Looking for some great native plant options? Here are some ideas to get started.
Full sun, part sun – dry
- Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), 1-2’ with yellow flowers, groundcover, host for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars
- Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), 2-5’ with white flowers, groundcover, a favorite of native bumblebees
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), 1-5’ with pink flowers, summer interest, leaves smell like mint when crushed
- Zig-zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis), 1-4’ with yellow flowers, late season interest, host plant for many native insects
Full sun, part sun – wet
- Golden ragwort (Packera aurea), 0.5-2’ with yellow flowers, groundcover
- Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), 4-6’ with pink flowers, host for monarch butterflies
- Swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), 3’-6’ with large white or pink flowers, native hibiscus flower
- New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), 1-6’ with purple flowers, late season interest, forms a huge mount of flowers
Part sun, shade – dry
- Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea), 1-2’ with yellow flowers, groundcover, host for swallowtail butterfly caterpillars
- Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera), 0.5-1.5’ with purple flowers, groundcover
- Hoary mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum), 3’ with white-purple flowers, attracts a wide variety of pollinators all summer
- White wood aster (Eurybia divaricata), 0.5-3’ with white flowers, late season interest
Part sun, shade – wet
- Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), 0.5-1’ with white flowers, groundcover, showy early flowers
- Wild bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia), 2’ with pink flowers, blooms most of the growing season
- Blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum), 1-4’ with purple flowers, summer interest
- Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), 2-6’’ with yellow flowers, late season interest
All Sites
- Broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus), 1-3’ grass, can grow alone in bunches to shelter wildlife or companion with tall meadow plants, dark red winter interest
Support small growers and dedicated native nurseries. A list of reputable plant sales and nurseries can be found at mdflora.org/nurseries.html
