Our Plants - Sugarbush Nursery

Native Perennials, Ferns, and Grasses


Geranium maculatum Wild Geranium	Heuchera villosa 'Caramel' Hairy Alumroot	Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower

Perennials A-E | Perennials F - L | Perennials M - R | Perennials S - Z |

Ferns | Grasses

Please note: we do not ship plants. We sell retail to the area only.

See notes on nativity at bottom of list. indicates host plants for butterflies and moths found in PA

Perennials F - L

Gaultheria procumbens, Wintergreen, Teaberry | PA Native | wide distribution

This evergreen groundcover is beautiful in many seasons - from the white, bell-shaped flowers in spring, through the brilliant red berries in late summer, to the glossy green leaves in the winter. The leaves and berries have the scent and taste of wintergreen; berries are edible and tasty.

Culture: Plant in light to full shade in moist, cool, sandy soil, preferably under the canopy of pine or oak trees. Does poorly in hot, dry conditions. Height: 3-5" h x 12"w.

Gentiana clausa, Bottle Gentian | PA Native | wide distribution

The beautiful blue flowers of bottle gentian never open - only big bumblebees can shoulder their way in to pollinate them! Luckily, the closed flowers are themselves beautiful and a great conversation piece, as well. Will re-seed itself to form colonies where happy.

Culture: Plant in partial shade in cool, moist soil. Height: 1-2'h x w.

Geranium maculatum, Wild Geranium | PA Native | wide distribution

A beautiful hardy geranium native to the woodlands of PA. Delicate 1" pale rose to purple flowers occur from late spring through mid-summer. The foliage is attractive all season long. Forms graceful colonies in ideal conditions. Available: straight species, cultivar 'Espresso' with dark maroon foliage.

Culture: Plant in partial shade in moist, well-drained soil with organic matter. Tolerates drier soils, but may go dormant in prolonged drought. Height: 24"h x w.

Goodyera pubescens, Rattlesnake Plantain | PA Native | moderate distribution

Rattlesnake Plantain is an orchid with white flowers that bloom in late summer. The attractive, mottled leaves are present year-round. This is an occasional plant in the woods with specific growing needs - site it with care.

Culture: Plant in partial to full shade in cold, nutrient-poor soils. In the wild, found with the mosses under the canopy of mature conifer forests (pine, fir, spruce). Height: 6-8"h x 5"w.

Hedyotis purpurea, Purple bluets | PA Native | v. limited distribution

Culture: Height: .

Helenium autumnale, Helenium | PA Native | moderate distribution

This tall native plant features small, bright yellow, daisy-like flowers in late summer. Distinctive notched, 3-lobed petals make these flowers stand out! Sturdy plants attract butterflies; also a great cut flower. Available: straight species, cultivar 'Mardi Gras' with yellow, orange, and red petals.

Culture: Plant in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. Cut back in early June to promote a bushier plant and more flowers. May need to be staked or tied up. Height: 3'-5'h x 2'w.

Helianthus x 'Lemon Queen', Lemon Queen Sunflower | North America | distribution

An eye-catching plant when in bloom, Helianthus x 'Lemon Queen' provides a welcome burst of color in the garden just when everything else is slowing down. Lemon-yellow flowers smother this tall beauty from late July through September. Butterflies love it - gardeners do, too! Genus (Helianthus) is a host plant for Painted Lady butterflies.

Culture: Plant in full sun in any soil. Do not fertilize or over-water. May need support unless planted against a wall, fence, or amongst other tall plants. Height: 5-6' h x very wide.

Heliopsis helianthoides, False Sunflower, Ox-eye | PA Native | moderate distribution

A tall, clump-forming plant that can anchor the back of a perennial border or bed. Blooms for about 2 months in summer, with peak bloom in July, with large yellow daisies. Cultivars include flowers with "eyes" of red or orange, like 'Summer Nights', or double flowers, like 'Ballerina'.

