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Native Plant of the Week: Path Rush

Kimberly Simmen

Nov 26
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Path Rush

Family: Juncaceae Name: Juncus tenuis Bloom Time: July Flower: Green Soil Condition: Dry to wet Light: Sun to shade Height: 6" (without flower) - 24" (with 'flower') by 6-24" wide Native Range: North America including Long Island Zone: 2-10 pics: Hoffman Nursery, Inc. Path rush is a fantastic semi-evergreen cool season rush that adapts to every situation but it is best suited as a ground cover or lawn alternative due to its ability to tolerate heavy foot traffic and mowing. Y

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Native Plant of the Week: Switchgrass

Kimberly Simmen

Sep 25
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Switchgrass

Family: Poaceae Name: Panicum virgatum Bloom Time: August - October 'Flower': Airy Panicles Soil Condition: Dry, Moist, Adaptable Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 4-7' tall by Native Range: North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 9 Pictures: Panicum virgatum (Forest and Kim Starr, CC BY 4.0), Panicum v. 'Shenandoah' (KMS), Panicum v. 'Northwind' (KMS) Panicum virgatum is an absolutely fantastic native grass for the garden. It provides four-season interest. The clean

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Native Plant of the Week: Little Bluestem

Kimberly Simmen

Sep 5
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Little Bluestem

Family: Poaceae Name: Schizachyrium scoparium Bloom Time: September Flower: Purplish bronze fading to a dried silver tuft Soil Condition: Dry, Average, Adaptable Light: Sun Height: 2-4' tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 4 to 10 Perennial Plant of the Year, 2022! Schizachyrium scoparium is a beautiful, warm season bunchgrass with gray green foliage that turns a stunning copper orange color in the fall. The poorer the soil, the

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Native Plant of the Week: Common Violet

Kimberly Simmen

Apr 3
2 min

Native Plant of the Week: Common Violet

Family: Violaceae Name: Viola sororia - Common Violet Bloom Time: March - May Flower: Violet Purple Soil Condition: Moist, Average, Well-Drained Light: Sun to Shade Height: 4-6" tall with an equal spread Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 7 Pictures: Viola sororia (Common Violet) and Viola sororia 'Freckles' - Common Violet Cultivar Forget the European dandelion and plant some Viola sororia in your yard for the birds, bees, caterpillars and

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Native Plant of the Week: Oak Sedge

Kimberly Simmen

Mar 27
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Oak Sedge

Family: Cyperaceae Name: Carex pensylvanica - Oak Sedge 'Bloom Time': May 'Flower': White/Brown Soil Condition: Dry, Average Light: Partial Shade, Shade Height: 8-12" tall by 24" wide Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 8 Carex pensylvanica is a fine textured, cool season sedge for tough places like under Oak and Pine trees. Plants spread slowly by stolons and rhizomes to make a large colony. This makes it a great lawn substitute under Oaks an

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Native Plant of the Week: Lowbush Blueberry

Kimberly Simmen

Mar 20
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Lowbush Blueberry

Family: Ericaceae Name: Vaccinium angustifolium aka Lowbush Blueberry Bloom Time: May-June Soil Condition: prefers moist to dry, acidic, sandy, well-drained soil Light: Full Sun to Partial Shade Height: 6” - 24” Native Range: Northeastern United States Zone: 2 to 7 Flowers: white flowers pics: female bumble bee on flower, berries beginning to form, summer foliage, fall foliage Vaccinium angustifolium is a lovely deciduous, twiggy shrub with adorable bell shaped flowers

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Native Plant of the Week: Wafer Ash

Kimberly Simmen

Mar 7
2 min

Native Plant of the Week: Wafer Ash

Name: Ptelea trifoliata - Wafer Ash or Hop Tree Family: Rutaceae Bloom Time: June Flower: Greenish Yellow Soil Condition: Dry-Moist Light: Sun-Partial Shade-Shade Height: 15-20' tall by 15-20' wide Native Range: Eastern and Central United States including Long Island Zone: 4 to 9 Ptelea trifoliata is a great, slow growing, underutilized small tree or understory tree that will form a colony by suckering and self sowing. If planted in full sun, the soil should be consistently

