Tag Archives: butterfly gardening

Stokesia Peachie’s Pick Is a Favorite Stokes Aster

September 15, 2018 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Stokesia Peachie’s Pick provides the frilled, bright purple flowers we expect from a Stokes’s aster, but it boasts a longer-than-average bloom time, starting a bit later in the summer, right when the garden needs a pop of color. The …

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Silver Strike Dianthus Shines in Foliage and Flower

September 1, 2018 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Silver Strike dianthus, or cheddar pinks, has a long bloom time, with the potential to flower consistently from early spring through fall. Meanwhile its dense, bright silver leaves provide another dimension of interest at the front of the flower …

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Denver Daisy Brings Bright Color for Summer

August 18, 2018 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Denver Daisy is a long-blooming, heavy-blooming variety of North American native black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). It provides constant cheerful color in the summer garden while feeding bees and other pollinators. It tolerates poor soil, high heat and moderate dry …

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Red-hot Poker Plant, or Kniphofia, Sizzles in the Garden

August 11, 2018 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Red-hot poker is a flowering perennial that erupts with hot-colored tubular blooms atop straight stems in the summer. This surprisingly hardy perennial fits right into meadow-like plantings where it can mingle with ornamental grasses and other sun lovers. This …

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White Swan Coneflower Is a Time-tested Echinacea

August 4, 2018 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: White Swan coneflower is, as its name implies, a white-flowered version of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). It boasts all the attributes of the species: long bloom time; bold, showy flowers that feed bees and butterflies; textural seed heads that …

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Globe Amaranth Flowers All Summer in Gardens and Pots

June 30, 2018 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Globe amaranth is an annual flowering plant long popular in cutting gardens, cottage gardens and pollinator-friendly gardens. It bears curious spherical blooms all summer long. These are plentiful enough to provide for many fresh or dried flower arrangements without …

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Best Plants for Pollinators, Listed by Region

August 22, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Seeking a few good plants for pollinators in your area? Here’s what experts recommend as a place to start. This list was compiled for Horticulture by garden writer Paige Embry.

Liatris Ligulistylis Supports Monarch Butterflies

August 8, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Liatris ligulistylis, or meadow blazing star, is a perennial plant that blooms in late summer and autumn. Its bright purple flowers provide food for butterflies, hummingbirds and pollinating insects, so much so that it has earned the nickname “the …

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Agastache Mango Tango Checks All the Boxes

August 1, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Agastache Mango Tango has many things gardeners look for in a perennial for late summer: It blooms for a long time (midsummer to fall), it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, it tolerates drought and heat and it resists deer and …

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Caradonna Salvia Is a Perennial Favorite

April 18, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Caradonna salvia is a popular variety thanks to its long bloom time and its bright purple flowers that stand out against their dark purple stems. It feeds bees and butterflies but resists deer and rabbits.

Perennial Plant of the Year 2017: Asclepias tuberosa

January 2, 2017 | Meghan Shinn | 0

Virtues: Asclepius tuberosa has been named Perennial Plant of the Year for 2017. It is drought tolerant and deer resistant. It has long-lasting orange flowers that appear in summer. Its flowers feed adult butterflies, and its stems and leaves serve …

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