Culture: Plant in full sun to light shade in moist or dry soil of average fertility. May need staking if planted in too much shade. Deadheading prolongs bloom. Height: 3-5'h x 2-3'w.

Hepatica acutiloba, Sharp-lobed Hepatica | PA Native | limited distribution, W and N PA only

Culture: rich woods Height: .

Hepatica americana, Round-lobe Hepatica | PA Native | wide distribution

Delicate flowers in shades of pastel lavender, blue, pink, and white top this tiny woodland plant in spring. A native woodland flower that is cute and very easy to grow!

Culture: Plant in partial shade in moist, acidic soil with plenty of organic matter - leaf mold is perfect. Apply an organic fertilizer in spring. Height: 6"h x 6"w.

Heuchera americana, Alum-root | PA Native | moderate distribution

This native coral bells has beautiful, subtly-variegated foliage and tall spikes of long-blooming white flowers starting in late spring. A great foliage plant which mixes well with many types of flowering plants. Many cultivars are also available.

Culture: Plant in part shade to full shade in average soil. Tolerates drought once established. Native to rich woods and rocky slopes. Height: 12-24" h x w.

Heuchera villosa, Coral Bells | US Native

A cultivar of our native coral bells, 'Autumn Bride' packs a double punch with large, furry, chartreuse leaves and masses of white flowers in August and September. It's the last coral bell to flower, and extends the interest of any garden well into the fall.

Culture: Plant in partial shade in moist, well-drained soil of average fertility. Add organic matter before planting. Height: 2' h x w.

Houstonia caerulea, Bluets, Quaker Ladies | PA Native | moderate distribution

Look to the ground for this tiny yet cheerful spring wildflower, as it often naturalizes itself into sparse lawns, old fields, and on slopes. The individual flowers are a beautiful blue with a yellow center, on a small tufted plant. Re-seeds itself to form graceful colonies.

Culture: Plant in full sun to partial shade in acidic, well-drained soil. If planting in a lawn, clear some turf around it to provide it with places to re-seed. Height: 3-6"h x 2"w.

Hydrastis canadensis, Golden Seal | PA Native | limited distribution, protected in PA

Goldenseal's large, crinkly leaves add significantly to the texture of shady gardens. Small white flowers stand on top of the leaves in spring, followed by red raspberry-like berries in the fall (picture). Goldenseal has been severely overcollected in the wild because of its high medicinal value.

Culture: Plant in cool, moist conditions in soil with plenty of organic matter. Does not do well in soils that dry out! Height: 10"-20"h x 8"w.

Hymenocallis caroliniana, Spider Lily | US Native

Culture: Height: . NOTE: Only occasionally in inventory - please call to check.

Hypoxis hirsuta, Yellow star-grass | PA Native | wide distribution

Culture: Height: .

Iris cristata, Dwarf Crested Iris | PA Native | V. limited distribution, protected in PA

This petite iris is one of the few irises native to the United States. It lights up woodland areas in May with its blue, yellow-crested flowers, and spreads quickly to form a 12"-wide clump. This iris tolerates full shade, and performs well in dry soils. Available: straight species, cultivar 'Alba' with white flowers.

Culture: Plant in partial shade in average to dry soil. Don't cover the rhizome, or the iris won't bloom! (If you don't know what the rhizome is, just ask.) Height: 6"h x 12"w.

Iris verna, Dwarf Violet Iris | PA Native | V. Limited distribution, protected in PA

Culture: dry to moist, acidic, sandy soils Height: .

Iris versicolor, Blue Flag | PA Native | limited distribution

The blue flag iris sports 2-3" blue to lavender flowers with yellow falls, and blooms from May to June. This is a wonderful plant for ponds, streams, and wet to moist areas of the gardens, but it also performs well in typical garden situations.

Culture: Plant in full sun to light shade in heavy, moist to wet soil. Also tolerates drier soils. Height: 2-3'h x w.

