Gillette's Habitat GardenField notes / Plant list
Every Plant in My Columbus, Ohio Habitat Garden: 142 Plants by Bed
The full 2026 plant list for a 0.17-acre pollinator garden in Columbus, Ohio. 142 plants with origin, wetland indicator status, and bed.
Every plant on the property as of late September 2026: 143 entries, 142 in the ground, 1 likely lost. Sorted by common name. 98 are Ohio natives or native cultivars, 12 are native to the US but not Ohio, 15 are hybrids, 16 are non-native, and 1 is unknown.
Wetland codes are NWPL Midwest 2022 regional wetland indicator status. Codes marked with * were checked against NWPL in August 2026. The rest are being rechecked. "Unlisted" means a native absent from the Midwest list. Hybrids and non-natives carry no code (-). Lawn plants, trees and vines are on the garden page and the lawn page.
Every threatened or endangered plant here came from a central Ohio nursery, not from the wild.
Master plant list
| Common name | Scientific name | Origin | Wetland | Beds | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alumroot 'Caramel' | Heuchera 'Caramel' | Hybrid (hairy alumroot parent) | - | 3 | In ground |
| Alumroot 'Northern Exposure Silver' | Heuchera 'Northern Exposure Silver' | Hybrid | - | 3 | In ground |
| Alumroot 'Paris' | Heuchera 'Paris' | Hybrid | - | 3 | In ground |
| American alumroot | Heuchera americana | Ohio native | FACU* | 6, 7 | In ground |
| Appalachian sedge | Carex appalachica | Ohio native | FACU | 8 | In ground |
| Aromatic aster 'October Skies' | Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' | Ohio native cultivar | UPL | 7 | In ground |
| August lily | Hosta plantaginea | Non-native | - | 5, 6 | In ground |
| Bee balm 'Raspberry Wine' | Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' | Ohio native cultivar | - | 7 | In ground |
| Bicknell's sedge | Carex bicknellii | Ohio native | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Big-leaved aster | Eurybia macrophylla | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | In ground |
| Bigleaf hydrangea | Hydrangea macrophylla | Non-native | - | 6 | In ground |
| Black-eyed Susan 'Goldsturm' | Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii | Ohio native cultivar | OBL* | 1 | In ground |
| Bird's-foot violet 'Eco Artist Palette' | Viola pedata 'Eco Artist Palette' | Ohio native cultivar (species state-threatened) | UPL | 1 | In ground |
| Bloodroot | Sanguinaria canadensis | Ohio native | FAC | 2, 9 | In ground |
| Blue mistflower | Conoclinium coelestinum | Ohio native | FACW* | 8 | In ground |
| Blue sage | Salvia azurea | US native, not Ohio | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Blue-eyed grass 'Lucerne' | Sisyrinchium angustifolium 'Lucerne' | Ohio native cultivar | FAC | 1, 2 | In ground |
| Bluestar 'String Theory' | Amsonia 'String Theory' | US native, not Ohio | FACU | 3 | In ground |
| Bluestem goldenrod | Solidago caesia | Ohio native | FAC | 9 | In ground |
| Bugleweed | Ajuga reptans | Non-native | - | 10 | In ground |
| Bushy aster 'Wood's Blue' | Symphyotrichum dumosum 'Wood's Blue' | Ohio native cultivar | - | 4 | In ground |
| Butterfly weed | Asclepias tuberosa | Ohio native | UPL | 1, 2 | In ground |
| Buttonbush 'Sugar Shack' | Cephalanthus occidentalis 'Sugar Shack' | Ohio native cultivar | OBL | 11 | In ground |
| Cardinal flower | Lobelia cardinalis | Ohio native | OBL* | 8 | In ground |
| Catmint 'Cat's Pajamas' | Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas' | Hybrid | - | 2 | In ground |
| Catmint 'Walker's Low Junior' | Nepeta x faassenii 'Walker's Low Junior' | Hybrid | - | 1 | In ground |
