Somerford Township near Summerford in Madison County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ohio Native Plants

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 6, 2026

1. Ohio Native Plants Marker

Inscription.

Ohio Native Plants. . , Bee Balm ,

Common Name: Bee balm , Botanical Name: Monarda didyma , Height/Width: 3 to 4 feet / 2 to 3 feet , Habitats: Full sun to part shade in woods, thickets, and bottomlands , Flowering Period: July through August , Bloom Color: Shades of red, pink, purple, and white , Wildlife Value: The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The seed heads attract birds in the fall and winter. , History/Lore: Native Americans and early colonists used bee balm leaves and flowers to make a variety of medicinal salves and drinks. The name "bee balm" comes from the historic use of applying it to bee stings., Bee balm is a member of the mint family (lamiaceae). Its foliage has a strong aroma and is sometimes used in herbal teas, salads, and garnishes.

, Red Osier Dogwood ,

Common Name: Red osier dogwood , Botanical Name: Cornus sericea , Height/Width: 6 to 9 feet / 7 to 10 feet , Habitats: Full sun to part shade on shores and in thickets, marshes, and wet meadows , Flowering Period: May through June , Bloom Color: White , Wildlife Value: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees, wasps, moths, flies, and butterflies. Deer, beavers, and rabbits nibble on the twigs and leaves. The dense thickets also provide cover to birds and small mammals. , History/Lore: Red osier dogwood was one of several plants referred to as kinnikinik by Native Americans for its use as a tobacco substitute.

, Switch Grass ,

Common Name: Switch grass , Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum , Height/Width: 3 to 6 feet / 2 to 3 feet , Habitats: Full sun to part shade on prairies, savannas, open woodlands, rocky bluffs, sand dunes, and marsh edges , Flowering Period: July through February , Bloom Color: Pink-tinged , Wildlife Value: Switch grass attracts birds and butterflies. The seeds are eaten by ground-feeding songbirds and game birds. It also provides cover and nesting material for wildlife. , History/Lore: Switch grass was important to native people in the Americas. They ground the seeds to make flour, mixed its roots with soapweed for washing hair, stuffed the grass into moccasins for padding, and made concoctions of the leaves for fevers. Today, it is used as a landscape plant, as livestock forage, and for biofuel.

Bee Balm

Common Name: Bee balm
Botanical Name: Monarda didyma
Height/Width: 3 to 4 feet / 2 to 3 feet
Habitats: Full sun to part shade in woods, thickets, and bottomlands
Flowering Period: July through August
Bloom Color: Shades of red, pink, purple, and white
Wildlife Value: The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The seed heads attract birds in the fall and winter.
History/Lore: Native Americans and early colonists used bee balm leaves and flowers to make a variety of medicinal salves and drinks. The name "bee balm" comes from the historic use of applying it to bee stings.

Bee balm is a member of the mint family (lamiaceae). Its foliage has a strong aroma and is sometimes used in herbal teas, salads, and garnishes.

Red Osier Dogwood

Common Name: Red osier dogwood
Botanical Name: Cornus sericea
Height/Width: 6 to 9 feet / 7 to 10 feet
Habitats: Full sun to part shade on shores and in thickets, marshes, and wet meadows
Flowering Period: May through June
Bloom Color: White
Wildlife Value: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees, wasps,
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moths, flies, and butterflies. Deer, beavers, and rabbits nibble on the twigs and leaves. The dense thickets also provide cover to birds and small mammals.
History/Lore: Red osier dogwood was one of several plants referred to as kinnikinik by Native Americans for its use as a tobacco substitute.

Switch Grass

Common Name: Switch grass
Botanical Name: Panicum virgatum
Height/Width: 3 to 6 feet / 2 to 3 feet
Habitats: Full sun to part shade on prairies, savannas, open woodlands, rocky bluffs, sand dunes, and marsh edges
Flowering Period: July through February
Bloom Color: Pink-tinged
Wildlife Value: Switch grass attracts birds and butterflies. The seeds are eaten by ground-feeding songbirds and game birds. It also provides cover and nesting material for wildlife.
History/Lore: Switch grass was important to native people in the Americas. They ground the seeds to make flour, mixed its roots with soapweed for washing hair, stuffed the grass into moccasins for padding, and made concoctions of the leaves for fevers. Today, it is used as a landscape plant, as livestock forage, and for biofuel.

Erected 2026 by Ohio Department of Transportation.

Topics. This historical marker

Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 6, 2026

2. Ohio Native Plants Marker

is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Indigenous Peoples and Communities.

Location. 39° 56.383′ N, 83° 31.901′ W. Marker is near Summerford, Ohio, in Madison County. It is in Somerford Township. It is on Interstate 70 at milepost 70, on the right when traveling east. Marker is near the flagpole on the grounds of the South Vienna rest area. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: South Vienna OH 45369, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Columbus Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ohio World War I Red Poppy (within shouting distance of this marker); Four Chaplains Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); Somerford Veterans Memorial (approx. 1½ miles away); The Molly Caren Agricultural Center (approx. 4½ miles away); Pleasant Township Veterans Memorial (approx. 5 miles away); First United Methodist Church (approx. 5.7 miles away); First White Settlers of Madison County (approx. 5.7 miles away); Madison County World War Roll of Honor (approx. 5.7 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.