Wildflowers

Native families that do well on their own:

• Asteracea — Asters, Sunflowers, etc. – We get beautiful wood asters in the late summer / fall. Coneflowers are native to the area, and will grow here, but do like a bit more sun than I have.
  • Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Blue wood-aster)
  • Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico aster)
  • Symphyotrichum puniceum (Purplestem aster)
  • Symphyotrichum lanceolatum (White-panicle aster)
  • Symphyotrichum novae-angliaea (New England aster) – Love this one, but haven’t been able to get it to do well here! Too much shade?
  • Eurybia macrophylla (large-leaved aster)
  • Eurybia divaricata (White wood aster)
  • Erigeron philadelphicus (Philadelphia fleabane)
  • Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower) – Love these! But haven’t got quite enough sun to make them extremely happy.
• Maianthemum – grows throughout!
  • Maianthemum racemosum (False Solomon’s seal)
  • Maianthemum canadense (Canada mayflower)
• Violets
  • Viola sororia (common blue violet, which also comes in yellow & white) — Grows throughout
  • Viola striata – a cream violet
  • Viola walteri – Walter’s violet. Silver foliage! Not eco-typic, but got them from the Native Plant Trust because I liked the foliage. They seemed to do well but only one out of half a dozen has returned in 2025.
• Solidago – I definitely cannot recognize the various solidagos, but my plant ID apps tell me these are around:
  • Solidago rugosa (Wrinkleleaf goldenrod)
  • Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod)
  • Solidago gigantea (Giant goldenrod)
  • Solidago caesia (Blue-stemmed goldenrod)
• Trilliums & related – I saw these for the first on my own property and fell in love. Trillium luteum and cuneatum were growing on the property on their own when I came here. I’ve planted other trilliums, and we’ll see what takes.
  • Trillium luteum (yellow trillium, in the front yard)
  • Trillium cuneatum (Sweet Betsy) – deep red trillium, in the back yard among the rhododendrons
  • Trillium grandiflorum (White trillium)
  • Trillium sulcatum (Furrowed wakerobin)
  • Trillium cernuum
  • Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-Pulpit) – Have seen this identified in a number of places growing in the back woods, but have not seen it bloom yet.

Weird plants:

• Monotropa uniflora (ghost pipe, Indian pipe) – These are so weird. I thought they were some kind of odd mushroom, but no, they are flowers. They pop up here and there! Part of rhododendron family?

Plants that grow up wild, mostly without conspicuous flowers:

• Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset)
• Hypericum punctatum (Spotted St. John’s wort)
• Circaea canadensis (Eastern enchanter’s nightshade) – an awesome name; inconspicuous flowers
• Pilea pumila (Canadian clearweed)
• Oxalis corniculata (Creeping woodsorrel) – Tiny little plant that reminds me of white clover.
• Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) – grows throughout
• Prunella vulgaris (Self-heal)

The plants below are native, but were not necessarily on the property, or not in any great quantities.

• Phloxes – Have planted a number of phloxes around. The moss phlox is blooming in the back gardens, and near the moss spiral path. The paniculata and divaricata both bloom wherever planted. I think I planted drummondii somewhere, but can’t find it!
  • Phlox subulata (Moss phlox)
  • Phlox paniculata (Garden phlox)
  • Phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox)
  • Phlox drummondii (Drummond / annual phlox)
• Allium
  • Allium cernuum (Nodding onion) – Planted several of these near the American elm.
  • Allium tricoccum (Ramps)
• Dicentra – Love Dicentra, the plant and all its common names! Have been planting it around in the ornamental beds.
  • Dicentra eximia (Bleeding heart)
  • Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s breeches)
  • Dicentra canadensis (Squirrel corn)
• Lobelia – Planting, but haven’t seen a lot of blooms yet.
  • Lobelia siphilitica (Great blue lobelia)
  • Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal flower)
• Heuchera & Tiarella – These do pretty well! They hybridize together. I admit to getting some of the cultivars with exotic foliage, but have also tried to get some of the straight species too.
  • Tiarella cordifolia (Heartleaf foamflower)
  • Heuchera micrantha (Crevice alumroot)
  • Heuchera longiflora (longflower alumroot)
  • Heuchera villosa (Maple leaf alumroot)
• Polemonium reptans (Jacob’s ladder) – The polemonium reptans is also very happy on the cultivated beds!
• Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) – The wild geranium is very happy on the cultivated beds! Geranium, polemonium, and phlox all produce bluish purple flowers around the same time (May).
• Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed) – This was here and there, but since I’ve been pulling up the daylily (orange when it blooms which is hardly ever), I’ve been cultivating it more to provide a little pop of orange late in the summer.