| Christmas fern | Polystichum acrostichoides | Ohio native | FACU | 3, 6, 8 | In ground |
| Common blue violet | Viola sororia | Ohio native | FAC | 6, 8 | In ground |
| Common lilac | Syringa vulgaris | Non-native | - | 7 | In ground |
| Common milkweed | Asclepias syriaca | Ohio native | FAC | 1 | In ground |
| Common yarrow | Achillea millefolium | Ohio native | FACU | 10 | In ground |
| Cranesbill 'Rozanne' | Geranium 'Rozanne' | Hybrid | - | 3 | In ground |
| Dense blazing star | Liatris spicata | Ohio native | FAC | 1 | In ground |
| Dutchman's breeches | Dicentra cucullaria | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | In ground |
| Dwarf blazing star 'Kobold' | Liatris spicata 'Kobold' | Ohio native cultivar | FAC | 1, 2 | In ground |
| Dwarf blue wild indigo | Baptisia australis var. minor | US native, not Ohio | FACU* | 2 | In ground |
| Eastern prickly pear | Opuntia cespitosa | Ohio native | UPL | 2 | In ground |
| English lavender 'Munstead' | Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead' | Non-native | - | 1 | In ground |
| Foamflower | Tiarella cordifolia | Ohio native | FACU | 4, 8, 9 | In ground (Bed 4 confirmed spring 2027) |
| Foamy bells 'Pink Revolution' | Heucherella 'Pink Revolution' | Hybrid | - | 9 | In ground |
| Foxglove beardtongue | Penstemon digitalis | Ohio native | FAC | 1, 7, 8 | In ground |
| Fringed bleeding heart | Dicentra eximia | US native, not Ohio | FACU | 8 | In ground |
| Frost aster or panicled aster | Symphyotrichum pilosum or S. lanceolatum | Ohio native | - | 10 | In ground (ID pending) |
| Garden phlox 'Early Blush Pop' | Phlox paniculata 'Early Blush Pop' | Ohio native cultivar | FACU* | 3 | In ground |
| Garden phlox 'Glamour Girl' | Phlox paniculata 'Glamour Girl' | Ohio native cultivar | FACU* | 7 | In ground |
| Garden phlox 'Jeana' | Phlox paniculata 'Jeana' | Ohio native cultivar | FACU* | 1 | In ground |
| Garden phlox 'Laura' | Phlox paniculata 'Laura' | Ohio native cultivar | FACU* | 2 | In ground |
| Golden Alexanders | Zizia aurea | Ohio native | FAC | 1, 8, 9 | In ground |
| Goldenrod 'Little Lemon' | Solidago 'Little Lemon' | Hybrid | - | 1 | In ground |
| Gray dogwood | Cornus racemosa | Ohio native | FAC | 9 | In ground |
| Gray goldenrod | Solidago nemoralis | Ohio native | - | 8 | In ground |
| Great blue lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica | Ohio native | OBL* | 1, 7, 8 | In ground |
| Great white trillium | Trillium grandiflorum | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | In ground |
| Hairy alumroot | Heuchera villosa | Ohio native, state-endangered | FACU | 4, 6, 8 | In ground |
| Hairy beardtongue | Penstemon hirsutus | Ohio native | FACU | 1, 7 | In ground |
| Harebell | Campanula rotundifolia | Ohio native | - | 2, 8 | In ground |
| Heart-leaved Alexanders | Zizia aptera | Ohio native | FAC | 8 | In ground |
| Heart-leaved aster | Symphyotrichum cordifolium | Ohio native | FACU | 8 | In ground |
| Heath aster 'Snow Flurry' | Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry' | Ohio native cultivar | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Hoary skullcap | Scutellaria incana | Ohio native | Unlisted* | 8 | In ground |
| Hosta (variegated) | Hosta sp. | Non-native | - | 6 | In ground |
| Hyssop 'Blue Fortune' | Agastache 'Blue Fortune' | Hybrid | - | 7 | In ground |
| Indian pink | Spigelia marilandica | US native, not Ohio | FAC | 7 | In ground |
| Jacob's ladder | Polemonium reptans | Ohio native | - | 8 | In ground |
| Jacob's ladder 'Stairway to Heaven' | Polemonium reptans 'Stairway to Heaven' | Ohio native cultivar | - | 8 | In ground |
| Jewelweed | Impatiens capensis | Ohio native | FACW | 8 | In ground |
