Native Plants

An uncommon, but beautiful native perennial, producing upward facing coral-red tubular buds that open to show off the star-like flowers with a creamy yellow to greenish yellow throat. The unusual flowers are produced in large clusters and are born from spring to summer. An easy and reliable, clump forming native that slowly develops into a mass of sturdy stems with nearly every one topped by a beautiful inflorescence. Winter dormant. Item# 467.

In summer arching spikes of showy green, flattened seed heads, reminiscent of fish hanging on a fishing pole, are produced which eventually fade to tan and remain showy until late winter or early spring. The seed heads flutter even in the slightest of breezes providing motion and interest for months. One of our most recognizable, useful, and adaptable native grasses, Inland Sea Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium, is a deciduous, small to medium-sized perennial that readily develops into a groundcover via both rhizomes and seed. Its shade and moisture tolerance lend it to use as a tallish groundcover in both full sun to lightly shaded, wet to average moist, naturalistic garden and landscape settings. The decorative seedheads are used both fresh and dried in cut flower arrangements and the foliage is utilized by the Northern Pearly-Eye, Salt and Pepper Skipper, Bell's Roadside Skipper, and the Bronzed Roadside Skipper butterflies. This rhizomatous native grass is widely distributed throughout the central and eastern US from near central and eastern Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas to Illinois, Indiana, and Pennsylvannia. Tough, adaptable, provides late summer, fall, and winter color, and it's deer resistant. Item# 13108

In mid to late summer large clusters of frilly deep purple flowers sit atop short sturdy stems that are covered in fine dark green narrow foliage giving this tough as nails perennial as soft pleasing texture even when not in flower. Iron Butterfly Ironweed is as tough as its name implies, even though this is a selection of a rare species, it can tolerate short periods of drought or periodic inundation with ease. A nice tightly clump forming perennial from the works of Dr. Allen Armitage and the UGA horticulture program. The flowers provide much needed late summer fodder for bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. Item# 10929.

Jacob Cline is one of the more reliable selections of Scarlet Bee Balm producing large clusters of brilliant red tubular flowers atop sturdy 3-4' stems in summer. Considered to be one of the most vigorous and disease resistant cultivars available. A clump-forming, slowly spreading winter deciduous perennial that enjoys moist but well-drained soils and ample sunlight. A hummingbird magnet! Item# 10541.

The top performer in both attracting pollinators and disease resistance in the Mt. Cuba Center's trials! Huge conical clusters of smaller than typical fragrant lavender-pink flowers are produced over an extended period beginning in midsummer and lasting into fall attracting a host of pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds, and larger bees. Jeana Garden Phlox is an exceptionally vigorous and free flowering selection of our native Phlox paniculata whose stems can touch on 5' by the end of the growing season. This is a hardy, clump forming, deciduous perennial preferring a full to mostly sunny site in an acidic, average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13194

A vigorous award winning Louisiana Iris, Jeri produces loads of large, rich dark purple flowers in spring that are sure to stop traffic. Its vigor lends it to use as a tall groundcover for moist areas or it will do just fine in average moist garden soils. Provide Louisiana Irises with a moist to average moist to moderately wet site for the best results in a full to mostly sunny position. In average moist sites consider providing midday or filtered shade. Louisiana Iris make easy additions to bog gardens and along ponds, lakes, or other consistently moist sites. Jeri Louisiana Iris won the Ira S. Nelson award in 1986. Item# 10488

Clusters of clear yellow 2" tubular flowers are held above the rich blue-green foliage of this selection of the tame native Coral Honeysuckle. This easily grown evergreen vine is an excellent choice for hummingbirds and butterflies that may produce flowers basically year round with peak flowering in early to mid spring as the Hummingbirds arrive. Item# 9574.

