Native to Ontario

Butterfly Milkweed

Round clusters of orange flowers Attractive seed heads appear when flowers finish Food source for Monarch butterflies Bloom Time: Summer

Wild Bergamot

Whorls of small tubular flowers are backed by leafy bracts Lavender-pink flowers appear on square stems just above foliage Matte-green toothed lance to oval-shaped leaves, 10 cm long Foliage has an oregano scent when crushed Upright mounding habit Tolerates drier conditions than most didyma species Bloom Time: June to July

Foam Flower

Rhizomatous perennial vigorously spreads by trailing stolons Heart-shaped to maple-shaped leaves with 3-5 lobes, 10 cm across Leaves may develop reddish variegation along the veins Pink buds open to tiny star-shaped white flowers forming spike-like racemes Bronze-red tinted foliage develops during fall or cooler weather Makes an excellent ground cover for shady or wooded sites Bloom Time: Early to mid-spring Flower Height: 30 cm Foliage Height: 10-15 cm

Golden Ragwort

AKA Packera aurea Flat-topped clusters of yellow daisy-like flowers Flowers give way to fluffy white seed heads Heart-shaped dark green basal leaves have purplish undersides Foliage is an attractive ground cover throughout the season Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer Flower Height: 80 cm Foliage Height: 30 cm

Great Blue Lobelia

Spikes of clear-blue flowers on unbranched stems Tubular flowers are two-lipped Finely-toothed oblong green leaves Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds Bloom Time: July to September Flower Height: 110 cm Foliage Height: 60 cm

Bunchberry

AKA Chamaepericlymenum canadensis Beautiful native ground cover with small white flowers Flower bracts will develop a purplish tinge as they mature Red berry clusters appear by midsummer, after the flowers finish Oval green leaves turn bronzy-red as the nights cool Berries are edible and used in jams Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer

Bearberry

AKA Arbutus uva-ursi Other Common Names: Pine Mat, Mealberry, Hog Cranberry, Sandberry Evergreen ground cover with small white, pink-edged bell-shaped flowers Small berries appear in the fall and often last through the winter Leaves turn greenish-bronze in the fall Bearberry has peeling red bark for added interest Very salt tolerant Bloom Time: Spring

Culver's Root

AKA Leptandra virginica, Veronica virginica Large upright perennial Tubular white or pink flowers form dense spikes atop the stems Lance-shaped dark green leaves Bloom Time: Midsummer to early autumn

Christmas Fern

Glossy leathery deep green leaves Young fiddleheads are covered in fine silver hairs Upright clumping habit Rhizomatous, but does not spread or naturalize Slow-growing Semi-evergreen

Woodland Phlox

Lilac, pink or blue flowers form loose clusters Clusters appear at the tips of each stem Lance-shaped to elliptic mid-green leaves are 5 cm long Forms large colonies over time Bloom Time: May to June Flower Size: 4 cm

Royal Fern

Unique widely spaced oblong leaflets with a distinct central vein Pale green leaves in sunlight Deeper green in shade with reddish stems Some fronds are fertile and have brown flower-like leaflets at the tip Upright and clumping form with wiry exposed black roots A deeply-rooted fern, when established Deciduous

Ontario Blazing Star

Tubular fluffy rose-purple flowers Average flower stalks have 15-25 loosely-spaced blooms Blooms at the top of the spike open first, and then slowly open down the spike Narrow dark green grass-like foliage, 20 cm long Good cut or dried flower Attracts birds and butterflies Bloom Time: July to September Flower Height: 30-40 cm Flower Size: 2.5 cm

Wild Geranium

Five-petaled flowers of pale pink to lilac Attractive seed heads follow the flowers Basal leaves are dark green and deeply palmate Naturally found in woodlands or shaded roadsides Suitable for naturalizing Bloom Time: Early to late spring Flower Height: 60 cm

Wintergreen

Small waxy soft pink to white bell-shaped flowers Red berries develop in early autumn and last through the winter Aromatic evergreen dark green foliage Foliage turns tones of burgundy and purple in the fall Spreads only about 10 cm annually by rhizomes Leaves produce a strong wintergreen scent when crushed Wintergreen oil is used as an anti-inflammatory medication Bloom Time: Spring and late summer

