Plants for Butterflies and Other Pollinators
Showing 57–64 of 225 results
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Cleome serrulata Rocky Mountain Beeweed, Spiderflower, Stinkweed Reseeding annual
Blooming all summer dozens of rose to lilac-colored flowers bunch together at the top of the 3-4” tall stem seemingly one soft-ball sized flower. Thread-thin stamens protrude above the flowers, each flower bearing six stamens, 72, for example, if the cluster contains a mere dozen individual flowers earning it the nickname spider flower. Short leaves grow the length of plant stems, from bottom to top, bare of flowers. A trio of leaflets to each leaf, one as a leader with two sidekicks.
OUT OF STOCK – EMAIL FOR AVAILABILITY
Blooming all summer dozens of rose to lilac-colored flowers bunch together at the top of the 3-4” tall stem seemingly one soft-ball sized flower. Thread-thin stamens protrude above the flowers, each flower bearing six stamens, 72, for example, if the cluster contains a mere dozen individual flowers earning it the nickname spider flower. Short leaves grow the length of plant stems, from bottom to top, bare of flowers. A trio of leaflets to each leaf, one as a leader with two sidekicks.
Size: 4' x 9"
Care: sun in moist-well drained to dry soil, drought tolerant
Native: Minnesota west to the Pacific, south to Arizona and New Mexico and all in between.
Wildlife Value: : So many flowers, each with nectar and a hoard of stamens each holding pollen in a soft-ball sized object makes this a mecca for pollinators of all sorts, numerous bee species, wasps and several butterflies. When it’s done flowering birds eat its seeds. Its skunk-like odor (Stinkweed) has one advantage – it keeps the deer away.An ancient, pre-historic plant, Natives including Lakota, Zuni, Tewa, Navajo, and Pueblo found many uses for this Cleome. Some ate shoots, leaves, seeds or flowers, cooked them, or ate them raw alone or together with other food. Tewa grew this with corn, beans and squash to attract pollinators to pollinate the food plants. Infusions treated fever, and stomach aches. A poultice treated sore eyes. Lakota used this and a shrub to trap bison. Navajo color rugs with a yellow-green dye they make from Cleome. Pueblo Indians concentrate Cleome to make a thick, black paste to decorate baskets and pottery. Meriwether Lewis collected three of these two on the way west and one homebound traveling east.
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Comptonia peregrina Sweet Fern Z 2-6 SHRUB
Grown for it’s fern like leaves, this small shrub flowers in spring with insignificant yellow flowers followed by brown nutlets. Foliage is fragrant when crushed.
Grown for its fern like leaves, this small shrub flowers in spring with insignificant yellow flowers followed by brown nutlets. Foliage is fragrant when crushed.
LIMITED QUANTITES AVAILABLE. ONE PER CUSTOMER PLEASE.
Size: 2-5’ x 4’ spreading
Care: sun to part shade in moist, well-drained to well-drained soil. Prefers acidic, but will grow in other types of soil as well. Drought and salt tolerant.
Native: Eastern North America, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: Attracts bees, butterflies, & birds. Larval host plant for many moths, including Io moth, several Sphinx moth species, and the Anise Swallowtail butterfly. Deer resistant. Nitrogen fixer.Genus name honors Henry Compton (1632-1713), Bishop of London and patron of botany. Peregrina means exotic or immigrant. Many Native Americans (Algonquin, Cherokee, Chippewa, Delaware, Menominee, Delaware, Potawatomi) used this plant for a wide variety of purposes: Crushed leaves inhaled for headache. Leaf infusions for: round worms, fevers, beverage, blood purifier, blisters, clear mucus from lungs, bladder inflammation, rash from poison ivy, swelling, flux, stomach cramps, itch. Fragrant leaves- burned or crushed for incense in ceremony, perfume, Decoction – childbirth, tonic, Other: sprinkle on medicine to poison enemy, prevent blueberries from spoiling, leaves in fire to make smudge to ward off mosquitoes. Oneida made a tea.
Collected for botany before 1753. Grown at America’s 1st botanic garden, Elgin Botanic Garden 1811.**LISTED AS OUT OF STOCK BECAUSE WE DO NOT SHIP THIS ITEM. IT IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT OUR RETAIL LOCATION.
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Coreopsis verticillata Thread leafed tickseed Z 4-9
All summer into fall, free-blooming non-stop - yolk yellow daisies of 8 narrow spoon-shaped petals with a color matching center each atop a wiry stem. Cut back half-way to promote reblooming in fall.
All summer into fall, free-blooming non-stop – yolk yellow daisies of 8 narrow spoon-shaped petals with a color matching center each atop a wiry stem. Cut back half-way to promote reblooming in fall.
Size: 24" x 18" spreading
Care: Sun to part shade well-drained to moist well-drained soil, drought tolerant
Native: S.E. U.S.
Wildlife Value: attracts butterflies, Deer resistantNatives made a tea with the roots to remedy diarrhea and induce vomiting and a tea with the plant tops to make blood strong. A drink made from boiling the entire plant was used to remedy internal pain and bleeding. Also made a red dye and a yellow dye. Exported from its native America to England in 1759.
