Featured Plants of Summer

Latin Name

Common Name

Opuntia humifusa Penstemon calycosus

Key Characteristics

Height

Color

Comments

eastern prickly-pear

8"–24"

Yellow

Only cactus widespread in Eastern U. S.; fruit is edible

long-sepal beardtongue

12"–36"

Red/Pink

Stems arise from basal rosette

Phlox maculata

meadow phlox

2'–3'

Phlox paniculata ‘Jeana’

Jeana garden phlox

4'–5'

Red/Pink White Blue/Purple Red/Pink

Physostegia virginiana

obedient-plant

2'–3'

Red/Pink

Depending on cultivar, can spread aggressively

Pycnanthemum muticum

clustered mountain-mint

1'–3'

White

Drought tolerant; scented leaves

Quercus alba

white oak

50'–80'

—

Large, attractive, long-lived tree; acorns eaten by many animals

Rhododendron arborescens

sweet azalea

4'–10'

Red/Pink

Sweetly fragrant

Rhododendron maximum

rosebay rhododendron

4'–15'

White

One of the most cold-hardy bigleaf rhododendrons

Rhododendron prunifolium

plum-leaf azalea

8'–12'

Red/Pink Orange

Late-flowering, non-fragrant flowers

Rubus odoratus

purple-flowering raspberry

3'–6'

Red/Pink

Fruit is of value to birds and mammals

Rudbeckia fulgida

black-eyed Susan

12"–36"

Yellow

Spreads by rhizomes

Rudbeckia hirta var. hirta

woodland black-eyed Susan

12"–36"

Yellow

Tolerates poor soil and drought; can colonize

Ruellia caroliniensis

Carolina petunia

12"–18"

Red/Pink

Self-sows and spreads; individual flowers last only one day

Sarracenia purpurea

purple pitcherplant

9"–18"

Red/Pink

Carnivourous plant; grow in wet bogs, swamps and containers

Scutellaria serrata

showy skullcap

1'–2'

Blue/Purple

Provides color after many spring wildflowers have faded

Senna hebecarpa

northern wild senna

3'–7'

Yellow

Large herbaceous perennial

Silphium mohrii

Mohr’s rosinweed

2'–5'

Yellow

Can grow in rocky and gravelly soil

Solidago juncea

early goldenrod

2'–4'

Yellow

Plume-like infloresensce; one of the first goldenrods to bloom

Spigelia marilandica

Indian pink

1'–2'

Red/Pink

Striking, clump-forming perennial

Stokesia laevis

Stokes’ aster

12"–18"

Blue/Purple

Drought tolerant; must have well-drained soil

Styrax grandifolius

bigleaf snowbell

6'–10'

White

Fragrant; flowers

Swida alternifolia

pagoda tree

15'–20'

White

Fragrant; flowers

Thermopsis villosa

Blue Ridge golden-banner

3'–5'

Yellow

Tolerates poor soil and drought

Vaccinium corymbosum

highbush blueberry

3'–10'

White

Produces edible fruit

Veronicastrum virginicum

Culver’s root

3'–6'

White

Strong vertical accent plant with striking blooms

Viburnum nudum

possumhaw viburnum

6'–10'

White

Fruit is abundant and extremely ornamental

Zenobia pulverulenta

dusty zenobia

3'–6'

White

Semi-evergreen, fragrant flowers

Fragrant; uncommon in the wild; popular garden plant Fragrant; neat bushy appearance; long bloom period

For a list of businesses that sell native plants or seeds, visit mtcubacenter.org/directory.

Download this plant list at mtcubacenter.org/plantsofsummer 3120 Barley Mill Road / Hockessin, DE 19707 / 302.239.4244

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.