Black Snakeroot

AKA Actaea racemosa Fragrant white bottlebrush-like flowers Clump forming perennial with green sharp-toothed leaves Excellent in mass, also used as a specimen Bloom Time: Midsummer Flower Height: 175 cm Foliage Height: 100 cm Flower Size: 60 cm

White Wood Aster

AKA Eurybia divaricata Forms a low mound of green foliage Masses of small white daisy-like flowers are held on shiny black stems Excellent native perennial for shady, dry sites Bloom Time: September to October

Wild Ginger

Deep red to brown flowers Flowers are hidden under velvety dark green heart-shaped foliage Native to the Ontario woodlands Bloom Time: Late spring

Allegheny Serviceberry

Lightly fragrant drooping clusters of white flowers appear before the foliage Edible red berries ripen to dark purplish-black in June Glossy leaves emerge bronzish-purple, maturing to dark green Fall colour is yellow to orange-red Grows in a more formal shape than canadensis Bloom Time: Spring

Silver Sagebrush

Fragrant silver foliage turning slightly pink to orange in the fall Tiny silvery-white flower buds open to yellow Excellent for erosion control on slopes and in ditches Bloom Time: Late summer

Scarlet Elderberry

White flowers in a mounded cluster Red berries in clusters, June to July, will attract birds Compound pinnate medium-green leaves turn yellow in the fall Mostly vertical with weak stems Colonizing thickets Bloom Time: May

Cinnamon Fern

AKA Osmundastrum cinnamomeum Erect mid-green lanceolate fronds Narrow cinnamon-coloured fertile fronds appear in the spring Upright clumping form with exposed wiry black roots Deciduous

White Waterlily

Large fragrant white flowers with central yellow stamens Flowers are composed of numerous white petals and yellow stamens Fragrant flowers open at dawn and close by noon each day Each bloom lasts 3-4 days Leathery round medium green leaf with one cleft side The unexposed underside of the leaf is purple Bloom Time: June to September Flower Size: 12-13 cm

Cardinal Flower

Spikes of scarlet-red flowers on unbranched stems Tubular flowers are two-lipped Finely toothed narrow dark green leaves Attracts butterflies and hummingbirds Bloom Time: July to September Flower Height: 125 cm Foliage Height: 70 cm

Spicebush

Yellowish-white flowers appear before the leaves Female plants display crimson berries contrasting with the gold fall colour Medium-green oval leaves Foliage is fragrant when crushed Upright, rounded plant Bloom Time: Early spring

Dense Blazing Star

AKA Liatris callilepis Round fluffy violet-purple flowers Blooms at the top of the spike open first, and then slowly open down the spike Narrow dark green grass-like foliage, 35 cm long Good cut or dried flower Attracts birds and butterflies Bloom Time: July to August Flower Height: 75-90 cm Flower Size: 2.5 cm

Eastern Red Cedar

Broadly columnar growth habit Upright growing foliage is green during the summer Winter foliage turns a bronze colour Use in groups for screening or naturalizing Dioecious

Blue Flag Iris

Narrow-petaled lavender-blue flowers with creamy-yellow throats Falls have deep purple veining with lighter blue standards Bright green sword-like foliage Vigorous water-loving iris Bloom Time: May to June Flower Size: 6-8 cm

Swamp Rose Mallow

Other common names: Wild Cotton, Mallow Rose, Crimson-eyed Rose Mallow Flowers can be white, pink or red with occasional bicolours Heart-shaped three- to five-lobed bright green leaves with hairy undersides up to 20 cm in length Sturdy woody perennial Bloom Time: July to August Flower Size: 20 cm

Round-lobed Hepatica

AKA Anemone americana, Hepatica triloba, H. nobilis var. obtusa Flowers vary in shades of blue, white and pink Flowers appear soon after snow melt Evergreen three-lobed leaves on hairy stems Slightly marbled green foliage with a tinge of purple Bloom Time: Spring Flower Size: 2 cm

Hay Scented Fern

Delicate green fronds, 30-45 cm long Smells like freshly mown grass when crushed Turns a yellow-orange in the fall Spreads vigorously by rhizomes and may become aggressive Deciduous

Purple Prairie Clover

Purple cone-like flowers. Attractive seed heads after bloom.

