Forbs

Forbs are those plants, other than grasses, that die back each autumn and remain dormant through the winter only to resprout in spring or summer. Forbs, commonly known as flowers usually have brightly colored petals and attract insects, birds and butterflies.

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Wingstem
Actinomeris alternifolia
At home along a pond or stream this very tall flower has beautiful yellow blossoms in late summer and autumn. Wingstem can become aggressive, growing to 8 feet in moist soil in full to part sun.
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Nodding Wild Onion Allium cernuum
Delightful pink globes of blossoms in late summer attract many insects. Grows in full to part sun with grass-like foliage. Just 1-2’ tall, it makes a nice garden plant in dry to moist soil. Edible!
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Canada Anemone Anemone canadensis
Very aggressive plant, grows in moist soils in full sun to shade. White flowers open in early summer. Great for low, moist areas where little else will grow.
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Thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
This pretty white flower tops a long thin stem. The oblong, thimble-like seed head gives the plant its common name. It grows 1-3 ft. in moist to dry soils, in shade to full sun. Thimbleweed blooms June through August and it is a delicate addition to any garden or woodland planting.
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Pussy Toes Antennaria neglecta
This slowly-spreading, silvery plant grows best in dry soil in part sun. Creating a lovely groundcover at just 4-8” tall, this is a host plant for the Painted Lady butterfly.
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Dogbane Apocynum cannabinum
This aggressive plant of dry or moist soil in full to part sun creates a colony of 3-foot plants. The beautiful but small white flowers blossom in early summer and attract many insects, becoming interesting long dark seedpods in the fall. Will grow in poor gravelly soils. A thread or string can be obtained from the stalks and be twisted or woven into cord or cloth.
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Wild Aquilegia canadensis
This gorgeous early bloomer grows to a height of 2-3’. Its red and yellow dangling spurred blossoms are an incredible sight in spring. Self-seeding, these flowers attract early butterflies and hummingbirds. Columbine grows best in full sun to part shade, in moist to dry soil. It works well in a rock garden combined with later blooming flowers.
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Jack-in-the-Pulpit Arisaema triphyllum
These interesting wildflowers are well known to those who venture into moist woods in early spring. With an unusual flower and large green leaves, it is easy to identify. A very delightful plant at about three feet tall, it is at home in a lovely woodland setting with rich soil and deep humus. The rich red berries appear in fall, adding bright splashes of color throughout the forest.
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Wild Ginger Asarum canadense
This great little groundcover has beautiful, inconspicuous blossoms that hide under the heart-shaped leathery leaves. Its flowers, which are a chocolate-maroon color, bloom April through June. Standing just 4-8 inches, Wild Ginger is at home in the shade garden or moist woodland. Spreading by rhizomes, Wild Ginger will fill in bare areas under trees or next to a building in rich soil. Wild Ginger looks especially handsome with ferns and other shade-loving flower.
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Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
This beautiful milkweed has lots of fragrant blooms. It can grow to a height of 3-6 ft. with spreading branches. The mauve flowers, in large umbels at the top of the plant, bloom in June through August. Swamp Milkweed attracts the most butterflies, especially monarchs that depend on milkweed for their survival. Grows in wet to moist soil in full sun, creating a beneficial and beautiful host plant in any moist garden or wet area. Create a palette of colors with Joe-Pye Weed, Ironweed and Boneset.
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Sullivant's Milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
Grows in moist loamy or clay soil in full sun. 3-5 ft tall with large pink blooms in Jun-Aug. Great for Monarchs and other butterflies. Spreads by roots.
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Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca
The beautiful pink blossoms of this plant can be seen in old fields, along roadsides. Grown in your home garden, it is guaranteed to attract butterflies of all kinds. Fragrant, large balls of flowers top this 3-4’ plant in June through August. Tolerant of moist or dry soil, it grows best in full to part sun.
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Butterflyweed
Asclepias tuberosa
This popular milkweed requires full to part sun. Its bright orange blossoms attract bees, hummingbirds, monarch and orange sulphur butterflies. This stunning plant blooms June through August in well drained, dry to moist soils and reaches a height of 2-3 feet.
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Whorled Milkweed Asclepias verticillata
Whorled milkweed is an early successional plant. It has many tiny white flowers that attract many butterflies and the larva of the Monarch Butterfly feeds on this milkweed. This is a slightly aggressive milkweed and is best suited in larger gardens and prairies. Adaptable to many soil types and moisture levels it grows about a foot high and blooms June-Click here to view/download our 2011 catalog and prices


