SustainFloyd will host a native pollinator perennial plant giveaway at the Floyd Farmers Market on Saturday, July 25, 2026. Plants will be available from 9:30am until they are gone. The plants are free to good homes, with donations accepted.
Available Species
All plants prefer full sun, but H. giganteus can take part shade.
Helianthus giganteus (Tall Sunflower) is a native of damp streamsides and river bars. But it is very adaptable and can grow in all but the driest locations. Can grow quite tall, 5′-10′ tall with a branching open form and many small yellow ray flowers July-August. Plant 5-6 plants close together to create a shrubby form, or intersperse singles closely among other tall perennials. Beloved by many native bees, sometimes visited by Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, seeds are enjoyed by goldfinches. A keystone species, Helianthus hosts 66 species of butterfly and moth in Floyd County. Deer and rabbit browse declines after plants mature 2-3 years.
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp/Rose Milkweed) bears dusty pink flowers in July-August, grows 4′-6′ tall, requires average to wet soil (not drought tolerant), and dislikes grass and weed competition. In nature, it forms colonies in marshy soil and can stablize an eroding stream bank, but can be grown as a specimen in the garden if kept weeded and watered. Regularly attracts a variety of bee, wasp, and butterfly pollinators, including the Monarch butterfly, for which it is a preferred host plant. Deer resistant.
Asclepias verticillata (Whorled Milkweed) is short (~1′ tall) with fine needle-like leaves and small unobtrusive white flowers. Very drought tolerant, spreads steadily by rhizome, though unable to compete with tall aggressive weeds and grass. Pollination occurs mostly at night by moths, but is a preferred host plant for the Monarch butterfly and an ideal Monarch host plant for small gardens. Virtually disappears when leaves drop in early fall, unlike many other milkweeds which look messy and unsightly during leaf drop. Deer resistant.
Helenium autumnale (Helen’s Flower, Sneezeweed) blooms profusely with medium-sized yellow flowers in fall after most flowering has ended, adding a beautiful finish to the bloom season. Can quickly grow 3′-5′ tall x 2′-3′ wide in moist rich soil, with a tendency to spread by rhizome. May flop if soil is not deep and moist enough (prune in summer to encourage denser branchy growth). Not at all drought tolerant. Attracts many pollinators. Despite its name, it does not cause fall allergies as its pollen is too heavy to become airborn (thus the necessity for pollinators, like with goldenrod). Deer resistant.
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (Aromatic Aster) can grow 3′ x 3′ into a nice dense shrub-like mound of bright green leaves, while being extremely drought tolerant. In the late fall, it blooms profusely, usually nearly completely covered in bluish-purple medium-sized ray flowers. Provides late season color after most flowers have faded. Despite its name, it does not have a noticeable fragrance. Deer resistant.
Deer browse: Protect plants when first planted because deer will always “try” new plants. Protect by planting many of the same kind of plant because deer tend to seek out unusual solo plants. Mature plants 2-3 years old tend to be far more deer resistant in the same way that fully mature veggie greens are much tougher and more bitter than baby salad greens and sprouted greens. Deer spray during the spring when foliage is new and tender may help. Stinky spray will tend to deter pollinators, so discontinue after foliage hardens and matures.