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Native Plant of the Week: Anise Hyssop

Kimberly Simmen

Feb 28
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Anise Hyssop

Family: Lamiaceae Name: Agastache foeniculum - Anise Hyssop Bloom Time: July - Frost Flower: Lavender Blue Soil Condition: Dry, Average, Well Drained Light: Sun, Partial Shade Height: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: North America Zone: 4 to 9 With its beautiful gray-green foliage and gorgeous lavender blue flowers, Agastache foeniculum makes a fantastic plant for the garden or a planter. It is a very important nectar source for our bumble bees and other native polli

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Native Plant of the Week: Black Chokeberry

Kimberly Simmen

Feb 21
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Black Chokeberry

Family: Rosaceae (Rose) Name: Photinia (Aronia) melanocarpa - Black Chokeberry Pictures: Flower with Sphecodes - Sweat Bee (KMS Native Plants), Fruit (Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder) Fall Color (KMS Native Plants) Bloom Time: April - May Flower: White Fruit: Black (Late Summer/Fall) Soil Condition: Moist, Wet, Acidic, Well Drained Light: Partial Shade, Sun Height: 3-8' tall by 3-6' wide Native Range: Northeastern North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 8 Photin

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Native Plant of the Week: Cardinal Flower

Kimberly Simmen

Feb 14
2 min

Native Plant of the Week: Cardinal Flower

Family: Campanulaceae Name: Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower Bloom Time: July - August Flower: Scarlet Red Soil Condition: moist to wet, rich Light: Sun, Partial Sun, Shade Height: 24-48" tall by Native Range: North America including Long Island Zone: 3 to 9 Lobelia cardinalis is a short-lived perennial that makes a lovely addition to the partially shaded garden by giving a pop of red, which is an unusual color for wildflowers. After a stem flowers, that part of the plan

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Native Plant of the Week: Blue Flag Iris

Kimberly Simmen

Feb 7
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Blue Flag Iris

Family: Iridaceae Name: Iris versicolor - Blue Flag Iris Bloom Time: June Flowers: Purple, Lavender, Violet Soil Condition: Average-wet, acidic, rich Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: Northeastern North America including Long Island Zone: 2 to 7 Iris versicolor is a true low maintenance plant and can handle average garden soil as well as being submerged in a pond. Rhizomes are toxic and may cause a rash if touched without gloves. Bl

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Native Plant of the Week: Red Chokeberry

Kimberly Simmen

Jan 31
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Red Chokeberry

Family: Rosaceae Name: Aronia arbutifolia - Red Chokeberry Bloom Time: March - May Flowers: White with red anthers Fruit: Red Soil Condition: average-wet, well drained Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 6-10' tall by 4-8' wide Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Zone: 4 to 9 Aronia arbutifolia is a fantastic four season, multi-stemmed shrub. In the spring it is loaded with white flowers and early pollinators before the glossy, dark green foliage eme

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Native Plant of the Week: Wild Columbine

Kimberly Simmen

Jan 23
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Wild Columbine

Family: Ranunculaceae Name: Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Columbine Bloom Time: May-June Flowers: bicolor red and yellow Soil Condition: dry to moist, well drained Light: Partial Shade, Shade Height: 20-36" tall by 12-18" wide Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island Zone: 3 to 8 Aquilegia canadensis is a native perennial that will self sow readily in the garden creating a naturalized effect. The showy, nodding, bicolor flowers are a nice brightener for shady

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Native Plant of the Week - Short-Toothed Mountain Mint

Kimberly Simmen

Jan 17
1 min

Native Plant of the Week - Short-Toothed Mountain Mint

Name: Pycnanthemum muticum - Short Toothed Mountain Mint Family: Lamiaceae Bloom Time: July - September Flowers: white to blush pink with lavender spots and silver bracts Soil Condition: moist-average, well drained Light: Sun-Partial Shade Size: 24-36" tall by 24-36" wide Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island Zone: 4 to 8 Pycnanthemum muticum is in the mint family and it will naturalize but it will not take over your yard like the invasive true mints in th

