Drought-Tolerant Native

NC Wildflowers Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) – single, terminal, Climbing Aster (Ampelaster yellow flower head carolinianus) – a climbing aster with lilac-colored flowers from mid-October Stiff-leaf aster (Ionactis linari- through November ifolius) – small composite flowers; pale blue-purple “petals” around a yellow- Butterfly Milkweed (Ascle- disk pias tuberosa) – orange flowers; nectar and food for the monarch butterfly Scaly Blazing-star (Liatris spicata) – magenta-purple flowers clus- Carolina Wild Indigo (Bap- tered along a slender stem tisia cinerea) – yellow flowers Carolina Lily ( michauxii) Baptisia hybrids – various – showy orange flowers colors, from blue to white Eastern False-aloe (Man- Golden-aster freda virginica) – succulent with pale (Chrysopsis mariana) – many cheerful yellow-green flowers; sometimes sold as yellow flowers Agave virginica American-dittany (Cunila Southern Sundrops (Oeno- origanoides) – blue flowers thera fruticosa) – clear yellow flowers; Purple Coneflower (Echina- attractive evergreen rosette cea purpurea) – as the name says, purple Eastern Prickly-pear (Opun- flowers; butterflies love this long-bloom- tia humifusa) – a native cactus with ing perennial yellow flowers Northern Rattlesnake- Wild Quinine (Parthenium integri- master (Eryngium yuccifolium) – stiff folium) – white flowers foliage and white flowers in spherical, thistle-like heads Downy Phlox (Phlox pilosa) – pink flowers Heart’s-a-bustin’ (Euonymous americanus) – inconspicuous flowers but Narrowleaf Silkgrass the unusual pink fruit capsule, resem- (Pityopsis graminifolia) – not a grass but bling a strawberry, opens up in fall to a member of the aster family; has a ten- reveal large orange seeds dency to spread on well-drained soils Purple-disk Sunflower Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia (Helianthus atrorubens) – yellow flower hirta) – large yellow flower (actually a heads w/ purple center flower head) with dark-brown central disk; short lived perennial that re-seeds

6 carrborocitizen.com + MARCH 2008 going native Drought-Tolerant Native Plants

Starry Rosinweed (Silphium Hairgrass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) asteriscus var. laevicaule) – tall plant with – a clump-forming grass with flower/ bright yellow composite flowers seed heads that turn pink to purplish- red later in the season Anise-scented Goldenrod (Solidago odora) – leaves are anise-scent- Switchgrass – (Panicum virgatum ed when crushed; bright yellow flowers and its cultivars) – ornamental, clump- forming grass Eastern Silvery American- aster (Symphyotrichum concolor) Indian-grass (Sorghastrum – pinkish-purple composite flowers nutans) – light-brown flower panicles with yellow stamens rise well above the Large-flower American- foliage in late summer; blue-green leaves aster (Symphyotrichum grandiflorum) turn golden yellow in fall – light to reddish-purple composite flow- ers with yellow to reddish-yellow disk Hairy-stem Spiderwort NC shrubs (Tradescantia hirsuticaulis) – bluish-purple -tea (Ceanothus flowers americanus) – small shrub with panicles of small white flowers; deep-purple fruit in fall Adam’s Needle ( filamento- sa) – margins of the clumped, evergreen, Shrubby St. John’s-wort straplike leaves sport curly “filaments”; (Hypericum prolificum) – compact de- waxy white flowers on a tall stem ciduous shrub with bright yellow flowers emerging from the center of the clump Sweetspire (Itea virgi- nica) –fragrant clusters of creamy white NC grasses flowers; late-season red foliage Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerar- Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromat- dii) – a grass with foliage that changes ica) – tall deciduous shrub with glossy from blue-green, to green, to red, to green foliage in summer and spectacular bronze with lavender tones through the color in fall seasons Highbush Blueberry (Vac- cinium corymbosum) – white, bell-like flowers and edible fruit!

source Botanical Garden, UNC–Chapel Hill, CB 3375, Totten Center, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 919-962-0522 www.ncbg.unc.edu

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