Welcome to Awesome Native Plants
A Christmas Wish
Castilleja coccinea - Scarlet Indian Paintbrush -New Page
Did you know that there is a indian paintbrush (Castilleja) in the east and is native to NJ?
At one time it was found in almost every county in NJ! It has not been seen for years!
It would be wonderful to see this showy plant again in NJ!
Read about them Click here.
Clematis - New page
Clematis virginiana - Clematis, Virgin's Bower
These feathery fruit heads are now releasing their seeds. They are the native clematis vine.
The clematis produces lots of small white flowers in summer with separate male and female plants.
The plant is toxic if ingested but does support wildlife. This is very similar to the invasive C. terniflora.
Read more. Click here.
NJ Native Orchids - There are 55!
Orchids that we were lucky to see - some showy and some hard to see even when you are looking at them.
- Cranefly, Tipularia discolor
- Dragon's Mouth, Arethusa bulbosa
- Grass Pink, Calopogon tuberosa
- Puttyroot, Aplectrum hyemale
- Ragged Fringed, Platanthera lacera
- Rose Pogonia, Pogonia ophioglossoides
- Showy Orchis, Orchis spectabilis
- Southern Twadeblade, Listera australis
- White Fringed , Platanthera blephariglottis
- Yellow Crested, Platanthera cristata
- Yellow Fringed, Platanthera ciliaris
- Yellow Fringeless, Platanthera integra
- Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium calceolus
Native Shrubs - Red Berries
- Lindera benzoin - Spicebush
- Ilex opaca - American Holly
- Ilex verticillata - Winterberry Holly
- Cornus florida - Flowering Dogwood
- Euonymus americanus - Strawberry bush
About AWESOME NATIVE PLANTS
This is the website of Millie & Hubert Ling. This site was created in September 2021 and is is dedicated to Native Plants mainly of New Jersey with a focus on the Plant Profiles & Photos pages. The goal here is to continue these. Also we will be adding trip reports of our many hikes in NJ. Hubert is a regular writer for the Gardener News and we will be republishing some of his articles. Continued in 'About Us': Click Here
WHY all the FUSS about NATIVE PLANTS?
What are they and why they are important?. Get the definitions and why they are important and how to find out if a plant is native or not. Also, NEW, added information on rarity in NJ. Click Here
in our 'Resources" section.
Looking around in NATURE: HIKES
Start planning where to hike for next year. NEW: Added: a list of conservation organizations that have preseves which are great places to see native plants. Click Here
BEAUTY and BEYOND
Get to know your native plants. Visit our Plant Profiles & Photos section for photos of not only the beautiful flowers but also their parts and what makes them work.
'GARDENERS NEWS' reprints
Hubert Ling as NPSNJ horticulture has been writing articles for 'Gardener News' since 2015. Some of his articles are being reprinted here. See them at Resources .
Culversroot, Veronicastrum virginicum, growing tall caught by the morning sun
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
(Anglican hymn)
Study and photography unfolds a whole new dimension of intricacies and interdependencies that commands deference and awe.
"The Lord God made them all"