Native to Long Island
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
The workhorse of the pollinator garden: months of nectar for bees and butterflies, then seed heads that feed goldfinches all winter.
JanBlooms Jun–SepDec
Native to Long Island
Little Bluestem 'Standing Ovation'
Schizachyrium scoparium
Poaceae (grass family)
A native prairie grass that turns copper in fall, rustles in the wind, and hosts skipper caterpillars.
Bloom calendar
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This native grass changes color through the seasons, from blue-green in summer to reddish-orange in fall. Its tall stems sway in the breeze, engaging both the sense of sight and sound as it rustles softly in the wind.
Little bluestem is one of the dominant grasses of the Hempstead Plains, Long Island's original prairie, and it is a host plant for several skipper butterflies. Its fluffy silver seed heads feed sparrows and juncos through winter.
Quick facts
- Native to Long Island's Hempstead Plains prairie.
- Copper-orange fall color lasts all winter.
- 'Standing Ovation' is a selection chosen for staying upright.
How to grow it
- Full sun and lean, dry soil; rich soil makes it flop.
- Cut back to 4 inches in late winter.
- No fertilizer needed.
More plants
Related plants
Native to Long Island
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweeds, and this is the classic one. No milkweed, no monarchs.
JanBlooms Jun–AugDec
Native to Long Island
Goldenrod
Solidago spp.
The most important late-season nectar source in the Northeast, and it does not cause hay fever.
JanBlooms Aug–OctDec
Native to Long Island
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Cheerful gold daisies that seed themselves around, feeding small bees and later the finches.
JanBlooms Jun–SepDec