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 pallida simulata

Also known as Glade Coneflower, this plant is elegant with thin reclining petals. It is under-utilized in the home garden and as a cut flower. Attracts bee and butterflies & provides seed for birds if flowering heads remain through winter. Larval host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly and Wavy-lined Emerald moth. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Average to Dry
Height: to 3 feet
Blooms: June-July
Flowers: Pale Purple to Purple

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

Iris virginica

Plant with sword-like leaves and large blue-violet flowers (1-3 cm across) is also well-rooted to help prevent erosion in low areas. Best grown in consistently moist organic soils. Good candidate for a rain garden.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Moist-Wet
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Blooms: June
Flowers: Blue-Violet with Yellow

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. Low maintenance, long-lasting bloom period, though a 'weak perennial.' We have mixed results with it over-wintering. A pollinator favorite. 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

Phlox paniculata

True to it's name, Garden Phlox does well in the home garden and in rain gardens. Best planted in full sun. It is an excellent source of nectar for hummingbirds.

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

Scutellaria incana

Blue flowers are conspicuous and attractive, gorgeous in masses. Primarily pollinated by bumblebees. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average to Dry
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Blooms: July-September
Flowers: Blue

Agastache nepetoides

A 'one-stop-shop' for bees and butterflies with many flowers in dense terminal spikes. Deer resistant. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil: Average
Height: to 6 feet
Blooms: July-September
Flowers: Yellow-Green

Veronicastrum virginicum

Tall wispy, white candelabra-like flowers attract a multitude of pollinators and produce an especially strong effect when a number are planted together in a group. Candidate for rain gardens.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Average to Wet
Height: 4 to 7 feet
Blooms: May-August
Flowers: White

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

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

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.

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: Best in Intermediate Light
Soil: Average
Height: 1 to 2 feet
Blooms: May to June
Flowers: Light Pink

Penstemon calycosus

Under-used & well-suited for home garden use, Calico Beardtongue has 1" long pink tubular flowers that attract hummingbirds. Foliage is semi-glossy and may turn purple in fall. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun to Filtered Shade
Soil: Moist to Dry
Height: 1 to 3 feet
Blooms: June to July
Flowers: Violet to Pink

Melanthera nivea

Enjoy flocking butterflies from mid-August through late September by planting Snow Squarestem within view. Snow Squarestem treats pollinators with copious amounts of nectar. Although it has a square stem, it is a member of the Aster Family. Pruning it back periodically to 2 feet is recommended to encourage a full, rounded shape. In nature it occurs in edge habitat, flood plains, & disturbed openings. Fast-growing & drought-tolerant. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

Light: Full Sun
Soil: Average
Height: 1 to 5 feet
Blooms: early June to late September
Flowers: White with Black anthers

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. Grown from Kentucky-source seed.

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

Valeriana pauciflora

Tubular pink-white flowers occur in clusters at top of stems in spring and look quite elegant. In nature, plant may be found in moist, well-drained soil adjacent to waterways. A good candidate to place where invasive exotic Garlic mustard has been removed. Give this plant room in optimal conditions. Tends to spread readily from stolons. Provenance: Kentucky.

Light: Intermediate
Soil: moist, well-drained
Height: 1 to 2.5 feet
Blooms: Spring