Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Summer blooms in the Native Plant Bed



Purple Coneflowers
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
      
Sun:
Full,Partial 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Dry,Medium 
Height:
3'-4' 
Bloom Time:
Jul-Sep 
Color:
purple 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
1'  
Attract butterflies, songbirds, and hummingbirds to your garden with Purple Coneflower! Blooms profusely for up to two months in mid to late summer. Perfect for small gardens and large prairie meadows, Echinacea purpurea thrives in fertile soil in full sun to part shade. Hardy to Zones 4 - 8.
Red Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Sun:
Full 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Moist,Wet 
Height:
3'-5' 
Bloom Time:
Jun-Jul 
Color:
red,pink 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
1'-18"  
Red Milkweed attracts butterflies of all kinds and the leaves are a preferred food source for the Monarch Caterpillar. Asclepias incarnata thrives along ponds, streams and detention basins. It preferes moist soil but also does wel in average, well-drained garden sites. Full sun is best and some light shade is tolerated. No butterfly garden is complete without Red Milkweed, also known as Swamp Milkweed or Marsh Milkweed. Zones 3 - 9.


Joe Pye Weed
Joe Pye Weed
Eupatorium maculatum
Sun:
Full 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Moist,Wet 
Height:
4'-6' 
Bloom Time:
Aug-Sep 
Color:
pink 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
3 
Spacing:
18"  
A Butterfly Magnet, the extravagant Joe Pye Weed is crowned with clusters of bright pink flowers in late summer. Eupatorium maculatum is perfect for planting in damp soil in marshy areas, along streambanks, and on pond edges. Joe Pye Weed ( (also called Spotted Joe Pye Weed) ) also thrives in rich garden soil. If you love Joe Pye but have too much shade, try Sweet Joe Pye Weed. Zones 3 - 6


Queen of the Prairie
Queen of the Prairie
Filipendula rubra
Sun:
Full 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Medium,Moist 
Height:
4'-5' 
Bloom Time:
Jun-Jul 
Color:
pink 
Root:
Rhizome 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
2'  
A show-stopping best seller! With 'cotton candy' pink plumes the Queen of the Prairie is a highlight in the summer prairie garden! Easy to grow, transplants spread by rhizomes, making it an excellent choice for naturalizing in moist meadows. Filipendula rubra prefers moist soil, and performs brilliantly in rich garden soil. Hardy to Zones 3 - 6.

Bee balm (Monarda)
Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
    
Sun:
Full,Partial 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Dry,Medium,Moist 
Height:
2'-5' 
Bloom Time:
Jul-Sep 
Color:
lavender 
Root:
Rhizome 
Zone:
3 
Spacing:
2'  
The intricate lavender flowers of Bergamot attract a plethora of butterflies, and the strong stems are sometimes used by Indigo Buntings to build their nests. The fresh leaves can be used to brew a tasty, minty tea, and the seedheads are excellent in dried arrangements. Hardy to Zones 3 - 9.
Hoary vervain (light blue-violet in lower middle)


Hoary Vervain
Verbena stricta
    
Sun:
Full 
Soil:
Sand,Loam 
Moisture:
Dry,Medium 
Height:
2'-4' 
Bloom Time:
Jul-Sep 
Color:
blue 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
1'  
The robin's egg blue spires are a real standout in the late summer prairie. An important nectar source for butterflies, Hoary Vervain is an important component of butterfly gardens, and the leaves are the larval host food for the Common Buckeye Butterfly. The seeds are important for many small birds and mammals. Very drought resistant, and non-aggressive, Verbena stricta thrives on dry soils and well-drained loamy soils. Zones 3 - 8.


Blazingstar (lavender spikes)


Dense Blazingstar
Liatris spicata
     
Sun:
Full 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Medium,Moist 
Height:
3'-6' 
Bloom Time:
Aug-Sep 
Color:
purple,pink 
Root:
Corm 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
6"-1'  
Dense Blazingstar (Liatris spicata) produces bold purple flowerstalks late in the season after other blazingstars are finished. Excellent for attracting butterflies and Hummingbird Moths. Dense Blazingstar prefers slightly moist soils, hence its other name, Marsh Blazingstar. It makes an excellent cut flower and dries well, too. Hardy to Zones 4 - 10.
Tall Ironweed
Vernonia altissima
   
Sun:
Full,Partial 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Moist,Wet 
Height:
5'-8' 
Bloom Time:
Aug-Sep 
Color:
blue 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
2'  
Showiest of the Ironweeds, Tall Ironweed offers brilliant red-pink flowers, held like torches atop the tall flower stalks. Butterflies can't resist the flowers, so expect some of your favorites to visit. Vernonia altissima is a great back border plant, as well as a focal point in the wet meadow. Native to the eastern U.S., it is hardy to Zones 4 - 9. 




Culver's root


Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Sun:
Full,Partial,Shade 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Medium,Moist 
Height:
3'-6' 
Bloom Time:
Jul-Aug 
Color:
white 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
18"  
This stately specimen is prized for its well-defined, clean lines. Elegant spires of white flowers crown the whorls of deep green leaves. Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) creates a unique vertical accent, and can be combined with other white flowers to create 'White Gardens' and 'Moon Gardens'. Hardy to Zones 3 - 8




Cupplant

Cupplant
Silphium perfoliatum*
    
Sun:
Full,Partial 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Medium,Moist,Wet 
Height:
3'-8' 
Bloom Time:
Jul-Sep 
Color:
yellow 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
2'  
Ranked #1 by the Birds! Cupplant (Silphium perfoliatum) is the single best species for attracting birds! It provides food, water and cover. The leaves clasp the stems to form cups that catch rainwater. Songbirds, butterflies and hummingbirds come for a drink, and in fall, goldfinches descend upon the plants to devour the seeds. Hardy to Zones 3 - 8.


Black Eyed Susan
Black Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
   
Sun:
Full,Partial 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Dry,Medium,Moist 
Height:
1'-3' 
Bloom Time:
Jun-Sep 
Color:
yellow 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
3 
Spacing:
1'  
Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a hallmark of prairies and meadows with an extravagant floral display! A biennial, it is easy to grow from seed. Transplants bloom the year they are planted, and will self-sow onto open soil. Butterflies are frequent visitors to this bright sunny wildflower! Hardy to Zones 3 - 10.




Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
  
Sun:
Full 
Soil:
Sand,Loam 
Moisture:
Dry,Medium 
Height:
1'-2' 
Bloom Time:
Jun-Jul 
Color:
yellow 
Root:
Fibrous 
Zone:
3 
Spacing:
1'  
The golden-yellow flowers of Lanceleaf Coreopsis bloom for weeks on end, creating a fantastic early summer display. Butterflies are regular visitors, and songbirds feed on the ripe seeds in late summer. This durable plant grows in any well-drained soil, and exults in dry sandy soils. Zones 3 - 9.



Seed pods of blue false indigo


Blue False Indigo
Baptisia australis
Sun:
Full,Partial 
Soil:
Sand,Loam,Clay 
Moisture:
Medium 
Height:
3'-5' 
Bloom Time:
Jun-Jul 
Color:
blue 
Root:
Taproot 
Zone:
4 
Spacing:
2'-3'  
Deep rooted and very long-lived, Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis) forms a large 'bush' at maturity. Clusters of deep blue flowers surround this perennial favorite in late spring, becoming showier and more developed with each growing season.  Makes an excellent specimen plant, planted individually or in groups, spaced three feet apart. Perennial Plant Association 2010 Plant of the Year! Hardy to Zones 3 - 10. 







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