Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings Prepared By: Shawnna Clark and Kelly Gill 1 Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings in the Northeast US Soil Bloom Bloom Height Wetland Scientific Name Common name Drainage Seeds/# 5 Other Time2 Color (ft)3 Indicator4 Class Achillea millefolium yarrow july-aug white 1-3 WD-MWD FACU 180,000 low moisture needs july- Establishes quickly, fragrant showy spikes of flowers on upper Agastache foeniculum anise hyssop purple 2-5 WD-MWD UPL 1,400,000 sept stems, grows best in full-partial sun and dry-medium moisture Agastache purple giant july- purple 3-4 MWD-SPD FACW 1,240,000 attractive to bees and butterflies, birds scrophulariifolia hyssop sept june- Apocynum cannabinum Indian hemp white 2-4 WD-SPD FACU 500,000 extensive root system, aggressive and can become weedy aug One of the earliest wildflowers to bloom; striking red flowers with Aquilegia canadensis Eastern columbine apr red 1-2 WD FACU 504,000 yellow centers; grows best in partial shade and moist soils pink/ Asclepias exalta poke milkweed july-aug 4-6 WD-MWD UPL 48,000 great for wood edges purple branching habit; grows best in full-partial sun and moderate-wet Asclepias incarnata swamp milkweed july-aug pink 3-6 SPD-PD OBL 75,000 conditions; tolerates occasional flooding; great for monarch; high deer resistant, slow to spread common pink grows best in full sun and moist soils; but will tolerate a variety of Asclepias syriaca july-aug 3-4 WD-MWD UPL 70,000 milkweed purple situations; larval plant for monarchs, can spread quickly late grows best in full sun and dry-mesic soils; develops slowly butterfly Asclepias tuberosa june- orange 1-2 WD-MWD FACU 70,000 forming a long taproot; very drought tolerant, attractive to milkweed aug monarchs late may- purple/ Native legume; bushy habit; can be slow to establish; grows best in Baptisia australis blue false indigo 3-5 WD-MWD FACU 36,000 june blue full sun and dry-medium soils june- Baptisia tinctoria wild indigo yellow 2-3 WD-MWD FACU 300,000 very low maintenance aug 2 Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings in the Northeast US Soil Bloom Bloom Height Wetland Scientific Name Common name Drainage Seeds/# 5 Other Time2 Color (ft)3 Indicator4 Class nodding bur Bidens cernua aug-sept yellow 2-3 MWD-PD OBL 271,000 annual/short lived marigold Bidens frondosa beggar's tick aug-sept yellow 1-3 MWD-SPD FACW 145,000 annual may- Caltha palustris marsh marigold yellow 1-3 SPD-PD OBL 600,000 wet june Reseeding annual legume; easy to grow; grows best in full-partial late Chamaecrista fasciculata partridge pea yellow 1-3 WD-MWD FACU 65,000 sun and average to dry soils; avoid 'Lark' accession which can be july-aug too aggressive for mixes; Chelone glabra white turtlehead july-aug White 2-4 SPD-PD OBL 1,300,000 good for shady woods, and wet areas, attractive to butterflies Cirsium discolor field thistle aug-sept pink 4-6 WD UPL 95,000 short-lived, not aggressive light Conoclinium coelostinum mistflower aug-sept 2-3 MWD-SPD FAC 4,000,000 spreads quickly purple Easy to establish; adaptable wildflower; grows best in full sun and lanced-leaved june- Coreopsis lanceolata yellow 2-4 WD-MWD FACU 210,000 dry-medium soils; tolerates poor soils with sandy, gravely, rocky coreopsis july material june- Reseeding annual; grows best in full sun and moderate moisture; Coreopsis tinctoria plains coreopsis yellow 2-4 WD-MWD FACU 1,650,000 aug may compete during establishment, include in mix at low rate Coreopsis tripteris tall tickseed aug-sept yellow 3-6 WD-MWD FAC 210,000 prolific seeder pink/ Desmodium canadense showy tick trefoil aug-sept 2-5 WD-SPD FAC 88,000 legume, can become invasive purple 3 Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings in the Northeast US Soil Bloom Bloom Height Wetland Scientific Name Common name Drainage Seeds/# 5 Other Time2 Color (ft)3 Indicator4 Class panicled tick july- Desmodium paniculatum purple 2-4 WD-MWD FACU 140,000 trefoil sept Doellingeria umbellata flat top white aster aug-sept white 2-4 WD-PD FACW 860,000 grow best in full-partial sun and slightly wet-moist conditions pale purple light Echinacea pallida aug 2-4 WD-MWD UPL 90,000 coneflower purple july- Common, widely grown, easy to establish, grows best in full sun Echinacea purpurea purple coneflower purple 2-4 WD-MWD FAC 115,000 sept and dry-moderate moisture; very drought tolerant white- Eryngium yuccifolium rattlesnake master aug-sept 4-6 WD-PD FAC 145,000 Low moisture needs green july- typically forms vegetative colonies; grows best in full-partial sun Eupatorium perfoliatum boneset white 3-5 SPD-PD FACW 3,000,000 sept and medium-wet conditions pink- Eutrochium purpureum purple pye weed aug-sept 3-6 