Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod Solidago caesia

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Blue-stemmed Goldenrod is one of only two native goldenrods that do well in woodland shade. The other, Zigzag Goldenrod, spreads by rhizomes and is more aggressive. Both are beautiful; take your pick.  The “blue” in the name is derived from the stems that may be blue- gray in mature plants. The flowers attract a wide variety of insects; it has been designated as a plant that is of special value to native bees by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Preferring light shade, Blue-stemmed Goldenrod can be added to open woodland gardens, borders, cottage and/or butterfly gardens. The plant is considered to be deer resistant, although deer may graze on the lower leaves.

Blue Vervain Verbena hastata

Bumblebees are important pollinators of Blue Vervain, “a plant that is of special value to native bees” according to the Pollinator Program of The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. IT’s always a pleasure to see the bees’ big, fuzzy bodies clinging to the delicate purple flowers. The plant readily self-seeds and prefers the wetter conditions of marshes, ditches, wet shores and stream banks—but in the Keweenaw it will do fine in just about any sunny garden.

Blue Vervain, also known as Blue Verbena, is an excellent native landscaping substitute for invasive purple loosestrife and purple foxglove. Deer avoid it; rabbits have been known to nibble on young foliage. The seeds are a staple for small mammals and birds.

Cup Plant Silphium perfoliatum

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Cup Plant (or cupplant) is one impressive plant, maybe too impressive for some tastes, but with such magnificence, we thought, why not let you decide whether you want to chance it or not? Cup Plants can get eight or even 10 feet tall and maybe four feet wide, and you bet they reseed themselves. Why grow them? Birds love the seeds. Pollinators love the cheery yellow flowers. Birds and bugs drink the water that collects where the leaves join the stem (thus “cup plant”). It’s a great screen and a stunning presence in the back of the garden. And of all the plants you grow, Cup Plant will be the one that causes visitors to do a double take. It does prefer moist soil, and while it droops when it’s dry, it will perk right up after a rain.

Green-headed Coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata

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ound 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, 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.

Helen’s Flower/Dogtooth Daisy Helenium autumnale

This delightful plant loves full sun and all kinds of soils, doing best if they are damp. The charming flowers bloom en masse late in the season—maybe plant several together in a nice clump. The genus is thought to have been named by Linnaeus (the guy who began giving plants scientific names) for the world’s most beautiful woman, Helen of Troy. Legend has it that the flowers sprung up from the ground where her tears fell.

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.

Mini-Garden for Butterflies

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Our mini-garden for butterflies provides nectar and pollen over a long season. The garden features red milkweed and a variety of flowers that bloom from early summer till fall, giving butterflies nectar sources throughout the year.

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.

Red Milkweed Asclepias incarnata

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Also known as Swamp Milkweed or Rose Milkweed, Red Milkweed has a lovely fragrance and is a host for Monarch and Swallowtail butterflies. It’s flowers are less red than rose and are held above the plant, where you can watch pollinators of all stripes settling in for a banquet. Red Milkweed is happy in damp and will tolerate temporary flooding. But it is pretty adaptable; I’ve seen it growing in a hot, dry strawberry bed.

Riverbank Grape Vitus riparia Michx.

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First, the caveats. Riverbank Grape is a woody vine that can grow up to 50 feet by climbing trees and shrubs.  It can be aggressive along woodland edges and other disturbed areas where seed can spread. It can also sprawl 6 inches to 2 feet above the ground if not supported. If it climbs smaller trees, it can even shade them out, killing them. On the other hand, it’s a very valuable source of food and cover to many insects, birds and mammals. And if you have an old fence or rock pile that needs a makeover, this could be the solution. Riverbank grape is typically better behaved alongside shadier streams and in mature forests where it can climb big trees, not overwhelm little ones.

Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana

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Wild Strawberry is a great groundcover that benefits butterflies, bees, pollinators, and birds. It does fine in lousy soil and looks absolutely gorgeous in spring when the flowers are in bloom—a super early nectar source for native bees. Wild Strawberry can grow alongside taller plants and tolerate some shade later in the year. It also displays wonderful fall color.

The tiny fruit is delicious. But the birds will probably beat you to it.

Zigzag Goldenrod Solidago flexicauli

One of the few shade-tolerant goldenrods, Zigzag Goldenrod adds color to a woodland garden in late summer and early fall. The flowers attract plenty of grateful pollinators. In some conditions, it can spread with abandon: good for filling tough spots, not so good for less muscular neighbors. The seeds attract swamp sparrows and pine siskins.

Zigzag Goldenrod is easy to grow in average, medium soil in sun-dappled part shade and, as noted, spreads easily. The foliage may be browsed by deer, but if it gets up a head of steam, that may not be a problem. If that happens, everybody’s happy.

Big-Leaved Aster Eurybia macrophylla

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This is your go-to groundcover for dry shade in the Keweenaw, though it doesn’t mind water at bit. Big-Leaved Asters have large, heart-shaped leaves and blossom in partial shade. The plant is very beneficial to birds: seeds are eaten by song birds in winter, seed fluff provides soft nesting material, Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkeys eat the seeds and the foliage.

Big-Leaved Asters are a pollinator favorite and attract a wide variety of insects as well as feed the caterpillars of the Silvery Checkerspot and Northern Crescent butterflies. Nectar-collecting pollinators benefit late in the season when few plants are in bloom.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa

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Showy Goldenrod deserves to be planted a lot more than it is. This is one fantastic fall bloomer, flowering a little later than most goldenrods and thereby providing a late season nectar source for Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. It has a showy, feathery plume on a red stem and looks good paired with Black-eyed Susan, Stiff Gentian, Blazing Stars, and all by its gorgeous self.

Showy Goldenrod tolerates a range of soils as long as there is good drainage. The plant can be grown in prairies, fields, thin rocky soil and on dry, open, sandy ground. What’s not to love?