Perennials

Achillea millefolium - Common Yarrow

30-90 cm Delicate fern-like foliage, flat-topped clusters of white flowerheads from June to September. Its nectar and pollen attract a wide variety of pollinating insects. Native status, from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: A. millefolium is highly variable and has been treated both as a single species with varieties and as multiple distinct species. It is cosmopolitan throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, A. millefolium is a complex of both native and introduced plants and their hybrids. Full to part sun, average soil.

Acorus americanus - Sweet Flag
See under Pont Plants

Actaea pachypoda - White Baneberry

45-70 cm Also known as Doll’s Eyes, for the black-dotted white fruit on red stalks that appear in August. Lovely frothy white flowers in June. Finely dissected grey-green foliage. Deciduous shade (needs sun in spring). Accommodates to a variety of soil conditions.

Actaea racemosa - Black Cohosh
1.5 m Formerly known as Cimicifuga racemosa. Other common names are Black Bugbane, Black Snakeroot and - the most descriptive of this plant that can light up a shady area - Fairy Candles. Dramatic arching spikes of fragrant cream flowers are among the last bloomers of fall - from September onwards - and are a magnet for butterflies and other pollinators. Beautiful dissected foliage. Larval host for the Spring Azure butterfly. Average soil, shade or partial shade.

Actaea rubra - Red Baneberry 
40-60 cm Fluffy clusters of delicate white flowers in spring, followed by wonderfully decorative brilliant red fruit in mid-to late summer, lasting into winter. Finely divided bright green foliage. This species is difficult to germinate, slow to grow, hard to find - and a striking and elegant addition to the woodland garden. Light to moderate shade, moist soil enriched with fallen leaf litter.

Agastache foeniculum - Anise Hyssop
100 cm approx. Our all-round favourite pollinator plant! Highlighted as a top performer by the Xerces Society. Member of the mint family. Bees and butterflies are irresistibly drawn to these pretty blue-purple flower spikes with leaves that smell and taste of anise (delicious in teas, salads and cooking). Grows into effective clumps, not fussy, not aggressive, self-seeds readily. Flowers early and late, in fact it's one of the last plants to stay in flower in fall, providing sustenance for tardy pollinators. Sun, part shade

Agastache scrophulariifolia - Purple Giant Hyssop
1.8 m Strong square stems bear flower spikes that aren't purple but pale lavender to cream. The tubular flowers are nectar-rich and attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Blooms August-September. Seedheads offer winter interest and food for birds. Similar in form to the related Anise Hyssop but taller, with only a faint anise scent.

Ageratina altissima - White Snakeroot
90 cm An older binomial name is Eupatorium rugosum. A star of the late summer / fall garden - brilliant white flowers in flat-topped clusters on slender, branching stems clothed in toothed leaves. Light up the shade garden at a time when there’s not much else. Often fragrant. Attracts pollinators. Habitat is woodland edge, so part sun to part shade in moist soil is best, but this is a very adaptable plant and will tolerate a range of conditions.

Allium cernuum - Wild Nodding Onion
20-60 cm. A stand-out among those members of the onion family that are grown for their decorative value. Nodding white-pink flowers in July-August. A Carolinian plant that's now rare in the wild, found principally on the Lake Erie islands. Attracts butterflies, bees. Full sun, average soil conditions.

Allium tricoccum – Wild Leek
30-45 cm Bulb-forming perennial. Also known as Ramps. A member of the onion family, one of the first plants to come up in Ontario’s deciduous woodlands, it’s a delicious early spring vegetable. Leaves die back by early summer, the creamy white flower appears on a long stem in July and sets seed. The plant then disappears, and remains dormant until the next spring. A clump will spread slowly over the years. If harvesting in the wild, take only one leaf from each plant. Unfortunately the Wild Leek is disappearing from our natural spaces due to greedy harvesters who clear entire patches. This is a sustainable crop if treated with respect. Needs an area that gets dappled sunlight in spring followed by shade, with moist soil enriched by surface leaf mould.

Amsonia ciliata - Fringed Bluestar x
50-80 cm Clump-forming perennial with clusters of lovely star-like, pale blue flowers. Blooms in June. Attractive narrow leaves turn gold in fall. Not native to Ontario*, but further south on eastern North American continent. Accommodates to a variety of soils. Sun with some shade. 

Anaphalis margaritacea - Pearly Everlasting
See under Groundcovers

Anemone acutiloba - Sharp-lobed Hepatica 
One of the first woodland flowers to bloom in spring - such a lovely signal that winter is over. White or mauve flowers with conspicuous stamens and three-lobed mottled semi-evergreen leaves that give it one of its common names, Liverleaf. Shade, part shade. Accommodates to a variety of soils, from moist to dry (in the wild, grows in deciduous forests under moisture-depleting trees like Sugar Maple).

Anemone canadensis - Canada Anemone
See under Groundcovers

Anemone cylindrica - Thimbleweed 
60 - 100 cm. Small white flowers in early summer, with long-lasting thimble-shaped seedheads in summer and fall that burst into fluffy cottony masses for winter interest, and wildlife food and nesting material. Pleasing deeply divided foliage. Does best in poor soil. Drought tolerant. Self-seeds readily. Sun or shade. 1 gal  $6

Antennaria neglecta - Field Pussytoes
See under Groundcovers

Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Columbine
30-80 cm Flowers in May-June, coinciding with the return of migrating hummingbirds, this is  one of the glories of Ontario's deciduous forests, more glorious also than any other aquilegia. Its delicate hanging flowers have tubular red and yellow petals, flat red sepals and long spurs with yellow anthers. Attractive green foliage. With nectar secreted in the spurs, hummingbirds and long-tongued bumble bees are required for pollination. Best in well-drained soil in partial shade but adaptable - grows in sun in dry rocky terrain and poor gravelly soil. Self-seeds.

Aralia racemosa - American Spikenard
120-180 cm Attractive shrub-like plant (it is a herbaceous perennial, dying back each fall) with widely spreading branches of compound, heart-shaped leaves, bearing racemes of delicate greenish-cream flowers in August that attract large numbers of pollinators, followed by plentiful purple-red berries that are great for wildlife. Sun or dappled shade. Moisture preferred but accommodates to range of average soils. Interesting write-up.

