For all gardeners looking to enjoy the benefits of planting native, one of the most common questions when getting started is what exactly to plant.
We’ll tackle that question in this article, which ends up being a lot bigger than you might have assumed.
There are actually quite a few different elements to consider when we think of what the “best” plants will be for you, and we need to think of these first before making our choices. By carefully considering these factors before planting, you’ll end up with a much more successful garden in the long run.
The Best Plants for Your Garden Site
Any list of “best” plants needs to start with the specifics of the location you’ll be growing them. You can look up what plant hardiness zone you live in, but know that this is more relevant for vegetables and nonnative ornamentals; for us the native range of a particular plant will be our primary consideration.
Many native plants span numerous growing zones but they won’t be native to all locations where they can thrive (just think of how freely many invasives spread). You can also look up what ecoregion you live in, which means that the environmental characteristics and native plants and wildlife are generally similar, which can give you some starting points. Overall, however, you’ll want to check the native status of particular plants you’re interested in.
A more granular approach to analyzing your garden site will look not at broad regions but rather your soil composition, moisture levels and sunlight. Native plants have evolved to thrive in your area but of course not every setting within that area: just think of what’s required for woodland plants compared to prairie plants in the same ecoregion.
Beyond that, there are significant differences in soils and moisture from place to place and in the case of sunlight your own yard likely has massive differences depending on where you plant. Let’s look a little more closely at these considerations.
Sunlight for Native Plants
For sunlight, the main categories of plant you will find are full sun, part sun, part shade and full shade. Full sun means the plant needs at least 6 hours of direct sun each day, while part shade plants do well with less than 4 hours of sunlight.
The other two categories aren’t so self-explanatory and can sometimes be used interchangeably, although there are some differences. Both part sun and part shade plants do well with somewhere in between 4 and 6 hours of sunlight, but part shade generally means plants that need less sun, are less heat tolerant and will do much better with protection from afternoon sun which is more intense than morning light.
You also may hear about plants that like “dappled shade” which means sunlight that is filtered through a tree’s leaves and less intense. This is often used for plants on the spectrum of part and full shade. One final term you may come across is “deep shade” (sometimes heavy or dense shade) which means little to no direct sunlight and only some indirect light.
When you’re assessing your own yard and gardens for their sun and shade conditions, it’s important to observe them not only at different times of day (we recommend taking notes by the hour) but also different times of the year. You may be surprised how much the sunlight changes as the sun travels from north to south over the course of the seasons and gets blocked by structures and trees. Other areas may get a lot more sun in one season compared to the others.
Soil for Native Plants
There are actually quite a few considerations just for soil, and this can have a big effect on what the best native plants will be for your garden site. One is your soil moisture levels, whether it is primarily dry, moist/average, or wet. (Dry soils are often referred to as xeric; average soils are called mesic.) Related to this is its drainage, whether it drains quickly or holds onto moisture for longer.
Both of these are affected by the makeup of your soil; for example, denser clay soils have poor drainage while sandy soils drain much quicker but can be too dry and lack important nutrients. Many plants struggle in overly wet or waterlogged soil, which brings risk of root rot, while others love the extra moisture.
To get a rough idea of the moisture level of your soil, you can grab a small bit of it and squeeze it together in your palms. If it holds together, that indicates moist or wetter conditions; while drier soil falls apart. Very dry soil often feels dusty. There are plenty of other indicators that you can discern just from observation, such as whether it looks muddy or squishy (wet) or dry, lighter in color, or hard and compacted.
It’s also a good idea to get your soil tested which will tell you the organic matter present in your soil, whether it is acidic, basic, or neutral; and the pH level. This can tell you if you need to add any specific nutrients to help improve your soil, and also tell you which plants will do best in that soil type.
Height, Spread and Maintenance of Native Plants
How much space do you have and what are your general goals for your garden? The size and shape of the plants can be practical considerations depending on what you are looking for in a particular space.
Herbaceous (meaning non-woody) native plants can run the gamut from a low-lying groundcover to huge prairie plants up to 10 feet in height, so you’ll want to know how tall and wide your plants will get at their maturity.
All of this depends on the design of garden you are going for. Gardeners with the benefit of abundant space who desire a natural-looking meadow or prairie garden will not need to worry about the size of the plants too much. (In fact, a common strategy is planting a seed mix and letting nature take over from there.)
However, most gardeners do have some limitations which can dictate which plants are good or bad for a particular spot. This could include a window you don’t want to get covered up; a fence or object you want to surround; or a driveway or view you do want to block, or an area you want to cover evenly with something low-growing. Relatedly, neighborhood associations or HOAs may have restrictions on plant height that you’ll need to take into account. A nice look for a garden border is a layered planting with shorter plants in the front with taller ones in the back.
Overall, native plants do not need as much attention as exotic ornamentals, but some do require more maintenance than others, especially in a garden setting with limited space. Some natives tend to self-seed prolifically and grow into large clumps, which may be desirable in a larger natural landscape, but not in a small garden bed or foundation planting. In other cases you may have a large area that you’d like plants to spread and cover, either for aesthetics or erosion control.
Also consider whether a plant is long or short-lived. They may be annual or biennial or short-lived perennials that only last a few years, but these will self-seed and jump-start new plants the next spring if allowed to do so. Be sure you’re aware that these new plants won’t be in the exact same location.
By considering height and spread in your choices of plants, you help ensure your garden will look its best and allow your favorite plants to stand out.
