New York State is often conflated with the concrete jungle that is New York City, but the whole of the Empire State (including the Big Apple) is actually a hub of biodiversity. State-endangered peregrine falcons nest on highrises and the beaches of Long Island are home to piping plovers, roseate terns, and the federally protected seabeach amaranth. Spruce grouse forage the forests of the Adirondacks, and the endangered Karner blue butterfly sails through the Albany Pine Bush. Some species, like the Chittenango ovate amber snail, Clausen’s reed grass, and the Hudson River water nymph can be found nowhere else in the world.
The New York Natural Heritage Program currently tracks 869 rare plant species, 482 rare animal species, and 182 ecological community types in its Database of Imperiled Biodiversity, with over 15,000 locations for each occurrence across the state. These vulnerable species and communities face many threats, including habitat loss (due to rampant development, urbanization, and fragmentation), invasive species, human alteration to hydrological systems, pollution, and climate change.
New Yorkers can help reverse some of these anthropogenic effects by restoring what has been lost– growing native plants can reduce air pollution, filter stormwater runoff, prevent erosion, and provide food and habitat for wildlife.
Anyone with plantable space– including window boxes or roof gardens– can contribute to ecological recovery, simply by growing a few native wildflowers; the American Museum of Natural History estimates that over 230 species of bees pollinate tiny gardens just like these in New York City alone. Native flora is the foundation on which all life depends, including our own. Here are some of the best native wildflowers for gardens in New York State.
1) Bluestem goldenrod (Solidago caesia)
A harbinger of fall, bluestem (or wreathed) goldenrod is a fountain of honeyed-yellow flower racemes from August through October. Its sprays of bright, cheerful blooms provide crucial late-season nectar for migrating monarchs and attract hummingbirds, goldfinches, and a variety of insect pollinators. In the Eastern Temperate Forest ecoregion, Solidago is a keystone genus that hosts at least 104 species of Lepidoptera and sustains 42 pollen-specialist bees (as well as their generalist cousins).
Its pollen is too heavy to be carried by wind (one reason the plant evolved to be so appealing to foraging bees), which means that goldenrod is an innocent victim of a long-standing myth– it does not cause seasonal allergies or hay fever. Itchy eyes and sniffling noses are actually triggered by ragweed, which can propel as many as a billion irritating grains per individual plant (and these travel on the breeze for miles in all directions). Goldenrods are likewise maligned as ‘weedy,’ but only a few are unfit for gardens. Bluestem goldenrod is one of many that is tidy and well-behaved in a home landscape.
A species of rich, open woodlands in the eastern half of the United States (and vouchered in nearly every county in New York), Solidago caesia thrives in sun or partial shade in practically any dry-to-medium soil with decent drainage and is drought-tolerant once established. Its arching bluish-purple stems reach 2 – 3 ft high from a neat basal clump, with dark green, lance-shaped leaves that are tapered and sharply pointed. Its radiant yellow inflorescences are borne in both axillary and terminal clusters, and give way to fluffy white cypselae that offer food and roosting down for songbirds through the winter.
Bluestem goldenrod adds a lovely texture and presence to wildflower meadows, butterfly gardens, and border plantings. Consider also zig-zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), rough goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) and showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa).
2) Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve var. laeve)
Hardy and resplendent with profuse, starry blue-violet blooms, smooth aster defies frost and keeps on blooming, often into November. It is easily distinguished from other Symphyotrichum species by its smooth, deep blue-green foliage (most asters have rough leaves). Var. laeve is native from the Atlantic Coast to the Great Plains, where it intergrades with S. l. var. geyeri. It occurs almost entirely throughout New York State, in open woods, fields, thickets, and on roadsides.
Smooth aster is a standout among the 32 American asters native to the Empire State, both for its ornamental qualities and its wildlife value. Its abundant, nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds and insect pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies; the genus Symphyotrichum hosts over 100 species of Lepidoptera– including the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)– and feeds 33 pollen-specialist bees in Eastern Temperate Forests. Numerous bird species eat the seeds or hunt its dense drifts for fat, juicy caterpillars– no bird or pollinator garden is complete without it.
Smooth aster grows up to about 4 ft tall, and adapts well to a variety of soil and moisture conditions (though it prefers drier sites)– it’ll grow just about anywhere as long as it has lots of sun. It is long-lived, easy to grow, and virtually maintenance-free. Many cultivars are available in nurseries, notably ‘Bluebird’ (a horticultural selection from Connecticut), which ranked as the number 1 aster in an evaluation study at the Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware, and is featured prominently on New York City’s High Line.
Smooth aster makes a beautiful foil for other fall-blooming plants like goldenrods or sunflowers. Consider also New York aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), and heart-leaved aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium).
3) Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)
Wild or sundial lupine is a breathtaking spring-blooming perennial, and the only host plant for the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. The Karner blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is a rare New York treasure, persisting in the state despite its extirpation from much of its historic range. If you happen to live along the Hudson Valley sand belt, which extends from the Albany Pine Bush north to the Glens Falls area, growing wild lupine may bring this exceptional creature to your yard. Lupinus perennis is also a host for the state-threatened frosted elfin (Callophrys irus) and entices numerous insect pollinators and hummingbirds with its showy spikes of bluish-purple (occasionally pink or white) flowers. The inflorescences are papilionaceous or pea-like, borne on racemes up to 8 inches long on 1 – 2 ft stems.
Wild lupine is easily distinguishable from non-native (yet far more common since it escaped cultivation) big-leaf lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) by its more compact size (the latter reaches 3 – 6 ft tall), and by the tendency of its palmately compound leaves to orient themselves toward the sun– hence the common name ‘Sundial.’ L. perennis is the only lupine native to the northeast and is rated as rare in New York State. Its imperiled status is due to habitat loss from urbanization, displacement by the aggressively colonizing L. polyphyllus, and fire suppression, which allows shrubs and trees to invade the open oak savanna and pine barrens this species calls home.
Gardeners can help aid conservation efforts of both the threatened wild lupine and endangered butterflies by planting this species in their own home landscapes (and by removing its invasive cousin). Wild lupine is a lovely choice for informal gardens, pocket prairies, or wildflower meadows. It likes full sun or partial shade and dry, sandy soils– it is highly adaptable as long as it has good drainage. As a member of the legume family, L. perennis has nitrogen-fixing abilities; it has a symbiotic relationship with rhizobia bacteria, which allows it to obtain nutrients even in poor soil conditions (an adaptation critical for survival in the pine barrens). The seeds can be toxic to humans and animals if consumed in large quantities.
4) Woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus)
Woodland sunflower beams in dappled shade, brightening dry open woods and sheltered wildflower gardens from early summer to fall with its masses of vibrant, cheery blooms. Its flowers are warm golden discs ringed by buttery-yellow rays, and borne on smooth, tall stems.
Sunflowers are beloved by bees and butterflies– native Helianthus species (a designation which excludes the common sunflower, H. annuus) are keystone plants in Eastern Temperate Forests, hosting at least 66 species of Lepidoptera (including the silvery checkerspot and the giant leopard moth), and 50 pollen-specialist bees that rely on them to complete their life cycle. Songbirds and gamebirds visit H. divaricatus to forage for these insects and to pick seeds from the flowerheads– goldfinches are particularly fond of its oily cypselae.
A species of dry uplands (and occasionally moist, sandy habitats), the woodland sunflower is native to a large swath of eastern North America; it occurs almost entirely throughout New York State and can be found in dry to mesic deciduous forests, limestone glades, savannas, sparsely wooded bluffs, hill prairies, and roadsides. This showy perennial is easily grown and requires little maintenance. It reaches heights of 2 – 6 ft and adapts well to a variety of light and moisture conditions, though it performs best in partial shade and dry to medium, well-drained soils. It is drought-tolerant and deer-resistant.
Woodland sunflower needs plenty of space, as it spreads vigorously by rhizomes to form colonies. Its buoyant, sunny-faced blooms make a fine addition to wildflower meadows, pocket prairies, or pollinator gardens, where it will be buzzing with activity in as little as 55 days after planting. For wetter areas, consider its cousin, the narrow-leaved sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius).
5) Rose coreopsis (Coreopsis rosea)
Petals the soft blush of a frosty glass of pink lemonade make rose coreopsis (or pink tickseed) stand out from others of its genus– Coreopsis rosea is both the only tickseed native to New York and the only one with pink flowers. A species of coastal plains, it is globally vulnerable and rare in the state, with 23 existing populations in New York, primarily localized to Queens and Suffolk counties. Where it grows wild on pond shores and damp, sandy depressions, populations may exceed 100,000 plants– it seems better able to persist at degraded and disturbed sites than other flora with similar associations and is more or less stable for the time being (though it does face substantial extant threats, particularly displacement by phragmites and disturbance from heavy ATV use).
Rose coreopsis is popular in the horticultural trade, with many cultivars available from nurseries. It blooms profusely and continuously from summer to early fall, producing airy mounds of bright green, gossamery foliage starred by numerous tiny rose or fuchsia-rayed blooms with yellow centers. It reaches 18 – 24 inches tall, and can spread aggressively by rhizomes– it makes an excellent groundcover or pathway edging. Pink tickseed performs best in full sun and moist, sandy well-drained soils. Deadheading of spent blooms in late summer encourages plants to rebloom in the fall and prevents unwanted seedlings, but flowerheads left to seed will attract songbirds. At least 22 species of pollen-specialist bees depend on Coreopsis for nourishment.
