Native plants have formed symbiotic relationships with native wildlife over thousands of years, and therefore offer the most sustainable habitat. A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.
Exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world or were cultivated by humans into forms that don’t exist in nature do not support wildlife as well as native plants. Occasionally, they can even escape into the wild and become invasive exotics that destroy natural habitat.
Native plants help the environment the most when planted in places that match their growing requirements. They will thrive in the soils, moisture and weather of your region. That means less supplemental watering, which can be wasteful, and pest problems that require toxic chemicals. Native plants also assist in managing rain water runoff and maintain healthy soil as their root systems are deep and keep soil from being compacted.
Native Plants and Times of Bloom
Asters: August-October
BeeBalm: July-September
Boneset: July-October
Cardinal Flower: July-September
Columbine: April-July
Coral Bells: April-June
Evening Primrose: June-October
Goldenrod: July-September
Ironwood: August-October
Joe-pye Weed: July-September
Liatris: July-September
Milkweed: June-August
Purple Coneflower: June-October
Trumpet Creeper: June-September
Turks Cap Lily: July-September
Virginia Bluebells: April-May
Ground Covers & Ferns
Christmas Fern
Foamflower
Golden Groundsel
Green & Gold
Lady Fern
Moss Phlox
Pussy Toes
Sensitive Fern
Wild Ginger
Native Wild Flowers
Alumroot
Black Eyed Susan
Blue Wood Aster
Butterfly Weed
Cardinal Flower
Eastern Columbine
False Blue Indigo
Foxglove Beardtongue
Great Blue Lobelia
Golden Groundsel
Joe Pye Weed
New York Ironweed
Rosemallow
Turk’s Cap Lily
Wild Bergamot
Native Grasses, Sedges & Rushes
Blue Sedge
Wool Rush or Wool Grass
Little Bluestem
Yellow Indiangrass
Shrubs
Black Chokeberry
Black Huckleberry
Common Witchhazel
Hillside Blueberry
Inkberry Holly
Mapleleaf Viburnum
Northern Bayberry
Red Chokeberry
Smooth Hydrangea
Spicebush
Summer sweet
Virginia Sweetspire
Winterberry Holly
Trees
American Hornbeam
Blackgum
Eastern Redbud
Eastern Redcedar
Flowering Dogwood
Green Hawthorn
Serviceberry
White Oak