Sky Blue Aster Aster azureus
Beautiful pale blue petals surround yellow centers. Moist to dry soil in full to part sun. Grows 2-3 ft. tall and blooms in Aug-Oct. Attracts butterflies.
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Heath Aster Aster ericoides
This is one of the most beautiful asters. It grows to a height of 2-3 feet and blooms in August through October. Many large clusters of dainty, white flowers attract honeybees and butterflies. Grows in well drained moist to dry soil in full or part sun.
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Smooth Blue Aster
Aster laevis
The delightfully pastel blue blossoms of the Smooth Blue Aster flower in late summer and fall. With yellow centers, the contrasting colors are striking. Butterflies will be attracted to the nectar, while wintering birds relish the seeds. Growing in moist to dry soil, it may reach a height of 2-4 feet.
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Side-flowering Aster
Aster lateriflorus
This lovely aster has tiny white flowers with yellow centers. Attracts many butterflies late in the growing season. At home in a sunny, shaded or woodland border, Side-flowering Aster reaches a height of one to three feet in moist soil, remaining compact with many blossoms.
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New England Aster Aster novae-angliae
This very showy plant can grow 3-5’ tall. It forms hundreds of brilliant deep purple with golden-centered blossoms. Prefers wet to moist soils in full to part sun. New England Aster blooms from August through October. By creating large masses of purple and gold blossoms the bright flowers attract many butterflies.
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Flat-topped Aster
Aster umbellatus
With a white blossom and yellow-green center, this aster has a flat-topped bouquet of flowers, creating interesting textures to a woodland edge or back border of the garden. Late bloomer.
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Canadian Milk Vetch  Astragalus canadensis
Cream-colored flowers in a dense, thick spike. 1-4 ft tall, sun to part sun, moist to dry soil in prairies and open woods. Blooms Jun-Oct.
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White False Indigo
Baptisia leucantha
This stately plant grows to a height of 3-4 feet. Large spikes of white pea-blossoms adorn the topmost parts of this plant. Blooming in June and July, it attracts butterflies. This plant grows in a wide range of dry to moist soils in full or part sun. A very long-lived plant, it may be difficult to establish, but well worth the effort. It is a true prairie plant of the lost prairies and savannas of the region.
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Yellow False Indigo Batisia tinctoria

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False Aster
Boltonia latisquama Boltonia asteroides
Growing in wet to moist soil, this beautiful flowering plant lends cheer with its small, daisy-like delicate blossoms. Yellow-centered with white petals, the smooth blue-green foliage makes this plant shine. Hundreds of blossoms adorn this plant that stands 3-5 feet high at water’s edge or in a home garden. In full to part sun these flowers attract many butterflies. Blooming in August, September and October, this lovely plant can become aggressive without competition.
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Grass Pink Orchid Calopogon tuberosus
CrGorgeous and showy, this magenta colored orchid grows in moist, acid soil. Up to 20 large flowers bloom in June and July atop the tall, thin 1 to 1-1/2 ft stem. Easy to grow in the right conditions with full to part sun. As with all of our plants, these are nursery grown and not collected from the wild.
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Camassia schilloides

