Aquilegia canadensis

Columbine is easy to grow and tolerates a wide range of conditions. Red and yellow 1"-2" lantern-shaped flowers are hummingbird magnets. Under favorable conditions Columbine spreads readily. Larval host plant for a cute little butterfly, the Columbine Duskywing. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: prefers Part Sun
Soil: Moist to Average
Height: 1-2 feet
Blooms: April-June
Flowers: Red with Yellow center

Asclepias incarnata

When looking for a milkweed plant for the home garden, Swamp Milkweed is usually the best fit. It is not stocky nor does it spread vigorously by rhizomes. The milkweeds are one of the best nectar plants to attract pollinators, especially the monarchs which rely on milkweed foliage in the caterpillar stage.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Moist to Average
Height: to 4 feet
Blooms: June-August
Flowers: Pink

Asclepias tuberosa

Flame orange flowers are stunning in masses or drifts and attract pollinators galore. Interestingly, this plant does not exude the milky sap. Monarch butterfly host plant.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Dry to Average
Height: 2 feet
Blooms: June-August
Flowers: Orange

Echinacea purpurea

A popular plant for good reason. Blooms attract pollinators in summer and their seed feeds birds in the cold months. Beautiful in a home or business planting and in a vase. One larval host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly and Wavy-lined Emerald moth. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Average
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Blooms: June-August
Flowers: Purple-Magenta

Lobelia cardinalis

Truly stunning carmine flowers borne on tall slender spikes which rise from a basal rosette of leaves. Ideal for use in hummingbird and rain gardens. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Moist-Wet
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Blooms: July-September
Flowers: Red

Lobelia siphilitica

Spikes of tubular blue-violet flowers attract and support bumblebees. This plant works well in a rain garden, along a waterway or at the edge of a pond. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Moist to Wet
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Blooms: July-September
Flowers: Blue-violet

Monarda punctata

Showy pagoda-like white to deep pink bracts form a ring below less conspicuous spotted yellow flowers. A pollinator favorite. Low maintenance and stature, long-lasting bloom period, and self-sowing. A larval host for the Gray Marvel moth.

Light: Part to Full Sun
Soil: Average to Dry
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Blooms: July-September
Flowers: Yellow, White-Pink Bracts

Monarda didyma

Brilliant red flowers are a hit with hummingbirds. Foliage emits spicy odor when crushed. Striking as a cut flower.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average to Wet
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Blooms: July-August
Flowers: Red

Physostegia virginiana

White to pink tubular flowers fill the flowering stalk, attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Makes a lasting cut flower. Spreads readily. Consider using in contained situation for home garden use.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average
Height: 3 to 4 feet
Blooms: August-October
Flowers: White to Pink

Salvia azurea

Pairs of true blue flowers arranged on thin flowering stalks catch the eye even from a distance. Foliage is nicely aromatic when crushed. May be trimmed back in late spring to desired height and shape. Attracts bees and butterflies & is deer resistant.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Average to Dry
Height: 3 to 5 feet
Blooms: July-October
Flowers: Blue

Hibiscus moscheutos

Although NOT a woody plant, this plant fills out like a bush but dies back to the ground each winter. Rose Mallow flowers are large, 4" to 6" across and showy. Ideal for a rain garden, hummingbird garden, or grouped along a patio, pond or ditch. Trim to desired height. A larval host plant to the following butterflies: Common Checkered Skipper, Painted Lady, and Gray Hairstreak. Larval host to the following moths: Yellow Scallop moth, Io moth-very cool, and Pearly Wood Nymph. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Average to Wet
Height: 3 to 7 feet
Blooms: July-October
Flowers: White to Pink with Maroon center

Agastache scrophulariifolia

With spikes from 1" to 6" long, this plant makes an excellent source of late-season nectar indeed. Crushed foliage emits a pleasant licorice fragrance.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average
Height: 2 to 5 feet
Blooms: July-October
Flowers: Pale Purple-Lavender

Monarda fistulosa

Also known as Bee Balm, this is a wonderful plant for a pollinator garden. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies and has a long bloom period. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average to Dry
Height: 2 to 4 feet
Blooms July-September
Flowers: Pink-Lavender

Monarda bradburiana

Excellent choice for a yard, this Bee Balm is clump-forming & short (1' to 2'). It is also less aggressive & more mildew-resistant than other Bee Balms. It has a long bloom period and is a great pollinator plant.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Dry to Average
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Blooms: May to June
Flowers: Light Pink

Mimulus ringens

Best used for bordering ponds and waterways, for erosion control & to support pollinators. Flowers resemble snapdragons. Rhizomatous perennial. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average to Wet
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Blooms: June to September
Flowers: Pink to Purple

Penstemon hirsutus

Front yard worthy. At 18 inches tall, this plant will grow in full sun to shade, moist soil to dry. Lovely purple tubular flowers support the hummingbird & many pollinators. Under-used as a yard plant.

Light: Full Sun to Shade
Height: to 18"
Soil: Moist to Dry
Blooms: May to June
Flowers: Pink-Purple

Ruellia caroliniensis

A wonderful little plant that produces a relatively big, cheerful flower (to 2" long). Blooms intermittently throughout the growing season. Drought tolerant. One larval host plant for the Common Buckeye butterfly & a source of nectar for hummingbirds. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Part to Full Sun
Soil: Moist to Dry
Height: 6-24"
Blooms: May-September
Flowers: Pale Purple

Spigelia marilandica

Striking red & yellow flowers attract hummingbirds. Grows best in moist well-drained soil.

Light: Part Sun
Soil: Average
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Blooms: June
Flowers: Red & Yellow

Penstemon digitalis

Perfect for a sunny border, the tubular flowers are white or tinged with pink and attract a variety of native bees & hummingbirds. Foliage is a smooth, glossy dark green.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average to Dry
Height: 3-5 feet
Blooms: April-June
Flowers: white to pink