Plants I’m experimenting with — may or may not be taking off:

• Baptisia (Wild indigo)
  • Baptisia australis (Blue wild indigo)
  • Baptisia alba (Wild white indigo)
  • Baptisia sphaerocarpa (Yellow wild indigo)
• Cohosh / Actaea
  • Actaea racemosa (Black cohosh) – These seem to be doing pretty well in a few places. Along the back border (near the corner of the fence), along the log path, and near the American Elm near the moss spiral.
  • Actaea pachypoda (White baneberry, doll’s eyes)
  • Actaea rubra (Red baneberry) – white flowers
  • Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue cohosh) – yellow flowers, in barberry family. It’s not clear to me how blue cohosh is actually related to the other Actaea / cohoshes?
• Potentilla (Cinquefoil) – in the rose family.
  • Potentilla canadensis (Dwarf cinquefoil) – Little yellow flowers, running foliage that reminds me of strawberry. Doing pretty well on the north side of the yard! All over!
  • Potentilla simplex (Common cinquefoil)
  • Potentilla arguta (Tall cinquefoil)
  • Sibbaldiopsis tridentata (Three-toothed cinquefoil)
  • Dasiphora fruticosa (Shrubby cinquefoil) – shrubs, adding summer 2025 to the north side.
• Claytonia –
  • Claytonia caroliniana (Carolina spring beauty)
  • Claytonia virginica (Virginia spring beauty)
• Ranunculaceae (Buttercup) Buttercups & Anemones: I’ve planted these in a number of places, and they seem to be doing okay in fern valley, Squirrel Hill, Ash Hill near the house.
  • Hepatica nobilis (hepatica, liverwort)
  • Anemone acutiloba (Sharp-lobe hepatica)
  • Anemone canadensis (Canadian anemone)
• Mints – Planting on Ash Hill in 2024 & hoping they will take off and fill it in, along with the tiarella cordifolia!
  • Meehania cordata (Meehan’s mint)
  • Pycnanethemum virginianum (Virginia mountain mint)

Berries & brambles:

• Fragaria virginiana (Wild strawberry) – I planted a little of this and it is extremely happy now and grows wild all over the place. Its strawberries are very, very tiny.
• Waldsteinia fragarioides (Barren strawberry) – I planted some of this, too, but it is not nearly as aggressive as the Fragaria virginiana!
• non-native strawberries — I plant these too!
• Rubus flagellaris (Northern dewberry)
• Rubus allegheniensis (Blackberry) – These have thorns, so I try to move them to the edges.
• Rubus odoratus (Flowering raspberry, a shrub)
• Rubus occidentalis (Black raspberry)

Plants for foliage — planting these to replace hostas over time:

• Asarum canadense (Wild ginger)
• Hexastylis arifolia (little brown jug, heartleaf ginger) – Planted a few of these as a tester. At least one is still hanging in there (on Ash Hill) as of May 2025.
• Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) – It does make an adorable little white flower, but it’s below the leaves, so you don’t usually see it! But the leaves are big and beautiful.
• Heuchera — All the heucheras are lovely

Five tiny plants I love:

• Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen) – I love this! It makes little red berries, has hard leaves, and is the source of the flavor “wintergreen”!
• Mitchella repens (Patridgeberry)
• Chimaphila maculate (Striped wintergreen) – Found throughout the back, but was being choked out by vinca & pachysandra. Gorgeous leaves, then little white flowers.
• Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry)
• Houstonia caerulea (Azure bluet) – Love this tiny little blue flower.

Native blue bulbs of various sizes

• Iris versicolor (Northern blue flag iris)
• Iris cristata (Dwarf crested iris)
• Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Blue-eyed grass)

Vines

• Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) – grows madly all over the place!
• Toxicodendron (Poison ivy) — Yes, it’s native and apparently quite popular with wildlife. It pops up occasionally but I have worked hard to keep it off the property. In 2025, I found a small sprig along the street in the main ornamental gardens — a completely new place for it, and along the basement steps, where I’ve been seeing sprigs periodically.
• Vitis aestivalis (Summer grape) – There are a couple of native northeastern grape vines that pop up here & there but have not been notably successful. Paula Rauch told me that they used to have a lot of grapes when she was a girl (i.e., back in the 1960s).
• Clematis virginiana (Devil’s darning needles) – Planted near the front

Natives I’ve planted that seem to be doing okay:

• Stylophorum diphyllum (Celandine wood poppy) – Planted a few of these along the back patio beds in 2023 or so, and they are very happy … making new celandine wood poppies, which is exciting!
• Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells) – I planted along the back patio beds
• Dodecatheon meadia (Shooting star) – Happy on the back slope beds, and want more!
• Sedum ternatum (Woodland stonecrop) – Did not do very well in the back slope beds, but quite happy on Ash Hill where they get just a little bit more sun.
• Chrysogonum virginianum (Green-and-Gold) – Planted along the back of the firepit. Not ecotypic for Massachusetts, but I thought I would try it.

Things I’m experimenting with that may be doing okay!

• Senna hebecarpa (American senna) – One planted amongst the raspberries in 2023. It came back up in 2024! Seems to want more sun than I have, but if it keeps coming, I’ll be happy.
• Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet joe pye weed) – Front yard.
• Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern red columbine) — Planting along the log path.
• Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) – Planting in fern triangle.
• Coreopsis lanceolata (Lanceleaf tickseed) – Some of this seemed to be growing on its own in the front yard. I planted a batch of it near the raspberries, and it seems to get enough sun, somehow!
• Thalictrum dioicum (Early meadow rue) — Near the log path.
• Spigelia marilandica (Indian pink) – Near the firepit.
• Silene caroliniana (Wild pink) (Not to be mistaken with ragged robin, which is also a Silene, but invasive)

Things I’m experimenting with that are too soon to tell!