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Partridge Pea Cassia fasciculata
Creating a wonderful front border in a garden or along a pathway, this long-blooming plant is a wonderful complement to taller foliage or woodlands. Less than three feet tall, the large yellow blossoms open from July through September in full to part sun. With interesting leaves and seedpods, the Partridge Pea prefers moist to dry soils, clay or sand.
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Wild Senna Cassia hebecarpa
Large, showy clusters of yellow blossoms make this a striking plant in moist or wet soils. Grows in full to part sun, 3-4 ft tall blooming in July and August.
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Turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Turtlehead is a wonderful, 3-4’ tall perennial for the damp garden. Growing naturally in wetlands, ditches and marshes, these marvelous creamy white blossoms bloom late in the season. They divide and transplant easily and are very easy to maintain in moist garden soil. Grows best in full sun and butterflies are attracted to the flowers.
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Sand Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata
Need something with lots of color to grow in poor soil in full sun? Coreopsis is right at home in dry sandy soil with flowers that last well through the blooming season. This coreopsis will tolerate moister soil, but needs companion plants, such as grasses to remain erect. Forming bright yellow flowers from May to August, they can spread easily by seed.
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Prairie Coreopsis Coreopsis palmata
In sunny to part-sunny locations in sandy, well-drained soil, these yellow daisy-like blossoms delight the beholder. Standing 1-2 feet tall, they are a characteristic species of the sand savanna region, blooming in June through August.
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Tall Coreopsis Coreopsis tripteris
The bright yellow flowers atop this 3-7 foot plant stand tall in the prairie or in a back border of the home garden. Very tall with daisy-like flowers, this coreopsis blooms from July through October. Providing seed in the winter for birds, tall coreopsis grows in full sun to part shade, in moist to drier soils. All of the Coreopsis species attract butterflies.
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Showy Tick Trefoil Desmodium canadensis
Stunning fuschia flowers top this tall, showy plant. Grows in moist soil in full to part sun. 2-5’ blooms July-Sept.
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Dutchman's Breeches Dicentra cucularia
Unusual white flowers dangle above lovely blue-green foliage. Grows best in rich, loamy soils in full shade, 1 ft tall. Blooming in April-May, this interesting plant is at home in a woodland garden.
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Pale Purple Coneflower Echinacea pallida

