How to Use and Celebrate the Native Plants in Your Region
These 8 spring- and summer-blooming native plants bring gardens to life with colorful flowers that attract wildlife
Native plants can provide our gardens with numerous environmental benefits, attracting wildlife and working with nature rather than against it. They also create beautiful landscapes that feel solidly rooted in their region.
Here are eight spring- and summer-flowering plants from around the U.S. that bring colorful blooms, buzzing bees and birds, and a feeling of place to gardens throughout the country. Click the links to learn more about growing each plant as well to see more of each region’s top native plants.
Here are eight spring- and summer-flowering plants from around the U.S. that bring colorful blooms, buzzing bees and birds, and a feeling of place to gardens throughout the country. Click the links to learn more about growing each plant as well to see more of each region’s top native plants.
Central Plains
Blue Wild Indigo
(Baptisia australis)
Native in areas from the central Great Plains to the southeastern and northeastern U.S.
Blue wild indigo is for gardeners who are looking to fill a problem area with a beautiful, low-maintenance flowering perennial that will attract native bees and offer more than just a few weeks of pretty blooms. In mid to late May, spikes of purple blooms appear, eventually transitioning into ornamental seedpods that will stick around through fall and winter.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone)
Water requirement: Medium to dry clay, sand
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Blooms in spring, followed by ornamental seed bombs that make a rattling sound
When to plant: Spring to fall
Learn more about growing blue wild indigo | See 10 essential Central Plains native wildflowers
Blue Wild Indigo
(Baptisia australis)
Native in areas from the central Great Plains to the southeastern and northeastern U.S.
Blue wild indigo is for gardeners who are looking to fill a problem area with a beautiful, low-maintenance flowering perennial that will attract native bees and offer more than just a few weeks of pretty blooms. In mid to late May, spikes of purple blooms appear, eventually transitioning into ornamental seedpods that will stick around through fall and winter.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 3 to 9; find your zone)
Water requirement: Medium to dry clay, sand
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Blooms in spring, followed by ornamental seed bombs that make a rattling sound
When to plant: Spring to fall
Learn more about growing blue wild indigo | See 10 essential Central Plains native wildflowers
Great Lakes
Ohio Spiderwort
(Tradescantia ohiensis)
Native to eastern North America; the western part of the range includes Nebraska south to Texas. Also occurs from Minnesota eastward to Maine, including Ontario in Canada (absent in Vermont) in the north. Endangered in Pennsylvania.
Not only does Ohio spiderwort provide gardens with distinct color and texture, with its clusters of blue flowers and strappy foliage, but it also provides an important pollen source to bees who are building their nests. It’s a very adaptable plant that will do well in almost any soil, including heavy clay, and makes a great addition to a prairie planting or perennial border.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers dry to medium soil
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 18 to 30 inches tall and 1 foot to 2 feet wide
Bloom time: Bright blue, pink or purple flowers in the spring
When to plant: Spring or fall
Learn more about growing Ohio spiderwort | See 10 essential Great Lakes native plants
Ohio Spiderwort
(Tradescantia ohiensis)
Native to eastern North America; the western part of the range includes Nebraska south to Texas. Also occurs from Minnesota eastward to Maine, including Ontario in Canada (absent in Vermont) in the north. Endangered in Pennsylvania.
Not only does Ohio spiderwort provide gardens with distinct color and texture, with its clusters of blue flowers and strappy foliage, but it also provides an important pollen source to bees who are building their nests. It’s a very adaptable plant that will do well in almost any soil, including heavy clay, and makes a great addition to a prairie planting or perennial border.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers dry to medium soil
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 18 to 30 inches tall and 1 foot to 2 feet wide
Bloom time: Bright blue, pink or purple flowers in the spring
When to plant: Spring or fall
Learn more about growing Ohio spiderwort | See 10 essential Great Lakes native plants
Northeast
New Jersey Tea
(Ceanothus americanus)
Native to the eastern and northern U.S., west to Minnesota and south to Texas
While it’s not one of the most popular Northeast shrubs, New Jersey tea is one that deserves a place in the native garden. Plant it along a woodland edge or home’s foundation; it’s able to thrive in dry, poor soils without additional water or fertilizer. It produces billowy white flowers in early summer that welcome lots of butterflies and beneficial insects.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: None once established
Light requirement: Full sun or mostly sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Early summer
When to plant: Spring
Learn more about growing New Jersey tea | See 10 essential Northeast native plants
New Jersey Tea
(Ceanothus americanus)
Native to the eastern and northern U.S., west to Minnesota and south to Texas
While it’s not one of the most popular Northeast shrubs, New Jersey tea is one that deserves a place in the native garden. Plant it along a woodland edge or home’s foundation; it’s able to thrive in dry, poor soils without additional water or fertilizer. It produces billowy white flowers in early summer that welcome lots of butterflies and beneficial insects.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: None once established
Light requirement: Full sun or mostly sun
Mature size: 2 to 3 feet tall and wide
Bloom time: Early summer
When to plant: Spring
Learn more about growing New Jersey tea | See 10 essential Northeast native plants
Mid-Atlantic
Wild Bleeding Heart
(Dicentra eximia)
Native from New Jersey and West Virginia south to Virginia and Tennessee, mostly in the Appalachian Mountains; has been found growing wild from Vermont to Georgia and west to Illinois
