6 Easy-Care Midwest Native Plants

Chicago gardener Charlotte Adelman wondered why butterflies ignored her flowers. Turns out, her plants were imported. She replaced them with easy-care natives that attract beneficial insects and birds and shared the findings in her book, The Midwestern Native Garden. Try her top six regional picks for long-lasting, carefree blooms in your yard.

Her list begins with orange butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).

Blooms Juicy reddish-orange blossoms erupt early summer. Foliage lasts through fall.

Attracts Butterflies and hummingbirds. "Milkweeds prevent monarch butterflies from going extinct," Charlotte says. It's the only place they'll lay eggs.