Arrowhead, Duck Potato, Saggittaria latifolia, a aquatic native perennial found in ponds and marshes across North America. The potato-like tubers are eaten by ducks and humans: they were harvested for food both by American Indians and European settlers. Flowers may reach two feet or more above the water. The leaves are shaped like arrowheads. Blooms August into September.

Blue Wood Aster, Symphyotrichum cordifolium, syn. Aster cordifolius, is a perennial native to eastern North America, found along woodland verges and in open areas. The pale blue to purple flowers bloom from mid-August through fall in our area. Flowers have 10 to 15 rays with a yellow to red center and can grow to four foot tall.

White Aster, Eurybia divaricata, formerly Aster divaricatus, is a perennial native to eastern North America, especially the Appalachians, found in the woods, along woodland verges and in open areas. The white flowers bloom from mid-August through fall in our area. Flowers have 10 to 15 rays with a yellow center and and rarely grows more than two foot high.

Biennial Beeblossom or Biennial Gaura, Gaura biennis, is a biennial plant related to evening primrose native to the eastern US. The first year it produces no flowers, the second year it takes off and produces clusters of small, pink to white blooms on thin stalks that may reach six ot seven feet high. The flowers are less than a half inch across and have four petals. They open in the morning and may be withered by afternoon. An good food source for butterflies and bees. The spindly stalks swaning in the breeze scatter seeds. Blooms mid-August into September.

Birdsfoot Trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, Eurasian native widely grown as a forage crop. A pea family member that fixes nitrogen, withstands close grazing and is good for livestock. Blooms all summer.

Field Bindweed (above), Convolvulus arvensis. Introduced in the mid 1700s as a crop seed contaminant. Blooms June through fall. This is wild morning glory, so the flowers will close and wither as the day progresses. Flowers that range from pure white to heavily colored or streaked with pink and lavender.

Field Bindweed is distinguished from Hedge Bindweed, Convolvulus sepium, (below) not only by where it choosed to grow, but by the leaves. The plants have three lobed leaves. The base lobes, those closest to the stem, are pointy on the Field Bindweed while those on the Hedge Bindweed are blunt.

Blackeyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, North American native that blooms July into fall. It is an annual that likes moist meadows and woodland verges. Flowers are up to four inches across. The state flower of Maryland.

Butter and Eggs, Yellow Toadflax, Linaria vulgars, a Eurasian native and relative of the snapdragon, brought to this country as a garden plant, it has escaped and grows wild across all of North America. This perennial favors well-drained disturbed soils and sunny locations, and produces long-lasting cut flowers. Blooms late July through frost in our area.

Buttercups, Ranunculus species. Many species of buttercups may be found in our area, some native some not. Most bloom spring through fall.

Clematis, Virginia Bower Vine, Clematis virginiana, a perennial climbing vine with fragrent flowers hative to eastern North America. Blooms mid-summer through fall.

Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis, is a North American native that grows along stream banks and in marshes. It is common along undeveloped banks on the Delaware, Lehigh and Schuylkill Rivers, and can be found along most natural stream banks in our region that receive some sun. Blooms August into September. Plants may be up to four foot tall.

Coneflower or Eastern Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, an attractive native bloom long used for medicinal purposes by both American Indians and European settlers. Now widely cultivated.

Dogbane, Indian Hemp, Apocynum cannabinum, is a perennial herb native to most of North America. It is highly toxic if eaten, and is a hazard for grazing livestock. It is found in open medows and woodland verges. The cannabinum in its name refers to the similarity to the hemp fiber plant, and it contains no psychoactive drug. Blooms Julne to August. Attracts butterflies.

Daisy Fleabane, Erigeron annuus. Also Philadelphia Fleabane, Erigeron philadelphicus, Both look nearly the same, but the latter plant has leaves that closly clasp the stem. Both bloom May well into fall.

Oxeye Daisy, Leucanthemum vulgare, syn. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum. Eurasian native now found in all US states and Canadian provinces. Blooms from late May throughout summer.

