Cape Cod Bloom Calendar

Spidery yellow, orange, or red flowers bloom December through March when nothing else dares. Fragrant and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: yellow, orange, red

Spidery yellow, orange, or red flowers bloom December through March when nothing else dares. Fragrant and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: yellow, orange, red

The very first flower of the year on the Cape — small white nodding blooms that push up through late snow, often weeks before crocus or daffodils show any color.

Bloom color: white

Spidery yellow, orange, or red flowers bloom December through March when nothing else dares. Fragrant and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: yellow, orange, red

Native tree with exceptional adaptability — tolerates wet or dry sites. Brilliant red fall color and attractive red flowers in late winter.

Bloom color: red

Nodding flowers open while snow is often still on the ground — the earliest bloom of the year by weeks, on handsome evergreen foliage that holds up all winter.

Bloom color: purple, white, pink

Strappy white flowers open earlier than almost any other tree in New England — often late March — on a small, multi-stemmed tree that fits where a full-size magnolia can't.

Bloom color: white

A four-season tree that peaks twice — brilliant orange-red-purple fall color that often shows every color at once on the same tree, then exfoliating gray-green-cream bark that lights up in winter.

Bloom color: red

Drooping clusters of small white bell flowers open in early spring, and the flower buds themselves — forming all winter — are nearly as ornamental as the bloom. New growth often flushes bright red or bronze.

Bloom color: white

The very first flower of the year on the Cape — small white nodding blooms that push up through late snow, often weeks before crocus or daffodils show any color.

Bloom color: white

Cup-shaped flowers in purple, yellow, or white push through the last of the snow in early spring, often naturalizing right into the lawn if left undisturbed.

Bloom color: purple, yellow, white

The tree behind every postcard October in New England. Slow to start, then a 60-foot canopy that lasts a hundred years.

Bloom color: yellow

An evergreen native groundcover with tiny pink bells in spring and red berries through winter. Loves sandy, lean soil.

Bloom color: pink, white

The classic New England shade carpet. Glossy evergreen rosettes that knit together under maples and oaks within two seasons.

Bloom color: white

A small understory tree that blooms magenta-pink directly on bare branches in late April, before any leaves appear.

Bloom color: pink, magenta

Elegant arching stems of heart-shaped pink or white flowers in spring. Foliage fades in summer — pair with hostas to fill the gap.

Bloom color: pink, white

Hardy native with waxy gray berries beloved by birds. Tolerates salt spray, poor soils, and coastal conditions. Semi-evergreen.

The first sign of spring in New England — bright yellow blooms before the leaves emerge. Fast-growing and very tough.

Bloom color: yellow

A true native with four-season interest: white spring blooms, sweet edible June berries, fiery fall color, and elegant winter bark.

Bloom color: white

Spectacular white or pink bracts in spring, brilliant red fall foliage, and scarlet berries. A beloved ornamental for the understory.

Bloom color: white, pink

Native tree with exceptional adaptability — tolerates wet or dry sites. Brilliant red fall color and attractive red flowers in late winter.

Bloom color: red

A carpet of color in spring — masses of pink, purple, white, or red flowers cover the foliage entirely. Excellent for slopes and rock gardens.

Bloom color: pink, purple, white, red

A true Cape Cod native that thrives in pure sand and salt spray. White spring blossoms give way to wine-purple plums good for jelly by late August.

Bloom color: white

A true native giant — broad-spreading crown, deep tap root, and acorns the wildlife depend on. Grows slowly into a tree that outlives the house it's planted near.

Cinnamon-bronze peeling bark and graceful arching branches. The only birch we plant on Cape Cod — far more heat- and pest-resistant than the white-barked kinds.

Also called musclewood for its smooth, sinewy gray bark. A small native understory tree that tolerates deep shade where almost nothing else grows.

Delicate nodding flowers of red and gold dangle from airy stems in April and May, a full month before most perennials wake up. One of the most reliable early-season hummingbirds plants in New England.

Bloom color: red, yellow

Bottlebrush white flowers in spring before the leaves, then some of the best fall color of any small shrub — orange, red, and yellow often on the same branch.

Bloom color: white

The cold-hardiest rhododendron for New England — small evergreen leaves that turn plum-purple in winter, then a haze of lavender-pink flowers in April before most shrubs have leafed out.

Bloom color: lavender

Nodding flowers open while snow is often still on the ground — the earliest bloom of the year by weeks, on handsome evergreen foliage that holds up all winter.

Bloom color: purple, white, pink

Strappy white flowers open earlier than almost any other tree in New England — often late March — on a small, multi-stemmed tree that fits where a full-size magnolia can't.

Bloom color: white

The most reliable spring bulb we plant — comes back and multiplies for decades with zero care, and deer and rodents won't touch the toxic bulbs.

Bloom color: yellow, white

The classic white-barked birch of New England postcards — papery, peeling white bark that gets more striking every year, with brilliant yellow fall color.

Drooping clusters of small white bell flowers open in early spring, and the flower buds themselves — forming all winter — are nearly as ornamental as the bloom. New growth often flushes bright red or bronze.

Bloom color: white

Delicate spurred flowers hover over heart-shaped leaves in spring — one of the few groundcovers that's both genuinely drought-tolerant and happy in dry shade, a notoriously difficult combination.

Bloom color: pink, yellow, white

Glossy evergreen groundcover with periwinkle-blue flowers in spring, spreading into a dense weed-proof carpet under trees where grass won't grow.