WD-SPD FAC 790,000 purple late aug- grows best in full sun-moderate shade and average to dry Eurybia macrophylla bigleaf aster purple 2-3 WD-MWD UPL 800,000 oct conditions, moderate spreading habit grass-leaved late aug- flowers bloom gradually, important late season nectar plant for fall- Euthamia graminifolia yellow 3-4 SPD-MWD FAC 5,600,000 goldenrod sept migrating monarchs, can spread quickly spotted joe pye pink- Tall plant; adaptable species; grows best in full sun-partial shade Eutrochium maculatum july-aug 4-7 SPD-PD OBL 1,500,000 weed purple and medium-wet soils; tolerates irregular or season inundation Native to mid-western states, but widely planted; easy to establish, june- Gaillardia aristata blanket flower red 2-3 WD FACU 160,000 grows best in full sun ; drought tolerant; use for added diversity in sept native plantings 4 Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings in the Northeast US Soil Bloom Bloom Height Wetland Scientific Name Common name Drainage Seeds/# 5 Other Time2 Color (ft)3 Indicator4 Class purple/ Gerntiana andrewsii bottle gentian sept-oct 1-2 SPD-PD FACW 9,000,000 medium water needs blue meadow bottle blue/ Gentiana clausa sept 1-2 WD-SPD FACW 2,500,000 gentian purple may- Geranium maculatum wild geranium purple 1-2 WD-SPD FACU 81,000 june common late aug- Helenium autumnale yellow 3-5 WD-SPD FACW 2,000,000 Abundant, grows best in full sun and medium-wet moisture sneezeweed sept purplehead Abundant, 3-lobed yellow petals and purple centers; grows best in Helenium flexuosum aug-oct yellow 1-3 WD-SPD FAC 1,900,000 sneezeweed full sun-partial shade and average-moist conditions Upright clumping form with late-blooming bright yellow flowers; Helianthus angustifolius swamp sunflower aug-oct yellow 5-7 SPD-PD FACW 440,000 grows best in full fun and medium-wet moisture july- Helianthus giganteus giant sunflower yellow 6-9 MWD-SPD FACW 160,000 large plant, small flowers sept sawtooth Helianthus grosseserratus aug-sept yellow 4-5 MWD-SPD FACW 270,000 sunflower Maximillian's Helianthus maximiliani aug-sept yellow 6-9 WD-MWD UPL 180,000 sunflower Helianthus mollis ashy sunflower aug-sept yellow 3-6 WD UPL 125,000 covered with hairs, spreads quickly woodland Helianthis strumosus aug yellow 3-6 WD-MWD FACU 95,000 fast growing sunflower 5 Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings in the Northeast US Soil Bloom Bloom Height Wetland Scientific Name Common name Drainage Seeds/# 5 Other Time2 Color (ft)3 Indicator4 Class ox eye (false) branching form, can become bushy in open habitats; grows best in Heliopsis helianthoides july-aug yellow 3-5 ED-MWD FACU 104,000 sunflower full-partial sun and average to dry conditions round-headed Lespedeza capitata aug-sept white 2-4 WD-MWD FACU 159,000 provides food for birds and small wildlife lespedeza Interesting form, flowers that bloom from the top downward; can tall (rough) Liatris aspera july-aug purple 2-4 WD FACU 256,000 be slow to establish, grows best in full-partial sun and medium-wet blazing star soils; drought tolerant Liatris spicata marsh blazing star july-aug purple 2-3 WD-SPD FAC 130,000 good for rain gardens june- grows best filtered/light shade-full sun and wet to moderate Lobelia cardinalis cardinal flower red 1-3 SPD-PD OBL 7,320,000 aug moisture july- grows best in partial sun-filtered shade and moist soils, but can Lobelia siphilitica great blue lobelia purple 2-4 SPD-PD FACW 6,900,000 sept adapt to drier conditions with more shade late may- Lupinus perennis wild lupine blue 1-2 WD FACU 18,800 provides food and habitat for butterflies, not for restoration june june- Mentha arvensis wild mint white 1-2 SPD-PD FACW 4,800,000 aug Alleghany light Mimulus ringens july-aug 1-3 SPD-PD OBL 36,800,000 provides cover for wildlife monkey flower purple Monarda didyma bee balm aug red 2-4 WD-SPD FAC 890,000 great nectar source Persistent, showy clusters of pink to lavender flowers; grows best purple/ Monarda fistulosa wild bergamot july 2-5 WD-MWD FACU 1,200,000 in full-partial sun and medium soils (but adaptable to all but dark pink extremely wet soils); drought tolerant 6 Wildflower Plant Characteristics for Pollinator and Conservation Plantings in the Northeast US Soil Bloom Bloom Height Wetland Scientific Name Common name Drainage Seeds/# 5 Other Time2 Color (ft)3 Indicator4 Class Persistent, showy clusters of reddish-purple flowers, grows best in Monarda media purple bergamot july-aug purple 2-4 WD-SPD FACW 1,120,000 full-partial sun and medium moisture Dense whorls of flowers along stem; short-lived, can reseed, pink/ Monarda punctata spotted beebalm july-aug 1-3 WD UPL 1,440,000 flowers in first year; grows best in full sun and dry conditions; white avoid wet soils, can