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Scientific name

All plants reviewed by:

Mary Ann Fink

See a list of all our plant reviewers.

Plant
Comment

Ageratum houstonianum
floss flower
Annual Great cut flower. I use the one called 'Blue Horizon'.

Amaranthus caudatus
love-lies-bleeding
Annual May need staking. Also known as 'Love Lies A Bleeding'.

Acalypha wilkesiana
Jacob's coat
Broadleaf evergreen Deer resistant. Pinch tops. I like 'Haleakala' and 'Kona Coast'.

Ilex opaca
American holly
Broadleaf evergreen Pollution tolerant. Berries poisonous if ingested in large quantities.

Magnolia grandiflora 'Bracken's Brown Beauty'
southern magnolia
Broadleaf evergreen Best to plant these in the spring!

Allium cernuum
nodding onion
Bulb High in vitamin A.

Hyacinthoides hispanica
Spanish bluebell
Bulb First bulb in the Plants of Merit program.

Hymenocallis caroliniana
spider lily
Bulb Moisture tolerant.

Aesculus parviflora
bottlebrush buckeye
Deciduous shrub One of my signature combinations: this with 'Annabelle' hydrangea.

Aesculus pavia
red buckeye
Deciduous shrub Hummer magnet.

Aesculus pavia
red buckeye
Deciduous shrub Blooms at a young age.

Aronia melanocarpa
black chokeberry
Deciduous shrub Fruit tastiest after frost.

Callicarpa americana
beautyberry
Deciduous shrub Greek for "beautiful fruit."

Cephalanthus occidentalis
buttonbush
Deciduous shrub Tolerant of wide range of conditions--flowers fragrant.

Cotinus coggygria 'Velvet Cloak'
smoketree
Deciduous shrub Great color without insects and disease.

Fothergilla gardenii
dwarf fothergilla
Deciduous shrub Great companion for azaleas.

Hamamelis vernalis
Ozark witch hazel
Deciduous shrub Plant of Merit native

Hamamelis vernalis
Ozark witch hazel
Deciduous shrub Plants of Merit native

Hamamelis virginiana
common witch hazel
Deciduous shrub This native is admired in other countries as well--fragrant.

Hibiscus syriacus 'Diana'
rose of Sharon
Deciduous shrub No reseeding problems. Blooms most of the season.

Hydrangea arborescens
smooth hydrangea
Deciduous shrub Plant of Merit native

Hypericum calycinum
St. John's wort
Deciduous shrub Great for light shade. Trim once.

Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'
Virginia sweetspire
Deciduous shrub Plant of Merit.

Itea virginica 'Henry's Garnet'
Virginia sweetspire
Deciduous shrub Great choice for fall color.

Lindera benzoin
spice bush
Deciduous shrub Twigs aromatic when crushed.

Physocarpus opulifolius
ninebark
Deciduous shrub Naturally a good choice.

Rhus aromatica
fragrant sumac
Deciduous shrub Another "touching fragrance" mostly when bruised.

Rosa carolina
Carolina rose
Deciduous shrub Paster rose--spread by runners.

Rosa setigera
prairie rose
Deciduous shrub Its vitamin C content is 60 times greater than lemons.

Spiraea alba
meadowsweet
Deciduous shrub Uncommonly beautiful and just as tough.

Symphoricarpos x chenaultii 'Hancock'
snowberry
Deciduous shrub Attractive habit.

Viburnum lentago
nannyberry viburnum
Deciduous shrub Songbird favorite.

Viburnum prunifolium
blackhaw viburnum
Deciduous shrub Prune as small tree for best display.

Athyrium filix-femina
lady fern
Fern The lady fern--not high maintenace.

Osmunda cinnamomea
cinnamon fern
Fern You may already know it as a reliable ornamental but maybe you didn't know this is a native.

Osmunda regalis
royal fern
Fern This fern has two kinds of fronds.

Abelmoschus moschatus
musk mallow
Herbaceous perennial Heat tolerant - Bird garden favorite!

Agastache cana 'Sinning' SONORAN SUNSET
giant hyssop
Herbaceous perennial Bubble gum/camphor scent. 'Heather Queen' is a good one.

Alternanthera ficoidea
Joseph's coat
Herbaceous perennial Marginal/water plants. Try 'Red' or 'Yellow'.

Amsonia hubrichtii
blue star
Herbaceous perennial A personal favorite of mine.

Amsonia tabernaemontana
blue star
Herbaceous perennial Great for erosion control. Native.

Amsonia tabernaemontana var. salicifolia
blue star
Herbaceous perennial Narrower leaves--willow-like.

Anemone virginiana
thimbleweed
Herbaceous perennial Seed heads look like Q-tips. Not over vigorous.

Asarum canadense
wild ginger
Herbaceous perennial Not like the ginger in the grocery store but a drought tolerant ground cover for shade.

Asclepias incarnata
swamp milkweed
Herbaceous perennial The seed floss has good insulation qualities.

Asclepias syriaca
common milkweed
Herbaceous perennial Fragrant.