Small Forget-me-not or Bay Forget-me-not, Myosotis laxa, a semi-aquatic native perennial that likes the edges of lakes ponds and streams. The flowers are tiny, less that a quarter inch across. If you can provide any more information on bloom times contact me.

Forked Bluecurls, Trichostema dichotomum, an annual of the mint family native to North America from Ontario to Georgia to Texas to Minnesota. Blooms August into fall.

Fragrant Bedstraw, Galium triflorum, a perennial herb native to all of North America and naturalized through much of the world. It produces tiny flowers less than a quarter inch across and blooms in August and September, perhaps thoughout summer, though this has not yet been field verified for this web site.

Early Goldenrod, Solidago juncea, a perennial native to eastern North America from the Gulf Coast to Labrador west to the Mississippi. Well named, it is the first of the goldenrods to bloom, starting in late July and early August. A great food for butterflies, it is cultivated to attract them. Grows three to 10 foot tall. See the Goldemrod Page.

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica, native to eastern and central North America, is a short-life perennial (lives just a few years) that blooms August well into fall in our area. Grows up to three feet tall and prefers wet to very moist soil.

Hedge-Nettle, Stachys tenuifolia, is a member of the mint family, a perennial native to eastern North America that blooms in July and August. One sniff of the plant will clearly indicate its mint family membership. Varities and sub-species are known as the rough hedge nettle, the smooth hedge nettle and the hairy hedge nettle. Variants and synonyms include Stachys glabra, Stachys hispida, Stachys palustris var. hispida, Stachys palustris var. macrocalyx, Stachys tenuifolia var. hispida, Stachys tenuifolia var. perlonga, Stachys tenuifolia var. platyphylla. The plant can grow five foot tall or higher.

Jerusalem Artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, a perennial native to eastern and central North America. Long cultivated by Americvan Indians before the arrival of Europeans, this plant is still raised commercially and the esible and tasty tubers sold as suncokes or as Jerusalem artichokes, which a delicious raw or cooked. Grows up to 10 foot high. The flowers are similar to Tickseed Sunflower, Bidens aristosa, but the leaves are broad and the stems are branched and hairy.

Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochium maculatum, is native to northeastern and north central North America as far south as Kentucky. This perennial grows as tall a five or six feet, and favors moist to wet soil and full sun. Its native habitate is marshes, but it does well in roadside drainage ditches. In our area, blooms late July into fall.

Black Knapweed, Centaurea nigra, a perennial of Eurasian origin that blooms in late summer and fall. The base of the flower is dark. There is also a Brown Knapweed, with a lighter brown flower base.

Milkwort, Field Milkwort or Purple Milkwort, Polygala sanguinea, an annual native to most of eastern North America, except for the coastal plain. Likes damp open fields and blooms August through fall.

Common Mullein, Verbascum thapsis, a biannual Eurasian native brought to North America as a medicinal plant. The plants grow spikes three to five feet high. Blooms July through September.

Moth Mullein, Verbascum blattaria, naturalized or invasive native of Eurasia and north Africa. May be white, yellow or shades between.

Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata, ia an annual plant of nitrogen-fixing legume family native to the US east of the Rockies, except for the Gulf Coast and northern New England. It blooms August to frost in our region, possibly earlier (field verification needed). It produces lots of dime-sized yellow flowers, and in larte summer, pea pods.

Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina, is a flowering and fruiting perennial deciduous shrub that grows as high as 15 foot tall, It native to northeastern United States, adjoining parts of Canada, and south along the Appalachian spine. It flowers largely unoticed in May and June, but by late July and through fall bears conical clusters of deep red fruit that have the appearence of flowers. This fruit can be mashed and soaked in cold (not hot) water for four to eight hours, strained or filtered, and sweetened to make a delicious beverage. Staghorn sumac is not at all related to poison sumac. In the fall the leaves of this plant turn brilliant red, yellow and orange before dropping. Photos show flower, ripe and dried fruit.