Bloom color: purple

Heart-shaped leaves form a dense, low carpet in deep shade — the small maroon flowers hide right at soil level, pollinated by ground-crawling insects instead of bees.

Bloom color: purple

Dense spikes of tiny cobalt-blue bells in April, planted in drifts under trees or along a border edge — small but unmissable when massed together.

Bloom color: blue

Massachusetts' state flower. Glossy evergreen leaves and impossibly intricate pink-and-white blooms in late spring.

Bloom color: pink, white

An evergreen native groundcover with tiny pink bells in spring and red berries through winter. Loves sandy, lean soil.

Bloom color: pink, white

Elegant arching stems of heart-shaped pink or white flowers in spring. Foliage fades in summer — pair with hostas to fill the gap.

Bloom color: pink, white

Dense, mounding shrub with clusters of pink or white flowers in early summer. Tough, adaptable, and very long-lived.

Bloom color: pink, white

Native evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and small black berries. Excellent for wet or poorly drained spots where other shrubs fail.

Bloom color: white

Hardy native with waxy gray berries beloved by birds. Tolerates salt spray, poor soils, and coastal conditions. Semi-evergreen.

A New England classic with intensely fragrant purple, pink, or white blooms in May. Extremely cold-hardy and can live for generations.

Bloom color: purple, pink, white

Native shrubs with clusters of white flowers, attractive berries, and great fall color. Essential for wildlife — birds love the berries.

Bloom color: white

Spectacular white or pink bracts in spring, brilliant red fall foliage, and scarlet berries. A beloved ornamental for the understory.

Bloom color: white, pink

A carpet of color in spring — masses of pink, purple, white, or red flowers cover the foliage entirely. Excellent for slopes and rock gardens.

Bloom color: pink, purple, white, red

Fast-spreading with dark bronze or green leaves and spikes of deep blue flowers in spring. Excellent under trees and along shaded borders.

Bloom color: blue

A true Cape Cod native that thrives in pure sand and salt spray. White spring blossoms give way to wine-purple plums good for jelly by late August.

Bloom color: white

Native shrub with sweet summer berries, fiery crimson fall foliage, and red-tinged winter twigs. A four-season plant that happens to feed you in July.

Bloom color: white

A slow-growing native evergreen with classic spiny leaves and bright red berries from fall through winter. Grows pyramidal to 30 feet over decades.

Bloom color: white

A true native giant — broad-spreading crown, deep tap root, and acorns the wildlife depend on. Grows slowly into a tree that outlives the house it's planted near.

Also called musclewood for its smooth, sinewy gray bark. A small native understory tree that tolerates deep shade where almost nothing else grows.

A native woodland perennial with airy pink-lavender flowers in May and deeply lobed leaves that turn russet in fall. Quietly forms colonies over time.

Bloom color: pink, lavender

Native two-foot cousin of the highbush blueberry. Tiny sweet berries in July and screaming-red fall color, spreading slowly over sandy ground.

Bloom color: white

Indigo-blue lupine-like flower spikes in late spring on a long-lived native that builds into a substantial shrub-like clump. Drought-tough once established.

Bloom color: blue, purple

Tight grass-like mounds topped with cheerful pink pompom flowers from May into June. One of the few perennials that truly thrives in pure sand right at the coast.

Bloom color: pink

Graceful arching evergreen shrub with glossy leaves that turn bronze-purple through winter. One of the best choices for deep dry shade under pines and oaks.

Bloom color: white

A miniature native dogwood that carpets the forest floor with white four-petaled flowers in spring, then bright red berries through fall. One of the most beautiful groundcovers in a New England shade garden.

Bloom color: white

Delicate nodding flowers of red and gold dangle from airy stems in April and May, a full month before most perennials wake up. One of the most reliable early-season hummingbirds plants in New England.

Bloom color: red, yellow

A native woodland groundcover that carpets the shade with feathery white flower spikes in May, above lobed green leaves that bronze attractively through fall. Spreads steadily without becoming invasive.

Bloom color: white

A tough native shrub with clusters of white-pink spring flowers, peeling cinnamon bark for winter interest, and cultivars bred for burgundy or gold foliage all season.

Bloom color: white, pink

Trumpet-shaped pink or red flowers smother the branches in late spring, drawing hummingbirds before most other shrubs have started blooming.

Bloom color: pink, red

A compact lilac that fits where the full-size classic can't — same fragrant lavender blooms in May on a dense, rounded shrub half the size.

Bloom color: lavender

Bottlebrush white flowers in spring before the leaves, then some of the best fall color of any small shrub — orange, red, and yellow often on the same branch.

Bloom color: white

Drooping white flower spikes in early summer, fragrant enough to notice from the driveway, followed by burgundy-red fall foliage that hangs on late into the season.

Bloom color: white

Unremarkable green through summer, then the leaves drop to reveal blood-red stems that light up the winter landscape against snow — one of the few plants that peaks in February.

Bloom color: white

Grass-like blue-silver foliage forms a tight evergreen mat, topped with clove-scented magenta flowers in late spring. A Perennial Plant of the Year for good reason.

Bloom color: magenta

A fast-spreading shade groundcover with whorled leaves and tiny white spring flowers — the foliage smells like fresh-cut hay when crushed or dried.

Bloom color: white

Dense spikes of deep violet-blue flowers held well above aromatic foliage — one of the earliest and longest-blooming perennials in the border, especially if you deadhead.

Bloom color: purple

Perfectly round purple flower globes on tall, leafless stems in late spring — one of the most architectural, unmistakable plants in a border, and deer and rodents leave the bulbs alone.

