Multi-Benefit Plants in the Landscape

My tendencies to be thrifty, cost conscious and a bargain hunter carry over into my gardening life, so I embrace plants that give more for the money. These plants not only have demonstrative beauty but have other value at different points throughout the year. Let's consider some plants that provide multiple rewards

Trees and Shrubs

• Oak trees (Quercus spp.) are at the top of the list. An oak is a beautiful tree to include in your garden, when you choose the right species and have adequate space in your landscape. It is long-lived noble tree that provides great shade. The oak is considered the number one tree for nature-friendly gardening, according to Doug Tallamy (Bringing Nature Home, Timber Press 2007). It is a host plant to 517 species of lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Its springtime catkins are a wonderful food source for early pollinators. Its acorns provide food for a wide variety of animals, which you can enjoy viewing as they visit your yard. It is so much fun to watch a blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) fly away with an acorn in its beak!
• Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) is an under-utilized native shrub. Merits include its small size (less than 6 feet in height, often shorter), beautiful springtime bottlebrush-type blossoms (which are loved by pollinators) and outstanding fall color (shades of bronze, gold and deep orange). Additionally, while slow-growing, as it matures it sports suckers which are easily cut back or divided for more free plants. Dig around the suckers, cut them away from the parent and replant in a new location.
• Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a moisture-loving plant that is very useful in rain gardens and damp locations. Its beautiful berries are available in late fall and winter and are enjoyed by birds, including northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos). These birds are frequent visitors to this holly in our garden. The berries can also be used for seasonal decorating.
• Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) and yellow twig dogwood, (Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea') are also valuable plants for moist sites in the landscape. Their white berries are beautiful and popular with birds. Stem color is more vibrant on young growth, so remove one-third of its oldest growth each year by cutting it down at the base. Stems are more colorful in fall and winter and are stunning against a snowy background. They are beautiful additions to seasonal décor. I also like to use cut stems (approximately 4 to 5 feet long) to support a clematis vine as it grows up a lamppost. I use three of four stems, placing their cut edges securely into the soil at the base of the post. I then assist the new growth of the vine onto the dogwood cuttings.

Winterberry holly. Photo credit: Holly List

Perennials

• Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) has striking blooms of orange or golden yellow. It is a host plant for the monarch butterfly caterpillars (Danaus plexippus). Because of its beauty and value to wildlife, I strongly recommend that you add it to your garden. Butterfly weed has a much tidier growth habit than common milkweed, another monarch host plant.
• Bee balm (Monarda didyma) is a favorite of mine and of hummingbirds and bees, too!  It has a shaggy, colorful bloom and freely spreads in the garden. Thankfully, it is easy to pull out and transplant or give away. The bonus feature is its value as a tea plant. Add fresh stems and flowers to a pitcher of water for a flavorful iced "meadow tea." You can dry its stems and flowers and add to a cup of hot tea this winter to remind you of the flavors of summer. This plant was shared by the Oswego, a Native American tribe, with John Bartram, a leading American botanist of the 18^th century. Hence, its common name is "Oswego tea."

Annuals and Herbs

Many annuals have merit beyond the beauty and color in their summer burst of blooms. Many herbs have merit beyond their culinary and medicinal value to humans.

• Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is easy to grow from seed, has beautiful blooms in mid- to late-growing season and is very attractive to pollinators. It is a fun plant to watch. It grows quickly with some varieties reaching 15 feet. Its immature flower follows the sun through the day. This characteristic is called heliotropism or phototropism. Sponsor a neighborhood contest to see who can grow the tallest sunflower. Grow a "sunflower house" for the children and future gardeners who play in your garden! This annual is also a tremendous edible seed producer. Harvest for your own kitchen or for feeding birds and other wildlife. To dry it, cut the mature seedhead, leaving a small stem, and place it in a paper bag in a warm, dry spot inside. In the winter, lay the dried seedhead in the snow and watch as the visitations begin!  Sunflowers are eaten by 45 bird species, as well as squirrels and other mammals.
• Coleus (Coleus scutellariodes) is a beautiful annual foliage plant with many different color combinations and leaf forms. It can be challenging to find the same variety next year that you enjoyed this year. To overcome this challenge, you can actually overwinter your coleus as a houseplant. It likes a bright sunny location inside. Repot it to enjoy coleus in your outdoor garden next year.
• Dill (Anethum graveolens) and parsley (Petroeselinum crispum) are host plants for the black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes). Violets (Viola spp.) are host plants for fritillary butterflies. These and many other herbs have additional value in attracting pollinators with their blooms, a great reason to allow them to flower. Humans, too, are attracted to their flavorful leaves and flowers.