Achillea gracilis, common yarrow 
This plant has lovely, delicate, fern-like leaves that remain green through the winter. It does well in sun to part-shade in well-drained soil. It is drought-tolerant. Many different pollinators are attracted to the large clusters of small flowers that begin to open in mid-to-late spring and continue into the summer months, sometimes blooming again in the fall. There is variability among individuals of this species, with some being very erect (as tall as 3') while others are shorter, no higher than a foot tall. This plant is eaten by caterpillars that will become painted lady butterflies. (This native plants as recently been split out from the species Achillea millefolium.)
Asclepias tuberosa, orange butterflyweed 
Orange butterflyweed is the easiest of the milkweed (Asclepias) species to grow in a typical garden landscape and reaches only 2-3' tall. Its leaves are food for the caterpillars of monarch butterflies, but other species of milkweed seem to be preferred, possibly because the leaves of this species are small compared to the others'. This species does provide food for other bugs such as aphids and milkweed bugs which don't do too much damage to the plant, but do provide food for birds and other wildlife.
Bidens aristosa, tickseed sunflower
This is an annual plant that puts on a wonderful show of abundant yellow flowers in the fall. It can get to be 5' tall. I typically hack off the top half of mine when it gets to be 2-3' tall-- that makes it branch more, producing even more flowers. It can self-seed and take over a dry, sunny area if allowed to do so!
Chamaecrista fasciculata, partridge pea 
This annual beauty can grow up to 4' tall in poor, dry soil. Being in the pea family, it produces little pea-pod-like fruits about 2" long that turn black when the seeds have matured.
Coreopsis major, whorled tickseed 
This summer-blooming perennial is named for the way the leaved are arranged in whorls around the stem. It gets to be 3-4’ tall and does well in poor soil. Like many of our native plants, if the soil is too rich, it will become floppy.
Echinacea purpurea, purple coneflower 
This pinkish-purple summer-bloomer is on many peoples' list of favorites. It gets to be about 3' tall. There are many cultivars of this species with flowers of every color imaginable for sale in the horticultural trade, but extensive studies at the Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware have shown that pollinators vastly prefer the original 'wild type' Echinacea purpurea to the many cultivars available.
Asclepias incarnata, rose milkweed or swamp milkweed 
As with other milkweeds, this plant's long leaves feed the larvae of the monarch butterfly. This plant can get to be about 5' tall and takes a few years to mature. The sweetly aromatic, pink flowers are borne in large clusters that dangle, fantastic attractants to pollinators. These plants appreciate a moist soil.
Asclepias syriaca, common milkweed 
This plant typically gets to be about 4' tall and has beautifully fragrant clusters of pinkish-lavendar flowers once the plant is a few years old. It has big, wide leaves that provides lots of food for developing monarch caterpillars. Itloves full sun and tolerates drought well. Our long, hot summers in in N.C. can be a bit challenging for this species, as we are at the southern end of this plant's range.
Baptisia alba, white wild indigo
This 4-ft-tall plant 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.
Coreopsis lanceolata, lance-leaf coreopsis 
This perennial coreopsis gets to be about 2' tall and wide. Its sunshiny flowers bloom in the mid to late spring.
Coreopsis verticillata, thread-leaf coreopsis 
This summer-blooming perennial likes poor, well-drained soil and forms a nice rounded form 1-2' tall and 2' across.
Dichanthelium laxiflorum, witchgrass or open-flower rosette grass
I love this little grass. It is a wonderful low-growing plant, staying less than 6" high. It has cute little sprays of green flowers. It is typically found in highly disturbed areas, such as field edges and roadsides. It can handle light shade.
Eupatorium serotinum, late boneset 
This plant arrived to my property on its own and I am so glad that it did! It can get to be about 5' tall and is covered with clusters of tiny white flowers in the fall. The pollinators congregate on this plant like it's the best thing they've ever encountered. Well, next to the mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum), but that plant has finished blooming by the time this one gets going.