Bloom color: purple

Clusters of pale blue star-shaped flowers in late spring, but the real payoff is fall — the fine, willowy foliage turns a solid, glowing gold that rivals any shrub.

Bloom color: blue

Grassy clumps topped with elegant blue-purple flowers in early summer — tougher and far less fussy than bearded iris, and equally at home in a border or a damp low spot.

Bloom color: blue, purple

A cloud of pink or white blossoms for two weeks every May, followed by small persistent fruit that feeds birds well into winter. Look for a disease-resistant variety and skip the mess of old-fashioned types.

Bloom color: pink, white

One of the very first trees to turn in fall, and arguably the best — glossy leaves go scarlet-orange-purple weeks before the maples, on a tree equally happy in a wet low spot or average soil.

Bred in Minnesota for cold-hardiness most azaleas can't survive — clusters of fragrant pink-to-purple flowers in May on a shrub that shrugs off a Cape Cod winter without complaint.

Bloom color: pink, purple

A hybrid holly bred for cold hardiness, with glossy blue-green spiny leaves and heavy red berry set — one of the best broadleaf evergreens for a hedge or foundation planting on the Cape.

Bloom color: white

A native shrub that does it all — white spring flowers, jet-black berries prized for jam and by birds, and fall color that runs deep red to purple.

Bloom color: white

The well-behaved native alternative to Asian wisteria — same fragrant purple flower clusters, but far less aggressive and it actually blooms reliably without decades of waiting.

Bloom color: purple

A native, non-invasive vine with tubular red-orange flowers hummingbirds find from across the yard — nothing like the aggressive, weedy Japanese honeysuckle it's often confused with.

Bloom color: red, orange

Delicate spurred flowers hover over heart-shaped leaves in spring — one of the few groundcovers that's both genuinely drought-tolerant and happy in dry shade, a notoriously difficult combination.

Bloom color: pink, yellow, white

Glossy evergreen groundcover with periwinkle-blue flowers in spring, spreading into a dense weed-proof carpet under trees where grass won't grow.

Bloom color: purple

A true Cape Cod dune native — moss-like evergreen foliage that turns bronze in winter, with small yellow flowers in late spring. Built for pure sand and constant wind.

Bloom color: yellow

Enormous, often fragrant blooms for two spectacular weeks in late spring, on a plant that can genuinely outlive the person who planted it — some peonies bloom for over fifty years.

Bloom color: pink, white, red

Tall spikes of pea-like flowers in early summer, in a mix of purples, pinks, and blues — the plant behind the famous roadside lupine displays across New England every June.

Bloom color: purple, pink, blue

Tubular white flowers on wiry stems in early summer — an unfussy native perennial that tolerates lean, dry soil most border perennials would sulk in.

Bloom color: white

Bold, blue-gray wavy foliage and clouds of tiny white flowers on a true coastal plant — bred from a wild seaside vegetable and built to handle direct salt spray and pure sand.

Bloom color: white

Massachusetts' state flower. Glossy evergreen leaves and impossibly intricate pink-and-white blooms in late spring.

Bloom color: pink, white

Dinner-plate white blooms from June through frost on a tough, native shrub. Forgiving and reliable in shadier yards.

Bloom color: white

Tough, deer-resistant native with rosy-purple blooms all summer. Attracts butterflies, bees, and birds. Long-lived and very forgiving.

Bloom color: purple, pink

Lavender-blue flowers from June into fall, with fragrant gray-green foliage. Incredibly tough, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

Feathery plumes in white, pink, red, and purple bloom in early summer. Thrives in consistently moist soil in dappled light.

Bloom color: white, pink, red, purple

Stiffly upright feathery plumes from June through winter. One of the most versatile and reliable ornamental grasses for New England.

Bloom color: tan, gold

Dense, mounding shrub with clusters of pink or white flowers in early summer. Tough, adaptable, and very long-lived.

Bloom color: pink, white

Native evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and small black berries. Excellent for wet or poorly drained spots where other shrubs fail.

Bloom color: white

Native shrubs with clusters of white flowers, attractive berries, and great fall color. Essential for wildlife — birds love the berries.

Bloom color: white

A deciduous native holly that drops its leaves to reveal stems studded with scarlet berries from October through February. The single best winter color we plant.

Bloom color: white

A slow-growing native evergreen with classic spiny leaves and bright red berries from fall through winter. Grows pyramidal to 30 feet over decades.

Bloom color: white

Brilliant orange flower clusters from June through August on a tough native that thrives in the worst sandy Cape Cod soils. The monarch butterfly's preferred milkweed.

Bloom color: orange

Indigo-blue lupine-like flower spikes in late spring on a long-lived native that builds into a substantial shrub-like clump. Drought-tough once established.

Bloom color: blue, purple

Tight grass-like mounds topped with cheerful pink pompom flowers from May into June. One of the few perennials that truly thrives in pure sand right at the coast.

Bloom color: pink

Fragrant magenta-pink flowers from June through fall, followed by large orange-red hips that last through winter. Thrives in pure sand and salt spray — practically the symbol of Cape Cod.

Bloom color: magenta, pink

A miniature native dogwood that carpets the forest floor with white four-petaled flowers in spring, then bright red berries through fall. One of the most beautiful groundcovers in a New England shade garden.

Bloom color: white

A fragrant, mat-forming groundcover that turns into a carpet of tiny purple-pink flowers in early summer. Tough enough to walk on occasionally, and bees love it.

