President’s Letter – April
President’s Letter — March
NPSNJ Announces 2026 Grant Programs
President’s Letter – February 2026
Events List
2024 Native Plants of the Year
Rare & Unusual Plant of the Year (2026)
Cornus canadensis, Bunchberry, is a tiny herbaceous dogwood of cool, moist forests with rich organic soil. In New Jersey it is critically imperiled, making it a fitting POTY. Its white “flowers” are showy bracts around a small flower cluster, followed by red fruit eaten by birds and mammals. Image by Millie and Hubert Ling, Awesome Native Plants.
Backyard Perennial of the Year (2026)
Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire, is a graceful native shrub for moist woodland edges, rain gardens, and mixed borders. It carries arching clusters of white flowers in late spring, provides nectar for native bees and butterflies, offers cover for birds, and brings purple-red foliage in fall. Image by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Some Great Plants from Hubert and Millie Ling’s Awesome Native Plants Site
The Native Plant Society of New Jersey is a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of New Jersey. Founded in 1985, we have over a thousand members across the state, and are organized into county and regional chapters. Our members include gardeners, horticulturists, naturalists, landscape designers, students, and native plant enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Our mission is to promote the appreciation, protection, and study of New Jersey’s Native Flora.
April is Native Plant Month
Help Plant Scientists with
NPSNJ’s First Bioblitz on iNaturalist.org
Find out more here
President’s Letter – April
President’s Letter — March
NPSNJ Announces 2026 Grant Programs
President’s Letter – February 2026
Events List
2024 Native Plants of the Year
Rare & Unusual Plant of the Year (2026)
Cornus canadensis, Bunchberry, is a tiny herbaceous dogwood of cool, moist forests with rich organic soil. In New Jersey it is critically imperiled, making it a fitting POTY. Its white “flowers” are showy bracts around a small flower cluster, followed by red fruit eaten by birds and mammals. Image by Millie and Hubert Ling, Awesome Native Plants.
Backyard Perennial of the Year (2026)
Itea virginica, Virginia Sweetspire, is a graceful native shrub for moist woodland edges, rain gardens, and mixed borders. It carries arching clusters of white flowers in late spring, provides nectar for native bees and butterflies, offers cover for birds, and brings purple-red foliage in fall. Image by Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Flowering Early Spring
Round lobed Hepatica – Hepatica americana
These delightful flowers of pastel pinks and blues will be blooming soon. We have seen them as early as April 6.
On a sunny day on the trail hepaticas will dot the brown forest floor along with bloodroots. Already up (3/28) are spring beauty and spicebush flowers.
Round lobed Hepatica is not a spring ephemeral. It has evergreen leaves that over winter.
It forms new leaves after flowering. Another aid to survival, it will self-pollinate if cross pollination fails. Bloodroot also does this.
Read about Round Lobed Hepatica here
See our Spring Plant Profiles & Photos
SPRING is in the AIR
Twinleaf – Jeffersonia diphylla
As you are out looking for early spring flowers you would be lucky to spot one of these showy white flowers. These flowers have a distinctive way of shedding their pollen. Their distinctive leaves gives it the name ‘Twinleaf’
Twinleaf is critically imperiled (S1). However, they would be a fine addition in a shady spot in your garden. Twinleaf is not an ephemeral and its leaves will make a distinctive ground cover in the summer.
Keep this rare plant alive in NJ; plant one this year. Blooms mid April.
Read more and photos on Twinleaf .
Also see our ‘Gardener’s News’ article ‘Flower For A Day‘ .
SPRING is in the AIR
Broom Crowberry – Corema conradii
Broom crowberry is a ground-hugging, shrubby plant. It needs open, sandy areas to grow and has specialized wildfire needs.
In NJ it exists only in the Pinelands. It is G4, S2. The NJ DEP is attempting to restore habitat for this plant.
It blooms mid March to early April. We have the best photos of the male and female flowers. See what the Broom Crowberry flowers look like!.
In central and north Jersey, skunk cabbage is starting. In our winter walks we have already have seen spring beauty leaves peeking above the leaf litter. Soon spring beauty and bloodroots will be blooming.
See our Spring Plant Profiles & Photos
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 in NJ for years! It would be wonderful to see this showy plant again in NJ!
Read about Scarlet Indian Paintbrush 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 australisl
- 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
- Spicebush – Lindera benzoin Click here .
- American Holly – Ilex opaca Click here .
- Winterberry Holly – Ilex verticillata Click here .
- Flowering Dogwood –Cornus florida Click here .
- Strawberry bush – Euonymus americanus Click here .
See our Autumn Foilage Colors
Another Monkeyflower – New page
Mimulus alatus – Winged Monkeyflower
In NJ, there are two species of monkeyflower, this is the less common one.
Read about the Winged Monkeyflower here
The flowers look the same but they can easily be separated by the lengths of their flower and leaf stalks.
Milkweeds – New page
Asclepias viridiflora – Green Comet Milkweed
Unusual and not showy but has its place in the ecosystem. There are 12 milkweeds native to NJ, of them 7 are on NJ’s list of endangered plants, 2022. Green Milkweed is S2 (Imperiled).
Read about this plant Click here
See our Summer Plant Profiles & Photos
