University of Maryland Extension – St. Mary’s County Native Plant Demonstration Garden Plant Guide

This demonstration garden was installed in October 2018, by St. Mary’s County Master Gardeners, based on the need for a public native plant demonstration garden in the county. This garden was funded by St. Mary’s County Government.

Native plants are widely understood to be those plants that were indigenous to a North American ecosystem prior to European settlement. They evolved with the local wildlife and climate of that particular ecosystem over many years. In Maryland, there are three eco-regions: mountain, piedmont, and coastal. Native plants include ferns, grasses, perennials, groundcovers, shrubs, and trees. All plants in this guide can be found within the demonstration garden, and are suitable for the region of St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert Counties, Maryland.

Native plants are important, because of the many environmental and ecological benefits that they provide; including: food and habitat for pollinators, wildlife, and beneficial insects. These species also require less fertilizer, pesticides and water, because they have adapted to the local climate. A plant cultivar (”cultivated variety”) is a species of plant that has been bred by horticulturists to enhance a certain attribute, including: plant size, flower color, flower shape, or even disease resistance. When looking at plant labels or descriptions, cultivars are denoted by single quotes (’), and listed after the plant genus and species. This garden has both straight native plant species and cultivars.

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Symbol Key

Planting and Site Conditions:

Sun Light: Full sun

Soil Moisture: Wet

Partial sun

Moderately wet

Shade

Dry

Ecological Function: Food for pollinators

Wildlife food/habitat

Host plant for beneficial insects

Gardener Benefits: Disease resistant, requires less pesticides

Requires less fertilizer

Cultivar

Drought/Heat tolerant

Self-seeding

Three-season interest

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Grasses Latin Name Common Name

Description

Chasmanthium latifolium Sea Oats, Wild Oats, River Oats

2'-5' tall, may spread by rhizome or self-seeding, part to full sun, dry to moist soil, clay, loam or sandy soils, often found on alluvial deposits and streambanks. Notes: Three season interest as a landscape ornamental, adapts easily to most landscapes

Ferns Latin Name Common Name

Description

Athyrium filix femina 'Lady in Red' Northern Lady Fern

1-3' tall and wide, part sun, moist to wet soil, loam or sandy soils, often found in woods, hillsides and stream banks, sandy bogs Notes: Adaptable and easy to cultivate in the landscape

(J.F.)

(M.A.)

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Eragrostis spectabilis Purple Lovegrass

1-2 feet tall and wide, full sun, dry to moist soil, sandy and gravelly loams preferred but will tolerate poor soils, soft reddish-purple bloom from July to August Notes: drought tolerant, hardy and self-seeds but not invasive

Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' Switchgrass

3'-4' tall and 3’ wide, full sun dry, moist or wet soils, loam or sandy soils, tolerates fresh and brackish waters, often found in tidal and non-tidal marshes, wet meadows, open woods, dunes; amber colored blooms from August to October Notes: waterfowl and songbird food and cover, controls erosion, remove old stalks before spring growth begins

(M.A.)

(J.F.)

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Herbaceous Perennials

Latin Name Common Name

Description

Asclepias tuberosa 'Butterfly Flower' Butterflyweed, Butterfly Milkweed

1-2' tall and wide, part to full sun, dry to moist soil, loam or sandy soils; often found in dry fields, and on roadsides; bright orange blooms from May to July, with pod shaped fruit from August to November Notes: used as green roof plant, erosion control, attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and is food for beneficial insects, deer resistant, and tolerant of black walnut and salt water

Baptisia australis 'Purple Smoke' Blue False Indigo

3-5' tall, part or full sun, adapts to dry or moist soils; often found in sandy soils, open woods, alluvial thickets, stream banks, and floodplains; showy purple blooms from May to June Notes: attractive to butterflies and pollinators, drought tolerant

(J.F.)