Bloom color: purple, pink

Flat clusters of tiny white flowers on ferny, aromatic foliage from early summer through fall. About as tough as a perennial gets — thrives in the leanest, sandiest soil on the property.

Bloom color: white

A tough native shrub with clusters of white-pink spring flowers, peeling cinnamon bark for winter interest, and cultivars bred for burgundy or gold foliage all season.

Bloom color: white, pink

Trumpet-shaped pink or red flowers smother the branches in late spring, drawing hummingbirds before most other shrubs have started blooming.

Bloom color: pink, red

Drooping white flower spikes in early summer, fragrant enough to notice from the driveway, followed by burgundy-red fall foliage that hangs on late into the season.

Bloom color: white

Oak-shaped leaves turn deep burgundy in fall, cone-shaped white blooms age to pink through summer, and cinnamon peeling bark carries winter interest — four seasons of change from one shrub.

Bloom color: white

Unremarkable green through summer, then the leaves drop to reveal blood-red stems that light up the winter landscape against snow — one of the few plants that peaks in February.

Bloom color: white

Thick, velvety silver leaves kids and adults both can't help touching — spreads into a soft-textured groundcover that reads as almost white from a distance.

Bloom color: purple

Grass-like blue-silver foliage forms a tight evergreen mat, topped with clove-scented magenta flowers in late spring. A Perennial Plant of the Year for good reason.

Bloom color: magenta

Grown mostly for foliage — deep burgundy-purple maple-like leaves that hold color all season, with airy sprays of small flowers rising above on thin stems in early summer.

Bloom color: white, pink

A rare native magnolia this far north — lemon-scented white flowers all summer, silvery leaf undersides that flash in the wind, and one of the few magnolias that's genuinely happy with wet feet.

Bloom color: white

Steel-blue needle-like blades form a tidy, spiky mound year-round — one of the few grasses that holds strong color and shape through a mild Cape winter.

Bloom color: tan

A small, spiky mound of intense powder-blue foliage — reads almost artificial it's so uniformly colored, and stays neat without ever needing to be cut back hard.

Bloom color: tan

Classic white daisies with bright yellow centers on sturdy stems all summer — the plant most people picture when they think of a cottage-garden perennial border.

Bloom color: white

Dense spikes of deep violet-blue flowers held well above aromatic foliage — one of the earliest and longest-blooming perennials in the border, especially if you deadhead.

Bloom color: purple

Red-and-yellow daisy-like blooms nonstop from June through frost, on a tough, sprawling plant that genuinely prefers poor, sandy soil to rich garden beds.

Bloom color: red, orange, yellow

Fine, threadlike foliage disappears under a cloud of pale yellow flowers for most of the summer — one of the most reliable long-blooming perennials we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Sprawling, mounding perennial that blooms almost nonstop from June to frost — true violet-blue flowers, unusual for how long a single plant stays in bloom.

Bloom color: blue, purple

Perfectly round purple flower globes on tall, leafless stems in late spring — one of the most architectural, unmistakable plants in a border, and deer and rodents leave the bulbs alone.

Bloom color: purple

Grassy clumps topped with elegant blue-purple flowers in early summer — tougher and far less fussy than bearded iris, and equally at home in a border or a damp low spot.

Bloom color: blue, purple

Blooms a full month later than our native flowering dogwood, with pointed white bracts that sit on top of the foliage instead of underneath, plus raspberry-like fruit and mottled camouflage bark in winter.

Bloom color: white

One of the very first trees to turn in fall, and arguably the best — glossy leaves go scarlet-orange-purple weeks before the maples, on a tree equally happy in a wet low spot or average soil.

A tough, twiggy shrub that blooms almost continuously from June through frost — small buttercup-yellow flowers over fine-textured foliage, with essentially no pest or disease problems.

Bloom color: yellow

A true clinging vine for shade — lacy white flower clusters in early summer against glossy dark foliage, self-attaching to brick or wood without any support needed.

Bloom color: white

The well-behaved native alternative to Asian wisteria — same fragrant purple flower clusters, but far less aggressive and it actually blooms reliably without decades of waiting.

Bloom color: purple

A native, non-invasive vine with tubular red-orange flowers hummingbirds find from across the yard — nothing like the aggressive, weedy Japanese honeysuckle it's often confused with.

Bloom color: red, orange

A true Cape Cod dune native — moss-like evergreen foliage that turns bronze in winter, with small yellow flowers in late spring. Built for pure sand and constant wind.

Bloom color: yellow

Enormous, often fragrant blooms for two spectacular weeks in late spring, on a plant that can genuinely outlive the person who planted it — some peonies bloom for over fifty years.

Bloom color: pink, white, red

Tall spikes of pea-like flowers in early summer, in a mix of purples, pinks, and blues — the plant behind the famous roadside lupine displays across New England every June.

Bloom color: purple, pink, blue

Tubular white flowers on wiry stems in early summer — an unfussy native perennial that tolerates lean, dry soil most border perennials would sulk in.

Bloom color: white

Bold, blue-gray wavy foliage and clouds of tiny white flowers on a true coastal plant — bred from a wild seaside vegetable and built to handle direct salt spray and pure sand.

Bloom color: white

Dinner-plate white blooms from June through frost on a tough, native shrub. Forgiving and reliable in shadier yards.

Bloom color: white

Golden-yellow daisies on stiff stems from July to first frost. As close to a no-fail perennial as we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Chartreuse leaves the size of dinner plates that brighten the darkest corners of a yard. The tougher the shade, the better.

