"Pollinator Paradise" Demonstration Garden

What's in Bloom?


September 22, 2025


 

Photos by Debbie Roos, Agricultural Extension Agent.


All plants native to North Carolina unless otherwise noted.

Monarch caterpillar suspended in the J-formation from a wild quinine leaf (the plant was near a bunch of common milkweed). It's preparing to pupate.
Monarch caterpillar suspended in the J-formation from a wild quinine leaf (the plant was near a bunch of common milkweed). It's preparing to pupate. I’ve seen more monarch caterpillars this year than in my 17 years of managing this garden! Photo by Debbie Roos.
Fresh monarch chrysalis.
Fresh monarch chrysalis formed by the caterpillar pictured above. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Soldier beetle on Gaillardia with Rudbeckia.
Soldier beetle on Gaillardia with Rudbeckia. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Big predator catches a small predator: Argiope spider captures a lady beetle.
Big predator catches a small predator: Argiope spider captures a lady beetle. Photo by Debbie Roos.
Northern blazing star (Liatris scariosa) backed by tall tickseed, seashore mallow, and joe-pye weed.
Northern blazing star (Liatris scariosa) backed by tall tickseed, seashore mallow, and joe-pye weed. Photo by Debbie Roos.

Here's What's Blooming This Week
'Blue Fortune' anise hyssop
Agastache x 'Blue Fortune' Anise hyssop * hybrid of U.S. native
'Jin Dai' aster
Aster tataricus 'Jin Dai' Dwarf tatarian aster * exotic
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
Prairie poppy mallow
Callirhoe involucrata Prairie poppy mallow * central U.S.
Spurred butterfly-pea
Centrosema virginianum Spurred butterfly-pea
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush
Large white petals on green leaves.
Chelone glabra White turtlehead
Pink turtlehead
Chelone obliqua Pink turtlehead
Maryland golden aster
Chrysopsis mariana Maryland golden aster
Field thistle
Cirsium discolor Field thistle
Georgia savory
Clinopodium georgianum Georgia savory
Wild ageratum
Conoclinium coelestinum Wild ageratum/mistflower
Palmleaf thoroughwort
Conoclinium greggii
Gregg's mistflower/ palmleaf thoroughwort
* native to southwestern U.S.
Tall tickseed
Coreopsis tripteris
Tall tickseed
Whorled tickseed
Coreopsis verticillata Whorled tickseed
Purple coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Purple coneflower
Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum Boneset
Flowering spurge

Euphorbia corollata

Flowering spurge
small white flowers
Eurybia divaricatus
White wood aster
Bronze fennel
Foeniculum rubrum Bronze fennel *exotic
Burgundy blanketflower
Gaillardia 'Burgundy' Lanceleaf blanketflower
Red and yellow petals surround a red and yellow center.
Gaillardia pulchella Indian blanket
Beeblossom
Gaura lindheimeri 'Belleza Dark Pink' Beeblossom * Texas
Geranium 'Dilys'
Geranium 'Dilys' Hardy geranium * exotic
Red rose mallow
Hibiscus coccineus Red rose mallow
Velvet mallow
Hibiscus grandiflorus Velvet mallow
Seashore mallow
Kosteletzkya virginica Seashore mallow
Seashore mallow
Kosteletzkya virginica 'Immaculate' Seashore mallow
Blazing star
Liatris scariosa Devil's bite
Appalachian blazing star

Liatris squarrulosa

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

Honeysuckle
Spotted horsemint
Monarda punctata Spotted horsemint
Wild quinine
Parthenium integrifolium  Wild quinine
Purple passionflower vine
Passiflora incarnata Purple passionflower vine
Yellow passion flower vine
Passiflora lutea
Yellow passion flower vine
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
Narrowleaf silkgrass
Pityopsis graminifolia Narrowleaf silkgrass
Loomis' mountain mint
Pycnanthemum loomisii Loomis' mountain mint
Short-toothed mountain mint
Pycnanthemum muticum Short-toothed mountain mint
Orange coneflower
Rudbeckia fulgida Orange coneflower
Green-headed coneflower
Rudbeckia laciniata
Green-headed coneflower
Brown-eyed susan
Rudbeckia triloba Brown-eyed susan
Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Sedum 'Autumn Joy' Stonecrop * exotic
Late goldenrod

Solidago altissima

Late goldenrod
A bee on small flowers of white petals around a cluster of yellow round rods.

Solidago bicolor

White goldenrod
Bluestem goldenrod
Solidago caesia Bluestem goldenrod
'Fireworks' rough-leaf goldenrod
Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' Rough-leaf goldenrod
Solar Cascade goldenrod
Solidago shortii 'Solar Cascade' Goldenrod
bright yellow flowers
Solidago speciosa Showy goldenrod
Stokes' aster 'Peachie's Pick'
Stokesia laevis 'Peachie's Pick' Stokes' aster
Eastern silvery aster
Symphyotrichum concolor Eastern silvery aster
Blue wood aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium Blue wood aster
Heath aster
Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snowflurry' Heath aster
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'September Ruby' New England aster
Clasping American aster
Symphyotrichum patens Clasping American aster
Frost aster
Symphyotrichum pilosum Frost aster
Threadleaf ironweed
Vernonia lettermanii
Threadleaf ironweed
New York ironweed
Vernonia noveboracensis New York ironweed
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Debbie Roos