Missouri Botanical Garden

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' Tickseed Coreopsis

1-2' tall and wide, prefers full sun and dry to moist loamy soil; often found in dry open woods, roadsides and clearings; star shaped blooms on fern like foliage throughout the summer Notes: attracts butterflies and pollinators, deer resistant

Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' Purple Coneflower

3' tall and wide, partial to full sun, tolerates most soil types and hot, dry conditions; often found on roadsides, meadows and abandoned fields; attractive pink to purple blooms from July until frost Notes: this plant is native to eastern North America but not specifically documented in Maryland, attractive to pollinators and birds, very hardy

Echinacea purpurea 'White Swan' White Coneflower

2-3’ tall and 1-2’ wide; full sun to part shade; dry to moist soils; white blooms with copper-orange central cone from June to August Note: attracts birds and butterflies; will tolerate drought and clay soils; freely self-seeds if some of the seed heads are left in place

(M.A.)

(J.F.)

Missouri Botanical Garden

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Helenium flexuosum 'Mardi Gras’ Sneezeweed

2-3’ tall and 1-2’ wide; full sun; moist to wet soils; yellow and red rays on blooms with brown centers from August to October Notes: attracts butterflies; not tolerant of dry soils

Helenium flexuosum 'Tiny Dancer' Sneezeweed

18-24" tall and 12-18” wide, prefers full sun, moist loam to clay soil types, can tolerate some drought but prefers moist soils; yellow blooms with brown cone centers from July to September and seed heads persist through the winter Notes: hardy and generally care-free, humidity tolerant, attracts pollinators and songbirds, deer resistant, great cutting flower

Heuchera americana 'Dale's Strain' Coral Bells

18" tall and wide, full sun to part shade; prefers well-drained, loam soils; often found on rich woodland and rocky slopes; greenish white flowers bloom April through June Notes: attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators, deer resistant

(J.F.)

Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Monarda bradburiana Eastern Beebalm, Wild Bergamot

1.5-5' tall and 1-2' wide, part shade to full sun, tolerates dry to moist and clay to loam soils; typically found on roadsides, fields, thickets and woodland edges; pink to purple flowers from June to September Notes: attracts beneficial insects and hummingbirds, often confused with Monarda didyma (Bee Balm)

Monarda didyma Scarlet Beebalm

2-4’ tall and 2-3’ wide; full sun to part shade; moist to wet soils; bright red blooms from July to August Notes: attracts hummingbirds and butterflies; provide plants with good air circulation to help prevent fungal leaf diseases

Phlox subulata 'Purple Beauty' Moss Phlox or Moss-Pink

About 6" tall by 12" wide, full sun; dry to moist and well-drained, loam or sandy soil; often found on rocky slopes; purple blooms April through June Notes: attractive to butterflies and pollinators, ground cover and soil retention qualities, resistant to rabbits and deer

Missouri Botanical Garden

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

American Meadows

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Rudbeckia fulgida var.sullivantii 'Goldstrum' Early/Eastern/Orange Coneflower

2-3' tall and 2' wide, part to full sun, prefers loam to sandy soil; often found in moist fields, meadows, roadsides, and woodland edges; golden yellow blooms from July through October Notes: Attracts song and game birds, butterflies and pollinators

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Denver Daisy’ Black-Eyed-Susan

1-3' tall and 2-3' wide, part to full sun; tolerates dry to moist and loam to sandy soils; often found in fields, meadows and roadsides; gold flower with brown cone center blooming from July to October Notes: attractive to birds, butterflies and pollinators

Sedum ternatum 'Wild Stonecrop' Mountain Stonecrop

6-10" tall and 12” wide, part to full shade; moist, clay, loam or sandy soils; often found in woods, rocky banks and cliffs; white, star-shaped flowers blooming from April to June Notes: Attracts beneficial insects, can be used as a durable ground cover

(M.A.)

(J.F.)

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' New England Aster

1-2' tall and wide, full sun, dry to moist soils, tolerant of most soil types; often found in open areas, roadsides, wood edges, wetlands and shorelines; violet blooms from August to October Notes: attractive to butterflies and pollinators, rabbit resistant and will tolerate seasonal drought and flooding. It is recommended to divide plants every 3-years to maintain disease resistance.