Wild bleeding heart is a true mid-Atlantic native plant, with its pink heart-shaped flowers that droop above soft, fern-like foliage in woodland gardens. While it tends to be ignored by deer and rabbits, bees and hummingbirds love the flowers, which burst forth in spring and bloom sporadically into fall. Its full, finely textured foliage complements other finely textured plants, like ferns, while contrasting larger-leaved woodland plants.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers moist soil but will survive under drier conditions
Light requirement: Sun to shade
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
Bloom time: Early to mid spring, continuing sporadically until fall
When to plant: Spring or fall is ideal
Learn more about growing wild bleeding heart | See 10 essential mid-Atlantic native plants
Wild Bleeding Heart
(Dicentra eximia)
Native from New Jersey and West Virginia south to Virginia and Tennessee, mostly in the Appalachian Mountains; has been found growing wild from Vermont to Georgia and west to Illinois
Wild bleeding heart is a true mid-Atlantic native plant, with its pink heart-shaped flowers that droop above soft, fern-like foliage in woodland gardens. While it tends to be ignored by deer and rabbits, bees and hummingbirds love the flowers, which burst forth in spring and bloom sporadically into fall. Its full, finely textured foliage complements other finely textured plants, like ferns, while contrasting larger-leaved woodland plants.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers moist soil but will survive under drier conditions
Light requirement: Sun to shade
Mature size: 12 to 18 inches tall and wide
Bloom time: Early to mid spring, continuing sporadically until fall
When to plant: Spring or fall is ideal
Learn more about growing wild bleeding heart | See 10 essential mid-Atlantic native plants
Northwest
Pacific Trillium
(Trillium ovatum)
Native to western North America from British Columbia and Alberta south through Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, northern Colorado and California
Pacific trillium is an iconic Pacific Northwest wildflower, opening in early spring when not much else is blooming for pollinators. The bright white perfumed flowers are long-lasting, fading out to a pinkish-purple.
Plant Pacific trillium in partially shaded garden areas alongside other well-behaved Northwest natives that contribute to the native, woodland aesthetic.
Where it will grow: Hardy to about minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Little to no supplemental summer water required once established
Light requirement: Morning sun or dappled shade
Mature size: 1 foot to 1½ feet tall and wide over many years
Bloom time: Can begin as early as late February or as late as early April; the blossoms last for many weeks before fading to pinkish purple
When to plant: Spring is ideal
Learn more about growing Pacific trillium | See 10 essential Pacific Northwest native plants
Pacific Trillium
(Trillium ovatum)
Native to western North America from British Columbia and Alberta south through Washington, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, northern Colorado and California
Pacific trillium is an iconic Pacific Northwest wildflower, opening in early spring when not much else is blooming for pollinators. The bright white perfumed flowers are long-lasting, fading out to a pinkish-purple.
Plant Pacific trillium in partially shaded garden areas alongside other well-behaved Northwest natives that contribute to the native, woodland aesthetic.
Where it will grow: Hardy to about minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Little to no supplemental summer water required once established
Light requirement: Morning sun or dappled shade
Mature size: 1 foot to 1½ feet tall and wide over many years
Bloom time: Can begin as early as late February or as late as early April; the blossoms last for many weeks before fading to pinkish purple
When to plant: Spring is ideal
Learn more about growing Pacific trillium | See 10 essential Pacific Northwest native plants
Rocky Mountains
Blanketflower
(Gaillardia aristata)
Native to areas on both sides of the Rocky Mountains and south to eastern Oregon, Utah, Colorado and Kansas; in Canada, native from British Columbia to Saskatchewan
Fill your dry, sunny garden spots with bright and cheery blanketflower, a native wildflower that will reseed and stick around for years. Used to restore degraded land, it can also be beneficial in fire-resistant landscaping. Its summer flowers attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators, while birds flock to its seeds.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 42 degrees Celsius (zones 2 to 7)
Water requirement: Only in prolonged dry spells once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Up to 2½ feet tall and wide
Bloom time: From midsummer to frost
When to plant: Seeds in spring; potted plants in fall or late spring
Learn more about growing blanketflower | See 10 essential Rocky Mountain native plants
Blanketflower
(Gaillardia aristata)
Native to areas on both sides of the Rocky Mountains and south to eastern Oregon, Utah, Colorado and Kansas; in Canada, native from British Columbia to Saskatchewan
Fill your dry, sunny garden spots with bright and cheery blanketflower, a native wildflower that will reseed and stick around for years. Used to restore degraded land, it can also be beneficial in fire-resistant landscaping. Its summer flowers attract butterflies, bees and other pollinators, while birds flock to its seeds.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 42 degrees Celsius (zones 2 to 7)
Water requirement: Only in prolonged dry spells once established
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: Up to 2½ feet tall and wide
Bloom time: From midsummer to frost
When to plant: Seeds in spring; potted plants in fall or late spring
Learn more about growing blanketflower | See 10 essential Rocky Mountain native plants
Photo by John S. Quarterman
Southeast
Piedmont Azalea
(Rhododendron canescens)
Native range includes North Carolina to Tennessee, south to Central Florida and west to East Texas
Southern gardens are known for their azaleas, and Piedmont azalea is a native woodland shrub not to be left out. Delicate, fragrant flowers appear in spring, welcoming hummingbirds and other pollinators in for a drink of nectar. Pale pink flowers bloom before the plant leafs out, resulting in a dramatic display that’s softer than that of bold-colored azaleas.