Asclepias tuberosa
butterfly weed
Herbaceous perennial The butterfly weed has an unfortunate name for a wonderful perennial.

Aster oblongifolius
aromatic aster
Herbaceous perennial Trim this back like a mum.

Astilbe chinensis var. pumila
Chinese astilbe
Herbaceous perennial Groundcover astilbe.

Baptisia australis
blue false indigo
Herbaceous perennial 2005 Cover girl for Plants of Merit

Callirhoe digitata
fringed poppy mallow
Herbaceous perennial More shade tolerant than other species--frequently foliage persists during mild winters.

Callirhoe involucrata
purple poppy mallow
Herbaceous perennial Explore ways to use this color.

Callirhoe involucrata
purple poppy mallow
Herbaceous perennial Plant of Merit native

Claytonia virginica
spring beauty
Herbaceous perennial A native bulb--sometimes difficult to get started but very durable once established.

Coreopsis tripteris
tickseed
Herbaceous perennial Great for songbirds and butterflies.

Echinacea purpurea
purple coneflower
Herbaceous perennial "Echino" is Green for hedgehog--referring to the disc's spiny appearance.

Epimedium x versicolor 'Sulphureum'
bishop's hat
Herbaceous perennial Cut back in early spring before new growth starts. Groundcover.

Filipendula rubra
queen of the prairie
Herbaceous perennial The Queen of the prairie does not require royal treatment.

Helianthus salicifolius
willow-leaved sunflower
Herbaceous perennial Cut in half in June or wrap stems around a post for a vine-less wonder that doesn't get out of hand.

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Sommersonne' SUMMER SUN
ox eye
Herbaceous perennial Perennial sunflower.

Heuchera americana
coral bells
Herbaceous perennial Where all the coral bells began and a great place to start.

Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles'
coral bells
Herbaceous perennial Better vigor than many of the other dark froms available.

Hosta (Tardiana Group) 'June'
hosta
Herbaceous perennial Good form--great show.

Liatris aspera
blazing star
Herbaceous perennial Butterflies love this late gay feather because it is such a late bloomer.

Liatris pycnostachya
prairie blazing star
Herbaceous perennial Hardy.

Lobelia cardinalis
cardinal flower
Herbaceous perennial Trim tips mid-spring to get more flowers.

Lobelia cardinalis
cardinal flower
Herbaceous perennial A place too wet for anything else is perfect for this plant--hardier than many cultivars.

Monarda bradburyana
eastern beebalm
Herbaceous perennial Not as delicate as it looks--bee balm family loved by butterflies and hummingbirds.

Perovskia atriplicifolia
Russian sage
Herbaceous perennial One of the most frequently planted perennials.

Phlox maculata
wild sweet William
Herbaceous perennial More mildew resistance than most present cultivars on the market and still fragrant.

Ruellia humilis
wild petunia
Herbaceous perennial Summer blooming beauty- each flower lasts a day. Re-seeds but not invasive.

Salvia lyrata
cancer weed
Herbaceous perennial A salvia for the shade--cultivars available but species has bigger flowers.

Sedum ternatum
three-leaved stonecrop
Herbaceous perennial A sedum for the shade.

Silphium laciniatum
compass plant
Herbaceous perennial Native.

Solidago rigida
goldenrod
Herbaceous perennial One of the best for butterflies.

Solidago speciosa
goldenrod
Herbaceous perennial Full heads of flowers--enough for everybody.

Talinum calycinum
fameflower
Herbaceous perennial A native that looks more it is from a marriage of a sedum and a poppy mallow--wonderful.

Thalictrum rochebruneanum
meadow rue
Herbaceous perennial Small footprint good for narrow places.

Tradescantia virginiana
spider lily
Herbaceous perennial A great and versatile perennial.

Tricyrtis formosana
toad lily
Herbaceous perennial Another of my signature combinations--this with purple-leaved heucheras.

Verbena hastata
American blue vervain
Herbaceous perennial A native with a presence in the garden.

Picea pungens 'Fat Albert'
Colorado spruce
Needled evergreen Small bird haven in winter.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
feather reed grass
Ornamental grass Slim profile and early bloom.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Adagio'
eulalia
Ornamental grass Great gumdrop form--use when defining space.

Sporobolus heterolepis
prairie dropseed
Ornamental grass "Showtime" flowering stage smells like popcorn.

Amelanchier arborea
serviceberry
Tree Year round display.

Chionanthus virginicus
fringe tree
Tree Blooming beauty at a young age.

Cornus kousa var. chinensis
Chinese dogwood
Tree Late bloom. Less disease prone.

Magnolia virginiana var. australis
swamp magnolia
Tree Scent of lemon pudding cooking on the stove.

Malus 'Mary Potter'
apple
Tree Feast for the eyes as well as the song birds.

Nyssa sylvatica
black gum
Tree Plant of Merit native

Aristolochia tomentosa
Dutchman's pipe
Vine Host plant for butterflies.

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris
climbing hydrangea
Vine Purchase plant in bloom.

Lonicera sempervirens
trumpet honeysuckle
Vine A honey of a honeysuckle with no problems other that some mildew.