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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

Name: Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas Fern Family: Dryopteridaceae Bloom Time: Fern, non-flowering Soil Condition: Dry to Moist, Well Drained Light: Partial Shade to Full Shade Size: 12-30” tall with equal spread Native Range: Eastern North America Zone: 3-9 Polystichum acrostichoides is a lovely, clump forming fern for dry and moist shady spots. It received its common name, Christmas Fern, because it stays green right through the holiday season. It was also us

Common Name: Oakleaf Hydrangea Family: Hydrangeaceae Bloom Time: June-July Flowers: 6-8" cone-shaped clusters with combination of showy sterile and inconspicuous fertile flowers Soil Condition: Moist-Average, Well Drained Light: Partial Shade Height: 4-5' tall by 5-6' wide Growth Rate: Moderate Native Range: Southeastern United States Hydrangea quercifolia is an outstanding four season shrub but not the easiest to find since there are so many cultivars available no

Family: Poaceae Common Name: Indian Grass Bloom Time: August - September Flowers: Panicle, light brown with yellow stamens Soil Condition: Dry - Moist Light: Sun Height: 3-8’ Native Range: Eastern and Central United States Sorghastrum nutans is an upright, warm season grass with lovely blue-green foliage. This beauty is best in a native garden, wildlife garden or meadow setting. It needs a lot of space because it will self sow readily. Absolutely breathtakingly beau