Why swap it
Russian sage is grown for its airy haze of late-summer purple in hot, dry spots. These native perennials give you the same drought-tough purple spires and are a magnet for native bees.
Native plants to grow instead
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1Wild 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
2Common 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
3New 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
4Dense 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
5Black-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
6BonesetEupatorium 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
7Common Evening-PrimroseOenothera biennis
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeDisease wiped out most of them. A single bat eats thousands of insects a night, the ones night-blooming natives raise.
Brings back: Little Brown Bat, Chimney Swift, Common Nighthawk
8Scarlet BeebalmMonarda didyma
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: Chimney Swift, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee
Showing the 8 strongest of 214 native plants that fill the same role. Browse the full native library →
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