• Desmodium canadense (Showy tick trefoil)
• Coptis trifolia (Threeleaf goldthread)
• Aralia racemosa (American spikenard)
• Ceeanothus americanus (New Jersey tea)
• Physostegia virginiana (Obedient plant)
• Linnaea borealis (Twinflower)
• Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf)
• Chelone glabra (White turtlehead)
• Lupinus perennis (Sundial lupine)

Struggling:

• Epigaea repens (Trailing arbutus) – failing to establish
• Goodyera pubescens (Downy rattlesnake plantain) – I have tried to plant this but it doesn’t survive!

Non-native herbs / culinary that have naturalized:

• Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) – very happy!
• Allium schoenoprasum (chives) – doing well!
• Mint – of course
• Salvia officinalis (common sage) – This is the European sage, not the North American native sage, which is Salvia apiana (white sage). I planted some for culinary purposes last year & at least one plant has come back this year.

Exotics cultivated or at least tolerated:

• Daffodils – I planted these for my mom, but there are some wild daffodils & other narcissus around.
• Tulips –
• Hostas – Lots of hostas, which are lovely, but I’m gradually replacing them with native large-foliage plants, including mayapple, ginger, and hosta. I don’t think I’ve identified all the hostas, but these are here for sure:
  • Hosta ventricosa (Blue plantain lily)
  • Hosta sieboldii (Siebold’s plantain lily)
  • Hosta plantaginea (fragrant plantain lily)
• Astilbe (red astilbe)
• Epimedium pinnatum – on Squirrel Hill, and in front yard. Very pretty, like fairy flowers, but it gets a bit aggressive.
• Plantago major (Common plantain) – This is naturalized in North America, and at least according to Robin Wall Kimmerer, is well-behaved and not invasive. It is also called “white man’s foot” which I love and it is edible: or medicinal? Apparently it is also used for remediation and can indicate the presence of heavy metals in the soil. How? Just by existing? Or particular cues in how it grows?

Invasives I try to eradicate:

• Celastrus orbiculatus (Oriental bittersweet) – a woody vine that chokes trees to death. Very invasive and terrible!
• Hedera helix (English ivy) – Okay, people like this, and it’s not as deadly to trees as bittersweet, but it is very hard to get rid of, and is listed as invasive in many places. I try to get rid of it.
• Hemerocallis fulva (daylily, ditch lily) – Ugh, all over the place, and it hardly ever blooms! Trying to replace with Iris versicolor.
• Convallaria majalis (Lily of the valley) – Particularly in the front yard. In the spring, the mayflower (single leaf) pops first, then the lily of the valley comes, first with a curled leaf and then two leaves.
• Chelidonium majus (greater celandine) – Yellow flowers like the native lesser celandine poppy, but invasive. We had a lot of it in the “laundry garden” & I’ve gotten rid of it, mostly, but it comes back periodically.
• Ajuga reptans (Bugleweed) – A lot in the laundry garden.
• Glechoma hederacea (Ground ivy) – A lot in the laundry garden.
• Lonicera morrowii (Morrow’s honeysuckle)
• Scilla luciliae – All over the north part of the property in the early spring.
• Scilla sibaritica – All over the north part of the property in the early spring.
• Myosotis sylvatica (woodland forget-me-not) – A lot in the laundry garden, blooming by May.
• Vinca minor (Common periwinkle) – All over the property. Largely eradicated from the back, but still in the front ornamental gardens.
• Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese pachysandra)- All over the property. Largely eradicated from the back, but still in the front ornamental gardens.
• Lysimachia nummularia (Creeping jenny)
• Lupinus polyphyllus (western lupine) – has become invasive in Eastern areas, running roughshod over the native lupine
• Galium odoratum (Sweet woodruff) – Cute foliage.
• Silene flos-cuculi (ragged robin) – A lot in the laundry garden that comes back periodically.
• Persicaria maculosa (Lady’s thumb) – A lot in the laundry garden.
• Persicaria longiseta (lady’s thumb) – A lot in the laundry garden.
• Lamium galeobdolon (Yellow archangel) – invasive & colonizes rapidly! Pulled out a large patch in back yard; north front yard; also in the front. Very pretty foliage.
• Epipactis helleborine (Broad-leaved helleborine) – Always looks like it’s going to be exciting but then it’s helleborine.
• Trifolium repens (White clover) – I don’t work particularly hard to get rid of it, but if it’s standing in front of me, blocking something else, I will pull it.
• Euonymus fortunei (Fortune’s spindle) – The small leaves look a lot like the native Chimaphila Maculata, but instead of single plants, puts out runners, and ends up taking a lot of space. I pull it out! Have eradicated a lot from the back yard, and continue working on the north front border, and the front ornamental gardens.