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Connecticut Botanical Society |
| Gardening with Native Plants | ||
| Chart of Perennials | List Plants by Scientific Name | |
Don't take plants from the wild!
Nursery-propagated plants are available for every species listed on this page. There is no reason to despoil wild areas by removing plants.
Statement on collecting plants.
| Name | flower color | bloom time | height | sun | soil conditions | zones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alexanders, golden Zizia aurea (photo) | yellow | Apr-Jun | 1-2' |   | moist | 3-9 | |
| alexanders, heart-leaf Zizia aptera (photo) | yellow | Apr-Jun | 1-2' | | avg, moist | 4-9 | |
| anemone, wood Anemone quinquefolia (photo) | white | Apr-Jun | 6" |  | moist | 3-8 | |
| aster, blue wood Aster cordifolius (photo) | blue | Aug-Oct | 2-4' | | dry, avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| aster, calico Aster lateriflorus (photo) | white | Aug-Oct | 2-4' | | avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| aster, heath Aster ericoides (photo) | white | Jul-Oct | 2-3' | | dry, avg | 5-8 | |
| aster, New England Aster novae-angliae (photo) | purple | Aug-Oct | 3-5' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| aster, New York Aster novi-belgii (photo) | purple | Jul-Oct | 3' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| aster, smooth Aster laevis (photo) | blue-purple | Aug-Oct | 2-3' | | dry, avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| aster, stiff Aster linariifolius (photo) | purple | Sep-Oct | 1-2' | | dry, avg | 4-8 | |
| aster, white wood Aster divaricatus (photo) | white | Jul-Oct | 1-2' | | dry, avg | 4-8 | |
| baneberry, red Actaea rubra (photo) | white | May-Jun | 2' | | avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (photo) | white, pink | May-Jul | 4" | | dry, avg | 2-6 | |
| beardtongue, foxglove Penstemon digitalis (photo) | white | May-Jul | 2-4' | | avg | 2-8 | |
| beardtongue, hairy Penstemon hirsutus (photo) | pale purple, pink | Jun-Jul | 2' | | dry, avg well drained | 3-9 | |
| bee-balm, wild Monarda fistulosa (photo) | lavender, pink | Jul-Aug | 3' | | dry, avg | 3-9 | |
| bellwort, large-flowered Uvularia grandiflora (photo) | yellow | Apr-Jun | 1.5-2' | | moist neutral pH | 3-7 | |
| bellwort, perfoliate Uvularia perfoliata (photo) | yellow | May-Jun | 1.5' | | moist | 3-7 | |
| bellwort, sessile Uvularia sessilifolia (photo) | yellow | May-Jun | 6-12" | | avg, moist | 4-8 |
| Name | flower color | bloom time | height | sun | soil conditions | zones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| blazing-star, eastern Liatris scariosa (photo) | purplish- pink | Aug-Sep | 2-3' | | dry, avg | 4-9 | |
| bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis (photo) | white | Mar-May | 6" | | avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| blue flag iris, larger Iris versicolor (photo) | blue-purple | May-Jul | 2-4' | | moist, very wet | 3-9 | |
| blue flag iris, slender Iris prismatica (photo) | blue-purple | May-Jul | 1-2' | | moist, very wet acidic | 4-9 | |
| blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium (photo) | blue | May-Jul | 1.5' | | avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| bluets Houstonia caerulea (photo) | pale blue | Apr-Jul | 4" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| bluets, long-leaf Houstonia longifolia (photo) | pale purple | Jun-Sep | 8" | | dry well drained | 3-9 | |
| boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum (photo) | white | Jul-Oct | 3-4' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| burnet, Canadian Sanguisorba canadensis (photo) | white | Jul-Oct | 2-6' | | moist, wet | 3-8 | |
| butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa (photo) | orange | Jun-Sep | 2-3' | | dry, avg | 3-9 | |
| campion, starry Silene stellata (photo) | white | Jul-Sep | 2' | | dry, avg, moist | 4-9 | |
| cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis (photo) | red | Jul-Sep | 3' | | moist, very wet | 3-9 | |
| cinquefoil, three-toothed Potentilla tridentata (photo) | white | Jun-Aug | 3-8" | | avg well drained acidic | 2-7 | |
| clintonia, yellow Clintonia borealis (photo) | yellow | May-Jul | 1' | | moist acidic | 3-8 | |
| cohosh, black Cimicifuga racemosa (photo) | white | Jun-Sep | 4-6' | | moist | 3-9 | |
| columbine, wild red Aquilegia canadensis (photo) | red | Apr-Jul | 1-2' | | avg, moist not very acidic | 3-9 | |
| coneflower, green-headed Rudbeckia laciniata (photo) | yellow | Jul-Sep | 4-8' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum (photo) | pink, white | Jun-Sep | 3-7' | | moist | 3-9 | |
| doll's eyes Actaea pachypoda (photo) | white | May-Jun | 2-3' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria (photo) | white | Apr-May | 8" | | moist | 3-8 | |
| everlasting, pearly Anaphalis margaritacea (photo) | white | Jul-Sep | 2' | | dry, avg | 4-8 | |
| fairy wand Chamaelirium luteum | white | May-Jul | 1' | | moist | 3-8 | |
| false hellebore Veratrum viride (photo) | green | May-Jul | 3-6' | | moist, wet | 3-8 | |
| false indigo, blue Baptisia australis (photo) | blue | May-Jun | 3-5' | | dry, avg | 3-9 | |
| fleabane, common Erigeron philadelphicus (photo) | pink | Apr-Jul | 6-30" | | avg | 2-7 | |
| foamflower Tiarella cordifolia (photo) | white | Apr-May | 8-12" | | avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| gentian, bottle Gentiana clausa (photo) | blue | Aug-Oct | 1-2' | | moist, wet | 3-9 | |
| gentian, closed Gentiana andrewsii | blue | Aug-Oct | 1-2' | | moist, wet | 3-9 | |
| geranium, wild Geranium maculatum (photo) | lavender | Apr-Jun | 1-2' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| globeflower Trollius laxus var. laxus (photo) | pale yellow | Apr-Jun | 10-20" | | moist, wet alkaline | 4-8 | |
| goat's rue Tephrosia virginiana (photo) | pink and yellow | May-Aug | 1-2' | | dry, avg | 4-9 | |
| golden aster, sickle-leaved Chrysopsis falcata (photo) | yellow | Jul-Sep | 6-12" | | dry good in sand | 5-9 | |
| goldenrod, bluestem Solidago caesia (photo) | yellow | Aug-Oct | 2-3' | | dry, avg | 3-9 | |
| goldenrod, gray Solidago nemoralis (photo) | yellow | Jul-Nov | 1-2' | | dry, avg | 3-8 | |
| goldenrod, rough-leaved Solidago patula (photo) | yellow | Aug-Oct | 5-6' | | moist, wet | 4-8 | |
| goldenrod, seaside Solidago sempervirens (photo) | yellow | Aug-Nov | 2-6' | | avg poor, sandy soil | 3-9 | |
| goldenrod, sweet Solidago odora | yellow | Jul-Sep | 2-4' | | dry, avg | 3-9 | |
| goldenrod, zigzag Solidago flexicaulis (photo) | yellow | Jul-Oct | 3' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| goldthread Coptis trifoliata (photo) | white | May-Jul | 3" | | moist acidic | 2-7 | |
| green dragon Arisaema dracontium (photo) | green | May-Jun | 2' | | avg, moist | 4-9 |
| Name | flower color | bloom time | height | sun | soil conditions | zones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| harebell Campanula rotundifolia (photo) | blue | Jun-Sep | 1' | | dry, avg, moist | 3-7 | |
| hepatica, round-lobed Hepatica americana (photo) | blue,pink, white | Mar-May | 6" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| hepatica, sharp-lobed Hepatica acutiloba | blue,pink, white | Mar-Apr | 6" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| horsemint Monarda punctata (photo) | pink and yellow | Jul-Oct | 2' | | dry, avg, moist well drained | 4-9 | |
| hyssop, purple giant Agastache scrophulariifolia (photo) | purple | Jul-Sep | 3-4' | | dry, avg | 4-9 | |
| ironweed, New York Vernonia noveboracensis (photo) | purple | Aug-Oct | 4-7' | | moist | 4-9 | |
| jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum (photo) | green | Apr-Jun | 1-2' | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| Joe Pye weed, hollow Eupatorium fistulosum (photo) | pink | Jul-Sep | 3-8' | | moist | 3-8 | |
| Joe Pye weed, spotted Eupatorium maculatum (photo) | pink | Jul-Sep | 3-6' | | avg, moist | 3-7 | |