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Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Popular and pretty, these bold Purple Coneflowers are easy to grow in any sunny to partly sunny location. In moist to dry soil, purple coneflower grows 3-4 feet, blooming in late summer. The many seeds self-sow and provide birdfeed in the winter months.
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Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
The unusual foliage and flowers make this a conversation piece in your garden. Growing in moist to dry soil in full sun, Rattlesnake Master can reach a height of 5 feet. The tiny white flowers are nearly invisible in the cluster atop the plant, blooming in late summer. The leaves are blue-green and resemble the yucca plant.
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Hollow Joe-Pye Weed Eupatorium fistulosum
This moist soil lover has large umbels of pink-rose that can reach heights of 7-8 feet in full sun. Blooming in late summer, these gorgeous huge round-top flower clusters attract Swallowtail Butterflies. Joe-Pye Weed is an excellent selection where a tall coarse plant is needed in the garden.
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Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eupatorium maculatum
Growing four to six feet in wet to moist soil, their majestic rosy pink blossom flowers in June through August in full to part sun. At home in meadows and damp areas, butterflies are attracted to their soft, fuzzy blossoms. This makes an excellent garden plant and has lovely whorled leaf clusters up the entire stem.
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Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
A favorite of butterflies the Boneset and Joe-Pye Weed work well together in the home garden or moist meadow. Boneset, with its white blossoms, contrasts nicely with the lavender flowers of Joe-Pye in late summer and early fall. Boneset has interesting foliage, in that its large leaves are fused together at the base, creating leaves that are connected with a stem through the middle. Reaching a height of 4 feet in wet to moist soil, it grows in full to part sun.
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White Snakeroot Eupatorium rugosum
Moist to dry sand or clay soil in part sun to shade. Bright, white blossoms top this 2-4 ft. tall plant in July-Oct.
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Late Boneset Eupatorium serotinum
This great butterfly-attracting plant grows in dry to moist soil in full to part sun. Blooms July-Oct and 2-5 ft tall.
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Queen of the Prairie Filipendula rubra
This incredible plant of fens and marshes is sure to delight anyone observing it in bloom in mid to late summer. Gorgeous deep pink blossoms top this 3-5’ wetland plant. Requiring full sun and moist soils, it is truly a favorite of many gardeners. Blooming in June through August, this very striking plant has interesting flowers and large palmate foliage.
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Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana
Kin of the cultivated strawberry, this plant sends out rooting tendrils, or stolons, that propagate into new strawberry plants. Sprawling along the ground, it blooms in full to part sun in spring and early summer. Reaching just a few inches in height, the white flowers are attractive, while the fruit is a main food source of many small mammals and birds.
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Wild Geranium Geranium maculatum
Woodland plant in part to full shade. Grows to 1 ft in moist to dry soil. Pink-purple flowers in May-June.
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Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum
A small plant great for garden borders with stunning seed heads. Blooming in spring, this flower is sometimes caught by a late snowfall. Pink flowers, nice foliage and silvery seed heads make this an ideal garden plant for dry, sandy or gravelly soils. Grows to about 6" in full sun.
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Sweet Everlasting Gnaphalium obtusifolium
Grows in dry soil in full sun. Blooms in July-October. White flowers with downy, silvery foliage. Annual. Aromatic. 18-24”. Dried flowers repel moths and make good potpourri.
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Sneezeweed Helenium autumnale
Found naturally around pond edges, low marshy ground or moist prairies, this plant adds much color to your sunny area late in the growing season. It grows best in moist to wet soil in full to part sun. Its 2-5 foot bright yellow flower heads adorn the branching stems of Sneezeweed. Attracting butterflies in August through October, this is one of the last blooming flowers of autumn.
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Woodland Sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
Dry soil in part sun; grows 3-5’ and spreads by rhizomes. Sunny yellow flowers in July-Sept. Flowers attract butterflies; seeds provide food for birds in fall.
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Tall Sunflower helianthus giganteus
This 4-12 ft. giant is at home in moist, sunny areas. Bright yellow blossoms attract butterflies and other insects in Jul-Oct.
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Downy Sunflower Helianthus mollis
This sunflower, as well as all sunflowers, provides birds with seed in late summer and fall. Many bright, yellow blossoms top this 3-5’ tall plant. Growing in full to part sun, it is tolerant of moist to dry soils but does best in poor soils. Blooming in August and September, the blossoms attract many butterflies.
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Western Sunflower
Helianthus occidentalis
This very aggressive sunflower reaches 2-3 feet in moist to dry soil in full to part sun. Attracts many butterflies in summer and birds in the winter. Bright yellow blossoms flower in July through September.
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Jerusalem Artichoke Helianthus tuberousus
Another of our tall sunflowers, this plant can reach heights of 5-10 ft. Grows best in full to part sun in moist soil; blooms Aug-Oct. Impatiens capensis: Grows in wet to moist soils in part sun. Orange flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds from June-Sept. 3-5 ft. tall. Also called Touch-Me-Not, this annual will shoot seeds to surrounding areas, creating a mass of orange blossoms the following year.
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Virginia Waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
Stunning, deeply dissected foliage develops mottled silver spots resembling water droplets early in the spring. With a white sphere of a flower head of many blossoms, this woodland plant is easily established in a moist, shady garden or woodland. It reaches a height of 1-2 feet blooming in May and June.
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(Touch me not) Jewelweed Impatiens capensis