Bloom color: lavender

Tough, deer-resistant native with rosy-purple blooms all summer. Attracts butterflies, bees, and birds. Long-lived and very forgiving.

Bloom color: purple, pink

Lavender-blue flowers from June into fall, with fragrant gray-green foliage. Incredibly tough, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

Airy silver-white stems studded with lavender-blue flowers from midsummer through fall. Extremely drought and deer tolerant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

Feathery plumes in white, pink, red, and purple bloom in early summer. Thrives in consistently moist soil in dappled light.

Bloom color: white, pink, red, purple

Native wildflower with shaggy red, pink, or lavender blooms beloved by hummingbirds. Spreads vigorously in rich, moist soil.

Bloom color: red, pink, lavender

Stiffly upright feathery plumes from June through winter. One of the most versatile and reliable ornamental grasses for New England.

Bloom color: tan, gold

The most reliably cold-hardy hydrangea for New England. White cone-shaped flowers age to pink, then papery tan by fall.

Bloom color: white, pink

Native to coastal woodlands with bottlebrush spikes of white flowers in midsummer. The fragrance carries thirty feet on a warm August evening.

Bloom color: white

Brilliant orange flower clusters from June through August on a tough native that thrives in the worst sandy Cape Cod soils. The monarch butterfly's preferred milkweed.

Bloom color: orange

Spiky steel-blue bracts and stems that look almost metallic from July into fall. Thrives in poor, sandy, dry soil where most plants struggle — built for Cape Cod.

Bloom color: blue

Fragrant magenta-pink flowers from June through fall, followed by large orange-red hips that last through winter. Thrives in pure sand and salt spray — practically the symbol of Cape Cod.

Bloom color: magenta, pink

A tall native statement plant with domed clusters of dusty pink-purple flowers from July through September, beloved by monarchs and swallowtails. The coastal plain species native to Cape Cod, adapted to the low wet spots every Cape property seems to have.

Bloom color: pink, purple

Silvery-topped leaves and small white blooms from July through September attract more pollinators per square foot than almost anything else we plant. Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and nearly indestructible.

Bloom color: white

Tall upright spikes of bright magenta-purple flowers that bloom top-to-bottom from July into September. A native prairie plant that thrives in dry, sandy Cape Cod soil and draws monarchs and bumblebees in numbers.

Bloom color: magenta, purple

A fragrant, mat-forming groundcover that turns into a carpet of tiny purple-pink flowers in early summer. Tough enough to walk on occasionally, and bees love it.

Bloom color: purple, pink

Flat clusters of tiny white flowers on ferny, aromatic foliage from early summer through fall. About as tough as a perennial gets — thrives in the leanest, sandiest soil on the property.

Bloom color: white

Grown for one thing: neon-purple berry clusters that wrap the stems in September and October, unlike anything else in a New England garden. Airy, arching habit the rest of the year.

Bloom color: pink

Oak-shaped leaves turn deep burgundy in fall, cone-shaped white blooms age to pink through summer, and cinnamon peeling bark carries winter interest — four seasons of change from one shrub.

Bloom color: white

A succulent groundcover that spreads into a thick, weed-smothering mat — star-shaped pink flowers in midsummer over fleshy, often burgundy-tinged foliage.

Bloom color: pink

Thick, velvety silver leaves kids and adults both can't help touching — spreads into a soft-textured groundcover that reads as almost white from a distance.

Bloom color: purple

Grown mostly for foliage — deep burgundy-purple maple-like leaves that hold color all season, with airy sprays of small flowers rising above on thin stems in early summer.

Bloom color: white, pink

A rare native magnolia this far north — lemon-scented white flowers all summer, silvery leaf undersides that flash in the wind, and one of the few magnolias that's genuinely happy with wet feet.

Bloom color: white

Steel-blue needle-like blades form a tidy, spiky mound year-round — one of the few grasses that holds strong color and shape through a mild Cape winter.

Bloom color: tan

Classic white daisies with bright yellow centers on sturdy stems all summer — the plant most people picture when they think of a cottage-garden perennial border.

Bloom color: white

Dense spikes of deep violet-blue flowers held well above aromatic foliage — one of the earliest and longest-blooming perennials in the border, especially if you deadhead.

Bloom color: purple

Anise-scented foliage and tall lavender-purple flower spikes that pollinators — especially bees — swarm from midsummer into fall.

Bloom color: purple

Red-and-yellow daisy-like blooms nonstop from June through frost, on a tough, sprawling plant that genuinely prefers poor, sandy soil to rich garden beds.

Bloom color: red, orange, yellow

Fine, threadlike foliage disappears under a cloud of pale yellow flowers for most of the summer — one of the most reliable long-blooming perennials we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Sprawling, mounding perennial that blooms almost nonstop from June to frost — true violet-blue flowers, unusual for how long a single plant stays in bloom.

Bloom color: blue, purple

A tough, twiggy shrub that blooms almost continuously from June through frost — small buttercup-yellow flowers over fine-textured foliage, with essentially no pest or disease problems.

Bloom color: yellow

Big hibiscus-like flowers from midsummer through early fall, right when most flowering shrubs have finished for the year — one of the last hardy shrubs still blooming heavily in September.

Bloom color: pink, purple, white

A true clinging vine for shade — lacy white flower clusters in early summer against glossy dark foliage, self-attaching to brick or wood without any support needed.

Bloom color: white

A native, non-invasive vine with tubular red-orange flowers hummingbirds find from across the yard — nothing like the aggressive, weedy Japanese honeysuckle it's often confused with.

