PLANT OF THE MONTH
Life on Land Team - PLANT OF THE MONTH
NATIVE PLANTS OF THE MONTH AUGUST 2026
August Tree of the Month: Yellow birch. Birch can be tapped like maples for syrup, but much more is required to make syrup. Native Americans have traditionally used birch bark for casts to heal broken bones and the leaves to treat stomach aches and inflammation.
August Shrub of the Month: Buttonbush. Buttonbush flowers seed out into dense seeds called nutlets which are food for migratory waterfowl. The sweet-smelling flowers are an important nectar source for bees, butterflies, beetles, and hummingbirds during the mid-summer months.
August Perennial of the Month: Cardinal flower. Cardinal flowers are hummingbird magnets, and hummingbirds are one of the only species able to reach the flowers’ nectar. It’s because of this that cardinal flowers depend on hummingbirds to pollinate them.
NATIVE PLANTS OF THE MONTH JULY 2026
June Tree of the Month: American chestnut. The American chestnut has been an important food source to people native to North America. It provided very important habitat for the now-extinct passenger pigeon and remains vitally important to over 125 species of butterflies and moths.
June Shrub of the Month: Mountain laurel. Every part of the plant is toxic, protecting it from deer and other browsing animals. It’s a host plant for the Laurel sphinx moth and requires fire or wind disturbances for their seedlings to grow.
June Perennial of the Month: White snakeroot. A very beneficial plant for pollinators, especially the ruby tiger moth caterpillar. It’s toxic to mammals and is known as the cause of death for Abraham Lincoln’s mom, Nancy.
NATIVE PLANTS OF THE MONTH JUNE 2026
June Tree of the Month: White Fringe Tree. This slow-growing tree blooms ribbon-like flowers in late Spring and has been nicknamed "Old Man's Beard" and "Grancy Greybeard". It's also the larval host for the rustic sphinx moth.
June Shrub of the Month: Great Rhododendron. This evergreen shrub species can live for over 100 years and is a native azalea. It thrives in damp, shaded environments, and natural populations can be found in Ohio parks like Hocking Hills.
June Perennial of the Month: Wild Geranium. This is a great plant for a shade garden. It spreads slowly and is able to toss its seeds up to 30 ft away when the seed pods split! The shape of the seed pods resemble crane's bills, giving it the nickname "cranesbill geranium".
NATIVE PLANTS OF THE MONTH MAY 2026
May Tree of the Month: Tulip tree. This tree is very beneficial to insects and grows fast, making it great for your yard if you can plant it far from your home - they are prone to lightning strikes.
May Shrub of the Month: Elderberry. This shrub provides food to many bird and mammal species, via berries, pollen, and soft branches. The berries should not be eaten raw by humans, but they are used for syrups, teas, and other food products.
May Perennial of the Month: Jack in the Pulpit. This plant becomes hermaphroditic as it ages, with the gained ability to produce berries each Summer. It’s very beneficial to wildlife.
NATIVE PLANTS OF THE MONTH APRIL 2026
Our Life on Land Committee put together a list of native plants we want to highlight each month. Here are our April picks!
April Tree of the Month: Sugar maple. Sugar maples are one of the first sources of pollen for emerging bees. It also provides great shade for people.
April Shrub of the Month: Spicebush. Spicebush is a host plant to the Eastern tiger swallowtail and the Spicebush swallowtail. Its leaves can be used for tea and dried to use as a spice.
April Perennial of the Month: White trillium. This is Ohio’s state wildflower. It grows well in shaded areas and is found throughout our forests in early Spring. This is a great plant to grow under trees in your yard!
