Summer Spotlight: Native Flowers ❀

Welcome to the Treehouse Library! 

Summer is in full swing here in USDA zone 7b, and the garden is teeming with life! In this post, we will discuss native flowers - the remarkable and beautiful plants that support pollinators, improve biodiversity, and help bring balance to the ecosystem. No matter what kind of garden you have, planting natives is one of the best things you can do for it. 

🐝 Why Native Flowers Are The Best Choice:

❀ Provides critical food and shelter for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and more

❀ Helps resists many local pests by inviting natural predators (like songbirds)

❀ Reduces need for chemical use and reduces runoff

❀ Improves soil structure and health, prevents erosion

❀ Requires less water than non-natives once established

❀ Part of Virginia's heritage and natural ecosystem, supporting entire food chains

❀ In a world where invasive and exotic plants often dominate suburban landscapes, native flowers offer an alternative that supports the land, the wildlife, and even us.

1. 🌻 Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): Widespread throughout the USA and coined Maryland's state flower, Black-Eyed Susan is a must-have for a native pollinator garden. These Summer blooms last all season and into the Fall and are tolerant of dry conditions. They are highly adaptable, dependable, and a pollinator favorite here in the Mid-Atlantic.
2. 💐 Bee Balm/Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa): This is a personal top favorite of mine, and the bees, too! Not only do they feature gorgeous pink to lavender blooms on tall spikes, but they have a sweet aromatic quality that makes them a lovely addition to any garden. Bee Balm are resistant to deer and dry conditions, and they aren't highly susceptible to disease.
3. 🦋 Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa): Another personal favorite with striking orange bloom clusters atop long upright spikes, these are a butterfly magnet, and the plant provides a nursery for Monarch Butterfly larvae. This pollinator favorite is also deer and drought resistant - it can deal with periods without a lot of water. 
4.  🌿 Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum/tenuifolium): thriving in meadows and along the woodland's edge, Mountain Mint blooms from mid to late Summer and is highly attractive to pollinators. This plant does well in a variety of soils, has a long life, and attracts natural predators of pest insects. Its aromatic qualities and pretty white blooms make it a fantastic choice, especially in herb gardens! It spreads easily, so take care to control it and cut it back when needed.
5. 🌼Blue Mistflower/Boneset (Conoclinium coelestinum): Found in many native plant nurseries across Virginia, Blue Boneset has beautiful clusters of bright blue or lavender blooms that attract bees and butterflies. This is one that I really look forward to seeing every Summer/Fall! It provides a crucial nectar source for Monarchs during migration season, and it loves the wet conditions of the Fall. Like Mint, it spreads easily, so take care to control it and cut it back when needed.
6. 🏵️ Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata): This flower is another favorite of mine, featuring delicate yellow blossoms and slender stems, and leaves which collapse when touched (it's also called the sensitive plant!). Partridge Pea flowers attract bees and butterflies, the seed pods provide food for songbirds, and it is a host/cover plant for butterflies as well as gamebirds and deer. These long-lasting blooms provide a pop of color to any garden and easily reseed every year!
7. 🌹Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis): This early-blooming wildflower has beautiful, drooping, bell-like blossoms which contain nectar, an important food source for hummingbirds. Columbine can withstand shady and sandy conditions, easily self-seeds and spreads, and will remain for years once established! 
8. 🍀Slender Bush-Clover (Lespedeza virginica): This tall upright perennial has delicate white and magenta flowers atop coarsely-textured green foliage. It can withstand dry and shady conditions, and is useful for improving the soil fertility of consistently dry sites. The seeds are a very important food source for native birds, including the bobwhite quail! Lespedeza frequently escapes cultivation and spreads easily, so take care to control it and cut it back when needed.
9. 🌱 Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve): Found all over the USA, Blue Aster is a late bloomer bearing flower heads with rich blue-lavender petals and yellow centers atop light green, smooth foliage. This flower can handle lots of sun and dry conditions, and is an important host plant for native butterflies. The aromatic flowers show up in late Summer/early Fall, keeping the garden colorful all season!
10. 🌾 Eastern Beardtongue (Penstemon laevigatus): Widely distributed in rich woodlands and fields across the USA, Penstemon has showy white or purple blooms clustered atop tall spikes that can be seen May-July. This 3-foot high perennial is a favorite of native bees, and enjoys sunny, moist, and organically-rich conditions. 

🌷 Garden Tips for Native Flower Success:

• Don’t over-fertilize. Most natives thrive in lean soil.

• Let some seedheads remain. They feed birds and reseed themselves.

• Water well during the first season, then ease off. Natives are often drought-hardy once established.

• Mix heights and bloom times. Layering ensures continuous color and support for pollinators all season long.

By combining these natives, you're creating a living timeline: you're sustaining pollinators through every season. All plants listed are confirmed native to the Virginia/Mid-Atlantic region, especially Zone 7b, and are proven ecological allies.