Honeybee (Apis mellifera)
White fawnlily (Erythronium albidum)
GOLDENSEAL, ORANGE/YELLOW ROOT. Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae). Genus: Hydrastis (H. canadensis). Origin: North America, Japan. Height: 1–2 feet. Ornamental Attributes: A single white flower in April, May ornaments the center of the maple shaped upper leaf. The red fruit resembles a raspberry. Golden-hued roots. Cultivation: Shade. Moist or average garden soil. Note: Threatened or endangered in parts of the Midwest. Nature Note: Small bees are the primary pollinators. Visitors include beneficial flies and larger bees. Birds and small mammals eat the berries and help to distribute the seeds.
TWINLEAF. Family: Barberry (Berberidaceae). Genus: Jeffersonia (J. diphylla). Height: 4–8 inches. Ornamental Attributes: White flowers in April to May. Pear-shaped fruit. Completely divided blue-green leaves. Cultivation: Shade/part shade. Moist or average garden soil. Nature Note: Flowers attract butterflies. Ants disperse the seeds. Nomenclature Note: Genus name honors President Thomas Jefferson.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
Twinleaf (Jeffersonia diphylla)
Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
BELLWORT, LARGE-FLOWERED BELLWORT, MERRYBELLS. Family: Lily (Liliaceae). Genus: Uvularia (U. grandiflora). Height: 1–2 feet. Ornamental Attributes: A single fragrant yellow twisted-bell-shaped flower droops from the tip of a stem from April to June. Clumps of graceful foliage last through fall. Spreads slowly by rhizomes. Cultivation: Light, medium, full shade. Average garden soil; SESSILELEAF BELLWORT, WILD OATS (U. sessilifolia). Nature Note: Bumblebees, mason bees, halictid bees, andrenid bees, and beneficial flies suck nectar or collect pollen from bellwort flowers. Ants seek the edible seeds and help distribute them. The flowers decline in abundance in wooded areas when there is an overpopulation of deer.
FRINGED MILKWORT, BIRD-ON-THE-WING. Family: Polygalaceae. Genus: Polygala (P. paucifolia). Genus Note: The only Polygalaceae genus native to the United States. Height: 3–6 inches. Ornamental Attributes: Dainty fringed orchid-like flowers with two flaring pink-purple wings May into June. Cultivation: Moist soil. Nature Note: Insects pollinate these showy flowers; SENECA ROOT, SNAKEROOT, RATTLESNAKEROOT (P. senega). Light shade. Dry soil. Nature Note: Polygala attracts bees and interesting beneficial flies.
Fringed milkwort (Polygala paucifolia)
BLUETS, LONGLEAF BLUETS, HOUSTONIA. Family: Bedstraw, Madder, Coffee (Rubiaceae). Genus: Hedyotis or Houstonia (H. longifolia). Height: 2–10 inches. Ornamental Attributes: Large blue, lavender, white, or purple flowers June to September. Cultivation: Sun/part sun. Dry and moist soils; LANCELEAF BLUETS (H. lanceolata). Height: 1 foot. Cultivation: Moist or dry soil; LARGE HOUSTONIA, VENUS’ PRIDE, WIDE-LEAVED BLUETS (H. purpurea); QUAKER LADIES, INNOCENTS, BLUE-EYED BABIES (H. caerulea). Yellow-eyed oversized blue flowers from April to July. Nature Note: The flowers attract small butterflies including checkerspot, copper and white butterflies, and skippers. They also draw long- and short-tongued bees and other interesting and beneficial insects, such as flower scarab beetles. Small bees are the primary pollinators. Quaker ladies “flowers are extremely sensitive to atmospheric conditions; at night and in rainy weather, the blossoms bend down, to become erect again when sunshine appears.”35
Bluets (Houstonia longifolia)
More Native Alternatives:
BLUE-EYED GRASSES, p. 44; CUTLEAF TOOTHWORT, p. 23; EASTERN FALSE RUE ANEMONE, p. 42; GARDEN PHLOX, p. 108; GOLDEN RAGWORT, p. 35; HEPATICA, p. 51; PRAIRIE SMOKE, p. 28; SHOOTING STARS, p. 66; SPRING BEAUTY, p. 65; TRILLIUMS, pp. 67, 75; VIOLET WOODSORREL, p. 72; VIRGINIA BLUEBELLS, p. 18; YELLOW STARGRASS, p. 35.
Nonnative:
DAFFODIL, JONQUIL. Family: Daffodil (Amaryllidaceae). Genus: Narcissus. Origin: Mediterranean region. Height: 4–24 inches. Ornamental Attributes: Trumpet-centered yellow, white, or bicolored blooms. These ephemerals have persistent strap-like leaves that grow yellow and tattered as they slowly die. Cultivation: Sun. Well-drained soil. Invasiveness Note: The following are invasive or naturalized throughout much of the Midwest: DAFFODIL (N. pseudonarcissus); JONQUIL (N. jonquilla); NONESUCH DAFFODIL (N. × incomparabilis Mill. (pro sp.) [poeticus × pseudonarcissus]); POET’S NARCISSUS (N. poeticus) and PRIMROSE PEERLESS (N. × medioluteus Mill. (pro sp.) [poeticus × tazetta], also called N. biflorus W. Curtis, Narcissus poetaz hort. ex L.H. Bailey). Nature Note: Squirrels, chipmunks, and skunks may dig up the bulbs. Note: See John Josselyn note in the appendix.
Daffodil (Narcissus)
Native Alternatives:
CELANDINE POPPY, p. 21.
GOLDEN ALEXANDERS, GOLDEN ZIZIA. Family: Parsley/Carrot (Apiaceae, Umbelliferae). Genus: Zizia (Z. aurea); HEART-LEAVED GOLDEN ALEXANDERS, MEADOW ZIZIA (Z. aptera). Height: 1–3 feet. Note: Threatened in parts of the Midwest. Ornamental Attributes: “The golden-yellow clusters” often “get into the race in April and are especially noticeable because of the pure brilliant yellow of the massed florets.”36 The showy, long-lasting flower clusters persist to June followed by long-lasting ribbed seed heads. In fall, clumps of compound foliage turn red or yellow. Cultivation: Sun, light shade. Well-drained or average garden soil. Nature Note: See Parsley family nature note following purplestem angelica.