Argentina anserina - Silverweed Cinquefoil
See under Groundcovers

Arisaema triphyllum - Jack-in-the-Pulpit
30-60 cm The fascinating inflorescence grows up inside a leaf-like structure that curls into a protective hood. Berries turn bright red in fall and are consumed by birds. This excellent woodland plant prefers dappled sunlight to light shade in spring, medium shade later in the year and moist soil with decaying leaf litter.

Artemisia ludoviciana - White Sage
60-80 cm Also known as Silver Wormwood and Western Mugwort. Aromatic pale grey foliage. Prefers poor soil and dry conditions, grows in sun oe shade. Can spread aggressively - but I have seen it look most attractive if mown and used as a groundcover. One of the four medicine plants, used in purification ceremonies (smudging).

Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed
90-120 cm. Also known as Rose or Red Milkweed. One of several milkweeds native to Ontario, this one is particularly beautiful, with a round cluster of pale and dark pink blooms in June-July. Don't be put off by the "weed" part of its name - it's elegant, it doesn't spread with underground runners and it's a good plant to have, being a host to the Monarch butterfly (its caterpillars feed only on native Milkweed foliage). A wetland plant, some moisture in the soil is preferred, but it can work in fairly dry conditions. Sun. 

Asclepias tuberosa - Butterfly Weed
40-80 cm. Brilliant orange flowers from June to August make this member of the Milkweed family, also a host to the Monarch butterfly, a most desirable garden plant. Clump-forming - doesn't send out underground runners, but does form a large taproot, making transplanting difficult if you change your mind about where you want it. Drought-tolerant. Slow growing, but worth the wait. Late to break dormancy. Sun or part-shade.

Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed
80-100 cm. The perfect Monarch host, a beautiful plant with fragrant dusky pink flowers held in drooping globes from end of June to early August. Attracts a wide variety of pollinators. Dry to moist soil conditions, sun or shade. It can be overly intrusive in a small garden, spreading through a skinny underground root. Pull up the stem if it shows up where you don't want it. I saw it mass planted a bed in Toronto, and it looked very lovely, in a space it had all to itself. As is pointed out on the Monarch Watch website, being a good colonizer does not necessarily mean that a plant species is a good competitor. In fact, in a meadow, Common Milkweed tends to be out-competed by more vigorous species like Goldenrod and disappear. That's plant succession for you. Sun.

Baptisia australis – Blue False Indigo x 
90-150 cm Also known as Blue Wild Indigo - long spikes of deep indigo-blue flowers, followed by attractive seedpods (loose seeds within hollow gourd can be used as rattles). Clover-like blue-green foliage looks good all season. A splendid and long-lived plant that is slow to mature. Drought-tolerant, once established. Full sun, average soil. Naturalized in Ontario, native to points south of the Great Lakes.* Full sun.

Callirhoe digitata - Fringed Poppy Mallow x
90 cm Also know as Standing Winecups for the chalice shape of the strikingly beautiful flower - magenta with a spot of white at the centre of the bloom. Hardy, but not native to Ontario, the range of this species is from the southern shore of Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike other Poppy Mallows, this one stands tall, making it a good addition to a meadow planting. Blooms July-August. Full sun.

Callirhoe involucrata - Purple Poppy Mallow x
30 cm Another Winecup - but this one's a sprawling, mat-forming groundcover that thrives in dry heat because of a deep taproot (which makes it difficult to move after a few years). Native to Eastern North America,* to Indiana, Illinois and points south. Host and nectar plant of the Grey Hairstreak butterfly, native to our area. Drought-resistant, full sun to part shade. Blooms July-September.

Caulophyllum thalictroides - Blue Cohosh
30-60 cm Lovely purple blue foliage emerges in spring, turning blue green as the season progresses. Small yellowish flowers turn into bright blue berries. Slow to establish, will spread by underground rhizomes. Needs dappled sunlight or light shade in spring, and shade for the rest of the year as well as abundant organic matter from decaying leaves or other plant materials.

Chelone glabra - White Turtlehead
30-90 cm Spikes of white flowers in August- September, the distinctive shape of the flower gives the plant its common name. Narrow lance-shaped leaves. Larval host for the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly.  Visited most frequently by worker bumblebees and hummingbirds -  bees must push their way into the flower by forcing open the upper and lower lips to access the nectar. Interesting info in Lorraine Johnson's Garden for the Rusty-patched Bumblebee: bumblebees infected with an intestinal parasite seek out this plant because its nectar has a medicinal effect. Full sun or part shade. Some moisture needed in the soil.

Chelone obliqua – Pink Turtlehead x
24-30 inches. Not native to Ontario but naturalized across the province, this is a plant from the south-eastern US. Attractive pink turtlehead-shaped flowers, needs some moisture, good for water's edge in part shade or sun. Host to the Baltimore Checkerspot.

Conoclinium coelestinum - Blue Mist x
70-90 cm Native to points south and west of the Great Lakes* - USDA map. Blooms in September, with beautiful flat-top clusters of delicate powder-blue flowers that look like Ageratum. Closely related to the white-flowered Bonesets (Eupatorium spp.), and sometimes referred to as Eupatorium coelestinum. Good cut flower, rain garden plant. It is an aggressive spreader so containment is advised. Full sun to light shade. 

Coreopsis grandiflora - Large-flowered Tickseed

60 cm Showy yellow flowers from June to September (remove deadheads to prolong blooming), sun or part sun, likes good drainage in a variety of soils. Attracts pollinators.

Coreopsis lanceolata - Lance-leaved Coreopsis
60 cm Also known as Sand Coreopsis or Sand Tickseed. Bright yellow, daisy-like flowers on long stems bloom in late spring and into summer (deadhead to prolong flowering). Drought tolerant, grows on sandy or poor soil. Attracts pollinators. Full sun.

Coreopsos tripteris - Tall Coreopsis
2 metres plus Also known as Tall Tickseed. Tall, picturesque, clumping with long stems that sway in the wind. Daisy-like pale yellow flowers with maroon centres from July to September. Accommodates to most soils, good in sand. Sun.

Dicentra cucullaria - Dutchman's Breeches
20-30 cm A woodland spring ephemeral that flowers early before the leaf canopy grows and shades the forest floor - then goes dormant and disappears till next year. Delicate grey-green fronds of foliage, white hanging flowers shaped - they say - like an upside-down pair of breeches.

