Songbird Plants

3-5" green-yellow fruit with banana custard-like flavor, some say they are best after being frozen. Produces fragrant purple flowers in spring. A small native, normally understory tree, and is the caterpillar host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. Seedling grown. Plant two different varieties or seedlings for pollination. Item# 786.

Large 3" wide, deep blue, cornflower-like daisies are produced on sturdy stalks starting in late spring and lasting through much of summer on well established clumps. Peachies Pick is a dense clump forming and exceptionally long flowering selection of the Stokesia Daisy. Its dense compact habit make this the perfect Stokes Aster for gardens and landscapes. Did we mention that it doesn't flop like older cultivars? This southern selection originated from the gardens of and was named for Peachie Saxon of Mississippi. It originated to us from one of the people who helped to make it known to gardeners and landscapers everywhere, noted horticulturist and author Gail Barton of Meridian, Mississippi. Item# 10810.

A slightly more compact Joe-Pye Weed-like hybrid, in summer Phantom Eupatorium produces large rounded clusters of purplish-pink flowers that sit atop sturdy dark maroon stems adorned with large medium green Joe-Pye Weed-like foliage. This clump forming herbaceous perennial was selected for its shorter branchier habit, excellent flower power, and mildew resistance but in all other regards is very similar to its larger growing parent. At maturity Phantom Eupatorium develops into a large rounded perennial to about 5'x5' whose stems are topped in 12" wide clusters of nectar rich flowers for weeks attracting a bevy of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Provide a full to mostly sunny location and a wet to moist soil and can be used in bog gardens and near ponds or other water sources. Received 4 out of 5 stars in Joe Pye Weed trials at Chicago Botanic Gardens. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11976

3" wide creamy white flowers with a burgundy eye are produced from summer to fall on an upright growing perennial with small, trilobed, rich green foliage. The Pineland Hibiscus or Comfortroot is an uncommon native perennial Hibiscus found at the edge of pine forests, along rivers, and streams. It is not always long lived (3-6 years typically) but is certainly a worthy component of wildflower gardens, meadows, other natural settings, and near the back of the garden or landscape. Item# 9804

The golden yellow petals of this Coreopsis are typically marked with red to near maroon at the base of the petals creating a nicely contrasting dark ring in the center of the flowers. Plains Coreopsis or Golden Tickseed is an annual to short-lived perennial native species with fine deep green foliage and an open airy texture to the plant overall. The flowers are borne singly and in loose clusters over an extended period with the main flowering in spring and summer but this species may be found in flower during any of the warmer months of the year. This native readily reseeds and makes a good addition to naturalized areas like meadows and prairies. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, seeds are utilized by songbirds and other fauna, and Plains Coreopsis is used as a cut flower. Tolerant of a wide range of soil types but generally prefers a moist soil. Item# 11621

The dense spikes of pea-like blossoms are purple in bud, open to mauve, fade through light lavender and finally to near white creating a wonderful bicolor effect from the top to the bottom of the flower clusters. The flowers attract mainly bees. Plum Rosy Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of US native species (a.k.a. nativar), is a vigorous and heavy flowering selection of this clump forming perennial growing to about 42-48"H x 48"W. Baptisias are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide them with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12899

Deep rose pink, 3-4" wide, coneflowers are born in profusion on this well-branched and free flowering selection of Purple Coneflower. This 2010 AAS Award winner is sure to bring in the butterflies and will certainly make a statement for the garden! Item# 9844.

The tall sturdy dense spikes of rich purple flowers of this beautiful native wildflower attract loads of butterflies and pollinators in summer. An easily grown native perennial that also makes an excellent cut flower, fresh or dried. The large bulb-like corm will produce several flower spikes once mature. Best in average to moist soils. Item# 9559.

