Perennials for the Northeast

Wild Indigo

• Found across New England southward to Florida, wild indigo, or Baptisia tinctoria, inhabits open woods and meadows. The perennial grows to 3 feet in shade or sun, but it does better in a full sun site. Use wild blue indigo in cottage gardens and in naturalized areas, advises the Missouri Botanical Garden. The plant works best in small groups or alone as a specimen plant. Wild indigo blooms from May into June, with the brilliant yellow or cream-colored flowers yielding a seedpod. The seedpod stays on the plant and turns to a black color, with the seeds inside the pod making a rattling sound if you shake it. The butterflies in your area will visit this plant, but avoid ingesting it; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center warns it is slightly toxic to humans.

Meadow Phlox

• Meadow phlox, or Phlox maculata, is common in much of the Northeast, often developing as a perennial plant in damp meadows and thickets. The species grows without trouble in light shade to full sun in USDA zones 3 through 8. Meadow phlox falters significantly during a drought, requiring watering to keep its roots damp. This perennial produces sweet-smelling purple to pink flowers during the summer months. Hummingbirds rarely pass up an opportunity to pay visits to meadow phlox, which may grow to 3 feet. Use meadow phlox in wildflower gardens for native plants, perennial borders or in a cottage garden.

New England Aster

• It is hard to miss the New England asters, or Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, present in a flower garden; this perennial native of the Northeast grows to 6 feet. New England aster is showy, with abundant flowers featuring pink-purple rays and yellow centers occurring on a stout multibranched frame full of leaves. New England asters may require stakes for support in certain situations, such as in butterfly gardens and as part of perennial borders. The species grows well in damp areas that receive full sunshine. Blooming from August through September, New England aster in the wild is common along streams and in the moist habitats of woodlands.