Houstonia caerulea Quaker ladies
Found in low-growing grassy and mossy places
Illicium floridanum Florida anise tree
Iris cristata dwarf crested iris
Jeffersonia diphylla twinleaf
Leucothoe fontanesiana drooping leucothoe
Liriodendron tulipifera tulip tree
Maianthemum racemosum false Solomon’s-seal
Mertensia virginica Virginia bluebells
Mitella diphylla two-leaf bishop’s-cap
Oxalis violacea violet wood-sorrel
Pachysandra procumbens Allegheny pachysandra
Packera aurea golden ragwort
Phacelia bipinnatifida purple phacelia
Phlox divaricata woodland phlox
Phlox subulata moss phlox
Podophyllum peltatum may-apple
Polemonium reptans Jacob’s-ladder
Polygonatum biflorum small Solomon’s-seal
Rhododendron periclymenoides pinxterbloom azalea
Rhododendron vaseyi pink-shell azalea
Sanguinaria canadensis bloodroot
Sedum ternatum three-leaf stonecrop
Stylophorum diphyllum celandine poppy
Thalictrum thalictroides rue-anemone
Tiarella cordifolia foamflower
Trillium grandiflorum large-flowered trillium
Trillium luteum yellow trillium
Uvularia grandiflora large-flowered bellwort
Viburnum dentatum arrowwood
Viola walteri ‘Silver Gem’ Silver Gem prostrate blue violet
Leaves are fragrant when crushed
Avoid leaf litter; spreads by shallow-rooted rhizomes
Flower only last a day or two; unique seed capsule
Evergreen shrub with glossy dark green leaves
Straight unbranched trunk
Gracefully arching zigzag stems
Can form colonies; foliage gone by summer
Forms colonies; small cup-shaped flowers on stems
Good for rock gardens and naturalizing
Can form colonies; grown primarily for groundcover
Can form colonies; different basal and flower stem leaves
Biennial; can establish in garden by self-sowing
Semi-evergreen plant that spreads by rhizomes
Vigorous mat-forming ground cover
Spreads quickly by rhizomes
Spreading but not aggressive
Slowly spreading to form colonies
Showy, fragrant flowers
Blooms April-May; fragrant
Clump-forming; leaves grow larger after flowering
Perennial evergreen groundcover
Will self-sow and spread; interesting seedpods
Five to ten petal-like sepals
Good for massing and naturalizing
Showy woodland perennial; wavy edges on flowers
Easily grown trillium with lemon scent
Clump-forming herbaceous perennial
Great for screening and wildlife habitat
Introduced
Latin Name
Common Name
Aesculus pavia red buckeye
Amelanchier laevis
Key Characteristics
Comments
Clump-forming shrub or small tree; showy flowers
Allegheny serviceberry
Amsonia tabernaemontana blue dogbane
Lorem ipsum
Anemone acutiloba sharp-lobed liverleaf
Lorem ipsum
Aquilegia canadensis wild columbine
Arisaema triphyllum Jack-in-the-pulpit
Add beauty and attract beneficial wildlife
to your home landscape with these native plants, chosen for their seasonal interest and ecological benefits. Find all of these plants in Mt. Cuba’s gardens, marked by a plant highlight label (shown above).
To learn more about Mt. Cuba Center’s featured seasonal plants, register for our Native Plants of Spring, Summer, and Fall courses at mtcubacenter.org.
Asarum canadense wild ginger
Baptisia alba white false indigo
Calycanthus floridus Carolina allspice
Camassia scilloides eastern camas
Cardamine diphylla two-leaf toothwort
Cercis canadensis redbud
Chamaelirium luteum fairy wand
Chionanthus virginicus fringe tree
Chrysogonum virginianum green-and-gold
Important early source of pollen and nectar for bees
Clump forming; bushy appearance; long blooming
One of the earliest spring wildflowers; rich upland woods
Mounded foliage and erect flower stalks
Upright; clump forming; excellent for naturalizing; poisonous
Herbaceous perennial groundcover
Slow to establish, slow growing, and long-lived
Fragrant flowers
Slow to mature; long-lived
Makes an attractive ground cover
Flowers can lay directly on mature stems
Unique perennial; free-form white wand-like flowers
Showy; fragrant
Excellent deciduous groundcover
CHARACTERISTICS LEGEND
Full Sun
Part Shade/Part Sun
Full Shade
Moist to Wet Soil
Average, Well-drained Soil
Dry Soil
Tree
Shrub
Herbaceous (Not Woody)
Vine
Grass or Grass-like
Pollinator/Wildlife Significance
Generally available at Garden Centers
Deer Resistant
Cladrastis kentukea yellowwood
Claytonia virginica Virginia spring-beauty
Benthamidia florida flowering dogwood
Cypripedium parviflorum var pubescens large yellow lady’s slipper
Delphinium tricorne dwarf larkspur
Dicentra eximia wild bleeding heart
Primula meadia shooting-star
Enemion biternatum false rue-anemone
Erythronium americanum yellow trout lily
Fothergilla gardenii dwarf fothergilla
Geranium maculatum wild geranium
Geum fragarioides northern barren strawberry
Gillenia trifoliata ‘Pink Profusion’ Pink Profusion Bowman’s root
Halesia diptera var magniflora large-flowered two-wing silverbell
Houstonia caerulea Quaker ladies
Latin Name
Common Name
Showy; fragrant
Can form colonies, but plants go dormant after flowering
Fruit is an important food source for migrating birds
Spectacular, elegant
Deer avoid; three to four years to flower; needs fertile soil
Spreading perennial; can rebloom through summer
Clump-forming plant with upright flowering stems
Can form colonies; five petal-like sepals
Can form colonies; single and double leaves, the later produces flowers
Colonizing shrub; fragrant
Spreads by rhizomes to form colonies
Low, mat–forming; spreads by runners
Tough, long-lived, drought tolerant
Bell-shaped flowers with four distinct showy petals
Found in low-growing grassy and mossy places
Key Characteristics Comments