Dodecatheon meadia – Midland Shooting Star x
Delightful ephemeral woodland plant - not native to Ontario, but to points south and west of the Great Lakes*. Blooms in May and then goes dormant and disappears in summer, so mark the spot. White petals flare back, yellow stamens point forward, giving the flower a rocket or shooting star shape. An early gift to foraging bees. Shade, average to moist soil.

Doellingeria umbellata - Flat-topped White Aster
1-1.5m Also known as Parasol Aster. An elegant tall plant with a flat-topped cluster of white flowers and a rigid, often purplish stem. The lance-shaped leaves have prominent veins on the underside and feel smooth when stroked away from the stem, rough when stroked backwards. Attracts many pollinators. Full or part sun, moist soil (good for rain gardens), but also accommodates to average conditions.

Echinacea pallida - Pale Purple Coneflower
Up to 90 cm Slim pale petals, lavender to pink, hang from the orange-bronze centre. An early bloomer, providing welcome nectar for returning hummingbirds and butterflies. Goldfinches feed on the seed. Full to part sun. Average soil. 

Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower *
110 cm A classic: large pink daisy-like flowers with orange-bronze centres on erect stems. One of the joys of an Ontario summer, blooms from July to October. And surprise! despite its being beautifully at home here, it's actually listed as 'introduced' to this province and native south of the Great Lakes. A nectar plant that's visited by many pollinators, including hummingbirds and Monarch butterflies. Seed enjoyed by goldfinches. Strong structure for winter interest. Sun or light dappled shade. Average soil.

Epilobium augustifolium - Fireweed
60-180 cm Also known as Great Willowherb. There is some confusion as to which genus Fireweed belongs. Chamerion angustifolium has alternate leaves, Epilobium angustifolium has opposite leaves, at least near the base. In either case, this plant is the first colonizer after a forest fire, hence its name. Blooms end of June to early September, an important plant for honey producers. Full or part sun, moist conditions preferred.

Erigeron pulchellus - Robin’s Plantain
15-30 cm Daisy-like flowers with white to pink florets surrounding a yellow disk, from May to June. Spreads slowly through underground rhizomes, nice on a dappled bank. Sun, part sun in average to dry soil, but accommodating to most conditions. Nectar plant, attracts native bees and butterflies.

Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master x 
1 to 1.5 m A striking plant much loved by pollinators. Sword-shaped leaves edged with prickles and greenish-white thistle-like flowers in late summer through fall, this plant looks like it belongs in a desert but it is hardy, enjoying hot and dry desert-like conditions - full sun, well-drained dry soil (or sand or gravel). A tall-grass prairie plant that’s not native to our area, its range starts south of the Great Lakes. The name’s derived from the fact that indigenous people used it in a tea as an antidote for a rattlesnake bite.

Erythronium americanum - Trout Lily 
5-10 cm Also known as Dogtooth Violet and Adder's Tongue. The mottled green and brown leaves resemble the markings on a trout. You have to bend low to the ground to enjoy the beautiful yellow flower with stamens that are often tipped in red, blooming late April to May. It will gradually colonize a shaded area, acting as a wonderful groundcover for a few weeks in spring. It is a spring ephemeral, appearing early to enjoy the sun before trees have leafed out and going dormant once the canopy closes in, disappearing until next year. Dappled sun to medium shade, loamy soil with decaying leaf litter.

Eupatorium perfoliatum - Boneset
100-160 cm Showy clusters of white flowers that are delightfully fragrant, plant near a path to enjoy the scent. Leaves are "perfoliated," meaning they clasp the stem. This made it a folk remedy, based on the idea that a poultice of this plant could help broken bones knit together. Blooms July-October. Excellent pollinator plant. Full sun to part shade. Its natural habitat is moist but will do fine in dry conditions. 

Eurybia divaricata - Wood Aster
Also known as Heartleaf Aster. Blooms late summer and early fall in dry shade – few plants are this accommodating. Spreads into large clumps. The clouds of white stars contrast sharply with its wiry black stems and show up well in shade. Shade, part shade.

Eurybia macrophylla - Large-leaved Aster
15-80 cm Large daisy-like flowers, mainly white, some with tinges of blue or lavender. Blooms in August-September. If nothing else works, this is the plant for shade or part shade. It does best in moist soils but will survive as a ground cover in dry sandy shade. Host plant to Silvery Checkerspot and Pearl Crescent butterflies.

Euthamia graminifolia – Flat-topped Goldenrod
30-150 cm. Also known as Lance-leaved or Grass-leaved Goldenrod. In fact, in a different genus to other familiar Goldenrods that are in the Solidago genus (both are in the Asteraceae family). Pretty fragrant pale yellow flowers and a delicate form make this a desirable garden plant. Most Goldenrods do seed, spread and try to take over. While this is not the worst offender, it is a spreader, and - like the others - a gorgeous celebration of the end of summer and a key pollinator plant. Sun, average soil.

Eutrochium maculatum – Spotted Joe Pye Weed
180 cm plus Formerly known as Eupatorium maculatum. One of the most glorious native plants in our area, Joe Pye grows six feet tall and is covered with a cloud of dusky pink flowers in July and August. Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and pollinators. Later, the fluffy seeds are much relished by white-crowned and white-throated sparrows as they pass through on their fall migration. A wetland plant that accommodates to a variety of soils. But leaves will scorch if conditions are too dry.

Eutrochium purpureum - Sweet Joe Pye Weed
120 cm A better Joe Pye for many garden situations, because it is not as tall and - a woodland plant - it grows in drier conditions than Spotted Joe Pye. The flowers are pinker, the stem is purple, at the joints or all the way up. Similarly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators, with seeds also enjoyed by the white-crowned and white-throated sparrows as they migrate through. 

Filipendula rubra - Queen of the Prairie x
1 to 1.5 m Absolutely fabulous! 'cotton candy' panicles of fragrant pink buds and flowers (with pink petals, long white stamens and pink anthers). The large-lobed bright green leaves are also fragrant. A plant of moist meadows that will take to rich garden soils, important to provide extra watering in average moisture conditions. If happy, will spread by rhizomes, which will make you happy, so give this Queen her space. Not an Ontario native* although widely naturalized in this province, Queen of the Prairie comes to us from south and west of the Great Lakes. Full sun.