| Joe Pye weed, sweet Eupatorium purpureum | pink | Jul-Sep | 3-7' | | avg | 3-9 | |
| lignonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea (photo) | pink, white | Jun-Jul | 3-6" | | avg, moist | 2-6 | |
| lily, American Turk's-cap Lilium superbum (photo) | orange | Jul-Aug | 4-8' | | moist | 4-8 | |
| lily, Canada Lilium canadensis (photo) | orange | Jul-Aug | 5-8' | | moist well drained acidic | 4-7 | |
| lily, wood Lilium philadelphicum (photo) | red-orange | Jun-Jul | 1-3' | | dry, avg, moist well drained | 3-9 | |
| lobelia, great Lobelia siphilitica (photo) | blue-purple | Aug-Sep | 2-3' | | moist, very wet | 3-9 | |
| loosestrife, fringed Lysimachia ciliata (photo) | yellow | Jun-Aug | 4' | | moist | 3-9 | |
| lupine, wild blue Lupinus perennis (photo) | blue-purple | Apr-Jul | 2' | | dry, avg well drained acidic | 4-9 | |
| marsh marigold Caltha palustris (photo) | yellow | Apr-Jun | 1' | | moist, very wet | 2-7 | |
| marsh-pink, large Sabatia dodecandra | pink | Jul-Aug | 1-2' | | moist, wet | 5-9 | |
| may lily Maianthemum canadense (photo) | white | May-Jul | 6" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| mayapple Podophyllum peltatum (photo) | white | Apr-Jun | 1' | | dry, avg, moist | 4-9 | |
| meadow beauty Rhexia virginica (photo) | pink | Jul-Sep | 12-18" | | moist, wet | 4-8 | |
| meadow rue, early Thalictrum dioicum (photo) | greenish | Apr-May | 2' | | moist | 4-9 | |
| meadow rue, purple Thalictrum dasycarpum | white | May-Jul | 3-6' | | moist, wet | 4-9 | |
| meadow rue, tall Thalictrum pubescens (photo) | white | Jul-Sep | 4-7' | | moist, wet | 3-9 | |
| milkweed, purple Asclepias purpurascens | purplish- pink | Jun-Jul | 2-3' | | dry, avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| milkweed, swamp Asclepias incarnata (photo) | pink | Jun-Aug | 3-5' | | moist, very wet | 3-9 | |
| monkey flower, Allegheny Mimulus ringens (photo) | purple | Jun-Sep | 2-3' | | wet | 3-8 | |
| mountain-mint, hoary Pycnanthemum incanum | white, pale purple | Jul-Sep | 3' | | dry, avg | 4-9 | |
| mountain-mint, Virginia Pycnanthemum virginianum (photo) | pink, white | Jul-Sep | 2.5' | | dry, avg | 4-8 | |
| partridgeberry Mitchella repens (photo) | white | Jun-Jul | 2" | | avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| phlox, meadow Phlox maculata | pink | May-Sep | 1.5-3' | | moist | 5-8 | |
| phlox, prairie Phlox pilosa | pink | May-Jun | 1-2' | | dry, avg, moist | 4-9 | |
| phlox, wild blue Phlox divaricata (photo) | pale blue-purple | Apr-Jun | 1' | | avg, moist | 3-8 | |
| pink, wild Silene caroliniana (photo) | pink | Apr-Jun | 6" | | dry, avg | 4-8 | |
| prickly-pear Opuntia humifusa (photo) | yellow | Jun-Aug | 6-12" | | very dry, dry sandy | 5-8 | |
| pussy-toes, plantain Antennaria plantaginifolia (photo) | white | Apr-Jun | 3-12" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-9 |
| Name | flower color | bloom time | height | sun | soil conditions | zones | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ragwort, golden Senecio aureus (photo) | yellow | May-Jul | 2' | | avg, moist, wet | 4-7 | |
| robin-plantain Erigeron pulchellus (photo) | pink, lavender | Apr-Jun | 6-20" | | avg | 4-8 | |
| rose-mallow, swamp Hibiscus palustris (photo) | pink | Aug-Sep | 6' | | moist, wet | 4-9 | |
| rue anemone Anemonella thalictroides (photo) | white, pale pink | Mar-May | 6" | | moist not very acidic | 4-7 | |
| sarsaparilla, wild Aralia nudicaulis (photo) | white | Jul | 1' | | dry, avg, moist | 4-7 | |
| senna, wild Senna hebecarpa (photo) | yellow | Jul-Aug | 4-6' | | avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| snakeroot, white Eupatorium rugosum (photo) | white | Jul-Oct | 3-4' | | avg | 4-9 | |
| sneezeweed Helenium autumnale (photo) | yellow | Aug-Nov | 3-5' | | avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| Solomon's plume Maianthemum racemosum (photo) | white | May-Jul | 2-3' | | dry, avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| Solomon's plume, starry Maianthemum stellatum (photo) | white | May-Aug | 1-2' | | avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| Solomon's-seal Polygonatum biflorum (photo) | greenish | Apr-Jun | 1-6' | | avg, moist | 4-8 | |