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Native Plant of the Week - Blue Wood Aster

Kimberly Simmen

Jan 10
1 min

Native Plant of the Week - Blue Wood Aster

Native Plant of the Week - Symphyotrichum cordifolium Family: Asteraceae Name: Symphyotrichum cordifolium - Blue Wood Aster Bloom Time: August - October Flower: loose panicles of pale lavender Soil Condition: well drained, dry to moist Light: full sun to partial shade Height: 18” - 36” Native Range: Eastern and Central North America including Long Island Symphyotrichum cordifolium is a fantastic pollinator plant for late summer to early fall. It’s supposed to be deer and r

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Native Plant of the Week - American Wintergreen

Kimberly Simmen

Jan 3
1 min

Native Plant of the Week - American Wintergreen

Family: Ericaceae Name: Gaultheria procumbens - American Wintergreen Bloom Time: June-August Soil Condition: dry-moist, well drained, organically rich, acidic Light: Partial Shade, Shade Height: 3-6” Native Range: Eastern North America including Long Island Flowers: white bell shaped, sometimes blush Gaultheria procumbens is a lovely evergreen ground cover that spreads by underground roots for shady spots. New foliage growth is a lovely shade of cranberry red. The flowers are

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Native Plant of the Week: Threadleaf Mountain Mint

Kimberly Simmen

Dec 28, 2021
1 min

Native Plant of the Week: Threadleaf Mountain Mint

Family: Lamiaceae Name: Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Common Name: Threadleaf Mountain Mint Bloom Time: June-September Soil Condition: dry-average-moist, well drained, tolerates clay Light: Sun-Partial Shade Height: 24-36” (may grow to 48” in rich soil) Native Range: Eastern United States including Long Island Flowers: white with lavender specks Maintenance: if necessary, divide when plants get too wide. Benefits: Not to be confused with the invasive European mints like spearmint,

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Native Plant of the Week - Common Witch Hazel

Kimberly Simmen

Dec 19, 2021
1 min

Native Plant of the Week - Common Witch Hazel

Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel Family: Hamamelidaceae Name: Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel Bloom Time: October - December Soil Condition: moist-average-dry, slightly acidic, well drained Light: Partial Shade - Sun Height: 10-15’, rarely to 25’ Native Range: Eastern North America (including Long Island) Flowers: yellow Maintenance: prune in early spring, if necessary, to remove dead or damaged branches Hamamelis virginiana is a multi-stemmed, irregularly

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Native Plant of the week: Blue Mistflower

Kimberly Simmen

Mar 22, 2021
1 min

Native Plant of the week: Blue Mistflower

Name: Conoclinium coelestinum aka Eupatorium coelestinum - Hardy Ageratum Family: Asteraceae Bloom Time: late summer - fall Soil Condition: well drained Light: full sun to partial shade Height: 24” - 36” Native Range: Eastern North America Conoclinum coelestinum is best used for naturalizing in wildflower and native gardens as it can be quite aggressive. Fills in empty space quickly to combat unwanted weeds. Blooms for at least 8 weeks and makes a great cut flower. F

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Native Plant of the Week: Kinnikinnick or Bearberry

Kimberly Simmen

Feb 16, 2021
2 min

Native Plant of the Week: Kinnikinnick or Bearberry

Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi aka Kinnikinnick or Bearberry Family: Ericaceae Native Region: North America Hardiness: Zones 2-7 Soil Condition: dry-moist, rocky, sandy, acidic Light: Sun to Partial Shade Height: 6-12” Bloom Time: April-June Flowers: urn-shaped, white tinged with pink followed by ¼” bright red berries Arctostaphyllos uva-ursi is a very slow growing, trailing, evergreen ground cover found in sandy locations like the edges of the Long Island Pine Barren

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