Native Wetland Plants Water gardens can bring calming sounds and peaceful views. In containers or ponds, with plants that can vary from full sun to partial shade, there are many native plants to make your water garden shine. Find this list online at www. USBG.gov/NGfavorites

Golden club Yellow pond-lily Orontium aquaticum Nuphar advena Yellow, club-like inflorescences Simple, elegant yellow flowers rise in early spring followed by rise just above the water, handsome blue-green leaves. complimenting the floating, Non-spreading and a great arrowhead-shaped leaves of choice for small ponds. this water lily relative.

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Morningstar sedge Virginia iris Carex grayi Iris virginica In summer, wands of inflated, Purple spring growth is followed spiny pale green fruit give this by fans of bright green leaves species another common name, and graceful lilac-blue flowers. mace sedge, because of their Related species I. versicolor resemblance to medieval clubs. (northern blue flag) and I. Semi-evergreen grassy leaves prismatica (slender blue iris) y ilt tt H lio bring winter beauty. n El h n Jo are equally lovely. usa © S

Pickerelweed Rose mallow Pontederia cordata Hibiscus moscheutos A summer beauty featuring tall Cultivated worldwide with many leaves and stalks of lilac-blue stunning hybrids, this American flowers. Attractive to bees and native species features large butterflies, including the native white or pink flowers that are bee Dufourea novae-angliae, spectacular in summer. for which it is the sole nectar source.

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Duck potato Cardinal flower Sagittaria latifolia Lobelia cardinalis Robust, arrow-shaped leaves A mid-summer showstopper are complimented by white with intensely red blooms, flowers that bloom throughout cardinal flower’s nectar is a summer. The common name favorite of hummingbirds who is a nod to the edible pollinate the flowers while underground tubers. © probing for food. J ef f H oo per

Swamp rose Buttonbush Rosa palustris Cephalanthus occidentalis Soft-pink spring flowers give Globes of white, fragrant way to showy red fruits (“hips”) flowers peak in June, attracting in fall and winter. Glorious red pollinators including Swallowtail fall foliage on shiny mahogany butterflies. A large shrub, it is twigs makes for an all-season great for rain gardens due to its beauty. preference for average-to-wet soils.

Full Sun Part Shade Native Plants for Critters Plants are important sources of food and shelter for many birds, mammals, and insects. Here are 10 of our favorite native plants to help bring animals to your garden. Find this list online at www. USBG.gov/NGfavorites

Serviceberry, Pawpaw shadbush Asimina triloba Amelanchier spp. A small tree with large leaves that bears the biggest edible Spring flowers supply nectar fruit of any American native to early pollinators, and leaves plant. For delicious and are favored by many butterfly abundant fruit that is sought larvae including the beautiful after by both humans and Red-spotted Purple butterfly animals alike, plant two or (Limenitis arthemis). Creatures more grafted cultivars because great or small, feathered or this tree is not self-fertile. furred favor the tasty fruit. Swamp milkweed Swamp titi Asclepias incarnata ssp. Cyrilla racemiflora pulchra Early summer white blooms Clusters of dusty-rose flowers teem with bees, followed by highlight this pollinator magnet, yellow-brown fruits in late which also serves as a good summer and a long show of larval host for the Monarch brilliant scarlet fall foliage. Hardy butterfly. north of its native range in the southern United States.

Yadkin River American goldenrod beautyberry Solidago plumosa Callicarpa americana Extremely rare, this late season Soft-yellow autumn leaves goldenrod provides nectar for make way for spectacular a bevy of pollinators via wide clustered purple fruits in plumes of golden flowers on autumn and winter that are red-purple stems. relished by birds.

Oak Winterberry holly Quercus spp. Ilex verticillata Oaks provide food for more In the winter season when butterfly and moth larvae than resources are scarce, this holly’s any other tree genus in North shiny red berries soften over the America, and there are oak cold months and offer food to species native to just about birds in need of a meal. every climate and soil type.

Wild senna Golden Alexanders Senna hebecarpa Zizia aurea A native host for Black Showcasing tall spikes of Swallowtail butterfly larvae, golden flowers from mid-to-late golden Alexanders attract a summer, wild senna is popular bounty of pollinators with late with bumble bees and is an spring golden flower clusters. important larval host for Sulphur butterflies.