| Lady fern | Athyrium filix-femina | Ohio native | - | 9 | In ground |
| Lanceleaf coreopsis | Coreopsis lanceolata | Ohio native | FACU | 2 | In ground |
| Late purple aster | Symphyotrichum patens | Ohio native | - | 2 | In ground |
| Lenten rose | Helleborus x hybridus | Hybrid | - | 6 | In ground |
| Lesser calamint | Calamintha nepeta | Non-native | - | 4 | In ground |
| Limestone wild petunia | Ruellia strepens | Ohio native | FAC | 7 | In ground |
| Little bluestem | Schizachyrium scoparium | Ohio native | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Lungwort | Pulmonaria officinalis | Non-native | - | 6 | In ground |
| Lungwort 'Twinkle Toes' | Pulmonaria 'Twinkle Toes' | Non-native | - | 6 | In ground |
| Lyreleaf sage | Salvia lyrata | Ohio native | FAC | 7 | In ground |
| Male fern | Dryopteris filix-mas | Ohio native, rare in Ohio | - | 9 | In ground |
| Marginal wood fern | Dryopteris marginalis | Ohio native | - | 8 | In ground |
| Mayapple | Podophyllum peltatum | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | In ground |
| Meadow phlox | Phlox maculata | Ohio native | FACW | 2 | In ground |
| New England aster 'Purple Dome' | Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' | Ohio native cultivar | FACW* | 1 | In ground |
| New York aster 'Wood's Purple' | Symphyotrichum novi-belgii 'Wood's Purple' | US native, not Ohio | FAC | 2 | In ground (failing; replace) |
| Northern maidenhair fern | Adiantum pedatum | Ohio native | FAC | 9 | In ground |
| Ohio goldenrod | Solidago ohioensis | Ohio native | OBL* | 1 | In ground |
| Ohio spiderwort | Tradescantia ohiensis | Ohio native | FAC | 1, 2, 7, 8 | In ground |
| Old-fashioned bleeding heart | Dicentra spectabilis | Non-native | - | 6 | In ground |
| Ornamental onion 'Millennium' | Allium 'Millennium' | Hybrid | - | 1 | In ground |
| Ostrich fern | Matteuccia struthiopteris | Ohio native | FACW | 8 | In ground |
| Oxeye sunflower | Heliopsis helianthoides | Ohio native | FACU* | 1 | In ground |
| Beardtongue 'Midnight Masquerade' | Penstemon 'Midnight Masquerade' | Hybrid | - | 2 | In ground |
| Pennsylvania sedge | Carex pensylvanica | Ohio native | FACU | 3, 6, 7 | In ground |
| Prairie blazing star | Liatris pycnostachya | Ohio native | - | 8 | In ground |
| Prairie dropseed | Sporobolus heterolepis | Ohio native | FACU | 1, 2 | In ground |
| Prairie trillium | Trillium recurvatum | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | In ground |
| Purple coneflower | Echinacea purpurea | Ohio native | Unlisted* | 3, 7 | In ground |
| Purple coneflower 'Magnus' | Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus' | Ohio native cultivar | Unlisted* | 1 | In ground |
| Purple coneflower 'Pica Bella' | Echinacea purpurea 'Pica Bella' | Ohio native cultivar | Unlisted* | 7 | In ground |
| Purple coneflower 'Powwow Wild Berry' | Echinacea purpurea 'Powwow Wild Berry' | Ohio native cultivar | Unlisted* | 2, 4 | In ground |
| Purple coneflower 'Prairie Splendor' | Echinacea purpurea 'Prairie Splendor' | Ohio native cultivar | Unlisted* | 2 | In ground |
| Purple prairie clover | Dalea purpurea | Ohio native (presumed extirpated statewide since 2004) | UPL | 2 | In ground |
| Rattlesnake master | Eryngium yuccifolium | Ohio native | FAC* | 1 | In ground |
| Red columbine | Aquilegia canadensis | Ohio native | FAC | 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 | In ground |
| Royal catchfly | Silene regia | Ohio native, state-threatened | FACU | 2, 4 | In ground |
| Rue anemone | Thalictrum thalictroides | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | In ground |
