"Pollinator Paradise" Demonstration Garden

What's in Bloom?


June 30, 2025


 

Photos by Debbie Roos, Agricultural Extension Agent.


All plants native to North Carolina unless otherwise noted.

The variegated fritillary butterflies have been busily laying eggs on purple passionflower vine.
The variegated fritillary butterflies have been busily laying eggs on purple passionflower vine. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Tiny early instar variegated fritillary caterpillar on purple passionflower vine.
Tiny early instar variegated fritillary caterpillar on purple passionflower vine. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Bumble bee on blazing star
Bumble bee on blazing star. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Late June parking lot island bed.
Late June parking lot island bed. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Another generation (second?) of pipevine swallowtail caterpillars on Dutchman's pipe.
Another generation (second?) of pipevine swallowtail caterpillars on Dutchman's pipe. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Close-up of pipevine swallowtail caterpillars feeding on Dutchman's pipe.
Close-up of pipevine swallowtail caterpillars feeding on Dutchman's pipe. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Here's What's Blooming This Week


Nodding onion
Allium cernuum
Nodding onion
'Blue Fortune' anise hyssop
Agastache x 'Blue Fortune' Anise hyssop * hybrid of U.S. native
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata Swamp milkweed
Common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca Common milkweed
Butterfly weed

Asclepias tuberosa

Butterfly weed

Tiny tubular 5-petaled flowers in clusters in the upper leaf axils and stem tips from May to September. Flowers are white to greenish-white

Boltonia asteroides

White doll's daisy

Lesser calamint
Calamintha nepeta Lesser calamint * exotic
American beautyberry
Callicarpa americana American beautyberry
Fringed poppy mallow
Callirhoe digitata Fringed poppy mallow (winecup) * central U.S.
Prairie poppy mallow
Callirhoe involucrata Prairie poppy mallow * central U.S.
Spurred butterfly-pea
Centrosema virginianum Spurred butterfly-pea
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush
Curlyheads
Clematis ochroleuca Curlyheads * this photo shows the seedheads, not the bloom
Sweet pepperbush
  Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'
Sweet pepperbush
Palmleaf thoroughwort
Conoclinium greggii
Gregg's mistflower/ palmleaf thoroughwort
* native to southwestern U.S.
Lanceleaf tickseed
Coreopsis lanceolata Lanceleaf tickseed
Tall tickseed
Coreopsis tripteris
Tall tickseed
Whorled tickseed
Coreopsis verticillata Whorled tickseed
Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Purple coneflower

Rattlesnake master
Eryngium yuccifolium Rattlesnake master
Roundleaf thoroughwort
Eupatorium rotundifolium Roundleaf thoroughwort
Flowering spurge

Euphorbia corollata

Flowering spurge

Coastal plain joe-pye weed
Eutrochium dubium
Coastal plain joe-pye weed
Bronze fennel
Foeniculum rubrum Bronze fennel *exotic
Burgundy blanketflower
Gaillardia 'Burgundy' Lanceleaf blanketflower
Cluster of Indian blanket flowers (Gaillardia), featuring red petals with bright yellow tips and dark central discs, surrounded by green foliage.
Gaillardia pulchella Indian blanket
Beeblossom
Gaura lindheimeri 'Belleza Dark Pink' Beeblossom * Texas
Oxeye daisy
Heliopsis helianthoides 'Summer Nights' Oxeye daisy
Red rose mallow
Hibiscus coccineus Red rose mallow
The inflorescence is made up of rose-purple fluffy disc flowers in small groups on terminal spikes. Blooms late summer into fall.
Liatris microcephala Dwarf gayfeather
Gayfeather
Liatris spicata Gayfeather
Gayfeather
Liatris squarrosa Scaly blazing star
Cardinal flower

Lobelia cardinalis

Cardinal flower

Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens 'Cedar Lane', 'Major Wheeler', and 'John Clayton'

Honeysuckle

Lemon bee balm
Monarda citriodora Lemon bee balm
Bee balm
Monarda fistulosa 'Claire Grace' Bee balm
Catmint

Nepeta 'Walker's Low'

Catmint

* exotic

Cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera berlandieri  'Siskiyou'

Evening primrose

* southwest U.S.
Prairie goldenrod
Oligoneuron album Prairie goldenrod
Ornamental oregano
Origanum laevigatum 'Herrenhausen' Ornamental oregano * exotic
Wild quinine
Parthenium integrifolium  Wild quinine
Purple passionflower vine
Passiflora incarnata Purple passionflower vine
Yellow passion flower vine
Passiflora lutea
Yellow passion flower vine
Narrowleaf Carolina phlox

Phlox carolina ssp. angusta

Narrowleaf Carolina phlox

Clusters of white flowers.
Phlox paniculata 'David' Garden phlox
Garden phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Delta Snow' Garden phlox
'Jeana' phlox

Phlox paniculata 'Jeana'

Garden phlox

1 inch pale purple to rose flowers borne in a showy terminal spike. The corolla is swollen at the throat, the upper lip is domed, the lower lip spreading with three lobes. Blooms from July to October.
Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners'
Obedient plant
Appalachian mountain mint
Pycnanthemum flexuosum Appalachian mountain mint
Dense cluster of mountain mint plants with narrow green leaves and small, pale lavender-white flowers blooming at the tips.
Pycnanthemum incanum Hoary mountain mint
Loomis' mountain mint
Pycnanthemum loomisii Loomis' mountain mint
Short-toothed mountain mint
Pycnanthemum muticum Short-toothed mountain mint
Narrow-leaf mountain mint
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium Narrow-leaf mountain mint
Virginia mountain mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum Virginia mountain mint
Orange coneflower
Rudbeckia fulgida Orange coneflower
Black-eyed susan
Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed susan
Brown-eyed susan
Rudbeckia triloba Brown-eyed susan
Carolina wild petunia
Ruellia caroliniensis Carolina wild petunia
Mealycup sage
Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue' Mealycup sage * southwest U.S.
Late figwort
Scrophularia marilandica Late figwort
Hoary skullcap
Scutellaria incana Hoary skullcap
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Stonecrop * exotic
Cup plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Cup plant
Stokes' aster 'Peachie's Pick'
Stokesia laevis 'Peachie's Pick' Stokes' aster
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'September Ruby' New England aster
Society garlic
Tulbaghia violacea Society garlic * exotic
Hoary vervain

Verbena hastata

Blue vervain

Stemless ironweed
Vernonia acaulis
Stemless ironweed
Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Culver's root