Parker's Picks — New York Ironweed
/
New York Ironweed, vernonia noveboracensis, is a stately native perennial known for its vibrant clusters of deep purple flowers that bloom from late summer into early fall.
Read More
Parker's Picks — Sweet Birch
/
Sweet birch, also known as black birch or cherry birch, is a beautiful Western New York native tree known for its dark, cherry-like bark, bright yellow fall color, and distinctive wintergreen fragrance. Growing 40–60 feet tall, it makes an excellent shade or specimen tree and is more resistant to bronze birch borer than many other birch species.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Blue Vervain
/
Blue vervain is a striking Western New York native perennial that typically grows 3–5 feet tall, producing slender, candelabra-like spikes of brilliant blue-purple flowers from mid-summer into early fall. Its upright form adds height, texture, and vibrant color to native plantings.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Winterberry
/
A hardy Western New York native shrub, Winterberry is one of our few deciduous hollies, dropping its leaves each autumn to reveal a spectacular display of bright red berries. Plants typically grow 6–12 feet tall with a dense, multi-stemmed habit. It performs best in full sun to partial shade and moist, acidic soils but also thrives in rain gardens, wet areas, and along ponds and streams.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Nannyberry
/
One of Western New York’s best native shrubs, nannyberry is a large, low-maintenance, multi-stemmed shrub with showy clusters of creamy-white flowers in late spring to early summer, followed by blue-black fruits that ripen in autumn and often persist into winter.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Butterfly Weed
/
Butterfly weed, one of Western New York’s showiest and sought after milkweeds, features striking flat-topped clusters of orange blooms in late June through August.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Culver's Root
/
A striking Western New York native perennial, Culver’s Root grows 3–7 feet tall and adds strong vertical interest to the garden.
Read MoreParker's Picks - Arrowwood Viburnum
/
A common Western New York native shrub, Arrowwood Viburnum typically grows 6–8 feet tall and wide in home landscapes. It performs best in full sun to partial shade and adapts well to a wide range of soils, though it thrives in moist, well-drained loam.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Virgin's Bower
/
Virgin’s bower, a popular perennial vine native to Western New York, can reach impressive heights of 10 to 18 feet. It showcases clusters of small, fragrant white flowers from August to September.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Prairie Ninebark
/
Prairie ninebark, also called common ninebark, is a fast-growing deciduous shrub native to Western New York that’s a popular choice for landscaping due to its beautiful leaves and distinctive exfoliating bark.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Buttonbush
/
The buttonbush is a deciduous shrub indigenous to the wetlands of Western New York renowned for its distinctive spherical flower clusters.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Bunchberry
/
Bunchberry (cornus canadensis) is a charming perennial ground cover native to Western New York and part of the dogwood family.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Northern Bush Honeysuckle
/
Northern bush honeysuckle (diervilla lonicera) is a hardy Western New York deciduous shrub that typically reaches heights of 3 to 4 feet with a similar spread.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Meadowsweet
/
Meadowsweet (spiraea alba) typically grows in wet meadows and does best in medium to moist soils here in Western New York.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Wild Geranium
/
Wild geranium (geranium maculatum) is a widespread perennial wildflower of Western New York.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Wild Ginger
/
This week’s Parker’s Picks Native Plant of the Week can help you tackle one of the garden’s peskiest spots — wet shade. Wild ginger (asarum canadense) is a low-growing, slow-spreading ground cover that thrives in consistently moist , shady patches.
Read MoreParker's Picks — Black Chokeberry
/
Black chokeberry (aronia melanocarpa) is a rounded, upright shrub native to Western New York’s moist woodlands, pond edges, swamps and bogs.
Read More