Desmodium canadense Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry Height: 18-60” Spacing: 1’ Blooms: July-August Bloom Color: Purple Natural Habitat: Man-made or disturbed habitats, river or stream floodplains, forest edges, forests, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Host Plant (eg. Silver-spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge), Compaction Tolerant, Low Maintenance “Desmodium canadense is aptly named Showy Tick Trefoil for its numerous pink flowers that bloom along the plant’s upper stems for about three weeks in mid-summer.

Bouteloua curtipendula Native to: MA and CT Life cycle: Perennial Grass Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium to Dry Height: 2’ Spacing: 10-24” Blooms: August-September (non-showy) Natural Habitat: Human-disturbed or -maintained habitats, cliffs, balds, or ledges, river or stream floodplains, meadows and fields, ridges or ledges, woodlands Benefits: Bird Favorite, Deer Resistant, Host Plant (eg. skipper butterflies) “Bouteloua curtipendula, or Side-oats Grama, is a rarity among native grasses in the way that it sports its tiny attractive flowers during the summer bloom time (see detailed photos.

Boehmeria cylindrica Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium Height: 3’ Spacing: 18-24” Blooms: June-August Bloom Color: Yellow Natural Habitat: River or stream floodplains, forests, swamps, wetland margins Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant Host Plant (eg. Eastern Comma, Question Mark, Red Admiral) “Smallspike False Nettle is a host plant hotspot! Fly larva of Neolasioptera boehmeriae will form galls on the Smallspike False Nettle stems.

Symphyotrichum laeve Native to: All New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet to Medium-Dry Height: 1-4’ Spread: 12-18” Spacing: 18-24” Blooms: August-October Bloom Color: Blue, purple Natural Habitat: Dry, open woods and fields; disturbed areas and roadsides Pairs Well With: Butterfly milkweed, foxglove beardtongue, sundial lupine, black-eyed coneflower, foxglove beardtongue, flax-leaved aster, and little bluestem Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Host Plant (Pearl Crescent, Silvery Checkerspot butterflies), Drought Tolerant, Urban Environment, Low Maintenance

Monarda punctata Native to: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont Life cycle: Perennial/self-sowing Biennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry to Dry Height: 2-3’ Spread: 12-24" Spacing: 8-12” Blooms: July-September Bloom Color: pink/purple Natural Habitat: Dry sandy or gravelly soils of beaches, pine barrens, woodland edges, and roadsides. Benefits: Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Urban Environment, Drought Tolerant, Edible, Low Maintenance, Host Plant (Raspberry pyrausta) Pairs Well With: Blue-eyed grass, butterfly milkweed, Scotch bellflower, sundial lupine, and New Jersey tea

Eutrochium maculatum Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Wet to Medium-Wet Height: 3-7’ Spread: 3-4’ Spacing: 3-4’ Blooms: Jul-Sep Bloom Color: Pink Natural Habitat: Man-made or disturbed habitats, marshes, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Compaction Tolerant, Urban Environment, Host Plant (eg. Clymene moth, ruby tiger moth) Note: This plant was formerly known as Eupatorium maculatum.

Spiraea tomentosa Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Perennial Shrub Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Wet to Medium-Wet Height: 2-5’ Spacing: 1-3’ Blooms: July-September Bloom Color: Pink Natural Habitat: Human-disturbed or -maintained habitats, marshes, meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes, swamps, wetland margins Benefits: Bird Favorite, Host Plant (eg. Columbia silkmoth), Pollinator Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Compaction Tolerant, Urban Environment, Low Maintenance, Erosion Control/Soil Stabilization S. tomentosa is covered in sharp, narrow, upright pink flowers in midsummer.

Lupinus perennis Native to: All New England (extinct in the wild in many states) Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry to Dry Height: 1-2’ Spread: 8-12" Spacing: 10-18” Blooms: May-July Bloom Color: purple Natural Habitat: Pine barrens, woodlands, meadows, and roadsides with dry, sandy soils Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Bird Favorite, Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Host Plant (Karner Blue), Compaction Tolerant, Drought Tolerant Pairs Well With: Spotted beebalm, butterfly milkweed, smooth blue aster, foxglove beardtongue, flax-leaved aster, and little bluestem

aka Rabbit Tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium Native to: All of New England Life cycle: Annual Light: Full Sun Soil Moisture: Medium-Dry to Dry Height: 2’ Spacing: 12-18" Blooms: Jul-Sep Bloom Color: White Natural Habitat: Human-disturbed or -maintained habitats, meadows and fields Benefits: Deer/Rabbit Resistant, Fragrant “Sweet Everlasting, also known as Rabbit Tobacco, is silvery green due to the appressed hairs that cover its surface. The white flowers are clustered in quarter inch buds with many overlapping bracts.

Doellingeria umbellata Native to: All New England Life cycle: Perennial Light: Full/Partial Sun Soil Moisture: Wet to Medium Height: 3-7 Spread: 3-4’ Spacing: 1-3' Blooms: July-September Bloom Color: White/Cream Natural Habitat: Meadows, roadsides, and waste areas with moist soils Benefits: Pollinator Favorite, Host Plant (eg. Pearly Crescent, Harris Checkerspot), Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance Pairs Well With: Common milkweed “The nectar and pollen of this plant attract both long- and short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies (including the Harris’s Checkerspot butterfly), beetles, and other insects.