Queen Anne's Lace, Daucus carota, native of Europe, now found worldwide. May or may not have a tiny red flower in the center. The wild ancestor of the carrot. Pull one and look at and smell the root.

Ragweed, Ambrosia psilostachya, the notorious plant who's pollen is the cause of allergy misery for millions, is a perennial that is native to North America from the southerm provinces of Canada to northern Mexico. Very tiny flowers grow in clusters at the tips of the stems,

Sneezeweed, Helenium autumnale, is not an allergy-aggravating plant. The name come from its former use: it was dried, powered and used as snuff. It is a perennial native to eastern North America that can grow up to five foot tall, and blooms from August well into fall.

Scarlet Pimpernel, Anagallis arvensis, an annual native of Europe, Western Asia, North Africa and possibly parts of North America, now naturalized worldwide. This low growing plant does well in poor soil. Blooms June through September in our area. The flowers, which are samller than a dime, open only in direct sunlight.

Speedwell, Persian Speedwell, Birdseye Speedwell, Veronica persica, is a seed propagated annual native to Eurasia found throughout North America. Blooms April to August with very tiny flowers less than a quarter inch across.

Stinging Nettle, Urtica dioica, is a wind-pollinated perennial native to most of the northern hemisphere. In our area, it blooms in late August into fall. Most of us are familiar with this plant as one to avoid, due to the painfull stinging it can produce on the skin. However, the spring greens of the plant ake a delicious cooked green similar in taste to sorrel when cooked. Cooking, which only takes a few seconds, takes away the sting. Wear gloves when picking!

Sweet Annie, Sweet Wormwood, Artemisia annua, an annual native to Asia but now naturalized throughout much of the world. Tiny yellow flowers bloom in late August into September. This very fragrant plant is often picked and used for its scent. Has several uses in both tradatonal and modern medicine, particularly for treating malaria and cancer. Grows six or more feet high.

Tick Trefoil, Desmodium glutinosum, Is a perennial native to eastern North America that blooms in August with tiny pink flowers along a stalk that may be two foot long or longer.

Panicledleaf or Narrowleaf Ticktrefoil, Desmodium paniculatum, a perennial of the pea family native to eastern north America that blooms with tiny flowers in late August or early September. If you have never noticed the plant, you have undoubtly notices the seed podss: tiny triangles that tenaciously adhere to clothing and hair.

Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans, a perennial vine native to eastern North America. This aggressive climber attaches to trees, fences walls and can grow to more than 30 feet high. The beautiful waxy flowers almost four inches long attract hummingbirds. Blooms late July into September in our area.

Native wild roses: The Virginia Rose, Rosa virginiana (left) , and the Field Rose, Rosa arvensis. Both are perennials native to eastern North America.  The former is a bush or shrub that likes full sun and has many thorns, and may grow to six feet or more tall. The latter prefers woodland verges and field edges and climbs on other plants and fences, and has far fewer thorns. Both have white to pink flowers with five petals about two inches across. Both bloom late May through most of summer, and produce bright red rose hips.

Turtlehead, Chelone glabra, is a perennial native to eastern North America from Canada almost to the Gulf Coast. Grows along river banks and in wetlands, and grows from one to four foot tall before blooming. Flowers from late July into September. A favorite food of deer.

Viper's Bugloss or Blueweed, Echium vulgare, a biannual European native naturalized throughout most of North America. Sometimes grown as an oilseed plant. Grows in open areas and thrives in poor soil.

Violets, Viola sororia, synonym Viola papilionacea. State flower of New Jersey. Blooms all summer.

Sweet White Violet, Viola blanda, native to North America, Blooms all summer.

Water Lily, Nymphaea odorata, a native plant found in the shallow parts of lakes and ponds from central America to northern Canada. Blooms July through fall.

White Snakeroot, Ageratina altissima, syn. Eupatorium rugosum, a shade and moisture loving perennial native of eastern and central North America. Grows 1.5 to 3 foot high. It is toxic to humans and animals, and dairy animals that graze on it can concentrate it and produce milk harmful or even lethal to humans. Blooms through fall.