Veronicastrum virginicum, also referred to as Culver’s root, is an herbaceous perennial in the Plantaginaceae family. Its native habitat is woods, marshes, along stream banks and prairies, but makes a beautiful statement planted along woodland edges, in rain gardens, meadows, and cottage gardens. It prefers full sun to part shade…
Narrowleaf Whitetop Sedge is an evergreen, grass-like perennial native to North America. It is typically found in coastal areas, dunes, swales, and ditches. It tolerates a variety of soil types, although it does prefer for conditions to be particularly moist to wet. It can grow in full sun to part…
Blue Sage is a clump-forming, perennial wildflower in the Lamiaceae family, typically found in prairies, roadsides, and other open areas. It has wandlike stalks and leaves that have prominent veins on the underside. The flowers are lipped and tubular and show off with a beautiful shade of blue from July…
Lurid Sedge is an evergreen perennial in the Cyperaceae family. Although evergreen, it does appear duller in the hotter months of summer. This sedge prefers full sun to part shade and likes soil that is moist to wet. Being that it prefers wetter soils, that makes it a great addition…
Gray’s Sedge is an ornamental sedge in the Cyperaceae family. It is characterized by its spiked club shaped seedheads, which start green earlier in the season and slowly turn brown. Gray’s Sedge likes full sun to part shade and can handle wetter soils, making it fit right into a rain…
Prairie Sedge is an early spring blooming perennial in the Cyperaceae family. It can handle a variety of moisture conditions, but it can handle dry soil better than most other sedges. This sedge prefers full sun to part shade and is a cool season grower. It makes a great candidate…
In the Fabaceae family, Yellow Wild Indigo is an upright, shrubby, herbaceous perennial. It is low maintenance and works well in native cottage gardens, butterfly gardens, meadows, and drought tolerant gardens. The small, pea shaped flowers are showy and gold/yellow, and bloom from late Spring into Summer. The black, pod-like…
Part of the Poaceae family, River Oats shimmers beautifully in the wind throughout summer and fall. This ornamental grass is deciduous and blooms from June through October, showing spiked panicles that start off green, fading to tan, then finally to purplish copper. Not only do birds and small mammals love…
Yarrow is a deciduous perennial in the Asteraceae family. Enjoying full sun and a variety of moisture conditions, it is often found in meadows, prairies, and roadsides. Deer tend to avoid this plant due to its low toxicity, so keep that in mind when planting if you have pets. Yarrow…
Ebony Spleenwort is an evergreen perennial fern in the Aspleniaceae family. A small fern, the alternate serrate fronds only come at about 8 inches to one foot and 8 inches tall. If you have a particularly dry and shady area, this is a fantastic plant to consider. Being one of…
Woodland Stonecrop is the only succulent we currently offer at Rachel’s Native Plants, and it’s a special one. In spring to early summer, white flowers hover over fleshy green leaves, attracting many pollinators. Not being picky, it thrives in a variety of light conditions, as long as the soil doesn’t…
Blue Flag Iris is a perennial bulb in the Iridaceae family. It has blue-green sword-like leaves surrounding an erect stem topped with a showy blue or purple flower with six petals. This iris thrives in full sun to part shade and likes a higher moisture content in the soil. However,…
Blue Cohosh is an ephemeral perennial in the Berberidaceae family, usually found in oak filled woods. Yellow green flowers appear before the leaves have developed in spring. Leaves start out blue-green then become more green as they mature. In late summer, bright blue berries appear. Although ornamental and great wildlife…
Sweet Coneflower is a herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family. This coneflower likes full sun to part shade, and would love to shine in a cottage garden or cut flower garden. Bright yellow petals surround brown disks in summer and fall, then birds enjoy the seeds after the flowers are…
Allegheny Monkeyflower is a wet-loving herbaceous perennial in the Phyrmaceae family. Purple, pink, or blue flowers are shaped like monkey faces, hence the common name. This plant does best in full sun to part shade and prefers moist conditions with rich soil. Allegheny Monkeyflower would do well next to a…
