Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed)
Bloom Time: June to August
Sun Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Low to Medium
Wildlife: Host plant for Monarch butterfly
Tolerates: Deer resistant, tolerates drought, erosion, and dry soils
Native to North America: Yes
Zones: 3 to 9
Other: A pollinator magnet, this native wildflower has large clusters of fragrant pink flowers.
Location: Herb Study Garden
Physostegia virginiana ‘Miss Manners’ (Obedient Plant)
Bloom Time: June to September
Sun Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Attracts hummingbirds
Tolerates: Deer resistant, tolerates clay soils
Native to North America: N/A
Zones: 3 to 9
Other: As the common name suggests, this plant is very well-behaved, standing upright on sturdy stems with white flower spikes.
Location: Howe Garden
Vitex agnus-castus ‘Silver Spire’ (Chaste Tree)
Bloom Time: July to August
Sun Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Low to Medium
Wildlife: Attracts bumblebees
Tolerates: Moderate salt tolerance
Native to North America: N/A
Zones: 7 to 11
Other: A pure white selection of Vitex, this woody plant can be grown as a large multi-stemmed shrub or small tree.
Location: Turner Seasons Garden
Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra ‘Bleeding Hearts’ (Ox Eye Sunflower)
Bloom Time: July to September
Sun Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Low to Medium
Wildlife: Attracts butterflies and birds
Tolerates: Deer resistant, tolerates drought
Native to North America: N/A
Zones: 3 to 9
Other: Blooming all summer long, flowers emerge orange-red and mature to a deep golden color with red centers.
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden
Echinacea ‘Balsomselo’ Sombrero® Sandy Yellow (Coneflower)
Bloom Time: June to August
Sun Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Low to Medium
Wildlife: Birds such as goldfinches, cardinals, bluejays eat the seeds
Tolerates: Deer resistant, tolerates drought
Native to North America: N/A
Zones: 3 to 8
Other: With creamy yellow flowers, this compact coneflower blooms profusely throughout the summer.
Location: Bradford Robertson Color Garden
Hibiscus ‘Cherry Choco Latte’ (Rose Mallow)
Bloom Time: July to August
Sun Requirement: Full Sun
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Attracts bees and hummingbirds
Tolerates: Deer resistant
Native to North America: N/A
Zones: 4 to 9
Other: Featuring giant, eight-inch diameter flowers with deep pink veins and centers.
Location: Wills Perennial Garden
Manfreda virginica (American Agave)
Bloom Time: July to October
Sun Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Low to Medium
Wildlife: Pollinated by moths at night
Tolerates: Tolerates drought, dry and rocky soils
Native to North America: Yes
Zones: 6 to 9
Other: Growing from a basal rosette, the leaves are fleshy and flecked with red. Flowers rise from the center on a stalk reaching 4 to 5 feet tall.
Location: Herb Study Garden
Hibiscus syriacus ‘Strawberry Smoothie’ (Rose of Sharon)
Bloom Time: July to September
Sun Requirement: Full Sun to Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Attracts butterflies with it’s nectar
Tolerates: Heat and drought tolerant
Native to North America: N/A
Zones: 5 to 8
Other: This vase-shaped shrub produces pastel pink flowers that are double-petaled and sterile.
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden
