Native Plants
 

New England Aster is large and showy, growing to 6 or more ft. in height. This perennial has hairy, clasping leaves that are arranged densely on stout stems. Showy, bright, rose-purple flowers with orange-yellow centers bloom in profusion in fall at the tips of leafy branches. Found naturally in moist open wooded areas, meadows, prairies, disturbed sites and stream banks. The flower color is variable, ranging from lavender to blue to white. A pink variety is sometimes grown commercially. New England asters will flower Aug, Sept, Oct until first frost. Its roots should be divided every several years to keep the plant growing vigorously. Host plant for Pearl Crescent and Checkerspot butterflies. Bees and butterflies frequent this wildflower. Fall nectar source for Monarch butterflies.

Butterfly Milkweed is a variety of milkweed that is native to much of the United States. This perennial wildflower grows to about 1 to 3 feet tall, depending on environmental conditions. This is the primary food plant of monarch caterpillars. The monarch population has been decreasing by 50% a year for over ten years, and having this plant in your garden can help! Beautiful bright orange flowers. These low-maintenance plants perform well on dry sites that have clay, sand, loam or average soils and are drought tolerant once established. Butterfly Milkweed is also deer resistant. The lifespan of this perennial is 4-5 years.

Purple Cpneflower Used for centuries by Native Americans for its antibiotic properties. Also used as a herbal remedy to boost the immune system. Carefree, easy to grow perennial. Can be divided starting in year 3. These plants have a long-life span, about 8 - 12 years. Hummingbirds, Butterflies and Bees love the big purple 3"- 4" flowers. Comes back year after year and blooms all summer into fall. Purple Coneflowers also make great cut flowers. Likes regular medium watering, doesn't like droughts or soggy conditions. Grows in clumps up to 24-60 in. tall and 18-24 in. wide.

Named for its tough stem, Ironweed has excellent upright form in the garden, 4-6 ft high and 1-2 ft wide. The intense purple bloom color stands out in the late summer landscape blooming July through September, attracting many butterflies and other pollinators.  Occurs naturally in moist soils and tolerates brief flooding, it grows equally well in most spoils here in TN. Ironweed is one of several larval host plants for Vanessa virginiensis (American Lady). It is also host to the Ironweed Borer moth.

A must to support the monarch butterfly population as this is a host plant for the monarch caterpillar. This perennial wildflower grows to about 3 or 4 feet tall and has large banana-like pointed leaves that grow adjacent each other on the stalk-like stem; atop the stem grows fragrant, pink flower clusters These low-maintenance plants perform well on dry sites that have clay, sand, loam or average soils and are drought tolerant once established. They are deer resistant as well.

Sawtooth sunflower is a tall, warm season, perennial which is a member of the true sunflower family. Bright yellow 3" blooms occur in late summer and bloom until first frost. This plant can reach 8' and makes a great green fence. Long Lifespan. There are tough as nails and are pretty much carefree once established.

Showy Goldenrod is a late bloomer, providing blooms and nectar late into the fall season when much of the landscape has stopped producing for the year, making it an important variety in any ecosystem. The Native Americans and settlers used it for healing and for a yellow dye. Thomas Edison extracted rubber from its leaves and invented a good rubber substitute. Showy Goldenrod thrives in full sun to partial shade and grows to be about 5’ tall, making it great for a larger meadow or border planting. This native wildflower attracts a variety of pollinators to the late season garden.

Yarrow is a graceful perennial wildflower which produces an abundance of huge, flat clusters, 5 in. across and packed with 20-25 creamy-white flowers. Butterfly and Bee attractor! Deer and rabbit resistant. Very easy to grow, even in containers or small flower beds.  Yarrow gets about 24" tall and has 4" clusters of very small white flowers with yellow centers. Also comes in other colors such as red, yellow, and pink. Yarrow has a long-life span(7-10+years). Drought tolerant and pretty much carefree after established. Prefers sandy well drained soil but will grow just about anywhere that has full sun and isn't soggy.

