Meet the Plants 2025

Anemone multifida 'Rubra' is a broadleaf deciduous perennial with green foliage. In summer magenta and pink flowers emerge. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun to mostly shade and even moisture.  Adapts to various soil conditions.  They grow from 6” – 12” in height and are native to Iosco and surrounding counties in Michigan.  In all this species offers great interest through the entire season and may rebloom in fall.  They are deer resistant.

Red Milkweed, also called Swamp Milkweed, is an exceptional plant for pollinators. Hawk moths, Swallowtails, Fritillaries, Monarchs, skippers, bumble bees and numerous other nectar seekers will visit - even an occasional hummingbird. Easily grown in moist to wet soils in full sun, this milkweed will thrive in average garden soil, as well. The 3-5 foot plant forms a stately clump with upright stems, long narrow leaves and clusters of fragrant pink flowers - followed by attractive seed pods for late season interest. The pods split open when ripe releasing their silky-haired seeds to the wind. A beautiful addition to a sunny border garden, water feature, or butterfly garden, Red Milkweed is also excellent for naturalizing low, moist areas in the landscape such as ponds or drainage areas.

Red Milkweed is a host plant for the Monarch butterfly, Queen butterfly, Dogbane Tiger moth, and the Milkweed Tussock moth. All plants in the Asclepias genus, otherwise known as milkweeds, are host plants for the Monarch butterfly.

Long-lasting, bright orange flowers and a low mounded profile make Butterfly Weed one of the most popular milkweeds. True to its name, Butterfly Weed attracts legions of butterflies and is an important host plant for Monarch and Queen butterflies. Unusual among milkweeds, its leaves are alternate and it lacks the typical milky sap.

In an ideal location, a mature Butterflyweed can become a very showy specimen, with multiple flowering stems spreading across a two foot high plant. Mature plants have a deep tap root that extends down a foot or more. They can be transplanted if dug carefully, during dormancy. This rugged species thrives in sunny locations, in dry sandy soil or well-drained loam.

Other common names include Pleurisy Root, Butterfly Milkweed and Orange Milkweed.

Thimble shaped flowers sit atop a spray of stems with delicate foliage. Dalea purpurea grows 1’ – 2’ tall and blooms throughout summer.  This prairie plant has is easily grown in any sunny location with average to dry soils. It has a deep taproot that ensures it will last in any native plant garden, even in heat and drought.  It works well in a variety of plantings including rock gardens, sunny perennial borders, native plant gardens or naturalized prairie areas. The flowers offer a popular source of nectar for bumble bees and other pollinating insects.

Legumes such as Prairie Clovers harbor beneficial bacteria called rhizobia. The plants are able to capture nitrogen from the air, and the  rhizobia assist in "fixing" the nitrogen in the plant. The plants act as a natural soil fertilizer when the spent plant material is left to enrich the soil.

The showy daisy-like flowers of Pale Purple Coneflower bloom in early summer and are a favorite nectar source for pollinators, including butterflies and hummingbirds. Later in summer the large seed heads attract Goldfinches and other birds. Echinacea pallida is highly adaptable, tolerating drought, heat, humidity and poor soils, but it will not like soils that are too moist with poor drainage. Once established the deep taproot enables a long-lived, very low maintenance plant that is easily capable of handling hot dry situations.  This iconic prairie plant looks its best in a naturalized setting that includes other prairie flowers and grasses, or in a mixed border garden.

Native Americans have recognized the medicinal value of Echinacea for centuries. Today, the plants are widely used, in supplements and herbal teas, for their numerous health benefits.

Wild Geranium is a stunning shade loving plant with bright lavender flowers and attractive dark green foliage.  It prefers shade but will grow in full sun.  It is a long lived plant that spreads forming stunning clumps that work well as a groundcover.  It is low maintenance and not invasive.  Bees and butterflies find it irresistible.  After blooming, distinctive fruit capsules resembling a cranes head form.  As the bill dries, it catapults the seeds away from the parent plant driving the seed into the soil where it can germinate.  The plants were used by Native Americans to treat diarrhea and open sores or wounds.  Wild Geranium is native to Michigan including Iosco and surrounding counties.

