Table 4. Bees, Bugs, Blooms, Coverage and Spreading
Genus species Common Name Coverage Rating Level of Seeding Height (in) Spread (in)
Asclepias incarnata swamp milkweed 0 1 33.4 6.1
Asclepias syriaca common milkweed 2.5 3 36.7 9
Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed 2 1 14.5 9.6
Coreopsis auriculata 'Nana' dwarf tickseed 3 1 12.1 11.8
Coreopsis rosea pink tickseed 1.3 1 9.8 8
Coreopsis tripteris tall coreopsis 3 3 88.2 9.8
Coreopsis lanceolata lance-shaped coreopsis 2 2 31.5 13
Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' zagreb whorled tickweed 3 1 20.8 11.3
Doellingeria umbellata flat topped aster 3 1 59.6 8.5
Eryngium yuccifolium rattlesnake master 3 3 48.5 9.4
Eutrochium dubium coastal plain Joe Pye 2.3 2 34.7 8.6
Eutrochium fistulosum 'Bartered Bride' spotted Joe Pye 2.6 1 58.9 9.7
Eupatorium perfoliatum boneset 1 2 36.6 8.6
Eupatorium hyssopifolium thoroughwort 2.6 2 37.9 7.7
Eurybia spectabilis showy aster 1 1 19.4 7.8
Helenium autumnale Helen's flower 1.3 2 63.9 9.5
Helianthus Lemon Queen' lemon queen sunflower 2.3 3 59.4 12.1
Helianthus divaricatus woodland sunflower 3 2 49.4 11
Helianthus decapetalus thinleaf sunflower 3 2 43.2 12
Liatris spicata blazing star 2.6 2 35.3 10
Liatris microcephala dwarf blazing star 2.3 2 16.9 11.2
Lobelia siphilitica great blue lobelia 1 3 22.9 8.9
Monarda Peter's Fancy Fuschia' Peter's fancy fuschia beebalm 3 2 46.7 11
Monarda fistulosa wild bergamot 3 3 48.5 12.2
Monarda punctata spotted horsemint 1.3 3 24.7 10.4
Packera aurea golden ragwort 3 2 21.3 10.1
Penstemon digitalis tall white beardtongue 1.3 3 41.9 11.5
Pycnanthemum muticum clustered mountain mint 3 2 34.9 9.6
Solidago rugosa 'Fireworks' rough-stemmed goldenrod 3 2 50.5 12.4
Solidago rigida stiff goldenrod 3 3 60.5 10.4
Solidago nemoralis gray goldenrod 2 5 32.1 8.3
Symphyotrichum puniceum purplestem aster 1.5 2 54.6 10.2
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae New England aster 2 3 53.1 10.5
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii New York aster 2 3 56.9 10.2
Symphyotrichum laeve smooth aster 1.6 3 41.7 12
Symphyotrichum laeve 'Bluebird' bluebird smooth aster 3 1 37.6 7.6
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies' October skies aromatic aster 3 1 28.5 16.5
Verbena hastata blue vervain 1.5 1 50.4 8.3
Veronicastrum virginicum culver's root 3 1 54.5 8.3
Zizia aurea golden Alexanders 3 3 30.8 14.4

Coverage Rating
0--No plants
1--0 to 30% of the soil surface covered by foliage
2--31 to 65% of the soil surface covered by foliage
3--66 to 100% of the soil surface covered by foliage

Level of Spreading
Level of seeding is defined as frequency that a species was found in a plot
5--Extremely in which it had not been planted
4--Highly (Moved by seed or vegetative propagule)
3--Moderate
2--Low
1--No promiscuity observed

Dr. E. Jay Holcomb, Connie Schmotzer, Penn State Extension cxs51@psu.edu