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Blue Flag Iris Iris virginica shrevei
This is a hardy and beautiful blue and yellow iris. Our native iris, the Blue Flag grows in the wild in ditches, marshes and along stream edges. Very easy to establish in the home garden, it reaches a height of 2-3 feet in full to part sun. Blooming in early summer, this plant becomes thicker with each passing year, providing many blossoms for vibrant color. This plant is easy to divide which is best done in early spring or after flowering.
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Rnd-head bush Clover Lespedeza capitata
Small clusters of tiny white flowers adorn the upper stems of this prairie plant. Grows in moist to dry soil in full to part sun, this legume attracts butterflies in July-September and provides winter interest: 3-4 ft.
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Hairy Bush Clover Lespedeza Hirta
This clover provides a food source for many butterfly species. Tiny white blossoms provide nectar for insects and, as a legume, replenishes the soil for other prairie plants. Grows in full to part sun, sandy soil, blooms Jul-September; 3-4’.
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Rough Blazing Star Liatris aspera
This 2-3’ Blazing Star has stunning spikes of purple flowers. It blooms in July through September, attracting butterflies in summer and providing seed for the birds in winter. The blossoms of all of the Blazing Stars contrast superbly with the yellow and gold of other flowering plants. Grows best in well-drained moist to dry soil in full or part sun.
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Cylindrical Blazing Star Liatris cylindracea
this plant of sandy, dry soil blooms pink-purple in July – Sept. Just 1-2 ft. tall, makes a good butterfly-attractor in the home garden.
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Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya
One of the tallest and showiest of the blazing stars, this one attracts many butterflies. In full sun to part shade with moist soil it can reach about 5 feet, with dense pink-purple spiked blossoms. It blooms July through September leaving seed for the wintering birds.
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Marsh Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
These showy and beautiful flowers prefer sunny or part shaded locations. Excellent as a garden plant in moist soil, the purple spikes of blossoms topping the plant that can reach heights of 3 to 6 feet. Flowering in July through September, these prairie plants work best with some grasses for support. Long referred to as a “butterfly magnet”!
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Turk's Cap, Michigan Lily Lillium michiganense

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Scaly Blazing Star Liatris squarrosa
pink flowers attract butterflies on this 1-3 ft plant. Blooms July-Sept in dry, sandy soils in full to part sun.
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Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
If you want RED, this is the flower for you! This very attractive native of wet to moist soil grows to a height of 2-5 feet. Blooming in July-September, Cardinal Flower attracts hummingbirds. It grows in full sun to nearly full shade in moist, rich soils. As it is self-sowing, allow the seed to drop naturally for a mass of scarlet in the fall. Cardinal Flower looks best when planted with dark ferns that accent the brilliant red color of the flowers.
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Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
The Great Blue Lobelia is a striking plant in full to part sun. It grows in low, moist ground flowering July through October. Its beautiful 1-4 foot spike of many blue flowers may become aggressive in a garden, but, who wouldn’t want it to be?
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Seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
Grows in moist to wet soil in full sun. Blooming bright yellow in Jun-August, this under-used plant with gorgeous seed cases is 2-3 ft tall and attracts butterflies.
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Wild Lupine Lupinus perennis
Very popular in the nursery trade, the Lupine is a beautiful plant. Native Wild Lupine grows in very sandy, dry soil of open prairies and savannas. In May through July the long, bright stalk of blue pea-flowers rises to 1-2 feet atop the plant. The palmate leaves are at the base of the plant and catch rain and dewdrops and turn them into glittering diamonds. The Wild Lupine is the food source for many butterflies. It is the only food source for the larvae of the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly. Its deep taproot makes it nearly impossible to transplant, but it is easily grown from seed. This plant makes a very nice bed of flowers in the right soil in early summer.
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Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica
Breath-taking early bloomer invites early pollinators to your woodland garden. Just 1-2 ft with striking foliage, this spring plant produces soft, blue bell flowers from Mar-May in moist, rich soil.
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Monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
From late June to early September, this lovely blue and white flower can be found in moist areas, along streams, in ditches or in low, wet meadows. Growing in full to part sun it reaches a height of 1-3 feet. Its delicate little blue flowers appear to be grinning at you, giving it its common name. Monkeyflower makes a lovely garden plant and is easily established.
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Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A very popular native for the garden, this lovely plant grows 2-4 feet, blooming June through September. Many dense, lavender clusters of flowers attract hummingbirds, birds, butterflies and moths. Wild Bergamot grows in a wide range of soils: moist to dry, sand to clay, in full sun to part shade.
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Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia humifusa
This curious plant is the only cactus in the northeastern states. It grows in sunny to part sunny dry, sandy soil and has a most beautiful large bright yellow blossom. It remains low to the ground reaching only 4-6” in height. Blooming in June and July, it develops a juicy red fruit relished by many birds and small mammals (myself, included!).
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Wild Quinine
Parthenium integrifolium
White flowers top this lovely plant in mid to late summer. Requiring full sun in moist to dry soils, the foliage of this prairie plant is interestingly beautiful. Reaching a height of 3-5’, it is tolerant of sandy or clay soil.
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F
oxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
This is a very beautiful flower: it grows to a height of 2-4’ and adds soft, white flower clusters to the garden in June and July. This pretty plant attracts bees and hummingbirds, creating a very busy place in your garden. Grows in moist soils in full sun to light shade. Click here to view/download our 2011 catalog and prices
 