Symphyotrichum oblongifolius 'Raydon's Favorite' Aromatic Aster

2-3' tall and 1-2' wide, full sun, dry to moist soils; tolerates clay, loam or sandy soils; often found on woodland edges, meadows, roadsides, wetlands and shorelines; aromatic, bright purple blooms from August to October Notes: attractive, hardy landscape plantings, attracts butterflies, deer and rabbit resistant, will tolerate drought and seasonal flooding. It is recommended to divide plants every 3-years to maintain disease resistance.

(M.A.)

High Country Gardens

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Shrubs

Latin Name Common Name

Description

Aronia melanocarpa 'Low Scape' Black Chokecherry

1-5' tall and 2' wide, sun or part shade; tolerant of most soils and seasonal flooding; white to pink flowers in May, black fruit in September-November Notes: Attracts songbirds, berries are edible

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' Summersweet or Sweet Pepperbush

4-6’ tall and 3-5’ wide, full sun to part shade; moist to wet soils; prefers part shade and consistently moist, acidic, sandy soils; light pink blooms from July to August Notes: very fragrant, will tolerate clay soils and full shade, prune if needed in late winter

Missouri Botanical Garden

Bluestone Perennials

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Clethra alnifolia 'Vanilla Spice' Summersweet or Sweet Pepperbush

3-6' tall and 3-5' wide, partial sun to full shade; tolerates most soils types moist to wet conditions including tidal and non-tidal marshes, will tolerate periodic partly salt water; often found in woods, swamps, bogs, floodplains, white to pink blooms from July to September Notes: very fragrant, resistant to disease and insect damage

llex glabra 'Shamrock' lnkberry

6-12' tall and wide, full shade to full sun; tolerates dry to moist soils, seasonal flooding and most Southern Maryland soil types; greenish white flowers from May to June, black berry fruit (on females) from September to March Notes: will tolerate salt water periodic flooding, high wildlife value, requires male and female plants to flower and fruit

llex verticillata 'Red Sprite' Winterberry

6-12' tall and wide, full sun to full shade; grows best in clay-loam and sandy soils, often found in fresh tidal swamps, shrub swamps and forested wetlands; greenish-white flowers bloom from June to July, red berry fruit from August to February Notes: High wildlife value, berries poisonous to humans, requires male (i.e., ‘Jim Dandy’) and female plants for fruit production

(J.F.)

(J.F.)

Missouri Botanical Garden

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

ltea virginica 'Henry's Garnet' Virginia Sweetspire

6-12' tall and wide, full sun to full shade; tolerates clay, loam and sandy soils; often found in wetlands, swamps, stream banks and shallow water; white flowers from June to July and a capsule fruit from August to March Notes: valuable to wildlife and beneficial insects, tolerates flooding to 6", spreads by suckering will forms thickets

Trees

Latin Name Common Name

Description

Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar

50-75' tall and 75-100' wide; prefers full sun, tolerates clay, loam, sandy soils and wide variety growing habitats; red-purple flowers from March to April, with light green to dark blue cone like fruit from July to March Note: Important wildlife plant for food and habitat, very adaptable

(J.F.)

(J.F.)

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Latin Name Common Name

Description

Pinus strobus White Pine

75 to 100' tall and 50 to 75' wide, full-sun, dry to moist soils; prefers moist well drained loam soils ideally along ridges; red to purplish flowers from May to July and green to light brown cones from August to October Notes: Important wildlife food and habitat

References:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – “Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping"

University of Maryland Extension – “Native Plants of Maryland: What, When and Where”

Missouri Botanical Garden – Plant Finder

High Country Gardens – https://www.highcountrygardens.com/plant-finder

Bluestone Perennials – https://www.bluestoneperennials.com/

American Meadows – https://www.americanmeadows.com/

White Flower Farm – https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/planting-guide

New Moon Nursery – http://www.newmoonnursery.com/

Environmental Concern Inc. 2008 Wholesale Nursery Catalog – http://wetland.org/nursery/

Field book of Natural History, second edition by E. Laurence Palmer and H. Seymour Fowler

Photo credit: Photos were provided by Mary K. Antonelli (M.A.) and Jamie Fleming (J.F.) unless otherwise noted. Plant resources: Plant information was compiled by Debra Pence and Mary K. Antonelli using the references above.

(J.F.)