Jeffersonia diphylla, Twin-leaf | PA Native | limited distribution

A relatively uncommon woodland wildflower, twin-leaf looks a bit like bloodroot in bloom, with pure white blossoms held about 8" tall that emerge before the trees leaf out in the spring. The entire plant gains height throughout the season, with the plant forming large clumps to 18" high by fall.

Culture: Plant in partial shade in moist, well-drained soil with organic matter. Does not tolerate dry soils. Limestone soils are preferred. Tolerates full shade. Height: 8-18" h x 18"w.

Liatris aspera, Rough Blazing Star | US Native

A tall, bold liatris that boasts large, fuzzy purple flowers over a solid 3' section of stem. Blooms later than other liatris. Native to prairie areas in much of the easter US, Rough Blazing Star is adapted to poor soils and difficult conditions. Attracts butterflies.

Culture: Plant in full sun in very well-drained soil of average fertility. Tall stems may need support, or plant among other tall companions (see below). Height: 4-5'h s 2'w.

Liatris spicata, Gay Feather | PA Native | limited distribution

This native American beauty has tall spikes of purple flowers which open from the top down, attracting hordes of butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, and gardeners with scissors - as the flowers are also great in a vase! Very adaptable, with a nice long bloom season. Also deer resistant!

Culture: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Best in moist soils with organic matter, but also adaptable to average to dry conditions. Height: 24"-36"h x 12"w.

Lilium superbum, Turk's-cap Lily | PA Native | moderate distribution

Culture: moist meadows, low woods and swales Height: . NOTE: only occasionally in inventory - please call to check.

Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal Flower | PA Native | wide distribution

A striking native plant especially well-suited to moist sites near streams, ponds, boggy areas, and meadows. Tall racemes of fire engine-red flowers shoot up from low clumps of foliage in late summer - with up to 50 tubular flowers on one 2' flower spike! Flowers attract hummingbirds.

Culture: Plant in light shade in moist, fertile soil with lots of organic matter. Tolerates wet soil.Often a short-lived plant (3 years or so); may re-seed. Height: 3'-4- h x 1'w.

Lobelia siphilitica, Great Lobelia | PA Native | moderate distribution

Bold, blue spikes of flowers cover this sturdy garden plant in August and September. A real workhorse in the garden, Great Lobelia tolerates sun, shade, and very moist soils. Re-seeds itself liberally in ideal conditions.

Culture: Plant in partial shade to full sun in moist, fertile soil with organic matter. May be short-lived (3 years or so), but often re-seeds itself. Height: 2'-3' h x 1'w.

Lysimachia ciliata, Hairy Loosestrife | PA Native | wide distribution

This is a great native addition to any site with moist soil. Hairy loosestrife is a strong grower that can anchor slopes, and is right at home at the edge of a pond or stream. The burgundy-leaved foliage of 'Firecracker' sets off the yellow flowers in mid-summer, and is a great foliage plant.

Culture: Plant in full sun to shade in moist, fertile soil. Can spread aggressively if conditions are optimal. Height: 2-3'h x w.


Native Plant notations: a notation of "PA Native" indicates the plant was known to be growing in PA at the time of European arrival; further, the plant's distribution in Pennsylvania is listed. For example, a plant with the notation of "PA Native - wide distribution", means that the plant is found wild in all or nearly all counties of PA, and is very common. On the other hand, a plant with the notation of "PA Native - limited distribution" is found wild in just some parts of Pennsylvania - you're not likely to run into it frequently.

We've also listed when a variety is a cultivar. A cultivar is a cultivated variety of a plant. Most cultivars start from a single plant that's selected from a wild population, because it has a mutation that is different in some interesting way from the plant's common characteristics - it may have a different color flower, shorter stature, etc., that may be more "garden-worthy" than the typical so-called "straight species". It is propagated in larger numbers than would naturally occur in the wild, specifically to sell to gardeners!