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Our Favorite Native Plants

In this section we provide our personal observations mixed with a few facts about each plant species.  All photos are from our biodiversity garden in London, ON.  For more detailed information about gardening with native plants we recommend books by Lorraine Johnson, such as 100 Easy-to-Grow Native Plants for Canadian Gardens (Whitecap Books, 2005) and Grow Wild (Fulcrum Publishing, 1998).

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American Beech, Fagus grandifolia

See more photos and read about American beech

American Beech in fruit, Fall 2011 (photo RGT)

Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium

See more photos and read about blue-eyed grass

Blue-eyed grass in early June, London, ON (photo N. Zitani)

Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata

Blue vervain (photo N. Zitani)

Canada Wild Rye, Elymus canadensis

Canada wild rye on a windy morning (photo N. Zitani)

Compass Plant, Silphium laciniatum

See more photos of compass plant

Compass plant, ray and disc florets open (photo N. Zitani)

Cup Plant, Silphium perfoliatum

See more photos and read about cup plant

Native bee on cup plant, late July 2011 (Photo N. Zitani)

Fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium

Fireweed (photo N. Zitani)

Flowering Raspberry, Rubus odoratus

Flowering raspberry, "Rubus odoratus", with native bee gathering pollen (photo N. Zitani)

Forget-me-not, Myosotis laxa

Native forget-me-not, early summer 2011 (photo N. Zitani)

Hoptree, Ptelea trifoliata

Hoptree, "Ptelea trifoliata", one of two food plants for the giant swallowtail butterfly in southern Ontario (photo N. Zitani)

Kalm's St. Johnswort, Hypericum kalmianum

Kalm's St. John's wort (photo N. Zitani)

Michigan Lily, Lilium michiganense

Michigan Lily (photo N. Zitani)

New England Aster, Symphiotrichum novae-angliae

New England aster has started to flower, 28 August 2011 (photo N. Zitani)

Northern Bush Honeysuckle, Diervilla lonicera

Bush honeysuckle flowering in mid June (photo RGT)

Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris

Ostrich fern looking lovely in mid June (photo N. Zitani)

Prairie Smoke, Geum triflorum

Read about prairie smoke

Prairie smoke, "Geum triflorum", in late May, London, ON (photo N. Zitani)

Shining Sumac, Rhus copallinum

Shining, or winged sumac, "Rhus copallinum" in flower, with native and non-native pollinators (photo N. Zitani)

Sugar Maple, Acer saccharum

Sugar maple trees, and at the bottom of the image, the darker green foliage of American beech, 13 October 2011, London, Ontario (photo N. Zitani)

Wild Elderberry, Sambucus canadensis

Wild Elderberry (photo N. Zitani)

Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana

See more photos of wild strawberry

Native wild strawberry in late May, London, ON (photo N. Zitani)

White Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum

See more photos and read about white trillium

White trillium, "Trillium grandiflorum", in our biodiversity garden in early May (photo N. Zitani)

Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense

See more photos and read about wild ginger

Wild ginger, "Asarum canadense", in our biodiversity garden in London, Ontario (photo N. Zitani)