Meehan’s Mint is a deciduous perennial vine in the Lamiaceae family. Its creeping habit makes it a great groundcover or green mulch, and it would do well in a shaded pathway. This flower blooms in late spring through early summer with light purple blooms. This species prefers to be in…
Dwarf Blazing Star is a stunning summer blooming perennial in the Asteraceae family. This plant loves full sun and can tolerate dryer, rockier soils. This makes it a great consideration for a dry area or rock garden. Purple showy flowers cluster in an erect fashion on this flower. The bright…
Yellow Anise Tree is a broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree in the Schisandraceae family. This woody shrub can get up to 10 or 15 feet tall and has light green leaves that are fragrant when bruised. With its dense mounding habit, this species makes a great privacy screen or…
Queen of the Prairie is a large perennial wildflower in the Rosaceae family. Preferring moist soil, it does well in bogs, rain gardens, and moist meadows. It can tolerate full sun, and even prefers it, as long as the soil does not dry out. The leaves are large and make a…
Florida Anise Tree is a broadleaf evergreen shrub in the Schisandraceae family. This shrub or small tree can get to six or ten feet tall and would make a great hedge or border. Preferring part shade to deep shade, it does well in a shade garden, and the leaves can…
Swamp Jasmine is an evergreen woody vine in the Loginaceae (Gelseminaceae) family. It is very similar to Carolina Jasmine, but this species prefers wetter soil. It blooms first through spring and again in fall. It does well in full sun to part shade, and makes a great privacy screen. Swamp…
Black Cohosh has showy white stamens, attracting many native bees, from May through August. It is a host plant for many butterflies, including the Spring Azure, Holly Blue, and Appalachian Azure. Given its aesthetic, it would look fantastic in a cottage garden. This perennial prefers part to full shade, and…
Ironweed is a deciduous perennial in the Asteraceae family. In summer, showy purple flowers reach above the needle-like foliage. Preferring moist, well-drained and occasionally dry soil, this plant is drought hardy. Ironweed does well in rocky soil, making it a good choice for a rock garden. If deer are a…
Ivory Sedge is a clumping sedge in the Cyperaceae family. Being low growing, it would be a great alternative to a lawn or used as a groundcover. Mounding, it gets at the most ten inches. Handling a variety of light conditions, it prefers to be in shade during hot and…
Marsh Marigold is an herbaceous perennial in the Ranunculaceae family. Found naturally in wetlands, it would do well in a sunny wet location in your garden. Yellow flowers resembling buttercups show April to June. In spring, this plant does well with more sun, but would prefer shade from the hot…
The Black cherry is an important southern tree for both wild life and commercially. Young black cherries tend to have a conical crown but when given enough room, the mature trees develop long limbs and arching branches giving it an oval shaped crown. The Black cherry’s fall foliage is a golden…
Pink Muhly grass is a very showy, clump-forming, warm season perennial grass that can get to two or three feet tall and just as wide, and to 4 feet or more when in flower. The stems and leaves are thin, wirelike and upright, protruding from a basal clump, sprouting up almost…
Southern Maidenhair Fern is a clumping, deciduous fern cultivated worldwide for its delicate, frilly looks and hardy nature. It is native to a huge part of the Earth, in temperate and tropical regions from the Southern half of the U.S. to Central America, South America, Europe, large parts of Asia and…
Jack in the Pulpit is easily recognizable and is a unique spring ephemeral. The fleshy stalk and leaves lend an almost tropical aura to the plant. This perennial plant is about 1-2′ tall and wide. It loves part to full shade in woodland gardens and moist to wet conditions. Flowering plants…
Sensitive Fern is a very handsome, very vigorous, running deciduous perennial fern. It is “sensitive” only to the first frost in the late fall, and perhaps to drought — but very hardy otherwise! It is widely reported to be two- to three-foot tall and taller in wet soil, but we have…
Log fern is a fertile, naturally occurring, semi-evergreen hybrid between D. ludoviciana (Southern Shield Fern) and D. goldiana (Goldie’s Wood Fern) with a range in central, eastern and southeastern U.S. Log fern grows rapidly with wide, shiny, deeply cut, dark green fronds and dark stripes along the central rib. The sori,…