Native Perennials and for Vermont Gardens

Biodiversity Notes (LF – Common Scientific Name Flower Habitat Notes larval food for moths and Name butterflies) Bees, butterflies, moths New England Moist meadows, open Aster novae-angliae Violet, rose; fall LF: Northern Flower Moth, woodlands, full- partial sun Aster Pearl Crescent New York Moist meadows and thickets, Bees, butterflies, moths Aster novae-belgii Violet, rose; fall Aster full – partial sun LF: Pearl Crescent Bees, butterflies, moths Flat-topped Moist thickets and meadows, LF: Harris Checkerspot, Aster umbellatus White; fall Aster full – partial sun Brown-hooded Owlet Moth Cardinal Wet meadows, stream banks, Lobelia cardinalis Crimson; late summer Hummingbirds, butterflies flower full – filtered sun Great Blue Wet meadows, moist thickets, LF: Dark-spotted Palthis Lobelia siphilitica Blue; late summer - fall Lobelia limey soils moth Bees, butterflies, moths, Swamp White and Pink; Damp – wet soils along forest Asclepias incarnata flies summer wetland edges, shores Milkweed LF: Damp meadows, forest edges Reddish-purple; late Bees, butterflies, moths Joe-Pye Weed Eupatorium maculatum and wetland edges, usually summer LF: Great Tiger Moth full sun Bees, butterflies LF: Wavy-lined Emerald Variety of open habitats with White Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum White; late summer Moth, moist – wet soils and full sun Curve-lined Angle Moth Wild Hummingbirds, bees, Woodland edges, thickets, dry Bergamot, Monarda fistulosa Lilac; summer butterflies forest openings Bee-balm LF: Hermit Sphinx Woodland Yellow, 2-4” wide;late Dry forest openings and Bees Helianthu divaricatus Sunflower summer edges. LF: Sunflower Borer Moth Obedient Pink, white; late Somewhat dry – wet open Physostegia virginiana Butterflies summer meadows, forest edges Hummingbirds, bees, White Moist forest openings and butterflies, LF: Baltimore White; late spring similar sites with partial Checkerspot, Beardtongue shade Confused Haploa moth Wild Red and yellow; late Well-drained, neutral soils in Hummingbirds, bees Aquilegia canadensis Columbine spring open woodlands, ledges LF: Columbine Dusky Wing Blue Vervain Verbena hastata Dark blue; late summer Moist – wet meadows, edges Bees, butterflies Monkey Open wet meadows, wetland Butterflies, moths Mimulus ringens Violet; summer Flower edges LF: Baltimore Checkerspot Golden Moist meadows, open Bees, flies Zizia aurea Yellow; late spring Alexanders woodlands LF: Black Swallowtail Moist to wet edges of Bees Turtlehead glabra White; late summer swamps, banks, pond shores LF: Baltimore Checkerspot in partial – full sun Purplish-red; late Moist – wet meadows, Water Avens Geum rivale Bees, flies, beetles spring swamp edges Moist meadows, prairies, Coneflower* Echinacea purpurea Dark rose; summer Bees, butterflies woodland openings Well-drained, sandy soils of Bees, butterflies, moths Butterflyweed* Asclepias tuberosa Orange; summer woodland edges, fields LF: Monarch butterfly Black-eyed Gold and brown; Rudbeckia hirta Wide variety of open habitats Bees, butterflies, beetles Susan* summer Moist soils in wet meadows, Blazing Star* Liatris spicata Pink-purple; summer Butterflies, moths wetland edges Jack-in-the- Green and brown; LF: Pink-legged Tiger Arisaema triphyllum Moist, rich woodlands Pulpit spring Moth Yellow-brown; Wild Ginger Asarum canadense Rich woodlands, Beetles spring White; late spring - Partial sun – shade; moist Bunchberry Cornus canadensis Bees, flies summer forests, stream banks Twinflower Linnaea borealis Pinkish-white; spring Moist – dry, cool woodlands Bees Wild Greenish-white in Moist to dry, mostly Aralia nudicaulis LF: Spring Azure butterfly Sarsaparilla umbels deciduous woodlands Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia White; spring Rich woodlands Bees, bee flies Woodland Rich woodlands, partial sun - Phlox divaricata Violet Butterflies, moths Phlox shade Often the first flower to Sanguinaria White; Bees Bloodroot appear. Leaves up to 10” canadensis 1- ½” wide Seeds ant-dispersed. across. Purple Maroon, petals From seed requires 3-7 years Bees, beetles, flies Trillium; Trillium erectum ½-1½” long for Seeds ant-dispersed. Wake-robin White, showy, petals up Bare-root for sale are Bees, beetles, flies White Trillium Trillium grandiflorum to 2 ½” wild-collected. Seeds ant-dispersed. Blue, pink or white, ½- Hepatica Hepatica americana May flower before snow melt. Bees 1” wide Does best on limey soils; Caulophyllum Yellow-green, ½” wide produces blackish-blue fruits. Blue Cohosh Moths thalictroides in terminal cluster. Difficult from seed and uncommon in trade. Viola canadensis; White, blue, purple Violet papilionacea, labridorica, Depends on Bumble bees depending on species. and others Shrubs LF: Sweetfern Underwing, Open sandy sites, mildly Sweet- Inconspicuous Red-fringed Emerald, & acidic soils many other moths. American black Clusters of white Sambucus canadensis flowers, late summer Sun to partial sun Birds favor fruits elderberry purple black berries

Serviceberry White blooms in early Amelanchier Canadensis spring; red edible fruits Partial sun to sun Birds favor fruits in June white flowers tinged One of most copious nectar Highbush with pink flowers in producers. LF: Spring Vaccinium corymbosum spring, edible fruits late Sun to partial shade azure, Hummingbird blueberry summer, red foliage in clearwing, Brown elfin and the fall Striped Hairstreak. White flowers, clusters Beetles, flies. LF: Coral Black of purplish black fruit; Aronia melanocarpa Sun to partial sun hairstreak and Striped striking red/orange fall chokeberry hairstreak. foliage White flat flowers May Birds eat small brown Winterberry - June; Maroon fall Ilex verticillata Sun to shade capsule seeds. LF: Unicorn foliage and bright red caterpillar. persistent berries

*Native to Northeast, but not Vermont. This list was developed in collaboration with botanist Bob Popp, Vermont Fish & Wildlife and Richard Enser, Consulting Conservation Biologist. For more information on gardening with natives check out www.beplantwise.org and www.newfs.org. The following books and websites are also excellent resources. Trees, Shrubs and Vines for Attracting Birds by Richard DeGraaf; Bringing Nature Home by Douglas Tallamy www.bringingnaturehome.net; Native Plants of the Northeast, Donald Leopold; Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, Carolyn Summers; the Pollinator Partnership http://www.pollinator.org/; Butterflies and Moths of North America http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/. Go to http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ for more on gardening for birds.