Look for this spikey plant in the stormwater bed beneath the tree allée. This familiar species is native to the Capital Region and is a great example of the importance of planting native species in your garden. Adam's needle, also known as common yucca, co-evolved with the yucca moth, with plant and insect species completely dependent on one another. Latin name: Yucca filamentosa.

The cheerful black-eyed Susan can bloom from mid-summer into fall if deadheaded (removing dead flower heads to encourage more blooms). Left alone, the flower will self-seed for another season of blooming. This plant's nectar attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies and is the larval host to the wavy-lined emerald and silvery checkerspot butterflies. American goldfinches eat its ripe seeds in the fall. You'll find this sunny flower in the bed as you exit the parking garage next to the Newmarket Dome Plaza. Latin name: Rudbeckia hirta

You'll find this native sedge in the stormwater bed beneath the tree allée. The hardworking plant survives well in the shade and sun, enriches the soil, and can host as many as 36 caterpillar species. Latin name: Carex pensylvanica.