Prairie Smoke is a distinctive prairie wildflower with irresistible pink feathery seed heads. Each flowering stem holds three nodding pink bell-shaped flowers. Once the flowers are fertilized, the real show begins as the nodding blooms transform into upright clusters of wispy pink plumes. A massed planting creates a pinkish haze that can last for a month. The basal leaves are fern-like and deeply serrated with hairy margins. While not truly evergreen, the leaves can persist through winter, turning attractive shades of red and crimson. Plants spread slowly by rhizome to form a groundcover and are perfectly suited for dry rock gardens. Prairie Smoke is also effective planted in groups in a perennial bed, but it does not like to be overcrowded by taller perennials. Excellent for hot dry spots, it thrives in any well-drained soil. Wet and soggy winter conditions may cause the plants to die back. Other common names include Old Mans Whiskers and Purple Avens. 

Southern Blue Flag Iris, also known as Iris virginica, is a perennial flowering plant native to wetlands in North America. It features blue to violet flowers and thrives in moist environments, making it ideal for rain gardens and pond edges.  

Covered with lavender blooms in late summer, Rough Blazing Star is shorter than other Liatris species and perfect for medium or dry well-drained soils. Butterflies are likely visitors, along with hummingbirds and other pollinators.

Ideal for dry perennial borders, rock gardens or low-growing dry meadows, it combines beautifully with Butterflyweed, Dotted Mint, Showy Goldenrod, Sky Blue Aster and Little Bluestem. This drought tolerant Liatris likes well-drained dry to medium soils, or sandy and rocky situations. Avoid planting it in moist areas, or locations where the soil remains consistently wet during winter.

The species name "aspera" is Latin for "rough," which refers to the short stiff hairs on the central stem and the narrow basal leaves, which are very rough. Another distinguishing feature of Rough Blazing Star is the slightly zigzag stem. Other common names include Button Snakeroot and Rough Gayfeather.

Butterflies and bees seeking nectar are frequent visitors of Rough Blazingstar, and hummingbirds are occasional visitors, too.

Northern Blazing Star is a native perennial with rosy purple spikey flowers on 3’ – 4’ unbranched stems with narrow, long leaves.  These plants are drought, heat, and humidity tolerant growing best in sunny sites with average, dry and sandy or rocky soils.  They will flop if the soil is too rich or moist.   Blooming from late summer through fall makes them a great late season nectar source for bees and butterflies.  It is not unusual to see them covered with Monarch butterflies.  Liatris scariosa has widely spaced and larger flowerheads than most Blazing Stars.

Marsh Blazing Star is a must have in any pollinator garden or perennial border.  It is especially stunning in masses.  The rose/purple, closely set flower heads are arranged in long, dense spikes blooming from the top down with grass-like foliage.  A summer blooming plant that is 3’ – 4’ tall it prefers moist fertile soil.  A nectar source for bees and butterflies this plant is also deer resistant with seeds that attract Goldfinches.

Michigan Lily dangles beautiful orange to red-orange flowers in summer on 4’-5’ stems.  A true lily, its petals curve strongly backward, distinguishing it from other native Lilies. It prefers mostly sunny sites with medium to wet soil.  It can be planted in perennial borders or even along ponds and streams and is commonly visited by Swallowtail butterflies, and many other butterflies and hummingbirds.

Cardinal Flower blooms from July through August with brilliant red flowers that draw Hummingbirds to your garden.  They grow naturally in wetlands so they do best in consistently moist soils, in full sun to part shade.  Although cardinal flower is a short lived perennial (about 3 years) it is a prolific self-seeder with the right conditions.  The common name comes from the bright red robes worn by cardinals in the Catholic religion.  All parts of this plant contain “lobeline” which can be toxic if eaten in large quantities.  Legend has it that if you touch the roots you will find true love.