| Scarlet bee balm | Monarda didyma | Ohio native, state-threatened | UPL* | 8 | In ground |
| Sedum 'Autumn Joy' | Hylotelephium 'Autumn Joy' | Non-native | - | 1 | In ground |
| Shasta daisy | Leucanthemum x superbum | Hybrid | - | 10 | In ground |
| Shooting star | Dodecatheon meadia | Ohio native | FAC | 9 | In ground |
| Short's goldenrod 'Solar Cascade' | Solidago shortii 'Solar Cascade' | US native, not Ohio | - | 7 | In ground |
| Showy goldenrod | Solidago speciosa | Ohio native | - | 2 | In ground |
| Shrub rose | Rosa sp. | Unknown | - | 6 | In ground |
| Sky blue aster | Symphyotrichum oolentangiense | Ohio native | - | 2 | In ground |
| Smooth beardtongue | Penstemon calycosus | Ohio native | FACU* | 8 | In ground |
| Smooth blue aster | Symphyotrichum laeve | Ohio native | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Smooth phlox 'Morris Berd' | Phlox glaberrima 'Morris Berd' | Ohio native cultivar | FAC | 7 | In ground |
| Soft rush | Juncus effusus | Ohio native | OBL | 8 | In ground |
| Solomon's seal | Polygonatum biflorum | Ohio native | FAC | 9 | In ground |
| Spring beauty | Claytonia virginica | Ohio native | FACU | 9 | Likely lost |
| Summersweet 'Ruby Spice' | Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice' | US native, not Ohio | - | 11 | In ground |
| Sunset hyssop | Agastache rupestris | US native, not Ohio | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Swamp milkweed | Asclepias incarnata | Ohio native | FACW | 1, 8 | In ground |
| Sweet coneflower | Rudbeckia subtomentosa | US native, not Ohio | FAC | 7 | In ground |
| Sweet woodruff | Galium odoratum | Non-native | - | 6 | In ground |
| Threadleaf coreopsis 'Zagreb' | Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' | US native, not Ohio | FACU | 1 | In ground |
| Virginia bluebells | Mertensia virginica | Ohio native | FACW* | 8, 9 | In ground |
| Virginia mountain mint | Pycnanthemum virginianum | Ohio native | - | 8 | In ground |
| Virginia sweetspire 'Scarlet Beauty' | Itea virginica 'Scarlet Beauty' | US native, not Ohio | - | 3 | In ground |
| Walter's violet 'Silver Gem' | Viola walteri 'Silver Gem' | Ohio native, state-threatened | FAC | 8 | In ground |
| Weigela 'Wine & Roses' | Weigela florida 'Wine & Roses' | Non-native | - | 3 | In ground |
| Wild bergamot | Monarda fistulosa | Ohio native | FACU* | 1, 7 | In ground |
| Wild bergamot 'Claire Grace' | Monarda 'Claire Grace' | Ohio native cultivar | FACU* | 2 | In ground |
| Wild geranium | Geranium maculatum | Ohio native | FAC | 6, 8, 9 | In ground |
| Wild ginger | Asarum canadense | Ohio native | FAC | 6, 8, 9 | In ground |
| Wild petunia | Ruellia humilis | Ohio native | FACU | 1, 2 | In ground |
| Wood poppy | Stylophorum diphyllum | Ohio native | FAC | 8, 9 | In ground (8); likely lost (9) |
| Woodland phlox 'May Breeze' | Phlox divaricata 'May Breeze' | Ohio native cultivar | FAC | 2 | In ground |
| Woodland sage 'Caradonna' | Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' | Non-native | - | 1 | In ground |
| Woodland sage 'Marcus' | Salvia nemorosa 'Marcus' | Non-native | - | 2 | In ground |
| Woodland sage 'May Night' | Salvia nemorosa 'May Night' | Non-native | - | 1 | In ground |
| Woodland stonecrop | Sedum ternatum | Ohio native | FACU* | 6, 7, 8 | In ground |
| Yarrow 'New Vintage Red' | Achillea 'New Vintage Red' | Hybrid | - | 8 | In ground |
| Yarrow 'Oertel's Rose' | Achillea millefolium 'Oertel's Rose' | Hybrid | - | 1 | In ground |
| Zigzag goldenrod | Solidago flexicaulis | Ohio native | FACU | 6, 8 | In ground |
Nativity flags
Twelve planted plants fall outside Ohio's native range, and seven are Ohio natives with a caveat worth stating publicly.