The beautiful berries putting on a brilliant fall-to-winter show, this shrub holds up to its name. The beautyberry is low-maintenance, easy to grow, and a magnet for birds during the cold months. Full sun to partial shade. 4-6 feet tall and wide. Produces bright magenta berries in fall and winter. Attracts 40 different bird species. Displays small, pollinator-friendly flowers that are light lavender to pink from June to August.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a great addition to your rain garden, pond edge, or marshy areas. Happy to grow with wet feet, it has a long bloom time and is a pollinator magnet when in bloom! Buttonbush is a handsome ornamental suited to wet soils and is also a honey plant. Ducks and other water birds and shorebirds consume the seeds. Best in part shade. Buttonbush typically grows up to 6 to 8 feet tall and wide

Southern Bush Honeysuckle is a compact, low-growing deciduous shrub that matures to 5 feet high and 5 feet wide. The plant thrives in windy, sunny, dry sites where other plants won't grow and is native to the slopes, and stream banks of the Great Smoky Mountains and the southern Appalachian Mountains. It spreads by suckers and will form thickets, which makes it ideal for stabilizing banks or using as a ground cover. The dark green leaves have red veins and the trumpet-shaped Sulphur-yellow blooms flower all summer. Full sun to light shade. Low maintenance.  

Note:  Do not confuse this choice, native shrub with the wild honeysuckle bush, Lonicera tartarica, or the Japanese honeysuckle vine, both of which are invasive exotics.

Common Milkweed is native to much of the United States. A must for supporting monarch butterfly populations as milkweed is the host plant for them. This perennial wildflower grows to about 2 to 4 feet tall. It displays long-lasting clusters of medium sized dome-shaped light pink/purple flowers. These low-maintenance plants perform well on dry sites that have clay, sand, loam or average soils and are drought tolerant once established. Common Milkweed is also deer resistant.

This is a pollinator magnet! Attracts more pollinators than any other plant in the Southeast. Easy to grow and extremely hardy. Mature plants are drought tolerant and are not picky about soils. These will grow just about anywhere with filtered sunlight to full sun. They get about 3 ft tall and 1 1/2 ft wide. The blooms are a dense cluster of small white flowers that appear in June, July, August and September. There very fragrant and attract all pollinators. The leaves and flowers can be used fresh or dried, as a herb or in tea. Pretty much carefree after established. 

Scarlet bee balm, also known as Monarda didyma, features brilliant scarlet flowers can be used to flavor teas or stunning cut flowers. Flowering starts in late June to early July to late August. Scarlet beebalm’s large, red, scentless, nectar-rich flowers are pollinated primarily by ruby-throated hummingbirds and butterflies especially fritillaries. Grows 2 to 3½ feet tall. Scarlet beebalm grows best in moist, fertile soil

Wild Bergamot aka Lemon Mint/Bee Balm/Bergamot/Horsemint. A showy plant about three feet tall with rose colored blooms that are very fragrant with a scent of lemon, which attracts a lot of bumble bees, hummingbird moths, butterflies and honeybees. From the mint family. Not real picky about soil. Grows anywhere it can get 4 to 6 hrs of sun a day. Medium water but will tolerate some drought. Does better with a little spotty shade through the day. Used in tea's, potpourri, dried flower arrangements. Also, a real medicinal plant that has holistically been used  infections.

Yarrow is a graceful perennial wildflower which produces an abundance of huge, flat clusters, 5 in. across and packed with 20-25 creamy-white flowers. Butterfly and Bee attractor! Deer and rabbit resistant. Very easy to grow, even in containers or small flower beds.  Yarrow gets about 24" tall and has 4" clusters of very small white flowers with yellow centers. Also comes in other colors such as red, yellow, and pink. Yarrow has a long-life span(7-10+years). Drought tolerant and pretty much carefree after established. Prefers sandy well drained soil but will grow just about anywhere that has full sun and isn't soggy.