Why swap it
Nursery garden phlox is bred for big, mildew-prone flower heads. These native perennials give you the same tall, mid-to-late-summer colour with sturdier plants and more for pollinators.
Native plants to grow instead
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1Common MilkweedAsclepias syriaca
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA Monarch can only raise its young on milkweed. No milkweed, no Monarchs. It's that simple, and that fixable.
Brings back: Monarch Butterfly, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee
2New England AsterSymphyotrichum novae-angliae
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeOnce common across eastern North America, now almost gone. It feeds on wild bergamot and asters, flowers any yard can grow.
Brings back: Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Barn Swallow
3Wild BergamotMonarda fistulosa
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeOnce common across eastern North America, now almost gone. It feeds on wild bergamot and asters, flowers any yard can grow.
Brings back: Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Barn Swallow
4BonesetEupatorium perfoliatum
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeOnce common across eastern North America, now almost gone. It feeds on wild bergamot and asters, flowers any yard can grow.
Brings back: Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Little Brown Bat, Bank Swallow
5Dense Blazing-StarLiatris spicata
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeOnce common across eastern North America, now almost gone. It feeds on wild bergamot and asters, flowers any yard can grow.
Brings back: Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, American Bumble Bee
6Purple Giant-HyssopAgastache scrophulariifolia
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA once-common bumble bee in decline. Beebalm and columbine are among its favourites.
Brings back: Yellow-banded Bumble Bee
7Swamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnata
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA Monarch can only raise its young on milkweed. No milkweed, no Monarchs. It's that simple, and that fixable.
Brings back: Monarch Butterfly
8Black-Eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA grassland bird losing its grasslands. Native bunchgrasses bring back the insects and cover it needs.
Brings back: Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Olive-sided Flycatcher
Showing the 8 strongest of 150 native plants that fill the same role. Browse the full native library →
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