butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Dense gayfeather or marsh blazing star is an erect, slender perennial reaching a height of 3-4 ft. The linear, grass-like leaves are clumped toward the base of the plant, but extend up the stem to the showy flower cluster. A tall spike of rayless, rose-purple (sometimes white), closely set flower heads. The purple, tufted flower heads are arranged in a long, dense spike blooming from the top down.

The species name describes the elongated inflorescence, with its crowded, stalkless flower heads. The protruding styles give the flower an overall feathery appearance, hence its alternate name, Dense Gayfeather.

Can be aggressive in small spaces. There is an invasive Aralia species that should not be planted.

A large, few-stemmed shrub,12-15 ft., can reach 20 ft. Each spring it shoots up a tall stem covered with orange prickles. Enormous, divided, spiny leaves at the top of the stem can be 3-4 ft. long and just as wide. Topping the umbrella of leaves are 1-4 ft. tall clusters of whitish flowers. Black fruits on bright pink fruiting stalks crown the plant in fall.

Tolerates saltwater spray and sandy soils. Good for erosion control.

Groundseltree or sea myrtle’s numerous branches from short trunks are covered densely with branchlets. The 6-12 ft. , deciduous shrub bears gray-green, somewhat lobed, oval leaves which are semi-persistent in the North. White to green flowers occur in small, dense, terminal clusters. Probably the most significant landscape feature is the silvery, plume-like achenes which appear in the fall on female plants resembling silvery paintbrushes.

Apparently extending its natural range inland from the coastal plain, Florida Groundsel Bush is the only native eastern species of the aster family reaching tree size. Baccharis is the ancient Greek name (derived from the god Bacchus) of a plant with fragrant roots. The Latin species name means with the leaves of Halimus, an old name for Saltbush, an unrelated shrub. Tolerant of saltwater spray, this handsome ornamental is one of the few eastern shrubs suitable for planting near the ocean.

Stunning pink flowers in spring. Visited by native bees for nectar and nesting material.

Tree with short trunk, rounded crown of spreading branches, and pink flowers that cover the twigs in spring. Redbud is a 15-30 ft. tree with one to several picturesque, maroon-purple trunks and a wide, umbrella-like crown. Its pink flowers, borne in tight clusters along the stems and branches before new leaves appear, create a showy spring display. Smooth, heart-shaped, deciduous foliage does not have significant fall color. Trees from the southern part of the species’ range have smaller, glossier leaves and often a more compact form. Stunning tiny pink flower clusters cover the entire tree.

Three geographic varieties are recognized, with Cercis canadensis var. canadensis properly referred to as Eastern Redbud and occurring from the Atlantic coast to central Texas. It reaches the largest size, requires the most water, and has larger, less glossy leaves than the other varieties. Variety texensis, Texas Redbud, has smaller, glossier leaves with slightly wavy edges, a generally smaller form, and more of a tendency to have red seedpods than variety canadensis. It ranges from Oklahoma south through central Texas to northeastern Mexico. The smallest variety is C. canadensis var. mexicana, Mexican Redbud, with small, very glossy, wavy-edged leaves and a smaller, shrubbier stature than the others, occurring in west Texas and adjacent Mexico. All varieties are popular as ornamentals because of their brilliant early spring flowers, displayed en masse on the bare branches before the plant has leafed out. The flowers can be eaten as a salad or fried. A separate species, Cercis orbiculata, Western Redbud, occurs from Arizona to California. According to myth, Judas Iscariot hung himself on the related Judas-tree (Cercis siliquastrum L.) of western Asia and southern Europe, after which the white flowers turned red with shame or blood.

Also attracts bees and hummingbirds.

Tolerates poor soils. Good for stabilizing banks or creating informal hedges.

Fragrant sumac is an irregular, spreading, deciduous shrub, 6-12 ft. tall, with velvety twigs and lower branches turned up at the tips. Glossy, somewhat blue-green, coarsely toothed, trifoliate leaves turn orange, red, purple and yellow in the fall. Yellowish catkin-like flowers precede dark-red berries which persist into March. A sprawling, small to medium-size shrub with aromatic foliage.

Thin regularly to control spread by suckers. Attracts a wide variety of pollinators.

Tall erect stem bears deep purple-blue flower heads in loose terminal clusters.

The common name refers to the toughness of the stem. The genus name honors the English botanist William Vernon, who did fieldwork in North America. At least 6 additional species are found in the East; some were once used for treating stomach ailments.

Establishes easily from seed; grows as an annual, biennial, or perennial.

Firewheel or indian blanket is a popular annual growing 1-2(-3) ft. tall. The hairy stem is usually much-branched and becomes woody at the base late in the season. Branched stems, mostly leafy near the base, have showy flower heads with rays red at base, tipped with yellow, each with 3 teeth at broad end. The well-known flower heads are 1-2 in. across with a red center and a yellow outer band. Occasionally the three-cleft rays are solid orange or yellow. The disk flowers in the center are brownish red.

