Prairie Ironweed is another popular choice for moist gardens. The tall, purple flowering plants are loved by all kinds of pollinators. It even hosts some larvae such as the Parthenice Tiger Moth. This plant can tolerate occasional flooding, making it an excellent choice for rain gardens. Ironweed is perennial and may self-seed into the garden, spreading over time. The bitter foliage is unpalatable to mammals, including deer. (photo by nativegardeners.com)

White Avens is a great choice for moist, shaded gardens. It can tolerate increased sun with increased moisture. It may tolerate temporary dryness. The flowers attract pollinators, and the seeds are eaten by songbirds. The seedheads have curved barbs and may stick to clothing or fur. May have a weedy tendency in an area that is regularly disturbed. 

Silky Dogwood, or Kinnikinnik, is a deciduous shrub that thrives in moist, well-drained soils. It can tolerate any amount of sunlight, but will require mulch and increased moisture in full sun conditions. This shrub is the host plant for the Azure butterfly, and its nectar is enjoyed by many pollinators. The fruits that follow are attractive, drooping clusters that start white and ripen to a deep blue. These drupes are eaten by birds from late summer to early fall, and are edible to humans. They are more often used in cooking than eaten raw.

Great Blue Lobelia is a great choice for shaded gardens. It may also be planted in full sun if the soil is kept moist. This wildflower prefers consistent moisture, and is a good choice for rain gardens. The beautiful blue flowers bloom from midsummer to early fall, attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Toxic if eaten.

The Swamp Sunflower, as the name implies, is grown best in wet soil. It is a good addition to a rain garden. It grows up to 6 feet tall and blooms from mid-summer to first frost. This sunflower is an important ecological resource for many pollinators and birds. It is the host plant for butterflies such as the Painted Lady, and is an important nectar source for Monarchs migrating south. The seeds are eaten by birds, helping to sustain them over the winter. Safe for pets.

Coastal Plains Joe Pye Weed is an herbaceous perennial that can grow up to 5 feet tall. This is one of the smaller plants in the genus. It is loved by all kinds of pollinators, such as Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Carpenter Bees. The pale pink to purple flowers open late summer to early fall, and the fruit that follows is nutritious for songbirds before winter. It is tolerant of deer, salt, and high moisture, being found in the wild in coastal swamps. The leaves will crisp if allowed to dry out. Safe for pets.

The Sensitive Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista nictitans, is an annual wildflower in the Legume family, Fabaceae. In the wild, this legume grows with native grasses such as Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, and Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans. The yellow flowers are loved by pollinators, and the nutritious seeds are eaten by birds such as the Eastern Mourning Dove and the Eastern Meadowlark. It is the host plant for the Little Sulphur and Cloudless Sulphur. It readily reseeds, providing food and habitat to native fauna for many years.

Purple Milkweed is a threatened species in New York State (S2/S3 status).  Its beautiful purple flowers make it distinctive from other milkweed species.  As with other milkweeds, it hosts Monarch butterflies, is deer resistant, and thrives in full sun.

These seeds were collected from the NYC Highline and donated to LINPI for propagation.

Also known as Hardhack, Steeplebush is an upright bush found in wet prairies and meadows, and around marshes.  Our native alternative to the Japanese spiraea, Steeplebush develops multiple spires of pinkish-purple flowers from July through September. Its foliage turns bright reddish-gold in Fall. A good addition to raingardens, Steeplebush is the host plant for the Columbia silkmoth.

One of the quintessential goldenrods in our wild areas.  Tall Goldenrod is also called Late Goldenrod, and blooms later than most other of its cousins.  It grows quickly and spreads both by seed and rhizomes to form colonies.  Its large clusters of yellow blooms are a great source of pollen for bees and butterflies.