Golden Glow Rudbeckia laciniata

Found in damp, partly shady places in the wild, this eye-catching plant does fine in full sun with some moisture. The flowers, which look like shuttlecocks, float on the end of long, graceful stems. FYI, golden glow, aka green-headed coneflower, aka yellow coneflower, can grow to statuesque heights. It’s great for the back of the border or filling in a big spot with very little effort. It may droop in hot sun; don’t worry. It will pop right back up overnight.

Lance-leaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata

Lance-leaf coreopsis is the hands-down workhorse of the summer garden, throwing an exuberant display of flowers when it seems like every other plant has thrown in the towel. Dead-head to keep the show going on, and on, and on. As you would expect, lance-leaf coreopsis is not fussy. It just likes lots of sun and not too much water.

New England Aster Aster novae-angliae

Tons of gorgeous pink to purple blooms in the fall are a late-season godsend for butterflies and other pollinators. Good luck counting how many species you can find at one time nectaring on this aster. Can get tall and leggy, so if that bugs you, pinch back in early summer or put in the back of the border. Likes sun and partial shade and almost all soils, so long as they aren’t super dry.

Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirtus

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This beloved roadside wildflower tolerates nearly all sunny conditions. A biennial or short-lived perennial, it will return year after year if the seeds land in their happy place.

Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa

This dandy plant grows in miserable sandy soil in full sun; once established, it is hardy as stone. Beloved by pollinators and humans alike, its blooms are regularly bedecked by monarchs. Plant butterflyweed and help keep our favorite butterfly coming back year after year.

False Sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides

Easy to grow and very pretty, false sunflower loves sun and just about any soil or moisture condition, though it does appreciate a little extra dampness. It can form a focal point at the back of the garden and is beloved by pollinators and birds. Bonus! Beautiful sunflower-type flowers  without sunflowers’ tendency to spread.

Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea

The gateway plant leading to a lifelong addiction to native gardening. With a handful of other natives (black-eyed Susan comes to mind), purple coneflower can lure even the most conventional gardener to consider transforming a corner of their yard into a wild paradise. It’s gorgeous, familiar, adaptable, and well-behaved.  Not to mention easy to grow in average well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade.

And yes, even though purple coneflower looks like it could have leapt off the pages of a conventional seed catalog, it is definitely loved by birds and pollinators—not just us humans.

Pearly Everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea

This underused plant thrives in sun and sandy soil with a bit of moisture. It’s a great filler, and the blossoms are charming. It is a host plant for caterpillars of the American lady butterfly, but it can handle being munched on once it is established. These two species have known each other for a long time.