This page offers a collection of resources for native gardeners to use alongside the general workshops and presentations the Mercer Chapter offers. We want every gardener to feel confident that they have the knowledge and tools available to to overcome most obstacles. Many of us here already know “why” planting native plants is a good choice. But we, the Steering Committee, have noticed the “how” is a common stumbling block we all run into (regardless of experience!).
Specific Seed Information
Lanceleaf Coreopsis – Coreopsis lanceolata
Germination: Requires 30 days of cold, moist stratification.
Description: Yellow, daisy-like, 1-2″ flowers.
Blooms: May – July
Height: 1 – 2 feet
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Dry – medium
Deer Resistant
Attracts: Butterflies, bees, and birds.
You can cut back the plants after they bloom and get a second, smaller bloom. I prefer to let them go o see. Goldfinches love the seed and it’s fun to watch them bobbing about on the delicate stems to eat the seeds. – Sue Tarr
New England Aster – Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Germination: Requires 60 days of cold, moist stratification.
Description: Deep pink-purple, daisy-like 1″ flowers.
Blooms: August – September
Height: 3 – 6 feet
Light: Full sun
Moisture: Medium
Attracts: Butterflies and bees.
While many of the plants produce deep pink-purple flowers, I’ve gotten colors ranging from shell pink to deep purple. I planted a large patch of them intermingled with Symphyotrichum cordifolium, Blue Aster. The Blue Aster is a very pale blue, more like an ice-white. The combination evokes a Monet painting. If 6 feet is too tall for your garden, you can use the Chelsea chop (cut back the plants by 1/2 around Memorial Day and cut back again by 1/3 around the 4th of July). The Chelsea chop will produce a shorter, bushier plant with more flowers. – Sue Tarr
Seed Collection Information
- Mercer Presentations / Workshops
- Blogs / Academic Papers
- General Online Resources
- Printed Resources
- Nature’s Action Guide. 2024. Sarah F. Jayne
- The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada. 2000. William Cullina
Seed Sowing Information
- Mercer Presentations / Workshops
General Learning
- Online Databases
- General Online Resources
- Printed Resources
- Bringing Nature Home. 2009. Doug Tallamy
- Native Plants of the Northeast: A Guide for Gardening and Conservation.2005. Donald J. Leopold
- Plant Communities of New Jersey. 1994. Beryl Robichaud Collins and Karl Anderson
- Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes. 2015. Thomas Rainer and Claudia West
- Wild Plant Culture: A Guide to Restoring Edible and Medicinal Native Plant Communities. 2022. Jared Rosenbaum