Fragaria virginiana - Wild Strawberry
See under Groundcovers

Gaultheria procumbens - Wintergreen
See under Shrubs

Geranium maculatum - Wild Geranium
30-60 cm Pleasing pink flowers make this wild member of the cranesbill family of geraniums a decorative rival to any garden variety. Not to be confused with the red and pink pelargoniums that are also called geraniums but are native to South Africa and other parts of the globe. Says Heather Holm in her book Pollinators of Native Plants (available from Return of the Native): "An excellent plant to mass under trees, interplant with ferns or late-summer flowering woodland natives. The foliage typically turns bright red in fall for another season of interest." Attracts a variety of pollinating bees and other insects. Prefers moist soil enriched by fallen leaf litter, will tolerate average well-drained soil. Shade to part shade.

Geum rivale - Water Avens
25-50 cm. Nodding reddish purple flowers in June and July attract bees and other pollinators. A denizen of slow-draining or wet soils. Aromatic root, hairy stem, compound leaves. Rhizome spread forms slowly expanding clumps. Sun or part shade.

Geum triflorum - Prairie Smoke
30-60 cm Pretty red flowers in May - June that turn into tufts of pink feathery seedheads, drying into grey smoke-like whisps. Good front-of-border plant for dry sandy soil in full sun. Dislikes competition, don't allow other plants to encroach! Pollinated by bumblebees.

Gillenia trifoliata - Bowman's Root
60-100 cm Also known as Indian Physic. Loose panicles of white or pinkish flowers make for a lovely display in spring. When the petals fall, colourful red sepals are revealed. Three-lobed leaves turn red or orange in fall. A good choice for a mass planting. 'Bright' shade or partial sun. Mulch with decomposed leaves (leafmould) to add acidity to average soils.

Helenium autumnale - Helen’s Flower
Up to 1 m Also known as Sneezeweed (no, it won't make you sneeze). Very charming - yellow daisy-like flowers with pleasingly recurved petals in July-August, attracts bees and butterflies. Full sun, accommodates to a variety of soils.

Helenium flexuosum - Purple-headed Sneezeweed *
45-90cm Resembles Helen's Flower (H. autumnale), with the same attractive recurved yellow petals, but a little shorter, and distinguished by its decorative purple centres. Prefers moisture. An Eastern Seaboard native south of the Great Lakes, but not considered native to Ontario; the USDA map shows it to be naturalized as far north as Hudson Bay.

Helianthus divaricatus - Woodland Sunflower
Up to 1.5 metres Bright yellow daisy-like flowers, about 4 cm across, from July to September. Grows in dry shade and attracts a variety of pollinators, which makes it a real winner for the woodland garden. Larval host for the Silvery Checkerspot, Gorgone Checkerspot and Painted Lady butterflies. Spreads by underground rhizomes, is said to be aggressive, but I can't get enough of it in my shade garden.

Helianthus giganteus - Giant Sunflower
2 m. A dramatic narrow-leaved perennial sunflower with numerous pale yellow flowers on reddish stems, July-October. Likes full sun, moist ground. Use in naturalizing, not in perennial beds, as it spreads and self-seeds aggressively. Like Jerusalem artichokes, produces edible tubers (but fewer and smaller). From Heather Holm’s Bees: 'Sunflowers have a high wildlife value as they support many species of specialist bees, several moth and butterfly species and produce seeds sought after by songbirds.' 

Heliopsis helianthoides - Sweet Oxeye
1 to 1.5 m Also known as False Sunflower. A striking yellow daisy on multiple branching stems, member of the Aster family, not to be confused with the invasive, non-native white oxeye daisy. Grows in most soils in sun or part shade. Long blooming period of July-September. Self-seeds enthusiastically. Attracts butterflies and pollinators.

Heuchera richardsonii - Prairie Alumroot
30 cm Basal clump with panicles of tiny bell-shaped flowers on tall (60 cm) wiry stalks. Members of the Heuchera genus are all native to North America. Wikipedia lists over 40 varieties from across the continent. Alumroots, also known as Coral Bells, have been extensively hybridized to produce different coloured or patterned leaves for garden use. This one, native to Ontario and points north and west, has softly lobed green foliage and airy creamy-green flowers with stamens tipped in orange. Attracts pollinators. Good for a rock garden or edge of perennial border. Drought resistant. Partial shade, accommodates to most soils, best in well-drained sand or gravel.

Hydrophyllum virginianum - Virginia Waterleaf

20-50 cm A low-growing woodland plant with clusters of pretty blue (sometimes white) flowers in May and June, deeply divided foliage. Shade or part shade, some moisture preferred. Leaves are said to be edible, raw or cooked, best when picked young. Spreads readily by seed and rhizome.

Hypericum ascyron - Giant St. John's Wort

70 cm Robust shrub-like perennial with large yellow flowers bearing many stamens that produce large quantities of pollen (no nectar); attracts bees and butterflies. Leafcutter bees cut pieces of leaf for lining and dividing brood cells. Deep roots, plant it where you want it to stay. Part shade, moist soil.

Iris versicolor - Northern Blue Flag Iris
See under Pond Plants

Liatris ligulistylis - Meadow Blazing Star x
90-120 cm Said to be unsurpassed for attracting Monarch as well as many other species of butterfly. Birds enjoy the seeds later in the year. Very decorative branched spikes of brilliant purple flowers from July to October. A North American native from the prairie provinces and south of the Great Lakes. Full sun. Well-drained moist to medium soil.  

Liatris spicata - Dense Blazing Star
30-60 cm Wands of blue-violet flowers from July to November attract hummingbirds, butterflies, bees. A Tall Grass Prairie plant that is threatened in the wild by habitat loss. Full sun. Moist to medium soil.

Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
60 cm The best red! Glorious spikes of scarlet flowers from July-September. A short-lived perennial that grows along the edges of northern lakes. Needs moisture and sun or part sun. Will self-seed and appear in unexpected spots where it is always welcome, sometimes in dry spots where it doesn't seem to have got the memo. Pollinated by hummingbirds, butterflies and bees.

Lobelia siphilitica - Great Blue Lobelia 
Up to 120 cm Clump-forming perennial with dense spikes of clear blue tubular flowers from August-October. Attracts bees, hummingbirds, butterflies. Full to part sun, average to moist soil. Self-seeds.