Full Sun Part Shade Native Wildflowers Native wildflowers have evolved to thrive in a variety of local conditions: very hot, dry, humid, or wet. Here are 10 of our favorite native wildflowers to try in your garden. Find this list online at www. USBG.gov/NGfavorites

Common dittany Butterfly weed Cunila origanoides Asclepias tuberosa Tidy and compact this dry land Drought-tolerant with clusters species has lilac flowers, in of delightfully bright orange autumn, sometimes called flowers that bloom from late “frost flowers” for opening spring to early autumn and on chilly mornings. Crush its attract butterflies. The plant leaves to produce an earthy, is also a host for Monarch spicy aroma. butterfly larvae.

Anise-scented Eastern bluestar goldenrod Amsonia tabernaemontana Solidago odora Ice-blue flowers in spring and bright yellow foliage in autumn Slower to spread than other make this neatly clumping plant goldenrod species, this a knockout. For dry, sandy goldenrod thrives in sun and soils, try the finer-textured A. well-drained soils. Beyond ciliata (fringed bluestar). being beautiful, its glossy, licorice-scented leaves are also used in herbal teas. Crested iris Trailing phlox Iris cristata Phlox nivalis Tiny creeper that naturally thrives in dry, wooded For a pop of white-to-pink environments and impresses in early spring, seek out this with a profusion of blue, lilac, slowly spreading, evergreen or lavender spring flowers. n o s m groundcover. Its flowers o r F r- te al W sometimes open earlier, n An bringing a splash of color during mild winter weather. Bowman’s root Rattlesnake plantain Gillenia trifoliata Eryngium yuccifolium Shrubby, shade-loving perennial features reddish-purple fall Rosettes of gray-green foliage foliage and delicate, starry highlight greenish-white globes white spring flowers. of summer flowers that are a favorite of many pollinators.

n a rm o G r te Pe Swamp sunflower Smooth aster Helianthus angustifolius Symphyotrichum laeve Late season golden blooms are accented against dark ‘Bluebird’ green leaves on this beautiful perennial. Attractive clumps of blue-green foliage on graceful stems yield abundant late-summer flowers featuring violet-blue rays with vibrant yellow centers.

Full Sun Part Shade Native Shrubs Shrubs can form a foundation for a garden. Some shrubs are great for their foliage, while others provide additional flowers to the garden. Here are 10 of our favorite native shrubs to try in your garden. Find this list online at www. USBG.gov/NGfavorites

Southern wax myrtle Ninebark Myrica cerifera Physocarpus opulifolius Pale-green foliage abounds Bright green leaves showcase on this large evergreen that round, white clusters of flowers is happiest in poor soils and in the late summer and early needs little attention. The spring. Mature branches feature crushed leaves offer a warm peeling bark, showcasing layers scent similar to eucalyptus, and of red-to-light brown inner bark, female specimens have gray- most visible and vibrant during blue, wax-coated berries. the winter.

Possum haw Shrubby viburnum St. John’s wort Viburnum nudum Hypericum prolificum Clusters of flat-topped white A profusion of bright gold blooms transition to colorfully summer flowers sprinkled ripening fruits through late across a palate of dark green summer into autumn. Smooth leaves make this compact and shiny burgundy foliage joins and soil-adaptable plant a fine this autumnal display. addition to any landscape. tt lio El n usa © S

Dwarf witchalder Mountain azalea Fothergilla gardenii Rhododendron canescens This slow-growing dwarf An abundance of sweet-scented ornamental is amenable to a spring flowers and a tolerance variety of garden environments, for moist or dry environments featuring white bottlebrush make this deciduous native a blooms in spring and colorful great choice for Southeastern foliage in autumn. and Mid-Atlantic gardens.

Sweet pepperbush New Jersey tea Clethra alnifolia Ceanothus americanus White-to-pink spikes of small, This small shrub features white sweetly-scented summer blooms in spring and fixes its flowers make way for dark own nitrogen, making fertilizer brown seed capsules that can unnecessary. The leaves can last until winter. Popular with be used to brew a caffeine-free butterflies and bees alike. herbal tea.

Red chokeberry American holly Aronia arbutifolia Ilex opaca ‘Maryland Dwarf’ ‘Brilliantissima’ Slow-spreading, attractive evergreen groundcover that Though quite tall in the wild, this comes alive with a scattering cultivar has a small stature and of lovely red berries in autumn abundant shiny, red fruit that and winter. persist throughout winter.