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Cornus canadensis Bunchberry, Creeping dogwood Z 2-7Cornus canadensis syn. Chamaepericlymenum canadensis Bunchberry, Creeping dogwood Z 2-7
Four white, pointed petal-like bracts in spring and showy scarlet berries in fall
Four white, pointed petal-like bracts in spring and showy scarlet berries in fall
Size: 6” x spreading slowly
Care: part shade in moist, ACIDIC soil. Needs moisture to establish
Native: Northern areas from the east to the west coasts of No. America, Wisconsin native.
Wildlife Value: Host for the caterpillar of the Spring azure butterfly. Pollen and nectar for many bees, wasps, ants, butterflies and beetles. Deer and rabbit resistantFlowers open faster than any other flower, in less than ½ millisecond. Abnaki Indians used it to cure side pains. Algonquin made a cathartic tea, cured colds, and stomach aches with this. Delaware reduced body pains with it. Chippewa, Cree and Eskimo smoked the berries. Probably 1st collected for gardens by John Bartram (1699-1776). Offered for sale at his nursery near Philadelphia. Sent to Dr. Fothergill in London in 1774. “One of the prettiest plants for the bog garden or the cool parts of the rock garden.” William Robinson 1899. Pressed specimen in Emily Dickinson’s herbarium.
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Corydalis sempervirens syn. Capnoides sempervirens, Fumitory, Rock harlequin RESEEDING SHORT-LIVED PERENNIAL
Pink tube-shaped flowers with flaring yellow ends bloom from spring to summer
RESEEDING SHORT-LIVED PERENNIAL
Pink tube-shaped flowers with flaring yellow ends bloom from spring to summer
Size: 10-12” x 10-12”
Care: Sun to part shade in moist well drained soil
Native: from Nova Scotia west to Alaska, south to North Carolina, Wisconsin nativeCorydalis is Greek for “lark” korydalos, referring to the shape of flower resembling a lark’s spur. First described and named (name now changed) in 1753. Pressed specimen in Emily Dickinson’s herbarium.
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Corylus americana American Hazelnut, Filbert Z 4-9
In spring, showy male flowers on 2-3" long catkins. Female flowers appear in small, reddish catkins grow into half inch long, egg-shaped edible nuts. Fall color ranges from orange, rose, purplish red, yellow and green.
In spring, showy male flowers on 2-3″ long catkins. Female flowers appear in small, reddish catkins grow into half inch long, egg-shaped edible nuts. Fall color ranges from orange, rose, purplish red, yellow and green.
Size: 10-16’ x 8-1’
Care: sun in any soil
Native: E. North America including Wisconsin
Wildlife Value: Exceptionally high value to wildlife. Pheasant, Quail, Turkey, Grouse, Turkey & Blue Jay and small animals eat the nuts. Pollen source for bees, host to many caterpillars both butterflies and moths. Branches make good nesting sites for songbirds. Black walnut tolerant.Described by Thomas Walter in 1788. Food for several Native American tribes. Medicinal for Cherokee, Iroquois, Menominee, Meskwaki and Ojibwa, to remedy hives, fever, headaches, pain of baby’s teething, hay fever and induce vomiting.
**LISTED AS OUT OF STOCK BECAUSE WE DO NOT SHIP THIS ITEM. IT IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT OUR RETAIL LOCATION.
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Dalea aurea syn Parosela aurea Golden prairie clover Z 5-9
Cone-shaped fuzzy yellow flower spikes rise above sparse foliage in April-June
ARCHIVED
Note: This is a plant not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.
Cone-shaped fuzzy yellow flower spikes rise above sparse foliage in April-June
Size: 1-3’ x 1’
Care: sun in dry soil
Native: West US from TX to WY
Wildlife Value: Attracts bees, butterflies
Size: Native Americans used Golden Prairie-clover to treat diarrhea and colicCollected and described by Thomas Nuttall, 1813.
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Dalea purpurea syn. Petalostemon purpurea Violet prairie clover Z 4-9
Vase shaped clump with wands of violet to purple encircling tall coneheads mid-summer
Vase shaped clump with wands of violet to purple encircling tall coneheads mid-summer
Size: 2’ x 18”
Care: full sun in well-drained to moist well-drained soil.
Native: Canada to Texas, Wisconsin native
Wildlife Value: Host for caterpillars of Dogface Sulphur, Striped blue & Mexican blue butterflies. Supports over 80 bee species including endangered Rusty patched Bumble BeesDalea named to honor English botanist Dr. Samuel Dale (1659- 1739.) Chippewa, Meskwaki and Navajo used medicinally – as remedies for heart ailments, pneumonia, diarrhea and measles. Comanche and Lakota chewed the root like gum, for its sweet taste. Sioux combined it with Amorpha canescens, Leadplant to ambush bison. Sioux also treated fevers and stomach disorders with an infusion made from the plant. Pawnee made brooms from the flexible stems. 1st collected by French botanist André Michaux (1746-1802) who spent 11 years in America collecting hundreds of new plants.
