Chelone glabra
A wetland perennial that makes a good wildflower garden plant.
April 27: Turtlehead
April 26: Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
This ornamental clump-forming grass provides winter interest with orange hues in fall. It tolerates a wide range of soils including heavy clay.
April 25: New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
A drought resistant plant that offers good ground cover for dry slopes and banks. This deciduous shrub has fragrant white flowers.
April 24: Virgin’s Bower or Woodbine
Clematis virginiana
A vigorous vine with mildly aromatic white flowers that bloom from August through October. It is best used in native plant gardens and woodlands.
April 23: Tamarack
Larix laricina
Commonly called tamarack, eastern larch, American larch or hackmatack.
This deciduous conifer likes moist, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade and provides good fall color when its needles turn yellow in the fall.
April 22: Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
This clump-forming perennial provides late summer blooms to the garden. It prefers wet to moist soil and partial sun however its seeds require light to germinate.
April 21: Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
This erect, long-lived meadow plant is often grown for its showy flowers that bloom for up to two months in mid-to-late summer. It is a favorite of many insect species as a nectar and pollen food source. Goldfinch and other song birds are fond of its seeds in the fall and into winter.
April 20: Eastern Prickly Pear
Opuntia humifusa
This Ohio native cactus thrives in hot and dry environments in full sun and is also winter hardy. The fleshy foliage of this plant adds a textural element to garden plantings. The readily available pollen and nectar attract a variety of insects, especially honey and bumble bees.
April 19: Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
A small to medium-sized evergreen tree that thrives on dry soil in full sunlight. This aromatic tree is also winter hardy, salt tolerant and serves as an excellent windbreak. Northern Mockingbirds relish the berry-like bluish soft cones.
April 18: Swamp Candles (Alternate Names: Yellow loosestrife, Earth loosestrife)
Lysimachia terrestris
This showy perennial blooms vivid yellow in mid-summer, adding color to rain gardens and wet areas. Its sturdy stems make it an excellent cutting flower. Native pollinators, like the syrphid flower fly, are attracted to the flower’s nectar.