Lobelia siphilitica offers a deep-hued counterpoint to the yellows of late summer. This colony-forming, short-lived perennial grows well in medium to wet soils, especially with a little shade. In its native range, Great Blue Lobelia can be found in wet prairies, soggy meadows, pond and creek edges, marshland borders, and other moist areas. 

Great Blue Lobelia grows large, richly-flowered spikes. The deep blue-violet flowers on these spikes attract many bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Lobelias produce a secondary compound known as "lobeline," which deters herbivores.

Wild Lupine, scientifically known as Lupinus perennis, is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the Fabaceae family, which includes legumes like peas and beans.

This native North American wildflower is renowned for its striking blue-violet to purplish-blue blossoms, which typically appear from May to July.

These flowers are arranged in tall, elongated spikes and are complemented by palmately compound leaves, resembling the shape of a hand with several leaflets radiating from a central point.

Jacob’s Ladder is an early blooming woodland plant with both beautiful foliage and lovely delicate blue flowers.  It prefers light shade or dappled sun blooming from late April through May to a height of 1-1 ½’.  The common name refers to lacey oval leaflets arranged on upright stems like the rungs of a ladder.  The flowers are an important early source of pollen and nectar for native bees and butterflies. New flowers open every day providing a new supply daily,   Deer & rabbits find Jacob’s Ladder unpalatable.  It is tolerant of the black walnut toxin juglone. 

Yellow Coneflower is a great choice for sunny landscapes and gardens.  From July through September Strong slender stems 3’ – 5’ tall are topped with drooping yellow rays surrounding a dense brown cone.  Butterflies love it. The seed heads are an excellent source of food for songbirds in the fall.  It is both deer resistant and drought resistant.  They are a nectar source for bees and butterflies.

This is the largest and most common of the Meadow Rue species found in moist woods, wet meadows, ditches, and floodplains. It is larger and blooms later than the related Early Meadow Rue (Thalictrum dioicum), which is primarily a woodland species. This 3’ -7’ beauty may be the most graceful plant that you encounter in a medium-wet prairie or savanna.  The stems are distinctly purple, thus the name, and strong to hold up to high winds.   Purple Meadow Rue, an Iosco county native, politely displays its delicate, yellow, tassle-like flowers from May -July. 

A small, graceful, early bloomer, native to Iosco County, Early Meadow Rue can be a focal point in the woodland garden.  Grows up to 2’ preferring dappled shade and rich, moisture  retaining soils.  Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. The male flowers nod and the stamens dangle like tassels, glinting in light green and golden hues.  Female flowers tend to maintain a more upright posture and showcase muted mauves and pale pistachio colors. 

Foamflower, a showy spring wildflower derives its common name from the appearance of its starry pink tinged white flowers.   The botanical name, tiarella refers to “little turban” the shape of the seed capsule and Cordifolia  to its heart-shaped leaves.

If you are looking for a native plant to use as a groundcover in shade to dappled shade, you cannot do better than Foamflower.  Beautiful lobed green leaves that turn bronze-red in fall are covered with 8” – 10” tall spikes of tiny white flowers from April to June.  It is not aggressive but over time spreads by underground stems forming colonies.  Tiarella cordifolia requires average or moist well drained soil.  It is an important early season pollen source and an undemanding reliable plant in the shade garden.

A tall(3’ – 5’) conspicuous plant native to Iosco and surrounding counties. The plant forms clumps of stiff upright stems with lanced-shaped leaves with toothed margins. The purple flowers occur in a candelabra-shaped panicle and are a high-value nectar plant with a long bloom season. Blooms open bottom to top with only a few open at one time in mid to late summer.

Plant in full sun to partial shade in average medium to wet soils and pinch the tops to encourage branching and a bushier growth habit. Use this plant in moist sites as around ponds, bogs or water and rain gardens. 

Culver’s root is a handsome plant even before flowering from July through September.

It stands up to seven feet tall with deep green leaves in groups of three to seven surrounding the upright stems in whorls like collars. The blooms are made up of hundreds of tiny white flowers on spikes that branch like candelabra. Like so many of our native plants, Veronicastrum virginicum has medicinal uses—the plant purportedly gets its common name, Culver’s root, from a Doctor Culver, who prescribed the plant as a cathartic.  Culver's Root flourishes in full sun or light shade and tolerates a wide range of soils. Butterflies and numerous solitary bees such as sweat bees, carpenter bees and bumble bees will visit the popular flowers.

