White Oak is the classic oak tree.  It is a large, long-live tree found throughout the Eastern US.  A keystone species, oaks are host plants for at least 452 species of butterflies and moths!  More than 180 different kinds of birds and mammals use oak acorns as food.

Tupelo, or Black Gum, is a deciduous tree that is often found around ponds, lakes and swampy areas.  Tupelo flowers are an important source of nectar for bees, honeybees make tupelo honey from it.  Tupelos produce blue-black fruits that support birds.   During the Fall, its shiny leaves are striking reds and purples.  

These evergreen trees are very adaptable and can tolerate heat, cold, dry, wet, salt and windy conditions. The scale-like needles are attractive in all seasons.  In late summer and fall, female junipers have blue-green berry-like fruits, actually modified cones, that attract birds.

Easy growing light purple flowers bloom later in the season providing pollen sources for many bees and other insects.  Smooth Aster will flourish in mediocre and poor quality, rocky soils.  Works well in garden borders and neglected areas.

Forms clumps of stiff upright stems bearing flowers in a candelabra shape with a long bloom season.  Pinch the tops to encourage branching and a bushier growth habit.  Spreads slowly through roots and self-seeding. Use in moist sites such as around ponds and in rain gardens. 

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.