6) Sweet Joe-Pye (Eutrochium purpureum var. purpureum)
Bustling with busy bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies from July through September, purple or sweet Joe-Pye weed is a lodestone for insect and avian pollinators. Its voluminous domed clusters of vibrant magenta, vanilla-scented flowers are borne atop erect green stems reaching up to 6 ft tall. Its leaves are narrow and lanceolate, whorling about the stalk.
Joe-Pye weeds have deep roots in folklore and Americana; they get their name from a Mohican sachem named Joe Pye or Joseph Shauquethqueat (or, by another source, an Abenaki medicine man named Zhopai) who lived in Stockbridge, New York in the 18th century. The story goes that he used a preparation made from a Eutrochium species to heal the children of a blacksmith he had befriended who were beset by typhoid fever. When Joe Pye’s people moved to Wisconsin, he was told to stay behind with his white friends– some of the members of his tribe were angry that he had used ancestral knowledge to benefit colonizers. Joe Pye gave his grandchildren a bag of Eutrochium seeds, telling them he would follow the wildflowers to them in his next life. Whether or not this legend (recounted by Keewaydinoquay Pakawakuk Peschel, an Anishinaabe ethnobotanist and storyteller) is true, sweet Joe-Pye ranges across North America, from Ontario and Maine south to Florida, and west to Minnesota and Oklahoma.
Eutrochium grows in nearly every county in New York, with sweet Joe-Pye favoring wet prairies and open wooded slopes. It adapts well to home landscapes, growing in full sun to partial shade in average to moist, well-drained soils. It makes an excellent backdrop for shorter perennials and is beautiful naturalized in meadows or along ponds and streams. Joe Pye’s pithy stems make superb nursery cavities for native bees; to provide nesting habitat, cut stalks back to 2 – 3 ft in spring.
7) Scarlet beebalm (Monarda didyma)
Scarlet beebalm– also called Oswego tea or red bergamot– is an aromatic perennial herb with striking crimson flowers. A member of the Lamiaceae or mint family, Monarda didyma has strongly scented foliage and richly colored blooms that are both edible and flavorful. The common name ‘Oswego tea’ refers to the Oswego people of present-day upstate New York, who taught white settlers how to make an herbal tea from the leaves. ‘Beebalm’ refers to a resin derived from the plant that makes a salve for insect stings.
M. didyma is indigenous from Ohio east to New Jersey, and south along mountain ranges to Georgia and Tennessee. In New York State, it occurs along forest seeps, stream banks, and in wet thickets, and blooms from midsummer to fall. Its inflorescences are composed of brilliant red tubular flowers arranged in circular, head-like clusters atop square stems– these are frequently thronged by jousting hummingbirds, sailing butterflies, and rambling bumblebees when in bloom. Finches and redpolls love the brown nutlets.
Scarlet beebalm grows 2 – 4 ft tall (sometimes reaching up to 6 ft) and likes rich, moist acid soils and full sun. It appreciates good drainage and afternoon shade in areas where summers are hot, and may be susceptible to powdery mildew without good air circulation. Red bergamot spreads by rhizomes and self-seeding to form colonies, and can become somewhat aggressive in the garden. It makes a spectacular massed planting, and adds a dramatic accent to informal borders or wildflower meadows– it’s a good cut flower too.
8) Spotted jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
A spring-loaded seed pod that explodes at a touch, a remedy for poison ivy and stinging nettles, and water-repelling leaves that refract light like a prism are just a few attributes of Impatiens capensis, which has been variously styled as spotted jewelweed, spotted touch-me-not, silver-leaf, or silver-cap lady’s eardrops. This species is one of two Impatiens native to New York (the other being Impatiens pallida or pale jewelweed) and can be found in most counties, especially in the eastern part of the state. It occurs in floodplain forests, wetlands, and riparian corridors, but is also commonly found in disturbed sites and roadside ditches– it’s an aggressive player in wet areas and is one of few indigenous plants that can successfully compete against exotic invasive garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), a species which threatens many eastern North American forests.
In a home landscape, spotted jewelweed quickly crowds out any encroaching weeds; it’s an annual herb, but often acts as a perennial by forming dense stands that reseed themselves each year. An exceptional species for pollinator gardens, it blooms from July through October and is highly appealing to bees and butterflies– its fiery-orange, cornucopia-shaped flowers are especially adapted to hummingbird visitation. After cross-pollination, these vermillion-speckled blossoms give way to elongated, pendant green fruits. The valves forming the walls of the seed pods store mechanical energy with a capacity similar to that of elastin and spring steel– seeds are ejected by ballistic dehiscence when touched and can reach distances of 4 – 6 ft!
