r/NativePlantGardening

I have several Buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis) planted in the yard, and decided a few years ago to keep these 2 trimmed to look like small trees. I really like the look and they serve as a nice entrance way to the back yard. All of ones in our yard are planted in clay soil - not in a wet area like you often read about. The bees have been all over the blooms this year so far, but the butterflies are late to the game. The first photo is from today and the butterfly photos are from previous years.

Justice is sweet

Southeast MI
I’ve been seeing these sort of burl like things on goldenrods at a local park

[North-Central TX • 8b]

I just can't believe these whimsical flowers are native to me! It's my first year planting some of these and they bring me so much joy! We had a pretty nasty storm here last night but I was really happy to see all my native plants just chilling this morning as if nothing happened. I feel such a responsibility to my garden and the fauna that use it!

December 2024 I wintersowed seeds in jugs and planted them late summer/early fall 2025. Here are 3 that are blooming right now.

1 - Hairy Woodmint

2 - Tall Bellflower

3 - Cardinal Flower

4 - Bottlebrush Grass (3rd year) I included it because I think it looks cool.

5 - Black Swallowtail decided to visit my Bee Balm. I hope she finds the Golden Alexander!

Hello,

Anyone have any insight as to why the bottom of my smooth blue aster is looking so rough? SE Michigan, Zone 6

Hey everyone!

I have several lovely native beds thriving right now and my biggest headache are tree seedlings popping up in them. I love my trees on my property and I know this is just part of the deal, but how are you guys fighting them without spraying anything nasty?

I've been snipping and pulling what I can but they are relentless 😆

Pic of my favorite bug on a baby tree for tax 💜

I noticed that this bloom on my swamp milkweed is shaped like a heart.. a banded longhorn beetle is a plus

Even with the heat wave, the native pollinator plants are still thriving, and the pollinators are feasting! This is Year 2 of my pollinator patch :)

Did not expect a frog eyeing up bugs on a Eupatorium perfiolatum.

No idea how he got up here. I'm guessing he climbed all the way up, the main column is pretty smooth though.

Hopefully if he jumps down he'll be ok.

I live in a fairly inner city area, but have worked hard to create an inviting habitat for birds, pollinators, and other critters. This year a neighborhood pair of hawks have become a family of four. I think they're Coopers' Hawks. The juveniles earlier in the spring would hop around the garden by the bird bath hunting little bugs I assume. Here are three of them having a refreshing stop at our birdbath! They visit at least once a day!

Cephalanthus occidentalis is a native shrub, that has unique shaped flowers that have a vanilla like fragrance. It attracts pollinators including hummingbirds and tolerates shade and clay soil!

What a difference two years makes! I’m loving the explosions of color blooming in my shoreline bed right now.

No ID available because this is only a web, but it's so little and intricate, and it was on the ground, barely longer than a blade of grass! I was using a mister nearby to help keep a hummingbird cool, and when I looked down, I saw this web! If the mister hadn't speckled it with all the tiny water droplets, I would never have known it was there. Any idea what kind of spider makes webs on the ground?