This easy Garden Phlox produces large domed clusters of dark-eyed, light pink, fragrant flowers on tall sturdy stems with mildew resistant foliage. The show starts in early summer and may continue nearly until the first frost with this reliable and fragrant Garden Phlox if deadheaded. Phlox is adored by butterflies and hummingbirds alike! John Fanick, named for the Texas nurseryman, is only one of a handful of Garden Phlox varieties recommended for southern gardens by noted Texas plantsman Greg Grant. Item# 10267

One of the top performers in Mt. Cuba Center's Monarda Trials! The dense whorled, almost ball-like clusters of 2" long tubular, fuchsia flowers are subtended by darker fuchsia and purple bracts. The flowers are supported on tall sturdy stems to about 40-48" high beginning in late spring to early summer and attracting hummingbirds, larger butterflies, hummingbird moths, and bees. Judith's Fancy Fuchsia Beebalm, a likely an offspring of a promiscuous Monarda didyma and M. fistulosa, is a taller growing cultivar that has proven to have excellent resistance to powdery mildew. This is a slowly spreading hardy perennial that generally prefers a moist to average moist, fertile soil, optimally in full sun with good air circulation. The seeds are also enjoyed by songbirds. Item# 12952

Kevin Matthews Louisiana Iris produces large purple flowers with contrasting golden daggers outlined in black along the outer edges of the standards. This is a vigorous and hardy Louisiana Iris that is part of the Fallen Heroes series hybridized by Lee-Ann Connelly, now Shearhouse, and marketed by Ag3 Inc. A portion of the price of each plant is donated to the Fallen First Responders charity that aids the children of both Firefighters and Law Enforcement. Multiplies readily in average garden soils, moist to wet soils, or they can be set in water gardens where the container is just below the water's surface. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Image courtesy of Ag3 Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12140

Clusters of pinkish purple flowers with a white eye sit atop sturdy stems and are borne in late spring and early summer. Kim Carolina Phlox is a slowly spreading evergreen perennial well suited to the front of the garden and its nectar rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds. A disease and mildew resistant easy care native. Item# 10913.

Voted in the top 5 by visitors in 2020 Echinacea trials at Mt. Cuba Center! Brilliant glowing orange-red rays that fade into yellow-orange pastels in late summer surround the dark orange rounded cones of disk flowers on the 3-4" wide flowers atop sturdy 18" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. KISMET® Intense Orange Coneflower is a hybrid Echinacea selected for its exceptionally long flowering season, brilliant colors, 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 for 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# 12784

#5 overall in 2020 Echinacea trials at Mt. Cuba Center! Intense raspberry red rays surround the dark orange rounded cones of disk flowers on the 3-5" wide flowers atop sturdy 18-24" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. KISMET® Raspberry Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season, brilliant color, extra large 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 for 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# 12785

The dark coppery to burgundy colored cloak of foliage is topped by a summer long display of large full light pink to near white flowers that are delicately marked with darker pink veining and a burgundy eye. A truly remarkable contrast that is impossible to miss in the landscape! A clump forming moisture loving perennial, Kopper King's compact habit and dark foliage make it a stand out when sited behind Louisiana Irises or next to the chartreuse foliage of Maui Gold Elephant Ears. Image courtesy of North Creek Nurseries. Item# 10925

Spring and summer offer up a mound of dark purplish-black foliage that covers up in late summer and fall with contrasting white daisies with a purplish-red eye. The flowers of Lady in Black Calico or Woodland Aster attract a myriad of pollinators like bees, smaller butterflies, and other garden beneficials at a time when many are stock piling for winter. This is an easy and reliable clump forming native perennial selected for its deep dark foliage. Lady in Black Woodland Aster is tolerant of light shade but will have the darkest foliage where it receives the most direct sunlight. May reseed on exposed soils. Caterpillar host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12114