Purple Prairie Clover
Petalostemum purpureum
This deep-rooted prairie plant blooms in July and August. Its many tiny purple flowers in cylindrical heads attract butterflies, bumblebees and birds. Grows 1-2 feet in dry to moist soil in full to part sun.
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Woodlan Phlox Phlox divaricatus
Beautiful pale blue, purple to white blossoms flower in Apr-May. Thrives in fertile, moist soil in shady areas. Spreads by roots creating a carpet of foliage and blossoms about 16-18” high.
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Phlox Prairie Phlox pilosa
Showy deep pink flowers top this 1-2’ full to part sun plant. Grows best in dry to medium soil adding great color to the landscape in May-Aug.
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Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana
Beautiful spikelets of flowers adorn this 2-5’ moist-soil plant. Found along sunny stream banks or in a moist, sunny meadow, the Obedient Plant’s bright pink flowers blossom in July through September, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. This plant can become aggressive, so plant it with grasses that will keep it contained as well as provide some support for it.
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May Apple
Podophyllum peltatum
The May Apple sprouts from the moist forest floor in early spring, blooming in May and June. Its
interesting umbrella leaves reach to two feet tall with a large white blossom nodding under the leaves. The May Apple derives its name from the golden fruit that is a favorite treat of birds and small mammals.
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Jacob's Ladder Polemonium reptans
Grows best in moist soil in part to full shade. Just 1-2’ tall, this woodland plant works well with ferns, blooming bright blue in April-June.
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Prairie Cinquefoil Potentilla arguta

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Hairy Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum pilosum
Hairy Mountain Mint has tiny white flowers and the leaves are densely hairy, hence its common name. They add a silvery glow to the entire plant. Preferring drier soil than Virginia Mountain Mint, it, too, reaches a height of about 3 feet and attracts many pollinating insects in July and August.
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Virginia Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
In wet to dry soil, this compact plant attracts multitudes of pollinating insects from June to September. Reaching to about 3 feet, this plant tends to form colonies, thereby creating a mass of white blossoms through summer in full to part sun. It is a member of the mint family and the narrow, dark green leaves smell strongly of mint when crushed. The white flowers accent the yellows of Black-eyed Susan and Yellow Coneflower in the sunny prairie.Click here to view/download our 2011 catalog and prices
 