Keystone Native Plants for Wildlife and Ecosystem Benefits
If you’re planting native, it’s very likely that one of the main reasons you’re doing it is to provide food and shelter for local wildlife and help to restore a healthy local ecosystem. So it’s natural to wonder about the “best” native plants for bees, butterflies or birds.
Not every native supports the same amount of wildlife, as certain plants truly “punch above their weight” when it comes to ecosystem benefits.
Keystone plants are a name for varieties that “are essential to the life cycle of many species” and host significant numbers of butterflies, moths and specialist bees. To put some numbers to it, research has shown that just 14% of native plants support 90% of butterfly and moth lepidoptera species, which are in turn relied upon by 96% terrestrial birds.
If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, it’s difficult to think of better native plant species to choose than keystones, especially if you don’t have many acres of space to work with.
We have links to help you find keystones for your region at the end of the article, in several US ecoregions some of the best choices are goldenrod (solidago), aster (symphyotrichum), and helianthus (sunflower) for flowering perennials; oaks (quercus) for large trees, and prunus (plum/cherry) for small trees and shrubs.
Some of the Best Native Plants for Beginners to Start With
Finally, it’s time to talk about specific plants! The following plants are excellent ones to consider as starting points, as they have been selected for all of the variables we have talked about: adaptable and resilient, prized for their blooms, and highly beneficial for nature and the environment.
They also have multiple varieties whose native status spans most areas of the United States and even elsewhere in North America.
Then at the end, you can read more about the keystone plants for your own ecoregion and other search tools for even more ideas.
Ascplepias (Milkweed)
This is the sole host plant of the monarch butterfly, which was listed as endangered in 2022, and is critical to their continued survival.
Milkweed is largely maintenance free, resistant to pests and deer, and typically does well in most average soils. The blooms are bright and attractive and can be pink, orange, white, purple and green depending on the species.
In addition to hosting monarchs, many bees, hummingbirds and other butterflies and beneficial insects feed on the nectar. Varieties include common milkweed, swamp milkweed, orange butterfly weed, which are native to most regions and widely available at nurseries. Whorled milkweed (asclepias verticillata) is another nice option native from the Rocky Mountains east and Showy milkweed (asclepias speciosa) is a good choice for the western US. Check the Xerces Society’s regional milkweed guide for more detailed information.
Echinacea (Coneflowers)
Coneflowers are one of the more popular US natives which you can relatively easily find available for sale.
It’s one of the best natives to consider for its multitude of benefits: long blooming with showy flowers; versatile in sun or some shade and drought-tolerant; a favorite of butterflies, bees, and birds as well as a caterpillar host plant. It’s even beneficial for humans and is widely used in supplements and teas.
There are 9 coneflower varieties spanning many regions of the US, most commonly in the central and eastern US. Some varieties are threatened or endangered. Echinacea purpurea is the most common and is native to the midwest, east, southeast and Texas. Narrowleaf coneflower Echinacea angustifolia ranges farther west.
Also be aware that some plants whose common name is coneflower come from other genera than Echinacea, such as Ratibita. This may give you additional ideas and also open up additional range but the plants will have some differences.
Solidago (Goldenrod)
They are extremely forgiving and adaptable as they do well in almost any soil and tolerate full sun or light shade. They provide a beautiful burst of color in fall with abundant clusters small yellow flowers which have a striking effect. This is great for both the aesthetic qualities of your garden in the late season, but also for pollinators who are in desperate need of more late-season nectar sources.
Goldenrod is sometimes demonized for allegedly causing allergies and hay fever, but this is a myth. Goldenrod’s pollen is not actually wind-borne at all, and ragweed is the true culprit.
There are over 100 goldenrod species and good choices include Solidago speciosa (showy goldenrod) which has a wide range from the Rocky Mountains to the east coast and Solidago Velutina (Threenerve Goldenrod) which is found on the west coast including California. Most goldenrods will spread freely by rhizome so it is a good choice for larger areas; otherwise you will likely want to divide your expanding plants once every few years.
Quercus (Oak)
When we hear native plants, our mind often begins picturing meadows full of beautiful wildflowers. But native shrubs and trees are another way to help wildlife while also providing large-scale structure, beauty, and also shade which keeps you cool in summer and also saves you on heating costs in winter by sheltering your home. Mature trees have also been shown to increase property values significantly.
When it comes to native trees in the United States, you can’t find a better choice than the oak. When it comes to ecosystem benefit, they truly are the keystone of all keystone plants. Research by entomologist Doug Tallamy has shown that oaks “support more life-forms than any other tree” including a staggering 897 caterpillar species.
There are many oak species, and any native variety will grow to be a wildlife sanctuary all on its own regardless of what is around it. Bur oaks have a beautiful wide-spreading crown; Pin oaks are a bit straighter and more compact. Laurel oaks in the southwest are adaptable and fast-growing. Coast live oak in California is a beautiful evergreen variety with interesting multiple trunks. Swamp white oak is adored for its attractive peeling bark and good for wet and moist soils. Many other varieties, such as the willow oak, have leaves much different from the classic oak shape.
Best Resources for Finding Native Plants for Your State/Region
The following link from the National Wildlife Federation allows you to view Keystone Plants for each ecoregion. Just adding a couple of these plants to your landscape can make a big difference for wildlife.
They also have a native plant finder where you can search by zipcode.
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center is another great resource where you can search by your location and even filter by criteria like size, bloom time and more.
They also have a list of Recommended Species by State and Canadian Province
A final resource that is worth a look is Audubon’s Native Plant Database, which specializes in the best plants for birds. It also allows you to enter your zip code to find local native plants. Their “best results” lists are hand-selected by their team for being easy to grow and more widely available at nurseries.
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