Wildflowers

Great food source for pollinators; not preferred by mammals. Native to moist, open-wooded areas. Large plant, with flowers lasting only a few weeks, but great foliage texture.

Plant with grasses or other tall perennials to help support the long, slender stalk. Fragrant seedheads. Seeds enjoyed by birds, especially Goldfinches. Visited by many small sweat bees.

An annual. A thin, upright plant with subtle beauty that may be best clustered together. It may reseed and return the following year in the right conditions. Flowers are open in the morning.

Unsure which species, but we think P. angulata, which is an annual ground cherry with a large taproot. Otherwise may be a rhizomatous perennial. Fruits are edible.

Pollinators love this plant! Strong mint fragrance. A study in KC showed that Pycnanthemum is one of the plant genera in our area that attracts the largest number of different bee species.

Long blooming plant, great for boarders. Host to the Common Buckeye butterfly.

Can take shadier and wetter conditions than Blephilia ciliata. A great, spreading, pollinator plant for your shade garden. Smells deliciously minty.

Blooms are cute as a button. Use in a consistently moist rain garden (doesn’t like to dry out). Can be cut back in June to produce a shorter, fuller plant. Deadhead for longer blooms.

Host to the hummingbird clearwing Hemaris diffinis. Often confused with common milkweed when it's younger. Popular with many small pollinators. Can be aggressive from horizontal roots.

Larval host for the Common Buckeye Butterfly. Grows well in hot/dry “bad” soil. Doesn’t compete well with aggressive plants.

The tallest Joe Pye. Typically avoided by mammals, but a favorite of many pollinators. May flop or you can stake it up.

Interesting leaf structure and seed pods.

You often find the seeds of this genus sticking to you after a hike – these seeds are eaten by lots of wildlife. Flowers of this plant aren’t especially showy, but the plant is great for insects, birds, and mammals.

Great plant for the pollinators; attracts several butterflies, moths, and bees. Can be aggressive. Deer/rabbit don’t prefer.

A forest species for your shade garden with beautiful structure and flowers for spring garden interest. Not preferred by deer.