Frequent along roadsides in the Southwest, these wildflowers stand like hundreds of showy Fourth of July pinwheels at the top of slender stalks. Varieties are popular in cultivation, for they tolerate heat and dryness. Among several species in the Southwest, some flowers are entirely yellow.

Great nectar plant that attracts many pollinator species.

Trumpetweed or joe-pye weed can grow from 2-7 ft. or taller in soils that are moist through the season. Narrow, lance-shaped leaves, up to 10 in. long, are whorled along the erect stem. The huge, domed flower head is composed of several branches bearing tiny pinkish-lavender florets.

The Joe-Pye Weeds have been assigned to the genus Eupatoriadelphus to separate them from the Bonesets (Eupatorium). Some sources still refer to this species as Eupatorium. The genus Eupatoriadelphus differs from the genus Eupatorium by whorled leaves, while Eupatorium has opposite leaves.

Important nectar source for fall migrating monarchs. Latest flowering sunflower species.

Narrowleaf Sunflower is a member of the family Asteraceae, which includes herbs, sometimes shrubs or vines, rarely trees, with simple or compound, alternate or opposite leaves. Flowers small, but organized into larger heads resembling a single, radially symmetrical flower cupped by a ring of green bracts. Flower-like heads: tiny, radially symmetrical central flowers form the disk; larger flowers around the edge; the rays, strap-shaped and resembling petals (however, all flowers in one head may be disk flowers or rays.)

In this large worldwide family there are about 920 genera and 19,000 species. Cosmos, Sunflower, Zinnia, Dahlia, and many others are grown as ornamentals. Lettuce, Sunflowers, and Artichokes provide food. Safflower oil is obtained from this family.

Tolerates saltwater spray and sandy soils. An important nectar source for coastal migrating monarchs.

This perennial produces a tight clump of narrow, evergreen basal leaves topped by leafy, erect or arching, 2-8 ft. stalks. The terminal or upper axillary flowering heads are dense, the lowest branches somewhat recurved. Flowers are deep-yellow and the leaves are somewhat succulent. Succulent-leaved salt-marsh Goldenrod with arching branches that bear one-sided clusters of large, bright yellow flower heads.

Plants found from Florida to Texas and Mexico are recognized by some experts as a different species (S. mexicana), but as another variety of this single species, S. sempervirens var. mexicana, by others. It also hybridizes regularly with Rough-stemmed Goldenrod (S. rugosa).

An excellent monarch nectar plant; also visited by beneficial solitary wasps, pollen-eating soldier beetles, and more.

The erect, usually unbranched, reddish stems of this perennial are 1-5 ft. tall and occur singly or in clusters. Small, yellow flowers occur in a compact, erect, pyramidal column. A stout stem, smooth below and rough above, bearing a dense, pyramidal or club-shaped, terminal cluster of small yellow flower heads.

This is one of the showiest of about 125 species of goldenrod that occur throughout the United States; they are most common in the East.

Only found in eastern half of the region. Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds.

This stiff, erect, compact, clump-forming mint has narrow leaves subtending the flower clusters. The minty-smelling plants are 20-30 in. tall and have terminal flower clusters composed of numerous, small, two-lipped corollas varying from whitish to lavender, with purple spots.

Also known as early sunflower, this plant has a long bloom period from July to October. Tolerates clay and moist soils.

A common, 3-5 ft. perennial with stiff, branched stems; sunflower-like heads; and opposite, toothed leaves. Resembling a small version of a yellow sunflower with a cone-shaped central disk and opposite, toothed, simple leaves. The yellow flower heads are 2 in. across and have raised, yellow centers.

This plant looks like true sunflowers, which are in the genus Helianthus. Unlike sunflowers, its rays persist on the flower heads; the rays of sunflowers wither and fall away. It is placed in Heliopsis due to its cone-shaped central disk. Oxeye is hardy and easily grown as a showy garden perennial in dry sites and is a good choice for clay soil.

Tolerates poor soils. Good for stabilizing banks.

The colony-forming smooth sumac is a 10-20 ft. shrub with short, crooked, leaning trunks and picturesque branches. The pinnately compound leaves are alternate, with 13-30 sharp-toothed leaflets on each side of the midrib. Deciduous leaves become extremely colorful in early fall. On female plants, yellow-green flowers are followed by bright-red, hairy berries in erect, pyramidal clusters which persist throughout winter.

The only shrub or tree species native to all 48 contiguous states.

Prolific blooms are highly attractive to beneficial wasps and bees. Prefers dry, sandy soils. A beautiful, unique flower.

An aromatic, erect perennial ranging from only 6 in. to almost 3 ft. tall. Rosettes of yellowish, purple-spotted, tubular flowers occur in whorls, forming a dense, elongated spike at the end of the stem or from leaf axils. Each whorl is subtended by large, conspicuous, whitish, purple-tinged, leaf-like bracts.

Linnaeus named the genus Monarda in honor of a 16th century Spanish physician and botanist, Nicolas Bautista Monardes (1493-1588). Monardes never went to the Americas but was able to study medicinal plants in Spain.

Attracts numerous insects, especially bumble bees. Considered undesirable plant in livestock forage.