Bloom color: red, orange

Dramatic white bottlebrush flower spikes rise well above the foliage in mid-to-late summer, with a faint sweet fragrance that draws in moths and bees at dusk.

Bloom color: white

Narrow white flower spikes branch out like a candelabra above whorled foliage — one of the most architectural native perennials, and a magnet for pollinators of every kind.

Bloom color: white

Soft, arching bottlebrush plumes rise above the foliage from midsummer through fall, moving with every breeze — one of the most graceful grasses for a border or container.

Bloom color: tan

Dinner-plate white blooms from June through frost on a tough, native shrub. Forgiving and reliable in shadier yards.

Bloom color: white

Golden-yellow daisies on stiff stems from July to first frost. As close to a no-fail perennial as we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Chartreuse leaves the size of dinner plates that brighten the darkest corners of a yard. The tougher the shade, the better.

Bloom color: lavender

Tough, deer-resistant native with rosy-purple blooms all summer. Attracts butterflies, bees, and birds. Long-lived and very forgiving.

Bloom color: purple, pink

Lavender-blue flowers from June into fall, with fragrant gray-green foliage. Incredibly tough, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

Airy silver-white stems studded with lavender-blue flowers from midsummer through fall. Extremely drought and deer tolerant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

Native wildflower with shaggy red, pink, or lavender blooms beloved by hummingbirds. Spreads vigorously in rich, moist soil.

Bloom color: red, pink, lavender

Stiffly upright feathery plumes from June through winter. One of the most versatile and reliable ornamental grasses for New England.

Bloom color: tan, gold

The most reliably cold-hardy hydrangea for New England. White cone-shaped flowers age to pink, then papery tan by fall.

Bloom color: white, pink

Native to coastal woodlands with bottlebrush spikes of white flowers in midsummer. The fragrance carries thirty feet on a warm August evening.

Bloom color: white

Native prairie grass with upright blue-green blades that turn deep burgundy in fall. Airy pink flower panicles hover above the foliage from August on.

Bloom color: pink, tan

Native wildflower with three-foot spikes of intense scarlet blooms in August. The single best plant we install for attracting ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Bloom color: red

Brilliant orange flower clusters from June through August on a tough native that thrives in the worst sandy Cape Cod soils. The monarch butterfly's preferred milkweed.

Bloom color: orange

A misunderstood New England native that lights up the late-summer garden with arching plumes of golden-yellow flowers. Pollinators swarm it from August through October.

Bloom color: yellow

Spiky steel-blue bracts and stems that look almost metallic from July into fall. Thrives in poor, sandy, dry soil where most plants struggle — built for Cape Cod.

Bloom color: blue

Fragrant magenta-pink flowers from June through fall, followed by large orange-red hips that last through winter. Thrives in pure sand and salt spray — practically the symbol of Cape Cod.

Bloom color: magenta, pink

A tall native statement plant with domed clusters of dusty pink-purple flowers from July through September, beloved by monarchs and swallowtails. The coastal plain species native to Cape Cod, adapted to the low wet spots every Cape property seems to have.

Bloom color: pink, purple

Silvery-topped leaves and small white blooms from July through September attract more pollinators per square foot than almost anything else we plant. Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and nearly indestructible.

Bloom color: white

Tall upright spikes of bright magenta-purple flowers that bloom top-to-bottom from July into September. A native prairie plant that thrives in dry, sandy Cape Cod soil and draws monarchs and bumblebees in numbers.

Bloom color: magenta, purple

The true dune goldenrod — thicker, glossier leaves than its inland cousin, built to take direct salt spray right at the water's edge. Blooms later and holds up better in wind than regular goldenrod.

Bloom color: yellow

Flat clusters of tiny white flowers on ferny, aromatic foliage from early summer through fall. About as tough as a perennial gets — thrives in the leanest, sandiest soil on the property.

Bloom color: white

Grown for one thing: neon-purple berry clusters that wrap the stems in September and October, unlike anything else in a New England garden. Airy, arching habit the rest of the year.

Bloom color: pink

Oak-shaped leaves turn deep burgundy in fall, cone-shaped white blooms age to pink through summer, and cinnamon peeling bark carries winter interest — four seasons of change from one shrub.

Bloom color: white

A succulent groundcover that spreads into a thick, weed-smothering mat — star-shaped pink flowers in midsummer over fleshy, often burgundy-tinged foliage.

Bloom color: pink

One of the only ornamental grasses that actually thrives in shade — flat, bamboo-like leaves and dangling oat-shaped seed heads that rattle in the wind and persist into winter.

Bloom color: tan

Broccoli-like flower heads open pale pink in late summer and deepen to rust-red by fall, then dry to a warm brown that stands through winter snow.

Bloom color: pink

Classic white daisies with bright yellow centers on sturdy stems all summer — the plant most people picture when they think of a cottage-garden perennial border.

Bloom color: white

Anise-scented foliage and tall lavender-purple flower spikes that pollinators — especially bees — swarm from midsummer into fall.

Bloom color: purple

Red-and-yellow daisy-like blooms nonstop from June through frost, on a tough, sprawling plant that genuinely prefers poor, sandy soil to rich garden beds.

Bloom color: red, orange, yellow

Fine, threadlike foliage disappears under a cloud of pale yellow flowers for most of the summer — one of the most reliable long-blooming perennials we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Sprawling, mounding perennial that blooms almost nonstop from June to frost — true violet-blue flowers, unusual for how long a single plant stays in bloom.

Bloom color: blue, purple

A tough, twiggy shrub that blooms almost continuously from June through frost — small buttercup-yellow flowers over fine-textured foliage, with essentially no pest or disease problems.

