Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Echinacea pallida

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 3′.  Central and eastern United States.  An ethereal form of the Purple Coneflower with thinner, languid, elongated petals of the softest pale pink.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Cleome lutea (syn. Peritoma lutea)

Family: (Cleomaceae)

(A) to 3′.  Yellow Bee Plant.  Western US.  Along erect stems are widely spaced palmate, compound, leaves made up of three to five small leaflets.  Showy, four-petalled, saffron yellow flowers crowd together in a dense, terminal raceme.  Each flower has oblong petals around a cluster of long, slender stamens. This long-flowering plant may have blooming flowers at the top of the stem and ripening seed capsules dangling off the stem further down.  A great food source for bees, wasps and butterflies – rich in nectar and pollen.  Spring to summer blooming.  Sun.  PC- weeks, 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Agastache nepetoides

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 5′.  Yellow Giant Hyssop.  South Canada to Southeast US.  Whorls of tiny, greenish-yellow flowers closely packed into five-inch terminal spikes appear on stiff, square stems. Toothed, arrowhead-shaped leaves are up to five inches long. Whilst the leaves lack the strong smell like other species in the mint family, the bitterness of its leaves make it deer resistant.  Tolerant of summer heat and humidity, this late summer bloomer is a favourite of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.  Grows best in rich, open woodlands. Sun/partial shade.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Chelone lyonii

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(P) to 3′.  Pink Turtlehead.  Eastern North America.  Upright spikes with clusters of showy, pinky-purple blooms that really do look like turtle heads from every angle.  The flowers are comprised of five fused petals forming the “turtlehead” with a lobed lower lip, bearded with yellow hairs and a long, white, slender, curved pistil.   Ovate, coarsely-toothed, glossy, pointed leaves remain dark green in colour throughout the season. Flowers in August through October.  A meadow or woodland welcomed late-bloomer.  Moist soil.  Sun/partial shade.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Tradescantia virginiana

Family: Commelinaceae

(P) to 3′.  Virginia Spiderwort, Spider Lily.  Eastern US.  This Spiderwort has three-petalled, blue-purple flowers with contrasting yellow stamens in terminal clusters above a pair of long, narrow, leaf-like bracts, each opening for only a day.  Clump-forming with multiple stems bearing narrow, pointed, olive green leaves.  A useful and robust perennial for native gardens, open woods and borders.  Blooms late sprint to mid-summer.  Sun to part shade.  Moist, well-drained soil.  3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Sanicula canadensis

Family: Apiaceae

(B) to 2′.  Canadian Black Snakeroot.  Eastern US and Canada.  This common woodland wildflower produces umbels of tiny five petalled, greenish white flowers with a green calyx.  Each umbel consists of one to four umbellets.  Each umbellet has five male flowers and two or three perfect flowers.  The perfect flowers are very short stalked and have a prominent ovary covered in rows of hooked bristles.  The green bristly fruit splits into two seeds.  Leaves are alternate and palmately compound with three leaflets.  Useful for naturalizing in woodland areas and native gardens.  Blooms late spring to early summer.  Shade to part shade.  Moist to dry, loamy soil.  Best sown in situ.

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Penstemon hirsutus

Family: (Plantaginaceae)

(P) to 2′.  Hairy Beard-Tongue.  A very hardy Penstemon that is native to eastern North America.  Lovely, dusky, pale purple flowers with white lobes add a subtle presence to the spring garden.  Leaves are lanceolate and acute.  Both leaves and stems are covered by very fine hairs.  Sun/partial shade. 3 & 6 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Gillenia stipulata

Family: Rosaceae

(P) to 4′.  American Ipecac.  A Southeastern United States native, producing loose sprays of starry white flowers atop wiry, red stems in midsummer.  Finely serrated, large, trifoliate leaves have distinctive prominent stipules.  Will tolerate a drier site than G. trifoliata.  A good fall leaf colour of rich red and bronze with persistent red calyces.  Well-drained soil.  Sun/partial shade.  3 & 6

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Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Triodanis perfoliata (syn. Specularia perfoliata)

Family: (Campanulaceae)

Native Annual to 18″.  Venus’ Looking Glass.  A charming wildflower that appears in waste places, disturbed sites, pastures, prairies, roadsides and railroads across a broad native range spanning from Canada to Central America.  Purple, five petalled, open bell-shaped blooms are ½-inch wide and arise stalkless from the leaf axils along the flowering spike.  Throats of the flowers are whitish and reveal a prominent white pistil.  The lower flowers never open and are cleistogamous, with self-pollination occurring in the closed flower.  Small, ¾-inch long leaves clasp and surround the heavily grooved stem (perfoliate), are broadly ovate, shiny green and alternately arranged.  Leaf margins are coarsely serrate to crenate.  Perfect for an open meadow with well-draining soil.  Sun.  4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Geum canadense

Family: (Rosaceae)

P to 2.5′.  White Avens.  North American native.  Basal rosettes are comprised of light green, compound leaves that are divided into 5 to 7 leaflets.  As the leaves ascend the stem, they become trifoliate and then simple towards the top.   They are coarse in texture, deeply lobed and serrated.  The ½-inch flowers have five bright white petals which alternate with five triangular, green sepals.  A central cluster of green carpels with elongated styles is surrounded by numerous creamy stamens.  After flowering the fruits form which are initially green, but eventually turn brown. These fruits are ¾-inch spherical clusters of achenes with persistent styles that are hooked at their tips, aiding dispersal. Geum is tolerant of juglone, the plant-produced chemical secreted from Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) and can grow happily beneath its canopy.  Another plus…due to their natural sweetness, the root of White Avens can be used to brew a cocoa-like beverage referred to as “Indian Chocolate”.  Summer blooming at woodland edge. 3 &T2