Lupinus perennis - Wild Lupine 
40-60 cm Lovely spikes of pastel through to dark blue (very occasionally white) flowers in June. This is the host plant for the caterpillars of the Karner Blue and the Dusky Wing, two butterflies that are extirpated in Ontario, as well as for the endangered Frosted Elfin. Happy on the beach, in sun and sand, but tolerant of a wide range of soils. Full sun and good drainage a must, low-nutrient conditions best. In areas where the Karner Blue survives, the multi-coloured Russell hybrids present a danger as they readily hybridize with with this native species, contaminating the gene pool and making its foliage inedible to Karner Blue caterpillars. Lupins develop a deep taproot and do not respond well to transplanting.

Maianthemum stellatum - Starry False Solomon’s Seal 
Up to 50 cm Delicate starry white flowers in late May, early June, berries that follow are green and black striped, then red. Spreads, will fill that annoying space on the north side of the cottage. This is a shade plant, does well in sand, adaptable to a variety of soil conditions.

Mentha arvensis - Wild Mint
65 cm Aromatic foliage, fragrant mauve flowers that bloom July-September in whorls around the axils of the leaves. Attracts small bees, wasps, butterflies. Sun or part sun, moist to average soil. Can be used to make tea.

Mertensia virginica - Virginia Bluebells
30 cm A magical woodland plant, producing dramatic bluebells in May, and then going dormant and disappearing until next year (so mark the spot). Shade. Adapts to a variety of soil conditions. Spreads itself through shade by self-seeding, resulting in beautiful drifts.

Mimulus ringens - Monkey Flower
60-100 cm Bushy plant with charming mauve flowers that bloom for about a month some time from late June to mid-August. With all due respect to monkeys, I can't see why the plant was given this name, but it's apparently because of the shape of the flower. Needs consistent moisture, so well-suited to a rain or bog garden.

Monarda didyma - Oswego Tea Beebalm
80-100 cm approx Also known as Crimson Beebalm or Red Bergamot. Striking red blooms on tall stalks, aromatic foliage, a great favourite with hummingbirds. Full sun, will tolerate some shade, average to moist soil. If crowded, downy mildew will appear on the leaves. Good air circulation solves the problem, cut back some of the stems and provide more open conditions. Spreads slowly.

Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot Beebalm
60-120 cm Soft mauve flowers, sweetly scented, attractive to pollinators - bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. A Xerces Society favourite. Easy to grow, flowers all summer long, aromatic foliage, self-seeds nicely, drought tolerant, will grow in sun or shade. If crowded, downy mildew will appear on the leaves. Good air circulation solves the problem. Can't decide which is nicest, Oswego Tea or Wild Bergamot; best to grow both. 

Monarda punctata - Dotted Beebalm 
30-60 cm Also known as Spotted Horsemint. Delightful rosettes of creamy tubular flowers with maroon dots occur in whorls, forming a dense, elongated spike at the end of the stem or from leaf axils, each whorl resting on conspicuous leafy bracts (think poinsettia, only in light pink or lavender instead of red). Aromatic foliage can be used for tea. Ontario Wildflowers offers this advice: "A plant for really hot and dry areas. It requires open sandy soil to be happy and reseed, since it is short lived. Because it is rare (it is only found in two places in the wild in Ontario) it should not be planted in the wild." Drought-tolerant pollinator plant. The Great Golden Digger Wasp is one of its visitors. 8.5 cm pot $5

Oenothera fruticosa – Narrow-leaved Sundrops  
To 60 cm No-problem plant with bright yellow flowers that flourishes in poor soil. Member of Evening Primrose family, but blooms in daytime. Drought-tolerant. Spreads. Shallow-rooted so easily controlled. Blooms June-July. Hummingbirds, butterflies and many insects (including one bee specialist, see entry for Evening Primrose) visit for nectar, songbirds for seeds. Sun or shade

Opuntia humifusia - Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus
Up to 25 cm  Ontario’s only native cactus. A low-spreading succulent, with dramatic large pale yellow flowers in June, followed by fruit that turn red in fall. Native populations are listed as endangered provincially and federally - only three populations exist in the wild in Canada: two in Point Pelee National Park and one in Fish Point Provincial Nature Reserve on Pelee Island. Needs full sun, well-drained sand or gravel. Keep clear of weeds, handle with care or prickles will get you. Survives winter just fine outside.

Packera aurea - Golden Ragwort
15-60 cm Showy golden-yellow daisy-like flowers in flat-topped clusters. Blooms in spring and can spread into an effective ground cover for damp woodland, aggressive enough to see off periwinkle (Vinca), it is said. Full sun to light shade, moisture needed, accommodates to most soils.

Packera paupercula - Balsam Ragwort
35 cm Bright yellow daisy-like flowers with recessed petals grow from a basal rosette. This is a plant found in the Carden Alvar in challenging conditions of little soil, intense drought and seasonal flooding. Also said to prefer moist sandy soil and full or partial sun. Also to be ideal for rock gardens and xeriscaping. 

Parthenium integrifolium - Wild Quinine x
60-90 cm Stems bearing flat-headed clusters of small white flowerheads (can be used in dried flower arrangements) emerge from basal rosette of serrated blue-grey leaves. Featured by Xerxes as a 'weird and wonderful' pollinator plant for the variety of floral visitors it attracts. Blooms June to September. Native to Illinois and points south of the Great Lakes, naturalized in Ontario. Full sun, average soil.

Penstemon digitalis - Foxglove Beardtongue 
60-80 cm Not a member of the foxglove family. Penstemons are one of the most beautiful North American flowering species. Clusters of white bell-shaped flowers on tall erect stems in June through to July. Clump-forming, drought-tolerant, sun or part sun/shade, average soils.

Penstemon hirsutus - Hairy Beardtongue

40-60 cm Lavender bell-shaped flowers, gets its name from the hairs on the stem. A little shorter than the Foxglove Beardtongue, clump-forming, drought-tolerant, a pleasing front of border plant. Blooms in late May to June. Sun or part sun/shade, average soils.

Polygonatum biflorum - Great Solomon's Seal

45 cm approx So beautiful in spring, when the double white bells hand from the elegant arch of the stem. Later, dark blue berries form, to be enjoyed by birds. The perfect shade plant. Adaptable to a wide variety of shade conditions. 

Phlox divaricata – Woodland Phlox
20 cm Also known as Wild Blue Phlox. Delicate pale blue flowers in late May to mid-June, one of the best blues, packing a great impact for a small plant. Plant this beauty instead of the invasive periwinkle (Vinca). Spreads slowly over time. Adaptable to a variety of soil conditions, best in dappled shade but will tolerate full sun.

Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant
100-130 cm Mauve or white flower spikes. So named because the flowers can be bent into position and will stay that way for a while. Another name is False Dragonhead. An underrated plant that is very effective at the back of the border and is always buzzing with pollinators - hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, etc. Sun to part-sun. Spreads but easy to control as it is shallow-rooted. 

Phytolacca americana - American Pokeweed
120-200 cm Pokeweed has been called bold - it's a description that fits. Lovely racemes of small white flowers blooming July-August, followed by bunches of dark purple berries, stems red or tinged with red, huge oval leaves and a long taproot. Author Lorraine Johnson lists it as one of her favourites. The flowers are visited by a variety of pollinators, the plentiful berries hang in to mid-winter and are high value for birds and some mammals. Part sun, moist soil are best, but this tough plant flourishes in a variety of conditions.

Polemonium reptans - Jacob's Ladder
30-50cm Clusters of deep blue flowers with brightly contrasting yellow stamens in May-June and excellent foliage, the compound leaves arranged like the rungs of a ladder. Adaptable to dry, moist, sun, shade.

Pycnanthemum virginianum - Virginia Mountain Mint
30 to 90 cm - Grown for its fragrance and culinary uses, it is also an excellent nectar plant, beloved by pollinators for its densely packed clusters of white flowers with purple dots and long bloom time (July-September). A spreader, not as aggressive as mint, but give it its own space, the bees and butterflies will be grateful. Full to partial sun, moist to average soil.

Ratibida pinnata - Grey-headed Coneflower
50-150 cm An elegant plant of South-western Ontario's Tall Grass Prairie. Blooms June-September. Showy flower - with a prominent central disk, which is initially light green or grey and later turns dark brown, and reflexed pale yellow petals. Attracts birds, butterflies, bees. Thrives in dry soil, excellent for xeriscaping. Sun or part shade.

Rudbeckia hirta - Black-eyed Susan
60-80 cm The cheerful face of summer in Ontario. Short-lived perennial, but self-seeds readily so once you have it, you have it. Long flowering season startug in June, larval host to several moths and butterflies, including the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly. Great source of pollen and nectar for bees, some of which, like the Mining Bee (Andrena rudbeckiae) are specialists, collecting only from this species. Full to part sun, average to dry soils, drought tolerant.

Rudbeckia laciniata - Cutleaf Coneflower
90-150 cm Also known as Green-headed Coneflower. The Cherokee call it Sochan and consider it an important medicine and a nutritious part of their diet. Tall, branched, liberally flowering July through September, and then the plant gets worked over by birds enjoying the seeds. It has unusual light green central cones with drooping bright yellow petals and smooth, deeply cut foliage. Its natural habitat is along stream banks and in moist forests, but accommodates to drier soils. It does well in both sun or shade.

Rudbeckia triloba - Brown-eyed Susan x 
Up to 90 cm - Short-lived perennial with yellow rays, purplish-black raised disk that self-seeds readily - prepare for it to move around. Blooms August to October. Densely branched, taller than R. hirta with smaller but more profuse flowers. Attracts many nectar-seeking and pollen-seeking insects. Not native to Ontario but to points south of Great Lakes.* Tolerates heat, drought and a wide range of soils. Full to partial sun.

Ruellia humilis - Wild Petunia x
45 cm Not a petunia. Gorgeous pale lilac petunia-shaped flowers from July to October make this plant a stand-out. Shape is a neat clump, leaves and stems are hairy. Self-seeds. Native to points south of the Great Lakes.* Full sun, flourishes in dry conditions in any type of soil.

Sanguinaria canadensis - Bloodroot
20 cm A little miracle of spring - each flower stalk emerges wrapped in a leaf; the striking white flowers bloom in May, and then the leaves unfurl, large deeply scalloped saucers, held about 25 cm off the ground. Then the show fades away to go dormant in summer - but below ground, the thick clump of rhizomatous roots (blood-coloured) is slowly spreading. Shade, average soil.

Sanguisorba officinalis - Great Burnet
60-120 cm Spikes of burgundy-red flowers on long stalks float above attractive compound foliage. Pollinator plant. Full sun and some moisture.

Scrophularia marilandica - Eastern Figwort
60-200 cm Also known as Late Figwort or Carpenter’s Square (the latter name comes from its squared-off stem). A tall plant with broad panicles of tiny dark red cup-like flowers that bloom from July through October, its exceptionally abundant nectar makes it highly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, native bees and other pollinators. Because it becomes a high-traffic area for insects, I'd advise locating it in a spot where people aren't going to brush up against it. Figworts are given a special rating by the Xerces Society. Accommodates to a range of soils, including sand. Sun or shade, but does better in sun. 

Silene stellata - Starry Campion
50 cm Also known as Widow's Frill, Starry Catchfly. A beautiful perennial that should be grown more often in flower gardens (though if the soil is too rich, the plant may weaken and lean). Panicles of deeply fringed white flowers clustered at the tops of tall stalks from June through September, leaves up to 4" long appear in whorls of four, attracts butterflies and moths. Drought tolerant. Light shade or partial sun - too much sun will turn the leaves yellow. Variety of soils.

Silphium perfoliatum - Cup Plant
2 to 2.5 m One of the tallest native perennials.. Showy yellow daisy-type flowers from July-October. Drought-tolerant. Leaves clasp the stem to make a cup that holds rainwater for several days where it is used by songbirds, butterflies and other insects. Develops deep roots, so plant it where you plant to keep it. Self-seeds, you might want to control its enthusiasm by pulling and transplanting or donating the seedlings. Accommodates to a variety of soils. Sun. 

Sisyrinchium montanum – Blue-eyed Grass
30 cm Actually not a grass at all, but a miniature iris, a jewel of a plant with bright blue flowers in June-July. Sun to part shade.

Solidago canadensis - Canada Goldenrod
1.5 m Goldenrods are the number one herbaceous plant in terms of the number of pollinators they support - so finding the right spot for this species will enhance the ecological value of your garden. Ragweed, a native that flowers at the same time, is the one responsible for people's allergies, although Goldenrod, being conspicuous, gets unfairly blamed. Canada Goldenrod has large branching heads of tiny yellow flowers. One of the most common Goldenrod species in Ontario, it spreads aggressively and creates a riot of colour in summer and fall. Great for naturalizing. Not advised for small gardens where plants are required to play nicely.