Bloom color: yellow

A late-summer standout — hazy blue flowers cover the whole shrub in August and September, right when the rest of the border is winding down, and bees cover it in turn.

Bloom color: blue

Big hibiscus-like flowers from midsummer through early fall, right when most flowering shrubs have finished for the year — one of the last hardy shrubs still blooming heavily in September.

Bloom color: pink, purple, white

Grassy evergreen clumps topped with spikes of purple flowers in late summer, followed by black berries — an easy, tidy edging plant that stays neat with almost no attention.

Bloom color: purple

Odd, snapdragon-like flowers that genuinely resemble a turtle's head open in late summer on a native wetland plant equally happy in a damp shade garden.

Bloom color: pink, white

Dramatic white bottlebrush flower spikes rise well above the foliage in mid-to-late summer, with a faint sweet fragrance that draws in moths and bees at dusk.

Bloom color: white

Clusters of deep magenta-purple flowers top tall, sturdy stems in late summer — a native prairie perennial that monarchs and other butterflies mob right before migration.

Bloom color: purple

Narrow white flower spikes branch out like a candelabra above whorled foliage — one of the most architectural native perennials, and a magnet for pollinators of every kind.

Bloom color: white

Spikes of pink snapdragon-like flowers in late summer, named for the odd trait that each flower stays put when pushed to one side — a fun trick, but the plant itself spreads readily.

Bloom color: pink

Fine, fountain-like blades form a perfect mound, with airy seed heads in late summer that smell faintly of buttered popcorn or cilantro depending who you ask.

Bloom color: tan

Soft, arching bottlebrush plumes rise above the foliage from midsummer through fall, moving with every breeze — one of the most graceful grasses for a border or container.

Bloom color: tan

A tall native prairie grass with blue-green summer foliage that turns burnished orange-gold in fall, topped with feathery golden seed plumes that catch the low autumn light.

Bloom color: gold

A hardy native that closes out the season with violet-blue blooms, drawing the last of the bumblebees through October.

Bloom color: purple

Dinner-plate white blooms from June through frost on a tough, native shrub. Forgiving and reliable in shadier yards.

Bloom color: white

Golden-yellow daisies on stiff stems from July to first frost. As close to a no-fail perennial as we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Tough, deer-resistant native with rosy-purple blooms all summer. Attracts butterflies, bees, and birds. Long-lived and very forgiving.

Bloom color: purple, pink

Lavender-blue flowers from June into fall, with fragrant gray-green foliage. Incredibly tough, drought-tolerant, and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

Airy silver-white stems studded with lavender-blue flowers from midsummer through fall. Extremely drought and deer tolerant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

The most reliably cold-hardy hydrangea for New England. White cone-shaped flowers age to pink, then papery tan by fall.

Bloom color: white, pink

Native prairie grass with upright blue-green blades that turn deep burgundy in fall. Airy pink flower panicles hover above the foliage from August on.

Bloom color: pink, tan

A misunderstood New England native that lights up the late-summer garden with arching plumes of golden-yellow flowers. Pollinators swarm it from August through October.

Bloom color: yellow

Spiky steel-blue bracts and stems that look almost metallic from July into fall. Thrives in poor, sandy, dry soil where most plants struggle — built for Cape Cod.

Bloom color: blue

Fragrant magenta-pink flowers from June through fall, followed by large orange-red hips that last through winter. Thrives in pure sand and salt spray — practically the symbol of Cape Cod.

Bloom color: magenta, pink

A tall native statement plant with domed clusters of dusty pink-purple flowers from July through September, beloved by monarchs and swallowtails. The coastal plain species native to Cape Cod, adapted to the low wet spots every Cape property seems to have.

Bloom color: pink, purple

Silvery-topped leaves and small white blooms from July through September attract more pollinators per square foot than almost anything else we plant. Drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and nearly indestructible.

Bloom color: white

Tall upright spikes of bright magenta-purple flowers that bloom top-to-bottom from July into September. A native prairie plant that thrives in dry, sandy Cape Cod soil and draws monarchs and bumblebees in numbers.

Bloom color: magenta, purple

The true dune goldenrod — thicker, glossier leaves than its inland cousin, built to take direct salt spray right at the water's edge. Blooms later and holds up better in wind than regular goldenrod.

Bloom color: yellow

One of the only ornamental grasses that actually thrives in shade — flat, bamboo-like leaves and dangling oat-shaped seed heads that rattle in the wind and persist into winter.

Bloom color: tan

A haze of cotton-candy pink erupts over the foliage for a few weeks every October — one of the most dramatic fall moments any grass can deliver.

Bloom color: pink

Broccoli-like flower heads open pale pink in late summer and deepen to rust-red by fall, then dry to a warm brown that stands through winter snow.

Bloom color: pink

Anise-scented foliage and tall lavender-purple flower spikes that pollinators — especially bees — swarm from midsummer into fall.

Bloom color: purple

Red-and-yellow daisy-like blooms nonstop from June through frost, on a tough, sprawling plant that genuinely prefers poor, sandy soil to rich garden beds.

Bloom color: red, orange, yellow

Sprawling, mounding perennial that blooms almost nonstop from June to frost — true violet-blue flowers, unusual for how long a single plant stays in bloom.

Bloom color: blue, purple

A tough, twiggy shrub that blooms almost continuously from June through frost — small buttercup-yellow flowers over fine-textured foliage, with essentially no pest or disease problems.

