Plants in Bloom

August highlights

• Cardinal Flower

  This native perennial can often be found in swamps and along streams. Its scarlet flowers attract bees and hummingbirds, but not cardinals. Like the bird, the cardinal flower gets its common name from the red robes worn by Catholic cardinals.

  Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Giant Elephant Ear

  This tropical plant is native to Southeast Asia, but it grows well as an annual in Brooklyn. Leaves can grow to be five feet across or more.

  Colocasia gigantea ‘Thailand Giant’ (giant elephant ear) in the Annual Border. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Petunia

  Petunia CASCADIAS INDIAN SUMMER = ‘Dcas303’ (petunia) in the Annual Border. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Crape-Myrtle

  Crape-myrtles have long been favorite garden plants in the South, but many cultivars are hardy in New York City too, even more so as the climate warms. Their extravagant panicles of crinkly flowers appear in late summer.

  Lagerstroemia species (crape-myrtle). Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Mallow

  Malva sylvestris 'Mystic Merlin' (mallow cultivar) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Dave Allen.

• Water-Lily

  Nymphaea ‘James Brydon’ on Lily Pool Terrace. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Sacred Lotus

  Nelumbo nucifera ‘Charles Thomas’ on Lily Pool Terrace Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Wild Strawberries

  Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Zinnia

  Zinnia marylandica ZAHARA STARLIGHT ROSE = ‘pas 719128’ (zinnia) in the Annual Border. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• ‘Natchez’ Crape-Myrtle

  Lagerstroemia 'Natchez' (crape-myrtle) in the Perennial Border. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Coleus

  Plectranthus species (coleus) in the Annual Border. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Hardy Hibiscus

  This hybrid cultivar of our native hibiscus—also known as swamp mallow or rose-mallow—has large flowers up to ten inches across that only last one day. See it in the Water Garden.

  Hibiscus 'Lord Baltimore' (hardy hibiscus) in the Water Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Hardy Water-Lily ‘Paul Hariot’

  New water-lilies are blooming in the lily pools, part of a planting of aquatic plants added this year. Unlike the sacred lotus, water-lilies have leaves that float on the surface of the water. They also tend to bloom a little later and should remain in flower through late summer.

  Nymphaea ‘Paul Hariot’ (hardy water-lily) on Lily Pool Terrace Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Coneflower ‘Rocky Top’

  Echinacea tennesseensis ‘Rocky Top’ (coneflower) in the Overlook. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Wingstem

  Verbesina alternifolia (wingstem) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Spotted Bee Balm

  This native plant has distinctive spotted, tubular flowers that are stacked along the stem. The bright pink bracts under each flower help set them off and attract wasps and bees.

  Monarda punctata (spotted bee balm) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Black-Eyed Susan

  This native wildflower blooms in summer and into early fall and attracts butterflies and bees of all kinds.

  Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan) in the Overlook. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Cosmos

  Cosmos species (cosmos) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Dahlia

  Dahlias make up a genus of composite flowers that come in a wide variety of forms and hues. They have no fragrance, but attract pollinators with their bright colors.

  Dahlia cultivar (dahlia) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Pond Cypress

  This deciduous conifer is found at pond edges. Related to the bald cypress, it is narrower with shorter, overlapping needles. This cultivar, ‘Nutans’, has slightly weeping branches.

  Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium ‘Nutans’ (pond cypress) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Japanese Anemone

  Lovely anemones first bloom in late summer and continue through fall, attracting pollinators when many sources of pollen and nectar have gone to seed.

  Anemone hupehensis (Japanese anemone) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Lee Patrick.

• Spider Flower

  The spider flower produces dramatic blossoms with long, whiskery stamens starting in late summer and into fall.

  Cleome hassleriana (spider flower) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• English Lavender

  Fragrant English lavender is actually native to the Mediterranean. It's a drought tolerant plant that thrives in the sun.

  Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’ (English lavender) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Purple Coneflower

  The flowers of this native prairie species attract bumblebees and butterflies in summer. In winter, the seed cones provide food for goldfinches.

  Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Gray Goldenrod

  Solidago nemoralis (gray goldenrod) in the Water Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Jewelweed

  Jewelweed’s name comes from the fact that it expels excess water overnight, so that in the morning, its leaves are often covered with beads of water that look like diamond “jewels.”

  Impatiens capensis (jewelweed) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Stargazer Lily

  This hybrid lily has upward-facing flowers and and an intense fragrance.

  Lilium ‘Stargazer’ (stargazer lily) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Meadow Rue

  Thalictrum species (meadow rue) in the Osborne Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Mexican Sunflower

  Here is just one member of the vast composite family, featured in this year's Annual Border. What appear to be single flowers are in fact a composite, or cluster, of smaller flowers. The "petals" are single flowers called ray flowers. The center is composed of tiny disk flowers. Members of this family can have either ray or disk flowers—or both.

  Tithonia rotundifolia (Mexican sunflower) in the Annual Border. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Sunflower

  Helianthus annuus (sunflower) in the Children's Garden. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

• Black Stem Bigleaf Hydrangea

  The large, showy summer flowers of hydrangeas make them a popular garden plant. The bloom color of some species is influenced by soil pH. More acidic soil will produce bluer flowers, while more alkaline soil will produce pinker ones.

  Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nigra’ (black stem bigleaf hydrangea) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Great Blue Lobelia

  Like cardinal flower, a close relative, this native plant ins found in moist areas of the eastern United States and is a great addition to rain gardens.

  Lobelia siphilitica (great blue lobelia) in the Water Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• ‘Red Flyer’ Hibiscus

  Hibiscus 'Red Flyer' (hibiscus) in the Perennial Border. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Catmint

  Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (catmint) in the Fragrance Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Sedum

  Sedums, or stonecrops, are a genus of succulents with an exceptionally varied array of flowers, foliage, and habits. ‘Autumn Joy’ is an upright, fall-blooming cultivar in bloom now in the Rock Garden, Perennial Border and elsewhere.

  Sedum spectabile 'Autumn Joy' (sedum) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• ‘Foxy’ Foxglove

  Digitalis purpurea ‘Foxy’ (foxglove) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Crape-Myrtle

  Crape-myrtles have long been favorite garden plants in the South, but many cultivars are hardy in New York City too, even more so as the climate warms. Their extravagant panicles of crinkly flowers appear in late summer.

  Lagerstroemia indica (crape-myrtle) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Passionflower

  Passiflora caerulea (passionflower) in the Lily Pool Terrace. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

• Osa Pulchra

  Osa pulchra is endangered in its native Costa Rica and Panama—there are only 30 plants left in the wild. In North America, it is found only in a few botanic gardens as it is difficult to propagate.

  Osa pulchra (osa pulchra) in the Steinhardt Conservatory. Photo: Lee Patrick.

• Madonna Lily

  Lilium candidum (Madonna lily) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• ‘Golden Wings’ Shrub Rose

  Rosa 'Golden Wings' (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Lagos Spinach

  Celosia argentea (lagos spinach) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• ‘Delight’ Orchid

  Vanda pachara 'Delight' (orchid) in the Aquatic House. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Peacock Gladiolus

  Gladiolus murielae (peacock gladiolus) in the Fragrance Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Cup Plant

  Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Globe Amaranth

  Gomphrena haageana 'QIS Carmine' (globe amaranth) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Morrigan McCarthy.

• Finger Grass

  Chloris virgata (finger grass) in the Fragrance Garden. Photo: Morrigan McCarthy.

• Canna

  Canna cultivar (canna) in the Annual Border. Photo: Elizabeth Peters.

• Snow-on-the-Mountain

  Euphorbia marginata (snow-on-the-mountain) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Dave Allen.

• Goldenrod

  Solidago 'Little Lemon' (goldenrod cultivar) on the Rose Arc Pool. Photo: Alexandra Muller.

• Dahlia

  Dahlia coccinea (scarlet dahlia) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

• Burgundy Rice

  Oryza sativa (Burgundy rice) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

• European Plum

  Prunus x domestica 'Big Blue' (European plum) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

See photos from other times of year.

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