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Side-oats Grama
Warm-season perennial grass reaching 60-90 cm tall. Features blue-green foliage and distinctive purplish-red spikelets arranged along one side of the stem. Prefers well-drained soils and full sun. Extremely drought-tolerant once established. Provides food and cover for wildlife. Excellent for prairies, meadows, and erosion control on slopes.
Read MorePaper Birch
Deciduous tree reaching 15-25 m tall with a spreading, open crown. Known for its distinctive white bark that peels in paper-like layers. Features ovate, double-toothed leaves and hanging catkins. Prefers moist, well-drained soils and full sun, but tolerates a range of conditions. Important for wildlife, providing food and habitat. Historically used by indigenous peoples for various purposes. Suitable for landscapes in cooler climates, but susceptible to bronze birch borer in warmer areas.
Read MoreBog Birch
Deciduous shrub growing 1-3 m tall. Features small, rounded leaves and inconspicuous catkins. Bark is smooth and dark brown. Prefers wet, acidic soils and full sun to partial shade. Often found in bogs, fens, and wet meadows. Tolerates seasonal flooding and cold temperatures. Provides food and cover for wildlife. Useful for wetland restoration projects and naturalized areas in moist sites. Native to northern North America.
Read MoreYellow Birch
Deciduous tree growing 18-24 m tall with a pyramidal to rounded crown. Features doubly serrate, ovate leaves and yellowish bark that peels in curly strips. Produces hanging male catkins and upright female catkins in spring. Prefers moist, well-drained, acidic soils and full sun to partial shade. Important for wildlife, providing food and nesting sites. Valued for its timber and historically for medicinal uses. Suitable for large landscapes and natural areas.
Read MoreWhorled Milkweed
Herbaceous perennial reaching 30-90 cm tall. Features narrow leaves arranged in distinctive whorls and small clusters of white flowers in summer. Grows from deep taproot in dry, well-drained soils and full sun. Important monarch butterfly host plant. Extremely drought-tolerant once established. Suitable for prairie gardens, dry sites, and pollinator habitats. Native to central and eastern North America.
Read MoreButterfly Milkweed
Herbaceous perennial reaching 30-90 cm tall with alternate, lance-shaped leaves. Produces vibrant orange flower clusters in summer, followed by slender seed pods. Prefers well-drained soils and full sun. Extremely drought-tolerant once established. Important nectar source and larval host for monarch butterflies. Attracts various pollinators. Deep taproot makes it difficult to transplant. Suitable for prairie gardens, butterfly gardens, and dry, sunny borders. Native to eastern and southern United States.
Read MoreSwamp Milkweed
Herbaceous perennial growing 90-150 cm tall with lance-shaped leaves. Produces clusters of pink to mauve flowers in midsummer, followed by slender seed pods. Prefers consistently moist to wet soils and full sun to partial shade. Important nectar source and larval host for monarch butterflies. Attracts various pollinators. Suitable for rain gardens, pond edges, and moist meadows. Unlike other milkweeds, does not spread aggressively. Native to wetlands across North America.
Read MorePoke Milkweed
Herbaceous perennial reaching 1-1.5 m tall. Features large, opposite leaves and loose clusters of white to pale pink flowers blooming in early to midsummer. Prefers moist, well-drained soils and partial shade to full sun. Less aggressive than other milkweed species. Important larval host for monarch butterflies. Suitable for woodland edges, meadows, and naturalized areas. Produces pods with silky-tufted seeds. All parts contain cardiac glycosides toxic if ingested.
Read MoreBlack Chokeberry
Deciduous shrub growing 1-3 m tall. Produces clusters of white flowers in late spring, followed by edible purple-black berries. Features glossy, dark green leaves turning brilliant red in fall. Prefers moist, well-drained acidic soils but adaptable to various conditions. Tolerates full sun to partial shade. Berries are high in antioxidants and attractive to birds. Suitable for hedges, mass plantings, and rain gardens. Native to eastern North America.
Read MoreJack-in-the-Pulpit
Distinctive perennial reaching 30-90 cm tall. Features compound three-part leaves and unique hooded flower (spathe) in spring, followed by bright red berries on female plants. Grows from deep corm in rich, moist woodland soils and shade. Forms small colonies slowly through offsets. Architecturally striking specimen for woodland gardens. Native to eastern North America.
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