| spiderwort, Virginia Tradescantia virginiana (photo) | purple | Apr-Jul | 1-2' | | moist | 3-9 | |
| spring beauty Claytonia virginica (photo) | pale pink | Mar-May | 5" | | moist | 4-9 | |
| spring beauty, Carolina Claytonia caroliniana (photo) | pale pink | Mar-May | 6" | | moist | 4-9 | |
| squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis (photo) | white, pale pink | Apr-May | 6" | | moist | 3-8 | |
| starflower Trientalis borealis (photo) | white | May-Jun | 6" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-7 | |
| stargrass, yellow Hypoxis hirsuta (photo) | yellow | May-Aug | 6" | | dry, avg | 4-8 | |
| strawberry, barren Waldsteinia fragarioides (photo) | yellow | Apr-Jun | 4-8" | | dry, avg, moist | 4-9 | |
| sundrops Oenothera fruticosa (photo) | yellow | Jun-Aug | 1-3' | | dry, avg | 4-9 | |
| sundrops Oenothera perennis (photo) | yellow | Jun-Aug | 5-8" | | dry, avg | 5-8 | |
| sunflower, pale-leaved wood Helianthus strumosus | yellow | Jul-Sep | 3-6' | | dry, avg | 4-9 | |
| sunflower, thin-leaved Helianthus decapetalus (photo) | yellow | Aug-Oct | 4-5' | | moist | 5-8 | |
| toothwort Dentaria diphylla (photo) | white | Apr-Jun | 8" | | moist, wet | 2-8 | |
| turtlehead Chelone glabra (photo) | white, pale pink | Jul-Sep | 2-3' | | moist, wet good in clay | 4-9 | |
| twinflower Linnaea borealis (photo) | pale pink | Jun-Aug | 3" | | avg, moist acidic | 2-6 | |
| vervain, blue Verbena hastata (photo) | blue-purple | Jul-Sep | 3-5' | | moist, wet | 3-8 | |
| violet, arrowleaf Viola sagittata (photo) | purple | Apr-May | 5" | | dry, avg, moist | 3-9 | |
| violet, birdfoot Viola pedata (photo) | purple | Apr-Jun | 4-6" | | avg | 3-9 | |
| violet, Canada Viola canadensis (photo) | white | Apr-May | 1' | | moist | 3-8 | |
| violet, downy yellow Viola pubescens (photo) | yellow | Apr-May | 1' | | moist well drained | 3-9 | |
| violet, marsh blue Viola cucullata (photo) | purple | Apr-Jun | 8" | | moist, wet | 4-8 | |
| violet, sweet white Viola blanda (photo) | white | Apr-May | 6" | | moist | 3-8 | |
| wintergreen Gaultheria procumbens (photo) | pale pink, white | Jul-Aug | 4-6" | | dry, avg acidic | 2-8 | |
| wood-mint, downy Blephilia ciliata | blue-purple | Jun-Aug | 2' | | dry, avg | 4-7 |
Flower color:
The table aims to provide simple and accurate descriptions of flower colors, but both flower color and people's definition of terms differ. The patches of color in the table are intended to make it easier to find flowers of a given color; they are only rough approximations of individual flower colors.
Height:
Heights are given in feet ( ' ) and inches ( " ). To convert to meters, multiply feet by 0.3 or inches by 0.025.
Light:
Full sun -- more than five hours of direct sun per day.
Part shade -- two to five hours of direct sun, or all-day dappled sun, as from sunlight shining through open trees.
Full shade -- less than two hours of direct sun per day.
Soil conditions:
"Avg." soil means average level of moisture found in our area.
"Dry," here, means soil that dries fairly quickly after a rain,
or soil dried out by shallow tree roots -- not desert conditions. Note that plants capable of growing in sun or shade prefer more moisture in full sun, less in shade. If a plants has requirement for soil texture and soil pH, they are noted. If you are unsure about your soil, a soil test will provide this information. Connecticut residents can get free soil testing from the
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.
Hardiness zones:
These describe the plant's tolerance of winter cold.
Here is one site where you can look up your
hardiness zone. Connecticut is in zones 5 and 6; all plants listed are hardy throughout Connecticut.
Sources of information on this page.