aka rock harlequin Corydalis sempervirens (Capnoides sempervirens) Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Annual (rarely biennial) Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry to Dry Height: 2-3’ Spacing: 12-18” Blooms: May-September Bloom Color: Pink Natural Habitat: Rocky outcrops, quarries, and disturbed dry, gravelly areas Benefits: Attracts Bees, Attracts Butterflies, Low Maintenance “An attractive annual native for rocky, shallow-soil sites and cooler climates. Easy to start from seed, it has light to dark pink tubular flowers with bright yellow tips and greenish-blue leaves - a real stand out in the garden!

Chamaecrista fasciculata Native to: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island Life cycle: Annual (self-sows) Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry Height: 6-24” Spread: 6-14" Spacing: 6-12” Blooms: July-September Bloom Color: Yellow Natural Habitat: Meadows, grasslands, and disturbed areas Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Urban Environment, Drought Tolerant, Host Plant (eg. Io Moth) Pairs Well With: Blue iris, blue vervain, and New England aster “An annual wildflower that makes a great addition to a garden or meadow planting.

Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Partial/Full Shade Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry to Wet Height: 1-2" Spacing: 10-14" Blooms: Summer Bloom Color: White Fruits: Summer Fruit Color: Red Natural Habitat: Forest edges, forests Benefits: Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Attracts Bees, Benefits Other Pollinators/Wildlife, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance, Edible Pairs Well With: Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), huckleberry (Gaylussacia spp.), American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), trillium (Trillium spp.

aka field thistle Cirsium discolor Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Biennial or Short-Lived Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium to Medium-Dry Height: 6’ Spacing: 1-2’ Blooms: August-October Bloom Color: Purple Natural Habitat: Human-disturbed or -maintained habitats, meadows and fields Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite (eg. goldfinches), Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Host Plant (eg. Painted Lady) “Our native thistles tend to get grouped into the undesirable Thistle category, but they benefit many different bees, butterflies, and moths, along with hummingbirds… Goldfinches are particularly fond of the seed.

Juncus tenuis Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Dry Height: 8-20” Spacing: 1-2’ Blooms: June-September (non-showy) Natural Habitat: Human-disturbed or -maintained habitats, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes Benefits: Bird Favorite, Compaction Tolerant, Urban Environment, Drought Tolerant, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Erosion Control/Soil Stabilization, Low Maintenance “Path rush grows wild throughout North America, forming dense, diminutive clumps (compared to other rushes) in full sun to partial shade.

Anaphalis margaritacea Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry to Dry Height: 18-24” Spread: 1-3’ Spacing: 1-3’ Blooms: Jun-Sep Bloom Color: White Natural Habitat: Sandy or gravelly meadows and disturbed areas Benefits: Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Host Plant (eg. American Lady), Attracts Butterflies, Low Maintenance, Drought Tolerant Pairs Well With: Butterfly milkweed, foxglove beardtongue, plantain-leaved pussytoes, Virginia rose, and bluets “Host plant to the American lady butterfly, pearly everlasting will establish and form clumps in poor, sandy soils.

Carex pensylvanica Native to: All New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full Sun to Full Shade Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry Height: 6-10” Spread: 12-18” Spacing: 6-10” Natural Habitat: Both wide open sunny meadows and in dense, dry woodlands. It is often in sandy, acidic soils. Pairs Well With: Wild columbine, yellow trout lily, flax-leaved stiff-aster, bearberry, common star-grass, and wood ferns. Benefits: Bird Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Urban Environment, Host Plant

Asclepias exaltata Native to: All New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry Height: 18-60” Spread: 12-24" Spacing: 24-36” Blooms: June-July Bloom Color: white Natural Habitat: Upland woods to rich woodland openings Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Host Plant (eg. Monarch, Cycnias), Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Bees, Low Maintenance “This little-known milkweed is the first to bloom of our local species, usually in mid-June. The dainty white or pale green flowers dangle from the stem.

Echinacea purpurea Native to: Midwest and Southeast U.S. Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry Height: 2-4’ Spacing: 18-24” Blooms: June-September Bloom Color: Pink-Purple Natural Habitat: Man-made or disturbed habitats, forest edges, meadows and fields Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance “A prairie classic! Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) has a fibrous root system with short woody rhizomes. It is a drought-tolerant perennial that is also deer resistant.

Eragrostis spectabilis Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Grass Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry Height: 8-14" Spacing: 1-2’ Blooms: July-August Bloom Color: Green, Purple Natural Habitat: Hill prairies, sand prairies, upland savannas and sandy savannas, limestone glades, sandy or gravelly areas along railroads, sandy or gravelly roadsides, sandy paths, and fields. Disturbed sandy areas are preferred. Benefits: Host Plant, Attracts Songbirds, Benefits Other Pollinators/Wildlife, Urban Environment, Drought Tolerant, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Salt Tolerant, Low Maintenance, Erosion Control/Soil Stabilization