Plant List

Plant Give-Away List

The list below includes an image of each plant with information about light requirements, height, bloom period, moisture requirements, and general notes.

The images below show mature plants. You will be receiving small plants that are primarily developing their root system. They may not bloom this year, but should take off next year and beyond.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 1-2 ft
Bloom Period: June-August
Moisture Req.: Medium-Dry

Deer resistant.
Beneficial to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Host plant for 12 species of butterflies & moths including: Monarch Butterfly, Unexpected & Delicate Cycnia moths, Milkweed Tussock Moths, Area Katydids

Has a thick woody taproot that goes several feet deep.
Difficult to transplant once established.
Not an aggressive spreader. Can spread by seeds if seedpods are not removed.

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 2 ft
Bloom Period: May-June
Moisture Req.: Medium Dry-Dry

Deer resistant
Beneficial for goldfinches, bees, and butterflies.
Host plant for 6 species of moths including: Dimorphic Gray, Wavy-Lined Emerald, Common Tan Wave
63 native specialist bees prefer this flower!
The root system is fibrous and short rhizomatous. Dense colonies of plants may form from the rhizomes.
Easy to grow and drought tolerant.

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Mefisher (Public Domain)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 3 ft
Bloom Period: June-September
Moisture Req.: Medium

Deer resistant
Pollinator Magnet with a long bloom season!
Host plant to 3 moths including the hologram moth.
Leaves smell like anise and can be used for tea.
Has a taproot.
Spreads by seed. New seedlings are hardy and easy to transplant and share.
Easy to grow and very drought-tolerant once established.

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 3-4 ft
Bloom Period: June-August
Moisture Req.: Wet-Medium

Deer resistant.
Beneficial to numerous pollinators.

Host plant for 12 species of butterflies & moths including: Monarch Butterflies, Unexpected & Delicate Cycnia Moths, Milkweed Tussock Moths, Area Katydids
Sweet fragrance.
The root system is fibrous and rhizomatous.
Colonies of plants occasionally develop. Can spread by seeds if seedpods are not removed.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 3-4 ft
Bloom Period: Late June-July
Moisture Req.: Medium

Deer resistant
Beneficial for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and songbirds.
Host plant for several species of butterflies and moths including: Silvery Checkerspot, Blackberry Looper, Sunflower Moth
63 native specialist bees prefer this flower!
The root system is fibrous and short rhizomatous. Small colonies of plants may form from the rhizomes.
Very popular and easy to grow.

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 3-5ft
Bloom Period: June-August
Moisture Req.: Medium-Dry

Deer resistant
Beneficial to many pollinators

Host plant for 12 species of butterflies & moths including: Monarch Butterfly, Unexpected & Delicate Cycnia moths, Milkweed Tussock Moths, Area Katydids
Has a deep tap root. Check out this video on common milkweed roots: https://youtu.be/z5XdBxeKkOI
Choose location carefully, spreads aggressively by underground runners. Can also spread by seeds if seedpods are not removed.

Silky Aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum)

© Bob Held (rnheld on iNaturalist)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 1-2 ft
Bloom Period: September-October
Moisture Req.: Medium-Dry

Beneficial to late season pollinators and sparrows.

Host plant for 12 species of butterflies & moths including: Goldenrod Gall Moth, Blackberry Looper Moth, Dimorphic Gray
70 native specialist bees prefer this flower!
Root system is fibrous but occasionally rhizomatous.
Not an aggressive spreader but will spread from seed and occasionally will form a colony from rhizomes.
Worth growing for the beautiful foliage!
Develops slowly. Good drought tolerance once established. Does not tolerate taller competition.

Orange Coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Yann Kemper (Public Domain)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 3 ft
Bloom Period: July-Sept
Moisture Req.: Medium

Deer resistant
Beneficial for butterflies, bees, and songbirds.
Host plant for 23 species of butterflies and moths including: Silvery Checkerspot, Wavy-Lined Emerald, Dowdy Pinion
63 native specialist bees prefer this flower!
The root system is fibrous and short rhizomatous. Small colonies of plants may form from the rhizomes.
Easy to grow and drought tolerant.

Shrubby St. John’s Wort (Hypericum prolificum)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 2-4 ft
Bloom Period: June - July
Moisture Req.: Medium

Deer resistant
Threatened or Endangered in 2 states
This small deciduous, flowering shrub is loved by bumble bees. Watch this video of bees enjoying this plant: https://player.vimeo.com/video/133931621
Host plant for 23 species of butterflies and moths including: Gray Hairstreak, Wavy-Lined Emerald (cool caterpillar!), Burgundy St. John’s Wort Moth, Gray Half-Spot Moth
Slow to establish, but extremely easy to grow with a nice compact habit. Highly recommended for home landscaping.
The root system is woody and branching. Can spread by seeds.

Eastern Beebalm (Monarda bradburiana)

Light: Full-Part Sun
Height: 1-2 ft
Bloom Period: June - July
Moisture Req.: Medium

Deer resistant
Beneficial to numerous pollinators, including at least one specialist bee, hummingbird moths and hummingbirds
Host plant to 11 species of moths including: Hermit Sphinx Moth, Pink-patched Looper Moth, Gray Marvel Moth
Its leaves have a wonderful minty/oregano smell and, like leaves from other monardas, can be used to make tea.
The root system is rhizomatous Dense colonies may form from the rhizomes. Spreads less aggressively than other monardas.
Not as susceptible to powdery mildew as other monardas

Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus)

Light: Shade-Full Sun
Height: 18 inches
Bloom Period: May-June
Moisture Req.: Medium-Dry

Deer resistant
Beneficial to many kinds of bees and hummingbirds.
Host plant for 10 species of butterflies and moths including: Common Buckeye, Baltimore Checkerspot, Confused Haploa
The native specialist bee Osmia distincta prefers this flower.
The root system is fibrous.
Spreads by seed.

Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata)

Light: Shade-Part Sun
Height: 5ft
Bloom Period: June
Moisture Req.: Medium

Deer resistant.
Listed as Special Concern in Rhode Island.
Beneficial to bees and butterflies.
Host plant for 12 species of butterflies and moths including: Monarch Butterflies, Unexpected and Delicate Cycnia Moths, Milkweed Tussock Moths, area Katydids.
Has thick woody taproot that goes several feet deep.
Can spread by seeds if seedpods are not removed.

Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Alexis Garretson (Public Domain)

Light: Light Shade-Full Sun
Height: 2 ft
Bloom Period: May
Moisture Req.: Medium-Dry

Deer resistant.
Beneficial to hummingbirds and bumble bees.
Host plant for 11 species of butterflies & moths including: Columbine Duskywing, Pink-patched Looper Moth, Smoky Carpet Moth
Has deep fibrous roots.
Spreads by seed to form attractive groundcover.
Very easy to maintain once established. Will need protected from drought the first year.

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