Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Impatiens pallida

Family: (Balsaminaceae)

(A) to 5′. Pale Touch-Me-Not. Native to eastern North America. A more refined cousin of our familiar orange Jewelweed but with shorter, spurred, pale yellow flowers. Blooms June through September. Just like Jewelweed, the seed capsules explode at a touch, making it a good self-sower. Sun/shade. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Lobelia cardinalis

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 3′. Cardinal Flower. An American native with racemes of brilliant scarlet, fan-shaped flowers. Green leaves remain basal. A “must-have” for the red bed and the woodland. Hummingbirds love their nectar. Moist soil. Sun/partial shade. 3 & 6A

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Lobelia siphilitica

Family: (Campanulaceae)

(P) to 3′. Great Blue Lobelia. A native of eastern North America. Clear blue, sometimes white, inch-long, fan-shaped flowers with small, white stamens bloom on dense racemes from July to September. Brings a feeling of coolness to the garden in the hottest part of summer. Moist soil. Sun/partial shade. 3 & 6A

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Monarda fistulosa

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 4′. Wild Bergamot. Distinctive, sweetly aromatic foliage reminiscent of Earl Grey tea with lovely pale violet-pink blooms in terminal clusters of tubular, lipped flowers. Usually found in dry open fields and meadows, so it makes a good plant for the wildflower or natural garden. Blooms midsummer. 3 & T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Oenothera biennis

Family: (Onagraceae)

(A/B) to 4′. Common Evening Primrose. Eastern North America. A lovely native plant with erect stems of alternate, olive-green, lanceolate leaves up to 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. Terminal panicles of pale yellow, four-petalled, heart-shaped flowers with prominent stamens and a long green calyx, bloom from the bottom up. The flowers remain open from evening to early morning, but will remain open longer on cloudy days. They have a mild lemony scent, and bloom from mid-summer to fall on mature plants. Long narrow seedpods develop, which split open from the top to release many tiny, irregular brown seeds making it a prolific seeder. Useful for naturalizing in wild areas where their seeds will be devoured by small birds, particularly finches. Sun. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

Family: (Lamiaceae)

(P) to 3′. Slender Mountain Mint. North America. A very aromatic plant with a peppermint scent and taste. Narrow, linear leaves. Flat-topped clusters of white to pink flowers. Long lasting and great in arrangements. A tough and easy plant to grow. Sun. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Ruellia pedunculata

Family: (Acanthaceae)

(P) to 3′. Stalked Wild Petunia. Solitary, pale lavender-violet, petunia-like blooms open in summer all along the leaf axils of upright, bushy plants. The paired, opposite leaves are a lustrous dark green. Sun/partial shade. 3 &T1

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Silene latifolia subsp. alba

Family: (Caryophyllaceae)

(P) to 2′. White Campion. Europe and W Asia. An elegant, full season bloomer for the wildflower garden or meadow. From a basal rosette of downy, grey-green leaves arise softly hairy, upright stems topped with cymes of mildly fragrant, soft white, five-petalled, notched flowers with inflated, purple-tinged calyces. Pollinating moths are attracted to the scented, white flowers in the evening. Campion is easy to grow in full sun and well-drained soil. 3 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Solidago caesia

Family: (Asteraceae)

(P) to 3′. Blue-stemmed Goldenrod. Eastern North America. A plant of the woodland edge and clearings. Graceful, arching, bluish tinged stems with small, golden yellow flowers clustered in the leaf axils. The narrow, dark green, lance-shaped leaves are sharply toothed and slightly hairy. Blooms August through September. Well-drained soil. Partial shade. 4 & T2

Scientific Name (Genus/Species): Tradescantia subaspera

Family: (Commelinaceae)

(P) to 3′. Zigzag Spiderwort. Missouri. Broader leaves and the distinctive zigzag stem set it apart from the old faithful T. virginiana. Terminal clusters of numerous flower buds open daily to large, violet blue, three-petalled flowers that are highlighted by the yellow anthers atop long, hairy, blue filaments. We cut the foliage in half after flowering to prevent flopping and encourage new growth and possible repeat blooms. After cutting back a viscous secretion is released from the stem, which hardens to become thread-like and silky-like the web of a spider. Ours is growing on the Order Beds in full sun and good soil. A long bloom time from May to August. 3 & T1