Native Plant Pollinator Garden
Native plants are plants that naturally exist in an area without human introduction. They provide food and shelter for native animals and insects that have evolved alongside them. These gardens are so important because many insect and bird species can only survive when their host plant is available. There is an alarming decline in birds that rely on these plants to raise their young. One solution is to provide native plants in every yard because there are no longer areas of native plants in our current environment for these insects and animals to survive. Douglas W. Tallamy's first book, Bringing Nature Home, awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution is to plant more natives. In his book, Tallamy takes the nest step and outlines his vision for grassroots approach to conservation. He explains how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. Pollinator gardens are an example of a tangible action to increase natives in yards.
The Garden Plan was designed by Nicole Keegan.
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Books Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy The Nature of Oaks by Doug Tallamy Noah's Garden by Sara Stein |
Websites www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/WildPlants |
Local Native Plant Suppliers Kimberton Whole Foods Garden Green Ridge Gardens Redbud Native Plant Nursery Northbrook Native Plant Nursery |
Sample Native Gardens Northbrook Native Plant Nursery |
Township Park Plant List
Pictures to come...
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepsis
Prairie Dropseed adds a touch of elegance to any planting. A burst of flowering panicles on slender stems float above the tufted grass in late summer.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Little Bluestem is a highly ornamental native grass prized for its blue-green leaf color and upright form. The foliage provides excellent color all season-long and creates the perfect backdrop for prairie flowers.
Creeping Phlox
Phlox stolonifera
Blankets the ground in a cloud of dainty lavender flowers. These fragrant flowers appear on 6" upright clusters in Spring.
Blueberry Sundae False Indigo
Baptisia "Blueberry Sundae"
Vibrant indigo blue spires produce an excellent floral display atop the compact, upright mound of blue-green foliage. This vigorous native cultivar looks great in the garden all season.
Height: 3'
Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: Late Spring/Early Summer
Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
The intricate red and yellow bell-like flowers of Wild Columbine attract a variety of pollinators. The deep nectaries are perfectly shaped for hummingbirds.
Height: 1'-3'
Bloom Color: Red & Yellow
Bloom Time: May/June
Wild Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
The wild hydrangea has tiny white fertile flowers that bloom in May-July in flattened hairy clusters (corymbs to 2-6" across). Scattered flowering may occur throughout summer to September.
Height: 3'-4'
Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: May-July
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Long-lasting, bright orange flowers and a low mounded profile make Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) one of the most popular milkweeds. True to its name, Butterfly Weed attracts legions of butterflies.
Height: 2'
Bloom Color: Orange
Bloom Time: June, July, and August
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Lanceleaf Coreopsis blooms for weeks on end, creating a fantastic early summer display of golden yellow flowers. Butterflies are regular visitors, and songbirds feed on the ripe seeds in late summer.
Height: 1-2'
Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: June and July
Prairie Spiderwort
Tradescantia bracteata
Prairie Spiderwort forms a low-growing patch of deep blue blooms in late spring to early summer. As with other spiderworts, the blooms are open in the morning until the sun gets hot, and then close to conserve energy.
Height: 1-2'
Bloom Color: Lavendar/Blue
Bloom Time: June - July
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
The thimble shaped flowers of Purple Prairie Clover sit atop a spray of stems with delicate foliage. This prairie plant has great garden form and is easily grown in any sunny location with average to dry soils.
Height: 1-2'
Bloom Color: Lavendar/Purple
Bloom Time: July - August
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Whorled Milkweed blooms later than most milkweeds and often into September. The small umbels of white flowers attract many pollinators, including Monarch Butterflies. This small milkweed spreads to form attractive drifts.
Height: 1-2'
Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: July - August
Purple Coneflower
Enchinacea purpurea
Blooms profusely for up to two months in mid to late summer and sometimes re-blooms in the fall. The showy flowers are a favorite nectar source for butterflies, bees and myriad pollinators.
Height: 2-3'
Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: July, August and September
Black Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A hallmark of prairies and meadows, Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a biennial that blooms and completes its life cycle in its second year with an extravagant floral display.
Height: 1-3'
Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: June, July, August and September
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichun Oblonaifolis
One of the last flowers to bloom, this aster is loaded with blue-purple daisy-like flowers in late fall.
Height: 2-3'
Bloom Color: Purple
Bloom Time: July, August and September
Prairie Goldenrod
Solidago nemoralis
Prairie Goldenrod is a short goldenrod with bright yellow flowers. Vigorous foliage and long, drooping flowers burst from the stems like fireworks.
Height: 1-2'
Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: August, September and October