Community
Foundation Plant Suggestions
Plants: Native Draught Tolerant Perennials
PLEASE NOTE:
s= sun-6 hours sun/day; sh=shade-(3 hours direct sun or heavily dappled sun); psh=partial shade-between 3 & 6 hours or lightly dappled sun
1/2/3 Numbers (see Comments) refer to the amount of moisture needed: I= Saturated soil, wet for much of the growing season, except drought; 2 = Moist soil, damp for most of the growing season, occasionally saturated; 3 = Drought tolerant, do well in areas where water does not remain after rain and will not need supplemental watering in all but the most extreme drought. CHECK GARDEN REFERENCES FOR SPECIFICS.
| SPECIES | COMMON NAME | LIGHT | SIZE | BLOOM | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amsonia hubrechtii | Willowleaf Bluestar | s/psh | 1.5-3 | My-Jn | Light blue flowers, delicate bottlebrush leaves; yellow fall color 2/3 |
| Andropogon gerardii | Big Bluestem | s | 3-7’ | Ag-Sp | Prairie grass with purple flowers 2/3 |
| Aquilegia canadensis | Columbine | s-sh | 2’ | Ap-My | Red & yellow flowers attract hummingbirds; butterfly host 2/3 |
| Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed | s-psh | 1.5-3’ | My-Jn | Orange flowers, monarch butterfly host 3 |
| Aster cordifolius | Blue Wood Aster | psh-sh | 1.5-4’ | Sp-Oc | Good for dry shade; showy blue flowers at woodland edge 3 |
| Aster divaricatus | Wood Aster | psh-sh | 1.5-4’ | Sp-Oc | Dry shade or moist woods, white flowers attract butterflies 2/3 |
| Aster laevis | Smooth Aster | s | 2-5’ | Ag-Oc | Pale blue flowers, butterflies like, food for birds/mammals, mildew free 2/3 |
| Aster novae angliae | New England Aster | s-psh | 1-6’ | Sp-Wc | Violet flowers, butterflies like, good for mammals/birds 1-3 |
| Boltonia asteroides | Boltonia | s-psh | 4-6’ | Jy-Oc | White or pink flowers, easy to grow, well drained moist soil 2/3 |
| Chasmanthium latifolium* | River Oats | s-psh | 2-3’ | Jy-Sp | Broad bladed grass resembles bamboo, bright green in spring, turns copper in fall and tan in Winter. Dangling oats, tolerates dry shade 2/3 |
| Coreopsis verticillata | Threadleaf Coreopsis | s-psh | 2’ | Jn-Ag | Tolerates poor soil; yellow mini-daisies above mound of lacy foliage 2/3 |
| Dennstaedtia punctilobula* | Hay scented Fern | s-psh | 1-3’ | Spreads rapidly; fragrant, light-green foliage turns yellow in Fall 2/3 | |
| Elymus virginicus | Virginia Wild Rye | psh-sh | 1-5.5’ | Jn-Oc | Tolerates 15-30 days flooding as well as drought. Good erosion control 2/3 |
| Eragrostis spectabilis* | Purple Lovegrass | s | 1-2’ | Jy-Oc | Delicate purple flowers seem to float above the plant 2/3 |
| Eupatorium coelestinum* | Mist Flower | s-psh | 2’ | Ag-Nv | Blue flowers on neat, light–green foliage; spreads easily 1-3 |
| Eupatorium fistulosum | Joe Pye Weed | s | 1.5-6’ | Jy-Sp | Huge dusty pink flowers attract butterflies; good food source; good Fall color 1-3 |
| Eupatorium rugosum | White Snakeroot | s-psh | 3-4’ | Jn-Sp | Flowers so white they glow at twilight; purple leafed cultivar is available 2/3 |
| Geranium maculatum* | Cranesbill | s-psh | 8-18" | Ap-Ag | Fragrant foliage is scarlet in cold weather, lavender or pink flowers 2/3 |
| Heuchera americana* | Alumroot | s-psh | 1-1.5’ | Ap-Jn | Foliage is red/wine in cold weather; white airy flowers; good groundcover 2/3 |
| Monarda punctata | Horsemint | s | 2-3’ | Jy-Oc | Pink showy bracts and yellow flowers with purple spots 3 |
| Oenotheria fruticosa | Narrow Sundrops | s | 1-2’ | Jn-Sp | Clear yellow flowers; birds eat seeds; basal rosette evergreen 2/3 |
| Packera paupercaulus* | Balsam Ragwort | s-psh | 2-3’ | My-Ag | Yellow flowers; plump evergreen rosettes 1-3 |
| Penstemmon digitalis | Foxglove Beardtongue | s-psh | 2-4’ | Jn-Jy | White, snapdragon-like flower; semi-evergreen basal rosette; butterfly nectar 2/3 |
| Phlox subulata* | Moss Phlox | s-psh | 3-5’ | Ap-My | Evergreen; forms mats; good for hillsides and rocky areas 3 |
| Physostegia virginiana | Obedient Plant | s-psh | 2-4’ | Ag-Oc | Tall graceful plant; pink tubular flowers on spikes; spreads rapidly; good substitute for loosestrife 2/3 |
| Polystichum acrostichoides* | Christmas Fern | psh-sh | 1.5-2’ | Narrow, leathery, evergreen fronds; acid soil 2/3 | |
| Rudbeckia hirta | Black-eyed Susan | s-psh | 2’ | Jn-Oc | Yellow flowers with black eyes; food for birds & butterflies 2/3 |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | Little Bluestem | s-psh | 4’ | Ag-Oc | Dense root system can reach 8’;very decorative blue-green foliage bright red in Fall; fluffy silver-white seed heads; erosion control on dry areas 3 |
| Solidago odora | Sweet goldenrod | s | 1-3’ | Jy-Sp | Does not cause hay fever; leaves smell and taste like licorice 2/3 |
| Solidago rugosa | Rough Leaf Goldenrod | s | 1-6’ | Ag-Oc | Does not cause hay fever; butterfly/bird food; spreads rapidly 1-3 |
| Solidago sphacelata* | Creeping Goldenrod | s-psh | 1-3’ | Jy-Sp | Does not cause hay fever; butterfly/bird food; attractive mound of foliage 2/3 |
| Sorgastrum nutans | Indiangrass | s-psh | 5-7’ | Ag-Sp | Large golden-brown plume-like flowers; wildlife habitat; rapid growth 2/3 |
| Tridens flavus* | Purpletop | s | 3-4’ | Jy-Sp | A purple haze when in bloom 2/3 |
*Can also be used in mass planting as groundcover.
This table was derived from a list prepared by Carole Ann Barth, Environmental Planner, PPD, Dept. of Environmental Resources for a course in Bioretention Facilities.