Also known as Coral Honeysuckle and Woodbine, this twining vine needs a trellis or fence upon which to grow. It blooms early in the year with one major flush in spring and then several other, but smaller, flushes throughout summer and fall. Hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies are highly attracted to the red, trumpet-shaped flowers growing along the vine. This plant blooms best in full sun, though it can grow in partial shade, and prefers moist, rich soils.
This tall shrub gets its name from its uniquely paired flowers and berries, and also goes by the names Black Twinberry, Twinberry Honeysuckle, and Bearberry Honeysuckle. It is a perennial, deciduous shrub with shiny, opposite leaves and pairs of tubular yellow flowers on red stems. The flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds while its black berries are eaten by various other birds. The shrub can grow in full sun to shade, in moist to wet soils, and can tolerate air pollution and absorb toxins, which may make the berries slightly poisonous to humans if ingested.
Orange Honeysuckle is a perennial climbing vine with clusters of tubular, bright orange flowers. Reaching lengths of up to 18 feet, this plant wraps up trees or spreads easily on the ground, growing in full sun to shade and preferring moist, mesic soils. Hummingbirds are frequent visitors to the trumpet-shaped flowers, and other birds enjoy the red fruit.
This erect perennial reaches 2 to 3 feet in height, and produces lavender-blue, tubular flowers that bloom July through October. This plant grows in full sun to shade, and in clay, loam, or sandy soils; it is not drought tolerant, requiring soil that is kept moist or wet. The noticeable flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators such as bees.
Cardinal-Flower is a short-lived perennial that grows up to 6 feet tall, and is capable of thriving in standing water or average soil. From mid-summer to fall it produces showy red flowers at the end of terminal spikes that are especially attractive to hummingbirds. This plant can grow in full sun to shade, but its soil must always be kept moist or wet.
Also called Tulip Poplar or Yellow Poplar, this deciduous tree grows 60 to 90 feet tall. Its yellow-orange flowers attract hummingbirds, and are followed by dry, scaly, cone-shaped brown fruits, each bearing numerous winged seeds. It can grow in full sun to shade, and in rich, moist soils. This tree is favored by birds as a nesting site.
This 80 foot tall, perennial, deciduous tree is also known as American Sweetgum, Alligator Tree, Satin Walnut, Blisted, Liquidambar, and Red, White, or Starleaf gum. Its star-shaped leaves have a sweet fragrance when crushed, and in the fall turn a brilliant mixture of yellows, oranges, purples, and reds. The fruit is spiky and woody, ripening from green to brown, and persisting through January. This fast-growing tree flourishes in partial shade and moist loams.
Also known as Wild Allspice, this deciduous, perennial shrub displays glossy leaves and light, slender green branches that grow 6 to 12 feet tall. Out of its aromatic foliage bloom dense clusters of tiny, pale yellow flowers, followed by glossy red fruit. The leaves turn a colorful golden-yellow in the fall. This plant grows in full sun to shade, in dry to wet, well-drained soils. It serves as a larval host for a number of butterfly species.
This stunning perennial produces 1 to 8 nodding flowers in a whorl at the top of the plant. Each flower blooms at the end of a long, naked stalk, appearing pale to deep reddish orange and fading to yellowish at the base, with many purplish brown spots and protruding stamens. Michigan Lily grows 2 to 5 feet tall in full sun to shade and deep, moist, fertile soil.
Otherwise known as Wild Yellow Lily, Canadian Lily is a large, showy plant that grows 3 to 8 feet tall in full sun and cool, moist to wet soil. Beginning in late June to early July, this perennial bears handsome, yellow to orange-red flowers that open downwards and reveal dark spots on their insides. Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers, while various mammals browse the foliage.
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