Solidago caesia - Blue-stemmed Goldenrod 
30-90 cm Wands of brilliant yellow flower spikes on wiry, often blue-green stems, show up wonderfully in shade - for this is one of the shade-loving Goldenrods. Blooms late August to end of season. Attracts butterflies, bees, birds. Does not spread aggressively. Dry to average moisture in loamy soil (forest floor conditions). Shade or partial shade.

Solidago flexicaulis - Zigzag Goldenrod

45-90 cm Another shade-loving goldenrod - yellow flowers on a zig-zag stem in September-October. Moist soils from sand to loam - forest floor conditions. Important source of nectar for many insects. Self-seeds and spreads by underground rhizomes - not as vigorously as the sun-loving goldenrods. 

Solidago nemoralis - Grey Goldenrod
Up to 1m Also called Old Field Goldenrod - a goldenrod that's shorter than other sun-loving goldenrods and has a very nice form, with wands of clustered yellow flowers on radiating grey stems that provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. A good choice for difficult slopes or areas with poor soil where little else will grow - although it does well in fertile soil too. Full sun, dry soil.

Solidago ptarmicoides - Upland White Aster
224-40 cm The aster that's actually a goldenrod, it was reclassified into the solidago genus based on its flower structure. More recently, it has been further reclassified as Oligoneuron album. Small bushy perennial that stays in clumps and has showy flowers in late summer. Itlikes dry, sandy soils in full sun. Seed enjoyed by goldfinches.

Solidago rigida - Stiff Goldenrod
90-150 cm Also recently reassigned from the Solidago genus to the Oligoneuron genus, so properly known as O. rigidum. Bright yellow flat-topped flowers from July to October provide abundant nectar for many pollinators and a reliable late-summer source for migrating butterflies like Monarchs. Seeds are consumed by birds. The plant’s deep fibrous root system doesn’t spread rapidly like some of the other rhizomatous goldenrods; it does self-seed. Full sun, dry conditions. Adaptable to a wide variety of soils - clay, loam, sand.

Solidago rugosa - Rough-stemmed Goldenrod
Up to 1.5m Also called Wrinkle-leaved Goldenrod. A central stem bearing panicles of bright yellow flowers provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Bird enjoy the seeds. Full to part sun, accommodates to most soils, even gravelly ones, but some moisture is required. 

Stylophorum diphyllum - Wood Poppy
Up to 40 cm Attractive deeply lobed leaves, lovely intense yellow flowers that bloom in May and June. The foliage exudes a yellow-orange sap. Sometimes called the Celandine Poppy, not to be confused with the look-alike Greater Celandine (Chelidonium majus), an invasive alien. The native species is endangered in the wild in Ontario, where there are only three known wild populations, in Middlesex County. Shade to part shade, some moisture.

Symphyotrichum laeve - Smooth Blue Aster
45-90 cm With showy pale blue to purplish flowers surrounding a yellow disk that darkens to a purplish red, this is one of the most attractive blue asters, and one of the earliest to bloom in late summer. Plentiful nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies and other insects. Light-green foliage is smooth, almost waxy. Full to part sun in moist to medium dry soil conditions. Host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot and the Pearl Crescent butterflies.

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae - New England Aster 
90-150 cm Also known as Michaelmas Daisy - the essential fall flower, much loved by pollinators feeding up before winter, including Monarchs headed out on the long migration. Drought-tolerant, salt-tolerant. Blooms from September to October. Sun or shade. A lovely purple to offset the yellows of many fall-flowering plants. Accommodates to a variety of soils.

Symphyotricum oblongifolium - Aromatic Aster
30 cm A relatively compact aster that’s the last of its species to bloom in the fall, when it is covered in light purple flowers, turning reddish purple as they mature. The flowers have no scent, it’s the foliage that is fragrant when crushed. Native to points south of the Great Lakes* (USDA map). Full sun, drier soil but average soil is tolerated if well-drained.

Symphyotrichum oolentangiense - Sky-Blue Aster
45-90 cm Also known as Azure Aster, formerly classified as Aster oolentangiensis or A. azureus. More sun-tolerant and showy than many of the fall-flowering asters, this plant is happy in open meadows and woodland edges. The book Garden for a Rusty-Patched Bumblebee (available from Return of the Native) lists a couple of dozen specialist bees that need this plant's pollen, and many species of butterflies and moths for which it is a larval host. Among all the asters, Sky Blue is "particularly enchanting," the authors write. "Versatile and tough, this aster tolerates drought, poor soil, shallow soil and compacted soil - in other words, it's a garden-saver in difficult conditions, plus it's a beauty."

Symphyotrichum puniceum - Purple-stemmed Aster
80-100 cm Another common name is Swamp Aster, an older binomal name is Aster puniceus. Blue-violet daisy-like flowers with a central disk that starts yellow and turns purple, with the same strong attraction for pollinators in fall as the New England Aster, but this is a wetland plant that's more adapted to moist situations. Sun or part-shade.

Symphyotrichum urophyllum - Arrow-leaved Aster
30-90 cm Small white flowers (occasionally pale blue to lilac) in dense clusters, yellow discs turn purple. Blooms August-October. Great pollinator plant. Partial sun. Variety of soils.

Thalictrum dasycarpum - Purple Meadow Rue
180 cm Here's the testimonial from Prairie Moon Nursery, where we got the seed: "This 6 foot beauty may be the most graceful plant that you encounter in a medium-wet prairie or savanna. The stems are distinctly purple, thus the name, and strong to hold up to high winds." The flowers are dangling cream panicles, produced in late spring. Moist soil, full to part sun.

Tiarella cordifolia - Heartleaf Foamflower 
See under groundcovers

Tiarella cordifolia wherri - Wherry's Foamflower
20-20 cm Plants form a handsome clump of maple-shaped green leaves that turn bronze as colder weather sets in. They don't send out runners like the better-known Heartleaf Foamflower. Short sprays of airy white or pale pink flowers in early summer are lightly fragrant. Shade to part shade, average soil, benefits from a mulch of well-rotted leaf litter.

Tradescantia ohiensis - Ohio Spiderwort 
120 cm Very attractive to bees and other pollinators. Lovely blue three-petalled flowers with showy yellow stamens open early morning, closed by afternoon. Lance-like foliage. At its best in June and early July, but continues flowering through summer and into fall, albeit less intensely. Caution: Develops a spreading fibrous root system that is hard to dig up - so plant it where it is to stay; it also self-seeds and spreads vigorously. Good for a prairie planting, erosion control and bank stabilization. Most at home in full sun and well-drained  sandy soil, but adapts easily to part shade and a full range of soil conditions. 