The culmination of years of breeding and selection, the LaNana Cypress was selected for its deep emerald green, fine textured foliage with excellent disease resistance and the trees produce no knees, have excellent vigor potentailly growing 4-6' per year, a naturally conical growth habit, are both salt and alkaline soil tolerant, and are drought resistant once well-established. Dr. Dave Creech of SFA Gardens, Nacogdoches, Texas in cooperation with Dr. Yin Yunlong and the Taxodium Breeding and Improvement Program at Nanjing Botanical Gardens in China have developed and selected this highly improved kneeless Cypress that was bred from controlled crosses of the Montezuma Cypress, Taxodium distichum var. mexicana, and the Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum var. distichum. LaNana Cypress, a.k.a 'T406', has proven to be the most popular of the resultant clones and has been trialed across much of the southern US. Image credit of Laurence Truett, SFA Gardens via Dr. Dave Creech, all rights reserved. Item# 10697

Multitudes of 3-4" wide golden yellow daisies with a tan to dark brown 'eye' sit atop sturdy 18-24" stems and are produced in late spring to early summer and may repeat if deadheaded. The Large-Flower or Rough Coneflower, Rudbeckia grandiflora, is a tough and easy to grow clump forming perennial that can produce 80 or more flowering stems per clump once mature. This is probably one of the most underutilized native perennials as it has one of the most uniform habits of the native Coneflowers, it is long-lived and it can tolerate the moist to wet settings of acid bogs as well as short periods of drought once well-established. This is one of the major components of our Once-Mown Meadows here onsite. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Deer and rabbit resistant and the flowers attract a variety of smaller pollinators. Item# 9885

From near white to lavender to rich purple long-lasting bracts subtend the whorls of tubular white, lavender, to purple nectar rich flowers beginning as early as late spring and continuing well into summer and into fall under good conditions. The stems are adorned with lemony to bergamot scented narrow foliage. Lemon Beebalm is a moderately drought resistant native annual species found throughout much of the central and eastern US. It readily reseeds on exposed soils and makes a good addition to naturalized areas like meadows, prairies, and roadside plantings. The tubular flowers attract a variety of bees, butterflies, as well as hummingbirds. Plants typically die after flowering and seed development is complete. Deer, rabbit, and pest resistant. Item# 11730

The variegated glossy arrowhead shaped foliage has dark green veining and lighter patches in between. The Little Brown Jug plant, Hexastylis arifolia var. arifolia, is a clump forming evergreen perennial native to much of the southeastern US as far west as eastern Louisiana (where these plants originated). It is typically found in shaded, well-drained sandy loam soils. It gets its name from the interesting purple to brown jug shaped flowers that lay on the ground at the base of the plant and are produced in summer. A member of the Aristolochiaceae family, Dutchman's Pipe family, but is not a host for the Pipevine Swallowtail as far as we know. Little Brown Jugs makes a nice addition to shaded gardens and can also be enjoyed as a low maintenance container plant. Item# 11766

This Black-Eyed Susan gets a gold star for flower power! An improved truly dwarf selection of the award winning Goldsturm, Little Goldstar Black-Eyed Susan produces loads of dark eyed golden yellow daisies on well branched sturdy stems beginning in summer and continuing into fall. All on a neat and tidy compact native perennial with deep green foliage that is deer and drought resistant once established. LIttle Goldstar Rudbeckia lends itself to use in formal settings, mass plantings, as well as for a bright spot of summer long color in less formal perennial gardens and landscapes. Image courtesy of North Creek Nurseries. Item# 10920

Golden yellow quilled ray petals surround deep brown-eyed cones. The unique flowers of Little Henry Sweet Coneflower are produced on many branched sturdy stems beginning in mid to late summer with the show lasting often into fall on well established plants. A compact form of Henry Eilers with sturdier flower stems and an earlier flowering time, Little Henry's poise and uniqueness lend it to use in smaller spaces but it is sure to make a big statement in nearly any garden or landscape. A clump forming, native perennial whose flowers attract a variety of garden beneficials. Image courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, www.terranovanurseries.com. Item# 10921.