A tall native eastern North American perennial with deeply-lobed foliage and bright-yellow drooping ray flowers around a green central cone in midsummer through fall. Spreads vigorously by rhizomes; site where colony formation is welcome. Among the most cold-tolerant native rudbeckias.

A native upright perennial of east-central NA wet meadows producing dense purple flower spikes that bloom top-down in late summer — among the most reliable monarch-migration nectar plants in the eastern flora. NC State documents goldfinches feeding on the seeds with enthusiasm, plus two specialist moth larvae (Liatris flower moth Schinia sanguinea and Liatris borer moth Carmenta anthracipennis). Native stem-nesting bees use the dead winter stems.

A tall native eastern US perennial with deep purple-magenta flower clusters in late summer — among the most striking color in the native fall meadow palette. Tall and tolerant of wet feet; pairs visually with joe-pye weed + goldenrod for an iconic eastern wet-meadow trio.

A tall native northern + central North American perennial with whorled foliage on purple-spotted stems and broad rounded clusters of mauve-pink flowers in late summer. More cold-tolerant + moisture-loving than sweet Joe-Pye weed (E. purpureum); ideal for cold-climate rain garden + wet-meadow plantings.

A tall native perennial wildflower of moist meadows and woodland edges across eastern North America, producing large domed clusters of vanilla-scented pink-purple flowers in late summer — among the most reliable late-season nectar sources for monarchs, swallowtails, skippers, and native bees. Formerly classified as Eupatorium purpureum.

A long-lived native perennial of central and eastern US woodland borders and prairie meadows with deep blue pea-shaped flowers in late spring, blue-green leguminous foliage, attractive black seed pods for winter interest, and a nitrogen-fixing root system (Fabaceae). Larval host for 6 documented butterfly species per NC State (orange sulphur, clouded sulphur, frosted elfin, eastern tailed-blue, hoary edge, wild indigo duskywing) — among the highest Lep-host-count perennials in the eastern flora.

A continuous-bloom native pollinator strip for eastern North America. Covers spring through frost with host + nectar plants spanning monarchs, native bees, hummingbirds, and specialist Lepidoptera. Little bluestem provides the matrix grass + Hesperiidae host.