Over a long period beginning In late summer and fall these plants are covered with dark-eyed, bicolor red, orange, and golden yellow, 2-3" wide daisies that sit atop sturdy stems with the flowers providing pollen and nectar for smaller pollinators and other garden beneficials. Prairie Glow Brown-Eyed Susan offers more flowers over a longer period on sturdy disease resistant plants with improved vigor and branching on longer-lived plants. This is a heat and sun-loving, deer and rabbit resistant native well-suited to both the garden and landscape as well as in naturalistic settings. The Brown-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba, readily reseeds on exposed soils but is not aggressive or difficult to control. It prefers a full to mostly sunny position in well-drained, average moist to semi-dry soils. Ripened seedheads offer food for songbirds and small mammals. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12774

In mid to late summer and fall, large clusters of frilly deep purple nectar rich flowers are produced atop the sturdy upright 4-5' high stems. Prairie, Common, or Smooth Ironweed is a clump forming native perennial found in the central US and is common to moist soils but it performs quite well in average moist soils. The flowers of Ironweeds attract a variety of pollinators including bees and butterflies and the foliage of Ironweeds are considered a caterpillar host plant for the American Painted Lady Butterfly. Deadhead to prevent unwanted seedlings. Provide a full to mostly sunny position for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11758

Tops in Mt. Cuba Center's first Echinacea trials in 2009 and was still one of the top ten in the 2020 trials! It also garnered the most pollinator visits in their 2018-19 trial years likely due to its strongly fragrant flowers. Pure white rays surround the dark orange tipped rounded cones of disk flowers on the 3-5" wide flowers atop sturdy 24-30" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. PRAIRIE PILLARS™ Fragrant Angel Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that lasts from late spring or early summer often into fall, briliant color, extra large flowers, and improved branching habit over the original Mac-N-Cheese as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12787

Dark golden yellow rays surround the dark orange tipped rounded cones of disk flowers on the 3-5" wide flowers atop sturdy 16-24" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. Flowers may fade into pastel yellows after several weeks in hot summer conditions. PRAIRIE STARS™ Now Cheesier Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that lasts from late spring or early summer often into fall, brilliant color, extra large flowers, and improved branching habit over the original Mac-N-Cheese as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12786

Intense deep red rays surround the dark orange tipped rounded cones of disk flowers on flowers that can reach 6" across and sit atop sturdy 24-32" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. Flower color lightens into pastel shades as the flowers age. PRAIRIE STARS™ Tomato Soup Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season that lasts from late spring or early summer often into fall, briliant color, huge flowers, excellent branching habit meaning more flowers, as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12788

In warm orange and yellow shades, the large, fragrant, upward facing flowers are centered by a large dark, nectar rich cones tipped in dark orange and red tones and the ray petals tend to be lightest at their tips deepening into orange tones nearest their base. PRIMA™ Tiger Echinacea or Coneflower was selected for its compact mound of clean deep green foliage that is topped by by sturdy 12-18" high stems that flower for months beginning in late spring or early summer and continuing into fall. This is a hardy clump forming perennial that will do best in fertile, well-drained, average moist soils in a full to mostly sunny site. The compact habit of PRIMA™ Tiger Echinacea lends it to use as a container plant as well as in the garden and landscape. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Photos courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 13079

Deep dark red, nearing maroon, 2-3" wide daisies with a contrasting orange-gold eye are borne all summer long on this easy perennial. Red Satin Permathread™ Threadleaf Coreopsis, a hybrid selection from plant breeder Darrel Probst with obvious Coreopsis verticillata in its parentage, is a slowly spreading clump-forming perennial with excellent hardiness and reliable longevity, a long season of flowering, and the dark green, finely textured foliage has improved disease resistance. The upward facing flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Provide this Tickseed with an average moist, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries. Item# 10619

Extra large, reportedly to nearly 1/2" in diameter, brilliant red berries literally cover up this dwarf and compact deciduous shrub throughout much of winter and may last into spring. Red Sprite Dwarf Winterberry Holly, a.k.a 'Nana', 'Compacta, and 'Macrocarpa', is a USDA release that won the 2010 Holly of the Year Award from the Holly Society of America. This adaptable native shrub drops its foliage early to better show of its display of colorful berries. It can be used en masse to great effect, as a low informal hedge, or as a specimen plant near the front of the garden or landscape. Red Sprite is even small enough to enjoy as a medium-sized container plant. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moist acidic soil. Needs a male holly, of any species, for pollination that flowers at the same time. 'Southern Gentleman' and 'Apollo' are two males that are recommended. Item# 11887

Giant 6" scarlet pinwheels are produced throughout summer and often well into fall on sturdy stems with finely cut darkly tinged foliage. The Red Texas Star or Scarlet Swamp Mallow is a vigorous sun loving perennial which is native to the swampy soils of the southeastern US but is somewhat drought resistant once well-established in the garden. The brilliant red flowers attract a variety of pollinators including hummingbirds, bees, and the occasional butterfly. Item# 672.

Tall dense spikes of deep blue to purple, nearly foxglove-sized flowers are produced in summer atop the rosettes of deep green foliage. Rocky Mountain Penstemon or Beardtongue, Penstemon strictus, is a long-lived, evergreen clump-forming perennial that is fairly adaptable as long as soils have excellent drainage. It is typically found in the Four Corners region of the SW US with a disjunct population in W central California. Provide Rocky Mountain Penstemon with a sunny site in well-drained soils for optimum vigor and health. May reseed on exposed soils under good conditions. The flowers of Penstemon attract bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other garden beneficials. Item# 11929

Yes it fruits but it's fine textured evergreen foliage is fantastic! The bright pink new growth of spring matures to a dusty blue-green with hints of pink in summer, followed by deep purplish-blue in fall which deepens through winter. Clusters of 3/8" edible blue fruit that ripen in May-June, follow the light pink bell-shaped flowers of early spring. Rosa's Blush is grown mainly for its compact habit and beautifully colored, fine textured, ever-changing foliage as the berries ripen a few at the time over a long period. Pick the blue-black fruit once fully soft for the best flavor and like most blueberries a cross pollinator is required for the best fruit set. Item# 9206.

Clusters of 4" long deep red trumpets adorn this vigorous native vine throughout summer. Trumpet Creeper is an excellent choice for hummingbirds and we thought it was appropriate to name this naturally occurring Almost Eden selection after the Ruby Throated Hummingbird. Trumpet Creeper's vigor, tolerance of poor soils, and durability lend it to use in difficult sites. Use as an espalier, allow it to climb a sturdy fence, or cover an arbor. Item# 11373

A rare Rudbeckia that is native only to the Pineywoods of west central Louisiana and east Texas. The bright golden yellow 4-5" daisies are born on tall sturdy stems that are held above the rich green rounded foliage. The Sabine Coneflower is native to consistently moist to bog-like conditions and will probably fare best in a moist to average garden soil. Item# 9402.

3-4" wide light pink to purplish pink coneflowers with drooping narrow petals are held high above the foliage on sturdy 18-24" high stems. Flowers begin in May and may continue through August and they attract bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. The Sanguin Purple Coneflower is a taprooted, clump-forming native with an easy to get-along-with and tough nature. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9304

The top performer in Baptisia trials at Mt. Cuba Center where they report the plants produced upwards of 350 flower spikes per plant! Dense spikes of bright yellow pea-shaped flowers are produced above the neat mounds of bluish green foliage in mid to late spring attracting bees and other garden beneficials. Screamin' Yellow Wild or False Indigo, is an award winning selection of the native Baptisia sphaerocarpa, scoring a perfect 5 of 5 stars in the Mt. Cuba Center's 2012-15 Baptisia Trials of 46 cultivars. It sports a neat, compact, rounded to mounding habit and amazing flower power on a long-lived, clump forming, taprooted herbaceous perennial. Baptisias are durable, pest and disease resistant natives that are equally suitable for the garden or landscape as well as for additions to more naturalized settings like meadows, prairies, and roadside plantings. Baptisias, considered to be the Lupine of the South, are somewhat drought resistant once fully established but generally prefer an average moist, well-drained soil and are adaptable to soil types. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Baptisias are also utilized as long-lasting additions to fresh cut flower arrangements. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11653