Bloom color: yellow

A late-summer standout — hazy blue flowers cover the whole shrub in August and September, right when the rest of the border is winding down, and bees cover it in turn.

Bloom color: blue

Big hibiscus-like flowers from midsummer through early fall, right when most flowering shrubs have finished for the year — one of the last hardy shrubs still blooming heavily in September.

Bloom color: pink, purple, white

Grassy evergreen clumps topped with spikes of purple flowers in late summer, followed by black berries — an easy, tidy edging plant that stays neat with almost no attention.

Bloom color: purple

Odd, snapdragon-like flowers that genuinely resemble a turtle's head open in late summer on a native wetland plant equally happy in a damp shade garden.

Bloom color: pink, white

Clusters of deep magenta-purple flowers top tall, sturdy stems in late summer — a native prairie perennial that monarchs and other butterflies mob right before migration.

Bloom color: purple

Spikes of pink snapdragon-like flowers in late summer, named for the odd trait that each flower stays put when pushed to one side — a fun trick, but the plant itself spreads readily.

Bloom color: pink

Elegant pink or white flowers on wiry stems from September into October, right when most of the garden is winding down — one of the best true fall-blooming perennials.

Bloom color: pink, white

Fine, fountain-like blades form a perfect mound, with airy seed heads in late summer that smell faintly of buttered popcorn or cilantro depending who you ask.

Bloom color: tan

Soft, arching bottlebrush plumes rise above the foliage from midsummer through fall, moving with every breeze — one of the most graceful grasses for a border or container.

Bloom color: tan

A tall native prairie grass with blue-green summer foliage that turns burnished orange-gold in fall, topped with feathery golden seed plumes that catch the low autumn light.

Bloom color: gold

A hardy native that closes out the season with violet-blue blooms, drawing the last of the bumblebees through October.

Bloom color: purple

Golden-yellow daisies on stiff stems from July to first frost. As close to a no-fail perennial as we plant.

Bloom color: yellow

Airy silver-white stems studded with lavender-blue flowers from midsummer through fall. Extremely drought and deer tolerant.

Bloom color: lavender, blue

A tough salt-spray survivor with clean white daisy flowers and glossy dark leaves that blooms October into November when almost nothing else does. The unofficial flower of the Outer Cape.

Bloom color: white

A misunderstood New England native that lights up the late-summer garden with arching plumes of golden-yellow flowers. Pollinators swarm it from August through October.

Bloom color: yellow

The true dune goldenrod — thicker, glossier leaves than its inland cousin, built to take direct salt spray right at the water's edge. Blooms later and holds up better in wind than regular goldenrod.

Bloom color: yellow

A haze of cotton-candy pink erupts over the foliage for a few weeks every October — one of the most dramatic fall moments any grass can deliver.

Bloom color: pink

Broccoli-like flower heads open pale pink in late summer and deepen to rust-red by fall, then dry to a warm brown that stands through winter snow.

Bloom color: pink

Elegant pink or white flowers on wiry stems from September into October, right when most of the garden is winding down — one of the best true fall-blooming perennials.

Bloom color: pink, white

A tough salt-spray survivor with clean white daisy flowers and glossy dark leaves that blooms October into November when almost nothing else does. The unofficial flower of the Outer Cape.

Bloom color: white

Spidery yellow, orange, or red flowers bloom December through March when nothing else dares. Fragrant and deer-resistant.

Bloom color: yellow, orange, red

A native prairie grass that turns copper-orange in fall and holds its color all winter against the snow.

Silvery, burgundy-flushed fronds add unexpected color to shaded spots. One of the most striking foliage plants for New England shade.

A native shade sedge with fine, arching green blades that form a soft lawn-like carpet under trees. Slowly spreads to fill in over a few seasons.

Cascading chartreuse blades that look like a small green waterfall pouring out of the ground. The most graceful shade grass we install.

The defining tree of the Cape Cod landscape — rugged, wind-sculpted, and perfectly adapted to pure sand and salt air. Slow-growing and long-lived beyond anything we plant.

A native evergreen that handles salt spray, dry sandy soil, and coastal wind without complaint. The classic windbreak tree for exposed Cape Cod properties, with attractive blue-gray berries in fall.

The grass that builds dunes. Deep, spreading rhizomes hold pure sand in place against wind and wave better than anything else we plant — this is what's growing on every healthy dune from here to Provincetown.

The classic formal hedge and foundation shrub — dense, fine-textured evergreen that shears into crisp lines or stays loose and rounded. Slow-growing, which means it holds whatever shape you give it.

The classic New England privacy hedge — dense evergreen columns that block a view or a wind year-round. Fast-growing for a conifer, which is exactly why it's so widely planted.

Silvery-blue evergreen needles on a low, mounding conifer that holds its color all winter. One of the toughest groundcovers we plant on exposed, sandy sites.

A true native groundcover conifer that hugs the ground and spreads flat — silvery-blue year-round, and one of the best erosion-control plants for a sandy slope or bank.

A narrow, upright evergreen that takes shearing better than almost any other hedge plant — dense, dark green needles that hold their color all winter.

A vigorous native climbing vine that self-clings to fences, walls, and trellises with adhesive tendrils, turning brilliant scarlet-red in fall before almost anything else changes color.

The largest native fern we plant — tall, vase-shaped fronds that unfurl dramatically in spring and form a lush colony in a damp, shaded spot within a couple of seasons.

A native fern that stays green right through winter — the leathery, dark green fronds were traditionally cut for Christmas decorating, and they hold their color under snow.