For the Birds and the Bees

Plants on this page do best in a part-sun/part-shade area.

Typically, the more sun they get, the more water they will need to be happy.

Amorpha fruticosa, leadplant This is one of my all-time favorite plants. This loose shrub blooms in late spring, providing spikes of grape-scented, purple flowers enjoyed by bumblebees and other pollinators. It gets to be about 8-10’ tall and has a wide, spreading habit.

Baptisia alba, white wild indigo

This 4 to 5-foot-tall perennial dies back each year, then sprouts up vigorously in the spring to produce spikes of white flowers. It does well in average soil, part-shade, and tolerates drought impressively. Its leaves feed the caterpillars of the wild indigo duskywing.

Callicarpa americana, beautyberry

This easy-to-grow shrub has pale pink flowers in mid-summer, followed by bright magenta berries in the fall. It may get to be about 8’ tall and wide.

Conoclinium coelinastrum, mistflower

This 2'-tall, fall-blooming perennial is a show-stopper. The lavender flowers are so intense that they must be reflecting light in the UV range that we can't see! It will spread into a large clump if given ample water. It may set seed into other random areas, and you will be happy to see it spread at will.

Lobelia cardinalis, cardinal flower

The tall spikes of red flowers on this summer-blooming plant are favorites of hummingbirds! This plant does well in full sun to shade, but does like to have ample moisture through the hot summer months.

This is a favorite plant of hummingbirds. But deer love it too-- the ones in my yard clip off and eat the flowering stalks. So make sure you either have enough to satisfy the hummers and the deer, or come up with a way to keep the deer away. (Spreading human or dog hair or shavings from Irish Spring bar soap are a few things you could try.)

Tipularia discolor, cranefly orchid

This is the most common orchid in the Carolina piedmont, frequently found in woodlands in the winter months when its leaf shines dark green among the dead leaf litter. Look at the underside and you will see its characteristic deep purple color. By summer, the leaf disappears and a flowering stalk about a foot tall develops pale flowers.

Aquilegia canadensis, eastern columbine

This spring-blooming perennial is known to be a favorite of hummingbirds as they migrate north. The bluish leaves are some of the first to pop up from the soil in the spring. Including the flower stalks, the plant gets to be about 1.5' tall.

Chrysopsis mariana, golden aster

This late summer to fall-blooming plant does well in full sun to light shade, as long as it's in well-drained soil-- it does not like "wet feet"! It gets to be 1-2' tall and wide. After the flowers are gone, the golden poofs of seeds that remain in their stead make me smile through the fall into winter. :)

Fragaria virginiana, wild strawberry

Yes, they're edible! This is our native, yummy strawberry. It has white flowers that are about ⅓ to ½" across in the spring. If you want to get to the ripe fruits before the birds, chipmunks, and everyone else, you'll have to be on the ball-- everyone finds them very tasty. This plant makes a great spreading groundcover in part-shady areas and is drought-tolerant.

Penstemon digitalis, white beardtongue

This spring-bloomer is 2-4’ tall and does well in full sun to part shade. It is a favorite of bumble bees, whose back-ends are frequently seen sticking out of the flowers.

This species may cross-pollinate with Penstemon smallii, which is typically a bit smaller with smaller leaves and pink flowers.