Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), also called trumpet creeper, is one of the strongest native hummingbird magnets you can grow—but it comes with a catch. It’s vigorous, heavy, and persistent, so it needs space, a sturdy support, and regular pruning to stay where you want it. If you’re planning a bigger habitat, trumpet vine is just…
Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), also called coral honeysuckle, is one of the very best native vines you can grow for hummingbirds in the eastern United States. Its long, tubular red or coral flowers are packed with nectar, bloom over a long season, and are perfectly shaped for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Unlike trumpet vine, this vine is…
Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is a native North American shrub best known for its delicious, antioxidant-rich berries and brilliant fall color. It’s the primary species behind most cultivated “garden blueberries” and typically grows 6–12 feet tall, forming an upright, multi-stemmed shrub. In spring, it produces clusters of small, white to pink-tinged, bell-shaped flowers; in summer,…
American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is a vigorous native shrub known for its showy white flower clusters and heavy crops of dark purple berries. It typically grows 5–12 feet tall and wide, forming multi-stemmed thickets that look right at home along fencerows, streambanks, woodland edges, and in naturalized corners of the garden. In late spring to…
New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) is a small, deciduous native shrub valued for its glossy green foliage, frothy white summer flowers, and remarkable drought tolerance. Typically growing about 2–3 feet tall and wide, it forms a rounded mound that fits easily into small gardens, prairie edges, and dry, sunny slopes. In early to mid-summer, it’s…
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is one of those shrubs that quietly does everything right. This native wetland shrub produces unique, golf-ball-like flower clusters packed with tiny tubular blooms that draw in bees, butterflies, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds from mid to late summer. Its seeds and dense structure feed and shelter ducks, shorebirds, and songbirds, making it a…
Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) is a charming, low-growing native perennial that brings soft, lavender to purple blooms to hot, dry areas of the garden. Despite the common name, it isn’t a true petunia; instead, it’s a member of the Acanthus family and a rugged prairie and glade plant adapted to lean soils and summer…
Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a stunning native perennial best known for its vivid red, tubular flowers tipped in bright yellow. Each bloom stands upright like a little red candle, then flares open at the top into a yellow, star-like mouth. In bloom, a mature clump can carry dozens of flowers at once, creating a…
Royal catchfly (Silene regia) is a stunning native wildflower famous for its brilliant, scarlet-red blooms that look like tiny stars held high on slender stems. In full flower, it’s one of the most dramatic plants in a summer garden, standing 3–4 feet tall and drawing the eye from across a yard or prairie planting. The…
Garden phlox (Phlox paniculata), also called summer phlox, is a classic perennial known for its tall stems topped with large, fragrant flower clusters in mid to late summer. The blooms come in shades of pink, purple, lavender, white, and bicolors, and they have a sweet, old-fashioned scent that carries on warm evenings. In full bloom,…
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