Spotted jewelweed’s slender, succulent stems reach heights of 2 – 5 ft and exude a gel-like substance that has been observed to prevent and relieve contact dermatitis associated with poison ivy and stinging nettles– fortunately, it is often found growing near these two species in natural areas. Its bluish-green leaves are ovate and coarsely toothed, giving them a scalloped appearance. They are also, for unknown reasons, waterproof; microscopic hairs trap a thin layer of air on the leaf’s surface that repels moisture, giving foliage a silvery sheen when immersed, and collecting dewdrops like tiny jewels. Spotted jewelweed likes moist to wet shade, but tolerates many soil types, including sand, rich loam, and clay. It is ideal for woodland gardens, rain gardens, bioswales, and pond margins.
9) Azure bluets (Houstonia caerulea)
Charming and delicate, azure bluets (also called Quaker ladies, innocence, or simply bluets) appear late in the spring like frost on the grass in moist meadows, deciduous forests, and open woodlands. This tiny, dainty wildflower is native throughout much of eastern North America and is vouchered in most New York counties. It grows in airy mounds that reach just 6 – 8 inches tall, with spoon-shaped leaves, threadlike green stems that rise from a basal rosette, and abundant pale blue or lilac blossoms. Each flower has four petals fused into a cup or tube at its lemony-yellow center.
Bluets may bloom from April through August, and are attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators– their foliage serves as the larval host for the spotted thyris (Thyris maculata). Bluets like moist, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. They form a kind of fairy carpet in sparse lawns or intermingled with moss and give an ethereal quality to rock gardens, stone pathways, or tree beds. Don’t let their fragile aspect fool you, though; azure bluets are drought- and salt-tolerant, and are resistant to grazing by deer and rabbits. If you’re lucky, they may already be present in your yard– to encourage them, wait until they have seeded out to mow any patches. Seeds are also readily available from many native nurseries– these will need cold stratification but should sprout in their first spring, followed by flowers the second year. Bluets can also be propagated by root division.
10) Rose milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Monarchs and milkweed go together like a wink and a smile, so the saying goes; no butterfly garden is complete without at least one Asclepias species (and conservation measures for the imperiled monarch are more important than ever). In New York State, hungry Danaus plexippus caterpillars prefer either common (A. syriaca) or rose milkweed (A. incarnata). Both are excellent selections. Rose milkweed– also called swamp milkweed– is found primarily on the margins of wetland areas, in riparian corridors, and in saturated meadows and prairies. It performs best in full sun to partial shade, and adapts to a variety of soil conditions, from average garden moisture to standing water. It is one of few ornamentals that thrives in wet, mucky clay.
Rose milkweed is a pollinator powerhouse, with an extensive list of faunal associations. Its soft rose-colored florets smell like cinnamon, and resemble freshly extruded pink cake decorations; they draw numerous insect pollinators but have special value for native bees. A. incarnata is the larval host for the monarch butterfly of course, but also for her cousin, the queen (Danaus gilippus). Swallowtail butterflies, fritillaries, and hummingbirds visit for nectar. American goldfinches are often observed picking off oleander aphids (Aphis nerii), which are considered an annoying pest by many gardeners but are best left alone (to become snacks for birds and predaceous insects).
Rose milkweed’s slender, branching stems grow up to 5 ft tall from a deep taproot (making them difficult to transplant). Leaves are narrow, willowy, and abundant, which is good news for caterpillars. Underplanting with low-growing perennials will help mask defoliation. All parts of this plant are toxic to people and pets in large quantities.
11) Golden alexander (Zizia aurea)
Brilliant yellow or chartreuse umbels that burst out like tiny fireworks make golden alexander (or golden zizia) conspicuous in spring. These large, flat-topped clusters of nectar-rich florets support a multitude of pollinators, including a pollen specialist mining bee called the golden alexander’s andrena (Andrena ziziae), and numerous azure butterflies (Celastrina spp.). This species is a larval host for the iridescent eastern black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), whose caterpillars feed on plants in the family Apiaceae (which also includes non-native carrots, parsley, dill, and invasive Queen Anne’s lace).
Golden alexander is found in nearly every county in the Empire State; it occurs in floodplain terraces and deep alluvial soils in mesic forests and bottomlands. It adapts well to home landscapes, where it is easily grown in full sun to partial shade and average to moist, well-drained soils. Zizia aurea reaches 1 – 3 ft tall and requires little maintenance– it’s a fine selection for woodland gardens, pocket prairies, or wildflower meadows. It tends to be short-lived, but readily reseeds itself and may spread to form large colonies in ideal conditions.
Golden alexander might bloom several times a year from April through August (and sometimes again in the fall) before giving way to deep plum-colored seed heads. For drier sites, consider its close cousin, the heart-leaved alexander (Zizia aptera).
