Fast growing, generally pest and disease-free, and drought-tolerant. Colonies are often single-sexed, formed from a single, suckering parent. Only female plants produce flowers and berries. Leaves are extremely colorful in the fall.

This plant is prized for its long bloom season, and is good for naturalizing or in a rain garden. Has a minty aroma when crushed.  Can spread aggressively.

An easily grown, attractive, deciduous vine. In the fall, the leaves turn  bright red and make a showy contrast with its blue berries. Unlike some climbing vines, it adheres via adhesive discs rather than penetrating rootlets. Will easily climb deer netting. May be grown as a ground cover.

The leaves have a bluish cast in the summer, with finely-textured, pink-tinged, branched flower seed heads that hover over the foliage like a cloud. Leaves turn a bright yellow in the fall.

Super easy to grow and tolerant of most conditions.  Bright yellow flowers open at dusk and close by noon, hence the common name.  While each plant will only live 2 years, they will readily self-seed to create clusters of plants in successive years.  

This easy going shrub is semi-evergreen and its attractive leaves turn reddish during the fall. Its waxy yellow-green fruits are bird magnets and have been used traditionally to make candles.

Yes, Long Island has a native cactus! The Prickly Pear Cactus is a mounding, low-growing perennial found closer to the shoreline in sandy patches.  Easy to grow, hard to kill, and great for containers, too.  Be careful of the tiny hairlike spines when handling!  The paddles (nopales) and fruit (tuna) are edible and feature in Mexican cuisine. 

Our native iris is a showy, hardy perennial found around meadows, streams, ponds, and in wetter areas of meadows.  Its clumping growth and distinctive, yet familiar flower structure make it a wonderful addition to any garden.

Swamp Rose Mallow, one of our native Hibiscus, can be found in marshes, wetlands, and near ponds and rivers.  Its large white or pink flowers open consistently between 9am-11am.  Its seeds are a source of food for many birds and its flowers attract hummingbirds and insects.  28 species of butterflies and moths utilize this plant as a host.

Buttonbush is a shrub that is found on the edges of local ponds, swamps, and lakes.  Its unique 'button-like' flower structure lends to its namesake, and the subsequent 'nutlets' can persist through the winter.  An important source of food for ducks and other waterfowl in addition to being a good pollinator attracter.