| Scientific Name | Allium cernuum | Anaphalis margaritacea | Anemone virginiana | Aquilegia canadensis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | nodding pink onion | pearly everlasting | thimbleweed | wild columbine |
| Height | 12-24" | 12-36" | 24-36" | 12-24" |
| Bloom Time | summer | summer | summer | spring |
| Flower Color | pink/white | white | white | yellow/red |
| Habitat | rocky, open woods or prairies | dry meadows, roadsides, waste places | dry or rocky woods and wood borders | rocky, wooded or open hillsides |
| Features | Flowers in nodding umbel; may be rose or white. Best in moist humusy soils. | White, woolly stem with gray leaves and flat clusters of white flowers; drought tolerant and slow to establish. *(bf) | Up to nine 5-petaled flowers, 1" in diameter; 1" thimble-like clusters of seed. | Showy, drooping bell shaped flowers are red and yellow. May not flower first year or two; reseeds itself. *(hb)*(be) |
| Availability | specialty dealers | trade | specialty dealers | trade |
| Scientific Name | Arisaema atrorubens | Asclepias incarnata | Asclepias tuberosa | Aster azureus (or Aster oolentangiensis) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | Jack-in-the-pulpit | swamp milkweed | butterfly weed | sky blue aster |
| Height | 12-24" | 12-36' | 12-36' | 24-36" |
| Bloom Time | spring | spring | summer | summer/autumn |
| Flower Color | green | pink/white | orange | blue |
| Habitat | moist woods and swamps | moist meadows, river bottoms | dry clearings, roadsides, meadows | dry prairies, open woods |
| Features | Unique leaves create a hood for flower spike and attractive red berries in autumn. Needs constant moisture; amend clay soils with compost. | Grayish or deep green leaves; best in acidic soils. *(bf) | Showy bright clusters of flowers and dark green leaves. Requires well-drained soils. *(bf) | Does well in moist or very dry soils; shade-tolerant in dry soils. Green-blue arrow-shaped foliage. *(bf) |
| Availability | trade | specialty dealers | trade | specialty dealers |
| Scientific Name | Aster divaricatus | Aster ericoides | Caltha palustris | Chamaelirium luteum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | white wood aster | white heath aster | marsh marigold | fairy wand |
| Height | 12-36' | 12-24" | 12-24" | 12-36" |
| Bloom Time | summer/autumn | summer/autumn | spring | spring/summer |
| Flower Color | white | white | yellow | white |
| Habitat | dry, open woods | dry prairies | swamps, wet or moist meadows, water margins | moist meadows, fertile woods |
| Features | Purple-black branches; shade tolerant. *(bf) | Spreads by rhizomes to form short bushy clumps with small, white flowers. Withstands very dry soils. *(bf) | 2" flowers and basal leaves are shiny and succulent. Requires moist, organic soil; sun or partial shade. Tolerates standing water. | Separate male and female plants; densely packed 4-5" long, arched spike of flowers. Prefers shade. *(bf) |
| Availability | specialty dealers | specialty dealers | specialty dealers | specialty dealers |
| Scientific Name | Chelone glabra | Dodecatheon meadia | Euphorbia corollata | Gentiana andrewsii |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | turtlehead | shooting star | flowering spurge | closed gentian |
| Height | 12-36" | 8-20" | 10-36" | 12-24" |
| Bloom Time | summer | spring | spring-autumn | autumn |
| Flower Color | white | pink/violet | white | blue |
| Habitat | wet woods, water margins, bottomlands | moist, fertile woods, meadows or prairies | dry, open woods, fields, roadsides | moist woods and meadows |
| Features | 1" long flowers resemble turtle heads; grows best in full sun and moist soils. *(bf-l) *(be) | 8-20 nodding flowers in an umbel; spinach-like leaves disappear after flowers form. Grow on well-drained, shaded site with humusy soil. *(be) | Flowers in loose clusters; long, dark green leaves. Prefers sandy soils. | Dark, bottle-like flowers nearly closed at the tips, borne in tight clusters; grows in wet, sunny areas. Challenging to grow. |
| Availability | trade | trade | trade | trade |
| Scientific Name | Geranium maculatum | Gillenia trifoliata | Helianthus occidentalis | Heuchera americana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | wild geranium | bowman's root | western sunflower | alumroot |
| Height | 12-24" | 24-36" | 24-36" | 24-36" |
| Bloom Time | spring | spring/summer | summer | spring |
| Flower Color | violet/pink | white | yellow | yellow-green |
| Habitat | fertile woods or meadows | fertile, well-drained woods, wood borders | dry prairies | woods, shaded or rocky hillsides |
| Features | 1" flowers in loose clusters of 2-5 flowers; adapts to sun or shade. Best in humusy soil. | Large masses of star-shaped flowers; red calyces persist after flowers drop. Tolerates dry soils, but does best in moist, shaded areas. | Bright flowers on leafless stalks bloom for long periods in late summer. Grows in very dry soils; spreads slowly. Do not disturb in the wild. *(bd) | Handsome, deep green foliage mottled with purple persists into early winter. Best in humusy soils with good drainage. |
| Availability | trade | specialty dealers | specialty dealers | specialty dealers |