Little bluestem is a North American and native, warm-season prairie grass that is growing in popularity ornamentally. The tinges of silvery-blue on the green stems and foliage, and its low-maintenance care requirements make this an attractive and adaptable choice as an accent in your borders. With a clumping habit, it also works well in rockeries or meadow garden settings, and the deep roots mean it can help prevent soil erosion. The purplish seed heads, stems, and foliage turn a copper-yellow shade in the fall, meaning it's a great winter-interest ornamental grass. You can plant the seeds in spring or fall and they establish quickly. Be aware that little bluestem self-seeds freely, so it can become a nuisance when mass planting in well-manicured landscapes. 

Sporobolus heterolepis, called prairie dropseed, is a clump-forming, warm season, perennial grass which typically occurs in prairies, glades, open ground and along railroads in parts of the central and western United States and southern Canada. Fine-textured, hair-like, medium green leaves (to 20” long and 1/16” wide) typically form an arching foliage mound to 15” tall and 18” wide. Foliage turns golden with orange hues in fall, fading to light bronze in winter. Open, branching flower panicles appear on slender stems which rise well above the foliage clump in late summer to 30-36" tall. Flowers have pink and brown coloration but are perhaps most noted for their unique and noticeable (some may say pungent) scent that has variously been described as resembling a combination of coriander, popcorn, honey, sunflower seeds, and melted wax. Tiny rounded mature seeds drop to the ground from their hulls in autumn giving rise to the descriptive common name. 

New Jersey Tea features glossy leaves, numerous clusters of bright white flowers and a mounding shape that make this compact shrub a popular garden member. Planted two to three feet apart it forms an attractive low growing hedge, and is an excellent choice for rocky hillsides and slopes, as well. New Jersey Tea requires a well-drained site. The deep tap root makes it very drought tolerant once established. With a slow to moderate growth rate the long-lived plants will mature in 2 to 3 years.  This Iosco County native blooms from June through July in full to part sun.

A host plant for Spring Azure and Summer Azure butterflies, New Jersey Tea is also attractive to hummingbirds, which eat the tiny insects that busily pollinate the small flowers. The name New Jersey Tea was coined during the American Revolution because its leaves were used as a substitute for imported tea.

The American plum is a small, deciduous, single-trunk tree or multi-stemmed shrub which occurs in rocky or sandy soils.  As a tree, it typically grows to 10-20' tall with a broad, spreading crown. As a shrub, it suckers freely and can form large colonies. It is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Remove suckers to prevent unwanted spread or to train into a small tree.  American Plum is remarkable for its value to wildlife. As a Keystone Plant, it is the host for the Red-Spotted Purple, Hummingbird Clearwing, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and 416 other species of butterflies and moths.

Bladdernut is an attractive, flowering shrub native to the eastern United States. The tall multi-stemmed form, or cluster of small trunks, is upright with a loosely rounded shape. The height can reach 15 feet, and on rare occasion up to 20 feet. The suckering habit is not especially aggressive, making Bladdernut a good choice for the maintained landscape. It is possible to prune bladdernut into a small tree form if all suckers are diligently removed, and the growth of one primary branch is encouraged. This highly adaptable native will grow well in a wide range of soil conditions. In a sunny setting, consistent moisture is best. 

Cream-colored, bell shaped flowers appear in spring. Showy and fragrant, the panicled blossoms are visited by a variety of pollinators.  The flowers eventually give way to the large, papery seed capsules around 1-2 inches long. The inflated bladder-like capsules are green when they mature in late summer, turning light brown by fall – alongside yellow-gold leaves. Seed capsules often persist into early winter. The seed pods are like wind chimes, with a pleasing rattling sound in strong winds. The bark is smooth and gray on new growth, and older shrubs will have white streaks in the bark of the thicker branches.