‘Purple Dome’ aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome'
A compact selection recommended by the Mt. Cuba Center as a cultivar that draws loads … Continued
browsing: native perennials
Native plants have evolved over thousands of years alongside native wildlife and therefore offer the most useful habitat. Native plants feed bugs at every stage of life, and bugs are the very foundation for our entire food web.
Our prairie natives require less water, and are adapted to grow in our soil types and temperature extremes, so they do well without requiring extensive resources and chemicals. Native plants help in management of rainwater runoff and maintain healthy soil with their deep root systems.
Native vs Native Cultivar
heart leaf foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Native, mounding ground cover with foamy white flower stalks in early spring. Mature plants send … Continued
Ohio spiderwort, bluejacket
Tradescantia ohiensis/Tradescantia hybrid
Grassy blue-green foliage is covered with true blue blooms from May through July. Grows very … Continued
trillium, triflower
Trillium grandiflorum/Trillium erectum
Trillium grandiflorum sports exquisite white blooms up to 5” across in mid-spring that fade to … Continued
large-flowered bellwort
Uvularia grandiflora
This native clump-forming plant grows to 2′ tall and features 1.5″ long, pendulous, bell-shaped, yellow … Continued
American vervain
Verbena hastata
Easily grown in average, medium to wet soils in full sun. Forms colonies in the … Continued
Yellow Ironweed, Wingstem
Verbesina alternifolia
1-2 inch yellow blooms in late summer. Aggressive growth habit, but a great native plant … Continued
prairie ironweed
Vernonia fasciculata
2-4′ tall fall native is topped with broad, compound blooms made up of many heads … Continued
Baldwin’s ironweed
Vernonia baldwinii
Stems occur singly or in clumps with wide clusters of vibrant red-violet blooms at the … Continued
Culver’s root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Pink or white flower spikes bloom atop 3-5′ tall plants in summer. Heat, drought and … Continued
bird’s foot violet
Viola pedata
Bird’s foot violet has purple flowers with orange centers. The leaves are shaped like bird’s … Continued
Labrador violet
Viola labradorica
Hardier than pansies, violets tolerate cold to -20° as well as summer heat. Plants form … Continued