Full Sun Part Shade Native Large Trees Trees can provide vertical height, shade, and sources of food and shelter for people and critters. Here are 10 of our favorite large trees to bring plentiful shade to your garden. Find this list online at www. USBG.gov/NGfavorites

Sweetgum Longleaf pine Liquidambar styraciflua Pinus palustris Star of urban environments Eye-catching long needles with beautiful fall color and make a bold statement for this spiny, spherical fruits in fall and evergreen conifer. Not ideal winter. Cultivars offer variety in for colder, snowier climates, leaf forms and fruitlessness. it thrives in warmer areas.

Southern magnolia Sourwood Magnolia grandiflora Oxydendrum arboreum Glossy, evergreen leaves Somewhat weeping branches with velvety, brown undersides bear white summer flowers in highlight this southern belle’s elegant lily-of-the-valley-like spectacular plate-sized white sprays from which bees make

summer flowers and cone-like, n sourwood honey.Yellow-to- o s m ro F - maroon fall foliage red-seeded fruits in fall r e lt a W n and winter. An is spectacular.

Pond cypress American holly Taxodium ascendens Ilex opaca Finely textured, bright green Sharp, pointy green leaves foliage fades to a decadent and the bright red berries of orange-brown in the autumn. female trees are a familiar sight This conical conifer can grow in for many tree lovers. Tough as the toughest of soil conditions nails, this evergreen develops and has the potential to into a large pyramidal tree in form “knees.” full sun.

Eastern hop- Eastern red cedar hornbeam Juniperus virginiana Ostrya virginiana Tough and fast growing, this evergreen has fragrent cedar- Medium height, a rounded scented wood. Female trees crown, beautiful flaking bark, bear waxy, blue cones relished and tolerance of urban soils by cedar waxwings and other make this a great tree for birds. Short cultivars may space-limited landscapes. be more suitable for home gardens.

American persimmon Diospyros virginiana Black gum Late spring blooms, beautiful Nyssa sylvatica fall foliage, and bark reminiscent of alligator skin Prized red fall foliage on a lend interest in all seasons. The majestic branching pattern, this attractive, edible fruit is sweet beekeeper favorite is the nectar and aromatic when fully ripe. source for tasty tupelo honey.

Full Sun Part Shade Native Small Trees Sometimes you want the look and benefits of a tree, but don’t have a lot of space. These 10 favorite small trees will retain their size, perfect for compact gardens. Find this list online at www. USBG.gov/NGfavorites

Sassafras Eastern redbud Sassafras albidum Cercis canadensis Light green, mitten-shaped An elegant blush of edible leaves change from yellow to spring flowers along the trunk orange to brilliant red in autumn. and branches is followed by Greenish-yellow female flowers delicate, heart-shaped leaves produce draping clusters of emerging as the legume striking red and black fruits. fruits mature.

Red buckeye Sweetbay magnolia Aesculus pavia Magnolia virginiana Large early-spring leaves Cup-shaped, creamy-white are quickly followed by mid- flowers nicely contrast against spring showy spikes of matte-green leaves in the early deep red flowers that attract summer. Come autumn, cone- hummingbirds. Buckeyes are like fruits with exposed red cluster-forming and can be seeds put on a beautiful show. grown as a screen.

Chalkbark maple Downy serviceberry Acer leucoderme Amelanchier arborea Spectacular autumnal foliage Beautiful white flowers in early and its easy care make this tree spring are followed by delicious a delight for any garden. When red-to-dark-purple, edible fruits mature, its smooth, pale bark in late spring or early summer. earns its common name.

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Fringe tree American hornbeam Chionanthus virginicus Carpinus caroliniana A pleasantly rounded canopy, Reddish fall foliage is a delight, wispy white mid-summer and seeds are devoured by blooms, and suspended purple birds and small mammals. autumn fruits highlight this Smooth, gray bark on sinewy adaptable and tough urban trunks imparts another common garden selection. name, musclewood.

Flowering dogwood Fox Valley® river birch Betula nigra ‘Little King’ Cornus florida Impressive orange-brown bark Revered for white-to-pink, sloughs away to reveal light flower-like springtime bracts, brown inner bark, adding a pop the open-branching, checkered of whimsy year round. Known bark and attractive, red-tinged for its disease resistance, it is autumn foliage are also adaptable to a variety of also stunning. environments.

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