Detailed plant profiles with growing tips for weekend gardeners. Browse by category or search for a specific plant to find zone-specific planting advice, care instructions, and troubleshooting help.
Cardinal flower is a striking native perennial prized for its tall spikes of vivid red blooms that light up damp garden beds in summer. It is especially loved by hummingbirds and fits beautifully into rain gardens, pond edges, and partially shaded borders. Despite its dramatic look, it is quite manageable for beginners when given consistently moist soil.
Flowering dogwood is a beloved small native tree grown for its showy white spring bracts, red fall fruit, and rich autumn color. It fits beautifully into home landscapes as a specimen tree, woodland edge planting, or wildlife-friendly accent. With the right siting and steady moisture, it rewards gardeners with year-round beauty.
Sourwood is a graceful native tree prized for its drooping clusters of white summer flowers and brilliant red fall color. It is especially loved by pollinators and is famous as a source of premium sourwood honey. For home gardeners, it makes an elegant specimen tree for acidic, well-drained soils.
Red mulberry is a large native fruiting tree valued for its sweet, blackberry-like fruits and its ability to support birds and other wildlife. It grows into a broad, rounded shade tree and adapts to a wide range of soils, making it a rewarding choice for larger home landscapes. Gardeners who have room for it will enjoy both its ornamental presence and its abundant edible harvest.
Eastern hemlock is a graceful native evergreen tree prized for its soft, feathery needles and elegant, slightly drooping branches. It makes a beautiful specimen tree or screen in cool, moist landscapes and brings year-round structure to woodland gardens. This long-lived conifer is especially valued for its ability to tolerate shade better than many other evergreens.
Downy serviceberry is a charming native small tree grown for its clouds of white spring flowers, attractive fall color, and sweet edible berries. It fits beautifully into home landscapes as both an ornamental and a wildlife-friendly plant. Gardeners love it for its natural woodland character and its ability to thrive in a range of garden settings.
Red buckeye is a small native tree prized for its bold red spring flowers and tidy, rounded form. It is especially valuable in wildlife-friendly landscapes, where its nectar-rich blooms attract hummingbirds and early pollinators. This ornamental species performs best in moist soils and can handle more shade than many flowering trees.
Weekend Plant