As a woodland native, it can be left to colonize in light shade underneath a pine or another coniferous evergreen. It can also be trained into more of a specimen if used in the garden’s foreground.
Caution: Although hummingbirds feed on azalea nectar without a problem, the plant is toxic to humans and pets if ingested.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 23.3 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9)
Water requirement: Medium to high
Light requirement: Partial shade
Mature size: Up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring
When to plant: Fall
Learn more about growing Piedmont azalea | See 10 essential Southeast native plants
Southeast
Piedmont Azalea
(Rhododendron canescens)
Native range includes North Carolina to Tennessee, south to Central Florida and west to East Texas
Southern gardens are known for their azaleas, and Piedmont azalea is a native woodland shrub not to be left out. Delicate, fragrant flowers appear in spring, welcoming hummingbirds and other pollinators in for a drink of nectar. Pale pink flowers bloom before the plant leafs out, resulting in a dramatic display that’s softer than that of bold-colored azaleas.
As a woodland native, it can be left to colonize in light shade underneath a pine or another coniferous evergreen. It can also be trained into more of a specimen if used in the garden’s foreground.
Caution: Although hummingbirds feed on azalea nectar without a problem, the plant is toxic to humans and pets if ingested.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 23.3 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9)
Water requirement: Medium to high
Light requirement: Partial shade
Mature size: Up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Bloom time: Spring
When to plant: Fall
Learn more about growing Piedmont azalea | See 10 essential Southeast native plants
Southwest
Red Yucca
(Hesperaloe parviflora)
Native to central and southwestern regions of Texas and the neighboring Coahuila region of Mexico
The coral-pink flowers of red yucca project above strappy, grass-like foliage, attracting hummingbirds to the desert garden. This Southwest native stands up to the region’s hot, reflected sun, while its softness contrasts some of the Southwest’s spinier, more sculptural native plants.
This low-maintenance plant can be used around pools, as it doesn’t produce leaf litter, and in containers and near boulders. Plant it in small groups, as shown here, for more impact.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (Zone 5)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun to filtered shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall (5 feet tall when in flower)
Bloom time: Flowers in spring and off and on throughout the summer
When to plant: Fall or spring
Learn more about growing red yucca | See 10 essential Southwest native plants
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Red Yucca
(Hesperaloe parviflora)
Native to central and southwestern regions of Texas and the neighboring Coahuila region of Mexico
The coral-pink flowers of red yucca project above strappy, grass-like foliage, attracting hummingbirds to the desert garden. This Southwest native stands up to the region’s hot, reflected sun, while its softness contrasts some of the Southwest’s spinier, more sculptural native plants.
This low-maintenance plant can be used around pools, as it doesn’t produce leaf litter, and in containers and near boulders. Plant it in small groups, as shown here, for more impact.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 28.9 degrees Celsius (Zone 5)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun to filtered shade
Mature size: 3 to 4 feet wide and 3 feet tall (5 feet tall when in flower)
Bloom time: Flowers in spring and off and on throughout the summer
When to plant: Fall or spring
Learn more about growing red yucca | See 10 essential Southwest native plants
More
How to Design a Garden for Native Bees
‘Terroir’ Brings a Sense of Place to Your Landscape
California Poppy
(Eschscholzia californica)
Native to open areas in grasslands, as well as to chaparral and woodlands, from the California Floristic Province to southern Washington, Nevada and New Mexico
Whether massed or randomly scattered throughout a native garden, California poppies bring cheer and the essence of the California landscape to home gardens — not to mention pollinators that feast on the pollen. As a garden annual, California poppy can beautify a new garden or fill in corners in more mature native landscapes.
Scatter seeds and just wait for the golden flower heads of California poppy to emerge. This native wildflower grows well in most climates, and you’ll see it popping up from spring through summer before fading into the background for the rest of the year.
Caution: It naturalizes (reseeds and spreads) readily under favorable conditions and can become pesky if you don’t want it to spread.
Where it will grow: All zones when planted in spring as a spring and summer annual; in mild climates, seeds can be sown in fall
Water requirement: Light to moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Bloom time: Spring to summer
When to plant: Spring or fall
Learn more about growing California poppy | See 10 essential California native plants