CHARACTERISTICS LEGEND Full Sun

Latin Name

Common Name

Actaea racemosa

Key Characteristics

Height

Color

Comments

black bugbane

3'–6'

White

Appalachian Azur caterpillars feed on this species

Aesculus parviflora

bottlebrush buckeye

8'–12'

White

Spreads by roots to form large colonies with time

Allium cernuum

nodding onion

8"–24"

White

Easily grown; use as a mass in a border

Aruncus dioicus

goat’s-beard

3'–6'

White

Clump–forming; excellent source of pollen and nectar

Asclepias incarnata

swamp milkweed

4'–5'

Red/Pink

Flowers are followed by attractive seed pods

Asclepias tuberosa

butterfly weed

1'–3'

Orange

Tolerant of drought; host plant for Monarch butterfly larvae

Carex pensylvanica

Pennsylvania sedge

6"–12"

—

Can be used to create “no-mow” lawns

Carex plantaginea

plantain–leaf sedge

6"–12"

—

Good groundcover for moist shade

Carpinus caroliniana

American hornbeam

20'–40'

—

Will not tolerate compacted soils; muscular looking bark

Caulophyllum thalictroides

blue cohosh

2'–3'

Yellow

Ornamental dark blue fruit in late summer

Clematis viorna

northern leatherflower

6'–12'

Blue/Purple

Summer flowering perennial vine

Clethra alnifolia

summer sweet clethra

4'–9'

White

Very fragrant flowers; easily grown; can form colonies

Coreopsis verticillata

whorled tickseed

1'–2'

Yellow

Bees, butterflies and other insects frequent; birds eat seeds

Echinacea purpurea

purple coneflower

2'–4'

Red/Pink

Nectar for bees, butterflies; seeds attract goldfinches

Eurybia macrophylla

large-leaf aster

2'–4'

Blue/Purple

Makes a good groundcover Nectar attracts many pollinators; finches eat seeds

Eutrochium fistulosum

hollow-stem Joe-pye weed

4'–7'

Blue/Purple Red/Pink

Fagus grandifolia

American beech

50'–80'

—

Outstanding American forest tree; may live 300–400 years Shrub-like herbaceous perennial

Hibiscus moscheutos

swamp rose mallow

3'–7'

White Red/Pink

Hydrangea quercifolia

oakleaf hydrangea

4'–6'

White

Year-round interest from flowers and bark

Full Shade

Hydrangea radiata

silver-leaf hydrangea

3'–5'

White

Leaves are silvery grey on the underside

Moist to Wet Soil

Hydrastis canadensis

golden-seal

6"–15"

Yellow

Declining due to collection for medicinal purposes

Average, Well-drained Soil

Hypericum densiflorum

bushy St. John's-wort

4'–6'

Yellow

Exfoliating bark provides ornamental interest

Dry Soil

Ilex glabra

inkberry

4'–6'

—

Excellent evergreen for seasonally wet spots

Itea virginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’

Henry’s Garnet Virginia sweetspire

4'–6'

White

Versatile shrub; lightly fragrant flowers; fall color

Kalmia latifolia

mountain laurel

3'–15'

White Red/Pink

Somewhat finicky shrub to establish; attractive blooms

Liatris spicata

spike gayfeather

2'–6'

Blue/Purple

Upright perennial

Lilium canadense

Canada lily

3'–5'

Yellow

Attractive flowers held in a candelabra shape

Part Shade/Part Sun

Tree Shrub Herbaceous (Not Woody) Vine

Lobelia cardinalis

cardinal flower

2'–4'

Red/Pink

Can be short-lived, but readily seeds in

Grass or Grass-like

Lonicera sempervirens

trumpet honeysuckle

3'–20'

Red/Pink

Vigorous deciduous vine for trellis, arbor, or fence

Pollinator/Wildlife Significance

Magnolia grandiflora

southern magnolia

60'–80'

White

Visually striking tree; fragrant flowers; wildlife eat seeds

Generally available at Garden Centers

Magnolia virginiana

sweet bay

10'–20'

White

Attractive landscape shrub or small tree; fragrant flowers

Monarda didyma

bee balm

2'–4'

Red/Pink

Can spread aggressively

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