Yellow Coneflower, Gray-Headed Coneflower Ratibida pinnata
Growing in moist soil, in full to part sun, this dashing yellow plant adds lots of color to the home garden. Easy to grow, this pretty flower has a black center cone with drooping large bright yellow petals. Found in the moist soils of the prairie, it is well at home in the sunny garden with tall grasses and other wildflowers. It reaches heights of 3-6 feet and blooms July through September.
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Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta  
A very easy to grow native of moist to dry soils is the Black-eyed Susan. It is a short-lived perennial, but persists through self-seeding for many years, creating a large mass of colorful and cheerful blossoms. Growing 1-3 feet in full to part sun, this showy, long-blooming plant is a must for a carefree garden. Its bright yellow petals with black centered flowers attract butterflies from June through September.
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Wild Goldenglow Rudbeckia laciniata
Reaching heights of 10 ft., this showy plant grows best in moist soil, from full sun to mostly shady areas. Blooms July-Oct.
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Sweet Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia subtomentosa
Beautiful, bright yellow daisy-like blossoms cover this late-blooming plant. In moist to dry soil, this plant grows 3-5 feet. Tolerant of drought, Sweet Black-eyed Susan is a long-lived perennial and brightens any meadow or garden with full to part sun.
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Brown-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
This Susan prefers moister soil than Black-eyed Susan. Its many smaller yellow and black blossoms attract butterflies as well. Brown-eyed Susan blooms July through October and grows 2-4 feet in full to part sun. It tolerates almost wet to almost dry soils and self-seeds, providing years of great color in your garden or wet area.Click here to view/download our 2011 catalog and prices


Round-leaved Ragwort Senecio obovatus
Sunny, yellow flowers shoot up from dense foliage in May-June. Just 1-2’ tall this creeping plant makes an excellent groundcover or border plant in the garden. Grows best in well-drained, dry to moist soil in full to part sun.
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Royal Catchfly Silene regia
This stunning plant grows best in moist soil in full to part sun. Its crimson red five-petal flower blooms in July and August. Reaching nearly three feet tall, this plant needs some support of companion plants such as short grasses or late-blooming asters. Stunning bright red blossoms are a favorite of many gardeners.
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Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
This interesting plant derives its curious name from the alignment of the leaves at the base of the plant. The deeply lobed leaves point in roughly north-south directions and are reported to have been used by the early pioneers as directional tools. The stalk of the plant reaches 4-10 feet with many 2-inch yellow sunflower-like blossoms in June through September. The taproot of the Silphium genus reach down into the ground 8 or more feet! Grows best in full sun in moist, well-drained soil.
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Cup Plant Silphium perfoliatum
The Cup Plant has yellow sunflower-like blossoms at the top of its 8-foot stalk from July to September. The most interesting aspect of this plant is that its leaves on the stem are connected and form a “cup”. Often you will find hummingbirds, butterflies and songbirds sipping from the water that is held here. Growing in full to part sun in moist soil, this plant is at home around a wetland, stream bank or moist meadow.
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Prairie Dock Silphium terebinthinaceum
Prairie Dock is a remnant plant of the old prairies that once stretched across the Midwest. This sun-loving plant can reach heights of 6-10 feet topped by yellow blossoms in mid to late summer. Tolerant of a wide range of moisture, it looks best in a large area with tall prairie grasses at its flanks. Silphiums have large meaty seed heads provide nutritious food for the wintering birds.
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Common Blue-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium albidum  
Similar to Stout Blue-eyed Grass, this plant blooms in May through July. Standing less than a foot tall, it works well in a garden border or rock garden. It prefers a drier habitat and is an excellent choice for landscaping. Tolerant of full sun or part-shade, this delightful little blue flower with its bright yellow center is always a pleasure to see in bloom.
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Stout Blue-Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Dainty blue flowers adorn this short, grass-like plant. It grows best in moist to dry soils and blooms in early summer, lasting most of the summer. Preferring full sun to partly shaded areas, this plant makes a wonderful border plant. It remains compact and grows from 4-12 inches. The 6-petal, blue flower with grass-like leaves is truly a delight in any garden.
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Blue-stemmed Goldenrod Solidago caesia
Providing color and nectar in late summer and fall, this goldenrod grows best in dry, part shade areas. 2-3 ft. tall, tiny golden-yellow flowers adorn the bluish stems and attract butterflies.
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Grass-leaved Goldenrod Solidago graminifolia
This goldenrod has lance-shaped leaves with flat-topped clusters of many bright yellow flowers in July through September. It grows in full sun to part sun in wet to dry soil. Reaching a height of 1-4 feet, it is an attractive plant that is very versatile and adaptable.
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Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis
Sunny, golden-yellow blossoms top this fall-blooming plant in full – part sun. Can be aggressive and should be used in larger prairie plantings where it can compete with other plants. Great addition for butterflies, beetles and other insects in Aug-Nov. 1-3 ft. tall in dry soil.
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Riddell’s Goldenrod
Solidago riddellii
Growing in moist soil in full sun to a height of 2 to 4 feet, this goldenrod blooms in late fall with attractive golden-yellow blossoms. At home in a moist garden, this lovely late-blooming plant attracts many butterflies.
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Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida                        
This handsome plant can grow 2-5 feet tall in full to part sun with moist to dry soil. Its bright yellow flat-topped flower cluster was once common in the Midwest prairies. Attracting butterflies in late summer, it also supplies seed for birds in winter. This one makes a nice cut flower in an arrangement. This is definitely a favorite prairie plant for its bright color in autumn.
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Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa

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Elm-leaved Goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
This goldenrod of moist soil thrives in part to full shade, reaching a height of 2-4 feet. Blooming nearly all summer, it is a versatile goldenrod, brightening any home garden with bright yellow flowers attracting butterflies. This goldenrod is tolerant of shade and performs nicely in nearly full sun as well.
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Celandine Poppy Stylophorum diphyllum

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Goat's Rue Tephrosia virginiana

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Tall Meadow Rue Thalictrum dasycarpum

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Ohio Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
This is a very long-blooming plant and attractive with its bright blue flowers. This versatile flower can be grown in many habitats. Its delightful 3-petalled blue flower is very showy and blooms from late spring to autumn. Spreading mostly by rootstock, it forms 2-4 foot clumps of many stalks. Tolerating dry sand in full sun to moister soils in partial shade, Spiderwort may need companion plants for support in moister soils.
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Large-flower White Trillium Trillium grandiflorum

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Blue Vervain Verbena hastata
This very beautiful plant makes a nice back border with tall grasses in a garden setting. It can reach a height of 6 feet in moist soil in full sun. While shorter in part shade, deep purple spikes of tiny blossoms form a candelabra atop this plant, attracting many species of butterflies in July through September.
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Hoary Vervain
Verbena stricta
This drought-tolerant plant produces many spikes of lavender blossoms in mid-to late summer. Velvety leaves accent this plant and make it a nice mix with yellow or white flowering plants in dry soil. Reaching a height of about 2-3 feet in full sun, it provides seed for birds in the winter.
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Tall Ironweed
Vernonia gigantea   
This magnificent moist soil favorite has a many-flowered flat-topped cluster of royal-purple blossoms in late summer. This plant can reach heights of over 6 feet in full to part sun and looks wonderful with tall prairie grasses. Attracting many butterflies, Ironweed mixes well with the yellows and golds of other autumn flowers.
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Culver’s Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Very handsome, a wonderful candelabra of white blossoms tops this 3-6 foot plant, with beautifully whorled leaves climbing the entire stalk. It is a favorite of many pollinating insects and tolerates moist to dry soils in full or part sun. Use in the perennial garden to provide contrast to the colors of such plants as Obedient Plant, Ironweed or Blue Vervain. Blooming in June, July and August, it makes a delightful cut flower in an arrangement.
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