Plants for Butterflies and Other Pollinators
Showing 209–216 of 223 results
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Uvularia grandiflora Largeflower bellwort, Fairybells Z 4-9
Graceful, hanging pale yellow bells, like a gypsy’s skirt, in spring
OUT OF STOCK
Graceful, hanging pale yellow bells, like a gypsy’s skirt, in spring
Size: 10-20” x 6” spread slowly
Care: part shade to shade in moist to moist well-drained soil
Native: Quebec to Ontario, NH to ND, Louisiana to Georgia, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: Attracts bees
Awards: Royal Horticultural Society Award of MeritMenominee reduced swelling with this plant. Ojibwa cured stomach pains and Potawatomi mixed it with lard to cure sore muscles & backaches. Collected for gardens by 1802. Wm. Robinson considered this a “graceful perennial … the finest of the species.”
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Verbena bonariensis Perennial Z 7-10, colder zones-reseeding annual
Small purple flowers atop tall leafless stems from July to October. Great see-through blooms for growing in back, middle or front of the garden.
Small purple flowers atop tall leafless stems from July to October. Great see-through blooms for growing in back, middle or front of the garden.
Size: 3-4’ x 8”
Care: full sun in moist, well-drained, fertile soil - self-seeder
Native: South America
Awards: Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit & Missouri Botanic Garden Plant of Merit.Introduced to garden cultivation from its native Buenos Aires in 1726 by the Sherard brothers.
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Verbena hastata Blue vervain, Simpler’s joy Z 3-9
Bright purplish-blue candelabra-like spikes from July to September
Bright purplish-blue candelabra-like spikes from July to September
Size: 2-4’ x 2’
Care: sun to part shade in moist or moist well-drained soil
Native: eastern 2/3rds of No. America, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: Cardinals & Sparrows eat the seeds. Food for larvae of Buckeye butterfly.Native Americans used plant as remedy for coughs, colds and fever. Mahuna Indians of So. California used the root to cure complicated stomach fevers. Sioux fed the seeds to their horses to give them energy. The Sioux also used it as an insect repellant. Pressed specimen in Emily Dickinson’s herbarium.
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Vernonia fasciculata Prairie Ironweed Z 3-7
Dense clusters of true royal purple August-September
Dense clusters of true royal purple August-September
Size: 3-4’ x 2-3’
Care: sun to part shade in moist to moist well drained soil
Native: so central Canada to central & eastern US
Wildlife Value: Attracts butterflies. Deer resistantCollected by André Michau (1746-1802) by 1803. Named to honor Wm. Vernon, an English botanist who collected plants in late 1600’s.
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Vernonia lettermannii Threadleaf ironweed Z 4-9
Deep purple inch-wide flower heads top unbranched stems forming a dome in late summer-early fall
OUT OF STOCK
Deep purple inch-wide flower heads top unbranched stems forming a dome in late summer-early fall
Size: 24” x 36”
Care: sun in well-drained to moist well-drained soil
Native: Arkansas and OK
Wildlife Value: attracts numerous butterflies and pollen source for bees, deer resistant
Awards: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Medal 2023Collected on “Cooper’s Creek by Dr. J.M. Bigelow and on the sandbars of the Washita,.” Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts xvi. (1881) 78. 78 1880. “Notes on Some Compositae” The species named to honor George Lettermann (1840-1913) who was primarily interested in trees and, while working for the US Census he collected tree specimens in forests of Missouri, Arkansas, western Louisiana and eastern Texas.
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Vernonia noveboracensis Ironweed Z 4-8
numerous deep crimson- purple daisies
Heads of numerous deep royal purple daisies, August to September
Size: 5' x 2'
Care: Sun in moist to moist well-drained soil
Native: from Massachusetts to Florida
Wildlife Value: attracts butterfliesNamed for English botanist William Vernon. Infusions of the plant used by Cherokee to relieve pain after childbirth, for loose teeth and for stomach ulcers.
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Veronica gentianoides Gentian speedwell Z. 4-9
Palest of true blue flowers
Palest of true blue flowers bloom on 18″ spikes in early summer.
Can not ship to: Illinois
Size: 18" x 18"
Care: full sun to part shade in moist well-drained soil
Native: eastern Europe
Wildlife Value: attracts butterflies
Awards: England's Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit.According to Christian tradition, as Jesus carried the cross to Calvary a woman wiped his face with her handkerchief, leaving the imprint of Christ’s features, the vera iconica, meaning “the true likeness.” When the Catholic Church canonized the woman, the Church gave her the name Saint Veronica. Medieval gardeners named the plant after her due to a perceived likeness of the flower to her handkerchief. V. gentianoides was introduced to European garden cultivation in 1784. Grown in American gardens since 1850.
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Veronica liwanensis Turkish speedwell Z 4-8
Tiny true blue saucers smother the ground
Tiny true blue saucers smother the ground in May & June – groundcover, front of border or rock garden plant.
Size: 1” x 18” spreader over time
Care: sun to part shade in moist well-drained to well-drained soil
Native: NE Anatolia, Caucasus
Wildlife Value: attracts butterflies
Awards: 1997 Plant Select Winner.Collected before 1849.