| Scientific Name | Iris versicolor | Iris shrevei | Lupinis perennis | Mertensia virginica |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | northern blue flag | southern blue flag | wild lupine | Virginia bluebells |
| Height | 24-36" | 24-36" | 8-24" | 8-24" |
| Bloom Time | spring | spring | spring | spring |
| Flower Color | violet | violet | blue | blue |
| Habitat | wet meadows, wetlands, water margins | wooded swamps, wet woods | dry, open woods and fields with sandy, acidic soil. | moist woods |
| Features | Grows in full sun or partial shade, but must have moisture. Tolerates standing water. Native to northern counties only. | Similar to I. versicolor, but has an orange blotch at base of sepals and smaller petals. More widespread in Ohio. | Pea-like flowers in upright clusters; palmately compound leaves. Tolerates dry, acidic soils. Do not disturb in the wild. *(bf-l) | Pink buds open to light blue, trumpet-shaped flowers. Gray-green foliage dies back by summer, creating potential voids in the landscape. |
| Availability | specialty dealers | trade | trade |
| Scientific Name | Phlox divaricata | Podophyllum peltatum | Polemonium reptans | Pycnantheum incanum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | wild blue phlox | mayapple | creeping Jacob's ladder | hoary mountain mint |
| Height | 10-20" | 12-18" | 12-15" | 12-36" |
| Bloom Time | spring | spring | spring/summer | summer |
| Flower Color | blue | white | blue | white/violet |
| Habitat | fertile woods, meadows | fertile, humusy woods and moist clearings under tree cover | moist meadows | woods and wood borders |
| Features | Fragrant flowers in loose clusters are blue, purple or white; prefers partial shade and responds to mulching. *(bd) *(hb) *(bf) | All parts poisonous except ripe fruit. Solitary, nodding flower beneath two glossy, green leaves ripens to large edible yellow fruit. Vigorous colonizer forms striking groundcover in shade. | Bell shaped flowers on a mounded plant. Does best in a moist, well-drained soil. Makes a nice groundcover. *(be) | "Powdered" leaves; flower heads aromatic when crushed. *(bf) |
| Availability | trade | specialty dealers | trade | specialty dealers |
| Scientific Name | Rudbeckia hirta | Rudbeckia triloba | Silene regia | Silene stellata |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | black-eyed Susan | three-lobed coneflower | royal catchfly | starry campion |
| Height | 12-36" | 12-36" | 12-36" | 12-36" |
| Bloom Time | summer-autumn | summer-autumn | spring | summer |
| Flower Color | yellow | yellow | red | white |
| Habitat | meadows, prairies, open woods | meadows, prairies, open woods | fertile prairies, open, dry woods | open woods |
| Features | Does best in well-drained, infertile soils--do not fertilize. Tolerates dry soils; reseeds itself. *(bf) | Plant blooms for two months or more. Acts as a biennial. Best in fertile, moist soil. | Bright red, short-stalked flowers; sticky hairs trap insects. Do not disturb in wild. *(hb) | Deeply fringed 1" star-like flowers on 2-3' spikes; excellent for woodland garden in full sun or light shade. Prefers fertile, well-drained soil. *(bf) |
| Availability | trade | specialty dealers | specialty dealers | specialty dealers |
| Scientific Name | Sisyrinchium angustifolium (S. graminoides, S. bermudiana) | Solidago nemoralis | Tovara virginiana | Tradescantia virginiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Name | pointed blue-eyed grass | grey goldenrod | tovara | spiderwort |
| Height | 4-20" | 12-24" | 20-24" | 8-24" |
| Bloom Time | spring | summer/autumn | -- | spring |
| Flower Color | blue/violet | yellow | -- | violet |
| Habitat | meadows, open woods, water margins, acidic soils | infertile, dry prairies or waste areas | fertile woods | wood borders, meadows, roadsides |
| Features | Deep green, grass-like foliage turns black when dry; flowers open in the morning. Prefers partial shade and acidic soils. Not a true grass. | A short goldenrod; does well on poor soils including sand and clay. Short-lived perennial. *(bf) | Attractive 4-6" long green leaves are marked with white or yellow mottling and a bright red "V." Insignificant flowers. Protect leaves from sun and wind. | A showy and interesting flower that blooms only in the morning and then wilts. Grows best on moist soils. Blade-like leaves. |
| Availability | specialty dealers | specialty dealers | specialty dealers | specialty dealers |
| Scientific Name | Trillium grandiflorum | Zizia aurea |
|---|---|---|
| Common Name | large-flowered trillium | golden alexanders |
| Height | 18-24" | 12-36" |
| Bloom Time | spring | spring |
| Flower Color | white | yellow |
| Habitat | neutral to acidic, well-drained woods with fertile soils | meadows, water margins, moist woods |
| Features | Best in moist, well-drained soils and shade. Add organic matter and water during dry periods. Do not disturb any type of trillium in the wild! | Thick, divided leaflets and flowers in loose umbels. Does best in wet or moist humusy soil. Z. aptera is also native. |
| Availability | specialty dealers | specialty dealers |
KEY: = RED denotes plant is toxic to humans. Features: *(x) = a food or cover benefit for...*(bf) = butterflies, *(bf-l) = butterfly larvae, *(w) = wildlife; *(bd) = songbirds; *(be) honeybees; *(hb) = hummingbirds. "Do not disturb in the wild." = plant is endangered (!!), threatened (!), or potentially threatened (.)