Trillium grandiflorum - White Trillium
20-45 cm Ontario's provincial flower - beautifully charismatic. Single large white three-petalled flower above a whorl of three leaves. A plant of deciduous woodlands, it needs dappled sunlight or light shade in spring, and shade for the rest of the year. A surface layer of leaves and other decaying organic material is desirable. Picking the flower can seriously injure or kill the plant.

Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain 
60-180 cm Candelabra-like inflorescences of slender spikes of purple-blue flowers, often seen in ditches. Short-lived perennial, will self-seed. Attracts butterflies and bees. Larval host for the Common Buckeye Butterfly. Sun, average to poor soil, needs some moisture.

Verbena stricta - Hoary Vervain
60-90 cm Spikes of large blue or purple flowers in July-September. A preferred nectar plant for butterflies and bees. Flourishes in arid conditions - needs sun and sandy or dry soil. Drought tolerant. (Very different habitat requirements to those of Blue Vervain, which prefers loamy and moist).

Vernonia gigantea - Tall Ironweed
160 cm plus or minus. An impressive addition to the summer / fall garden. Clusters of small fluffy, deep purple, composite flowers - August to October - attract pollinators. Monarchs love it. Tall stems bearing attractive tawny-golden seedheads remain standing all winter and are a resource for birds. Grows in damp in the wild but still flourishes in dry soil. Pamper it with a mulch of rotted leaf litter. 

Vernonia fasciculata - Common Ironweed
150 cm Not quite as tall as Tall Ironweed (V. gigantea) but still pretty tall and also very lovely, with purple flowers that form a denser, more flat-topped cluster. Attracts pollinates, including many butterflies (Monarchs love this one too). The tall stems need no support. The tawny-golden seedheads remain standing all winter and are a resource for birds. Grows in damp in the wild but still flourishes in dry soil. Pamper it with a mulch of rotted leaf litter.

Veronicastrum virginicum - Culver's Root 
70-160 cm Beautiful accent plant, showing best in a cluster of three or more. Tall unbranched stems bearing white candelabra-like flower spikes from mid-summer to fall. Leaves arranged in whorls around the stem. Shade or part-sun, part-shade, moist to average soil.

Zizia aurea - Golden Alexanders
50-100 cm. Brilliant yellow flower umbels in May and June resemble Queen Anne's Lace. Attracts pollinators, including the Black Swallowtail. Drought tolerant. Sun or part shade, grows in a wide range of soils.

Grasses & Sedges

Andropogon gerardii - Big Bluestem 
140-180 m. One of the dominant species of the North American Tall Grass Prairie prior to settlement. Highly ornamental with grey-green foliage turning bronze-red in autumn. Appearing in August, the inflorescences consist of three-pronged purplish spikelets from which depend pretty contrasting yellow anthers and resemble (some say) a turkey's foot, giving it one of its alternative names, Turkeyfoot. Deeply rooted, forms a dense clump. A high-protein forage species, also being considered as potential feedstock for ethanol production. Songbirds eat the seeds, grasshopppers, katydids and other insects eat the foliage. Drought-tolerant. Full sun to part shade, accommodates to a wide variety of soils.

Carex hystericina - Porcupine Sedge

100 cm An attractive sedge of marshes and wet meadows with a bristly flower spike, provides food for many species of wetland birds. Will grow in average dry soil. Full sun.

Carex muskingumensis - Muskingum Sedge
40-100 cm. Also known as Palm Sedge. Native to the Great Lakes region. Beautiful form and lovely glossy green foliage which branches out from the main stem, resembling palm fronds. Native to wooded lowlands. Prefers moist soil and will grow in shallow water. Full sun sun to part shade. Spreads.

Chasmanthium latifolium - Northern Sea Oats x 
60-150 cm Also called Uniola latifolia or River Oats. Not native to Ontario but to points south of the Great Lakes." A lovely grass with arching panicles of flat drooping spikelets in late summer that start a light green and turn a purplish bronze in fall. Great in dried flower arrangements. Leave foliage in place over winter to add interest and protect crowns from cold. Self-seeds and can spread vigorously by underground rhizomes, which makes it useful to stabilize banks and prevent soil erosion. Host plant of the Pepper and Salt Skipper butterfly. Prefers partial shade, moist conditions. 

Elymus hystrix - Eastern Bottlebrush Grass
60 to 120 cm Sometimes called (erroneously) Hystrix patula. A clump-forming woodland native that looks great in the shade garden. Attractive seedheads resembling bottlebrushes appear from June onwards, Can be used in dried arrangements. Medium to loam soil. Part to full shade. 

Elymus canadensis - Canada Wild Rye
1.2 m A native grass that grows in riparian woodlands, many types of forest, lakeside sand dunes, and tallgrass prairie. Arching stems are weighted by the nodding, whiskery inflorescences that appear in August. Can be used for stabilizing eroded areas. Seeds feed birds. Full to part sun. Accommodates to a variety of soil conditions.

Hierochloe odorata - Sweetgrass
Aromatic grass, grows to about 20 cm (8 inches), spreads vigorously through underground rhizomes. In the wild, found in ditches and other damp areas, when planted will do well just about anywhere.One of the four medicine plants, used in North American indigenous purification ceremonies (smudging).

Panicum acuminatum - Hairy Panic Grass 
30-60 cm Light shade to full sun and medium to dry conditions in a range of soils, from loamy, clay-like, rocky or sandy.

Panicum virgatum - Switchgrass
70 cm A plant of the Tall Grass Prairie in Ontario, adaptable to many soil types and conditions, used for sand dune stabilization, soil erosion control and wildlife habitat. Medium height, delicate airy panicles turn bronze in fall.

Schizachyrium scoparium - Little Bluestem 

70 cm Another of the dominant species of the tallgrass prairie. Finely textured clumping grass with a blue-green summer colour. Purple-bronze flowers in August. In fall through winter, fluffy silvery seed heads on grass that turns a rosy rust colour. Adapts to most soils, except for wet or highly fertile ones. Full sun. Drought tolerant. Cut to the ground in late winter to early spring.

Sisyrinchium montanum – Blue-eyed Grass
See under perennials

Pond Plants

Ferns

Groundcovers