When it comes to wildflowers, a common question in the nursery trade is: "Is this a weed or a good plant?" Many shoppers don't realize that there is no botanical definition for "weed". They are also afraid that a plant with the dreaded "W" word in the title will grow too aggressively. Really it's just a matter of learning which wildflowers are garden-worthy and then choosing the right plant for the right location.

Nicola Cataldo from the New England Wildflower Society recommends these colorful plants that will look as at home in your garden as they do growing in the field. These perennials are well behaved and won't run rampant through your flowerbeds. You can also depend on them to impart a romantic looseness to your plantings.

Milkweed (Asclepius incarnata): sweet-smelling and majestic in a meadow. It is a host plant for Monarch butterflies.
Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale): another meadow beauty. Don't worry: it won't make you sneeze.
Goldenrod (Solidago sphacelata): contrary to popular belief the pollen of goldenrod doesn't produce an allergic reaction. These plants are not only beautiful but reliable and easy to grow.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida): Common as they come but still a great plant with lots of old-fashioned sentiment attached for many gardeners.
Veronicastrum virginicum 'Fascination' and Veronicastrum virginicum 'Album': These elegant plants are blessed with elongated wand-like flowers that seem to glow in a woodland garden.
Rudbeckia maxima: This graceful, tall rudbeckia has silver foliage as well. It makes a great see-through plant at the front of a flower border.
Heliopsis 'Prairie Sunset': Native plant expert Neil Diboll introduced this lovely plant. It reaches 6 ft in height but keeps its special open habit. The stems are a beautiful dark purple.
Gaura 'Siskiyou Pink': The common Gaura lindheimeri is a native of Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico but this vivid pink variety was discovered as a genetic sport at a nursery in Washington State.
Blazing Star (Liatris): Here's a genus that runs the gamut. Some of the most beautiful - like L. spicata draws butterflies like no other flower.

Special Thanks:
Nicola Cataldo
New England Wild Flower Society at Garden in the Woods
180 Hemenway Road,
Framingham, MA 01701
508-877-7630
http://www.newfs.org