Not Ohio native
| Plant | Bed | Native range or issue |
|---|---|---|
| Summersweet 'Ruby Spice' (Clethra alnifolia) | 11 | Atlantic and Gulf coastal plain |
| Short's goldenrod 'Solar Cascade' (Solidago shortii) | 7 | Kentucky and Indiana endemic; federally listed |
| Bluestar 'String Theory' (Amsonia) | 3 | Amsonia hubrichtii lineage; Ouachita Mountains endemic |
| Dwarf blue wild indigo (Baptisia australis var. minor) | 2 | Great Plains variety |
| Sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris) | 1 | Southwest US; long-term swap to native anise hyssop (A. nepetoides) |
| Threadleaf coreopsis 'Zagreb' (Coreopsis verticillata) | 1 | Eastern US outside Ohio |
| Virginia sweetspire 'Scarlet Beauty' (Itea virginica) | 3 | New Jersey to Florida, west to Missouri and Texas |
| Sweet coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) | 7 | Missouri and six states from northern Illinois and Indiana south to Louisiana |
| Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia) | 8 | Appalachian; also still planned for Bed 6 |
| Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) | 7 | Southern US; failed in Bed 8 |
| New York aster 'Wood's Purple' (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii) | 2 | Atlantic coastal; failing, to be replaced |
| Blue sage (Salvia azurea) | 1 | Central and southern prairies |
| Eastern bee balm (Monarda bradburiana) | Planned for 6 and 11 | Ozark and central US; not yet planted |
Native, with a caveat
| Plant | Bed | Caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Hairy alumroot (Heuchera villosa) | 4, 6, 8 | State-endangered in Ohio, where wild plants grow only on rock outcrops |
| Male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) | 9 | Native but rare in Ohio |
| Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) | 2 | Presumed extirpated from Ohio since 2004 |
| Royal catchfly (Silene regia) | 2, 4 | State-threatened in Ohio |
| Bird's-foot violet 'Eco Artist Palette' (Viola pedata) | 1 | Species is state-threatened; this is a cultivar |
| Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) | 8 | State-threatened; native to eastern Ohio |
| Walter's violet 'Silver Gem' (Viola walteri) | 8 | State-threatened in Ohio |
Settled in September: lanceleaf coreopsis, late purple aster and eastern prickly pear are Ohio native with no caveat, and alumroot 'Caramel' is a hybrid with a hairy alumroot parent.
Non-natives kept on purpose
Lenten rose (Helleborus, the only February and March bed forage), August lily (Hosta plantaginea, late-summer bumble bee nectar), lesser calamint (Calamintha), woodland sage (Salvia nemorosa), catmint (Nepeta), cranesbill 'Rozanne' (Geranium), weigela and lungwort (Pulmonaria) hold bloom continuity. Slated to go: bigleaf hydrangea, old-fashioned bleeding heart, sweet woodruff and bugleweed (Ajuga).