Showy flowers and drought tolerance, make this a desirable plant. Numerous short stems with a mound of flowers. Colors range from deep lavender, pinks, whites and blue, with a yellow central disk. It prefers acid soils in mixed woods of hickory, pine, and oak, but can grow in open habitats. 

Drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing, this plant is a high-value wildlife plant and is a host plant for butterflies, a forage plant, a nectar plant for pollinators and seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals. 

American boneset, also called common boneset or American thoroughwort, is an easy growing, tall pollinator plant that loves moist, sunny areas.  It is easily identified by its opposite, stalkless leaves that are fused together across the stem, making them look like a single leaf that has been pierced by the stem.

A favorite of pollinators with huge, domed flower heads, Hollow Joe-pye Weed is a dramatic back-of-the-border garden plant. Found near freshwater pond edges, it prefers partial shade, and moist soil. Safe for pets.

Tall, upright stalks holding striking red blooms help Cardinal Flower stand out in a garden.  Its flower structure attracts hummingbirds.  Occurring naturally in wetlands, it prefers light shade to full sun and moist conditions. 

Adapted to coastal environments including dunes and edges of salt marshes, it can tolerate dry conditions and salt spray.  The flowers are an important energy source for monarch butterflies in their fall migration.

This goldenrod has fine hairs covering its very leafy stems. It is relatively shorter than its other goldenrod cousins.  It is drought-tolerant and common in well-drained, sunny locations. Downy goldenrod is an excellent late-season nectar and pollen source for a wide variety of pollinators.

A highly ornamental bunchgrass with fine-textured foliage that forms dense mounds with slender blue-green stems. It becomes striking mahogany-red in the fall with white, shining seed tufts. Drought tolerant, it performs best in full sun.  Also, is a host plant to several butterfly species (skippers) including the common wood nymph.

When mass planted, it is an effective ornamental grass owing to its reddish-purple inflorescence (seed head). The plant turns brown in fall.  Found in a variety of habitats including old fields, prairies, open woods, and roadsides. It is tolerant of road salt.

A beautiful warm-season grass with striking form and coloring. It has erect broad blue-green leaves and tall, plume-like, soft, golden-brown seed heads. This showy perennial’s fall color is deep orange to purple.