Sweet Fern

Despite its name, it is not a fern, but actually a deciduous shrub Insignificant greenish flowers, both male and female on the same plant Brown burrs contain edible nutlets Medium-green leaves, resembling fern fronds, are brown in the fall Mounding shrub, spreading by rhizomes Bloom Time: Early summer

Turtlehead

AKA Chelone oblique 'Alba' Predominantly white flowers are sometimes tinged with pink Flowers are hooded and look similar to snapdragons Sturdy square stems hold glossy lance-shaped leaves up to 10 cm in length Bloom Time: July to September Flower Size: 2.5 cm

Eastern Redbud

Sweetpea-like red-pink flowers bloom profusely on bare branches and even on mature trunks Fruit pods are brown and flat, about 5 cm long Heart-shaped green leaves turn an attractive yellow in the fall Flat-topped vase-shaped habit when mature Bloom Time: April

Morning Star Sedge

Forms a slightly arching tight upright clump Semi-evergreen leaf blades are 15 mm wide Flower spikes are followed by unique light green star or mace-shaped seed pods Seed pods are 2.5 cm in diameter and turn a chocolate-brown, persisting into winter Bloom Time: May Grass Type: Cool Season

Bristle-leaf Sedge

Forms a small rounded clump of soft green thread-like foliage Insignificant white-green flowers Bloom Time: Spring Grass Type: Cool Season

Jerusalem Artichoke

Helianthus tuberosus Yellow flowers are yellow rays with a yellow-orange disc in the centre Leaves are long and wide tapering to a point at the tip Bears large elongated potato-like tubers Member of the sunflower family Bloom Time: October

Wild Columbine

Showy, nodding, bell-shaped flowers of pinkish-red and yellow Attractive divided light green foliage Naturalizing plant for rocky ledges or slopes and along woodland edges or ditches Bloom Time: Mid-June to early August

American Beach Grass

Long narrow soft-textured golden-tan flower spikes Gray-green leaf blades are narrow with extremely sharp tips This is a great low-maintenance grass for erosion control Bloom Time: July to August

Serviceberry

White flowers Grayish-green round leaves turn to medium-green in the summer Brilliant yellow to red colour in the fall Red to purplish-black edible fruit in June attracts birds Suitable for naturalized plantings Bloom Time: Spring

Sweet Flag

Hardy perennial, swamp or bog plant Foliage and rhizomes have a sweet citrus scent when bruised or cut Wheat-like flowers Great for stabilizing pond edges Bloom Time: June to July

Wild Chives

White balls of star-like flower clusters Grassy-like leaves and flowers are edible Used for onion flavouring Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer

Golden Alexander

Branching erect reddish stems Each tiny flower is composed of five sepals, five petals and five stamens These tiny flowers form a large flat-topped cluster Dry seed heads turn purple, adding summer interest Bloom Time: May to June

New York Ironweed

Tall coarse upright form Tiny deep purple composite blooms Stiff stems hold pointed lance-shaped leaves Flowers give way to seed clusters Bloom Time: August to September

Blue Vervain

Clump forming with a stiff upright habit Candelabra-like flowers on pencil-like spikes Blooms are purplish-blue Lance-shaped sharply toothed green foliage Bloom Time: July to September

Lowbush Blueberry

Clusters of white flowers Small sweet dark blue fruit Glossy blue-green leaves turn purple in the fall Ripens: Mid to late summer

Large-flowered Bellwort

Clump forming upright native wildflower Long bell-shaped yellow flowers Flowers have six slightly twisted petals Blooms appear from early to mid spring Narrow lance-shaped green leaves Bloom Time: Early to mid-spring

American Elm

Vase-shaped broad rounded crown Insignificant green flowers in early spring become single oval to rounded winged seeds Oval to elliptical rough-textured green leaves in the summer Foliage turns a pale yellow in the fall Bloom Time: Spring