The Plant Native is a small team of writers and gardeners spread across North America. We all write, research, and strategize to bring science-backed content to a beginner-friendly audience. Our editorial standards explain how we check the facts.
Founder and editor

Emily Lessard
Emily started The Plant Native in 2021, after a hummingbird found the cardinal flower she had planted on a whim. She is Co-CEO of Bellweather, an advertising agency for nonprofits, a Sustainable Landscapes-certified gardener and the author of Plant Native: A Practical Guide to Over 100 Native Plants of North America (Quarto, March 2027).
Read all 232 pieces by Emily
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Pines Evergreens that host 409 native moths and butterflies
- Cedars Not one is a true cedar, and every one belongs here
- Native Evergreen Conifers Pick the right pine, spruce, hemlock or cedar for your yard
- Acacias Thorny, fragrant and built for the desert
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Mesquites The desert’s shade tree and pantry
- Hemlocks The evergreen for deep shade
- Spruces Cold-country evergreens for sun
- Rocky Mountain Juniper Winter berries for waxwings and solitaires
- Salal The glossy evergreen behind florists’ lemon leaf
- Vine Maple The Northwest’s own lacy maple
- Common Snowberry White winter berries for birds
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Desert Ironwood The Sonoran Desert’s nurse tree
- Indian Paintbrush Red spring bracts for early hummingbirds
- Inside-Out Flower Tiny flipped-back flowers for shady ground
- Oceanspray Creamy summer plumes for dry western slopes
- Western Wild Ginger Evergreen hearts for damp, shady ground
- Oregon Grape A spiny evergreen with early yellow flowers
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Red-Flowering Currant Early pink flowers for spring hummingbirds
- Wax Currant A tidy berry shrub for dry, rocky ground
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Pink Evening Primrose Pink teacups for hot, dry ground
- Saskatoon Serviceberry The cold-hardy berry bush of the West
- Stiff Goldenrod A flat yellow plate for late-season bees
- Kinnikinnick An evergreen carpet for sand and rock
- Shagbark Hickory Shaggy bark, sweet nuts and a home for bats
- Sweetgum Every fall color at once, plus gumballs
- Silky Camellia A rare southern beauty with purple-centered flowers
- Osage Orange Hedge apples, prairie fences and an ice-age mystery
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Bald Cypress The conifer that drops its needles, wet feet optional
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Pennsylvania Sedge The shady lawn that mows itself
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Sneezeweed It won’t make you sneeze. It will make October look like something.
- Willow The first breakfast for spring bees
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Black Willow The fast river tree that feeds the viceroy
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Gray Dogwood White berries on red stems, and a hedge that plants itself
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Bunchberry A flowering dogwood the height of your ankle
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Paper Birch White bark, gold leaves, and a cool-summer temper
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Western Sword Fern The evergreen fern that carpets Northwest forests
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Western Aster
Late-summer purple for dry western yards
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Douglas Aster
The Northwest’s top fall aster for bees
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Scarlet Bee Balm The red one, built for hummingbirds
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Wild Bergamot The bee balm for hot, dry, forgotten spots
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The Best Native Plants for Northwest Gardens 50+ ideas for your garden.
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Texas Bluebonnet Texas’s state flower and a nitrogen-fixing powerhouse.
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Blackfoot Daisy The toughest, happiest little daisy in the Southwest.
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American Plum The tree that throws a party before anyone else is awake.
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Red Twig Dogwood The shrub that saves its best trick for the deadest month.
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Christmas Fern A shade-friendly evergreen that should be in every garden.
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Fairydusters A drought-friendly icon for California and Southwestern gardens.
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The Best Native Plants for California and Nevada Gardens 50+ ideas for your garden.
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Palo Verdes Green bark, green branches, yellow flowers and serious drought-tolerance.
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California Lilacs 60+ drought-friendly gems for California.
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Desert Marigold Spring, summer, fall flowers for hot and dry climates.
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Antelope Horns Milkweed Grow a garden sculpture made for butterflies.
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The Best Native Plants for Southwestern Gardens 50+ Southwestern garden gems.
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Narrowleaf Milkweed The monarch-friendly icon for western gardens.
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Spring Ephemerals: A Beginner’s Guide Swap daffodils and tulips with natives.
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American Holly The classic evergreen holly that belongs here
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Native Plants That Love Acidic Soil Acid-loving beauty, right this way.
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Possumhaw Winter color that birds go wild for.
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Holly Tough shrubs that feed birds all winter.
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Texas Yellow Star A cheerful springtime favorite.
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California Buckwheat Built for California summers (and butterflies).
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Buckwheat Tiny flowers. Massive impact.
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Blue Gilia A sunny-yard overachiever.
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Bladderpod An evergreen longtime bloomer built for tough situations.
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Bleeding Heart Shade-friendly plants with impeccable timing.
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California Fuchsia A drought-tolerant hummingbird feeder.
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Mock Orange Spring flowers that smell like summer.
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Birch Water-loving icons.
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Manzanitas Slow-growing. Long-living. Worth it.
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Salvia Pollinator magnets that don’t ask for much.
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Winecup Purple flowers for weeks.
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Golden Currant Spring flowers. Summer fruit. Zero drama.
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Apache Plume A desert native that shows off.
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Toyon The reason it’s called Hollywood.
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Desert Willow A desert native that shows off.
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Northern Sea Oats Movement, shade tolerance, and garden sculptures.
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Bottlebrush Grass A grass that finally solves your “nothing grows here” spots.
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Golden Ragwort Gorgeous—and not an allergy monster.
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Gaura Tiny flowers built for heat and pollinators.
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Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus Sun-loving, tough as nails, and full of surprises.
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Thistles Iconic + deer-resistant.
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American Elderberry Beautiful, restorative, and delicious.
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Inkberry A great native dupe for boxwoods.
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Trumpet Vine A fast growing hummingbird favorite.
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Rubber Rabbitbrush The queen of no-fuss Western shrubs.
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Fothergilla Bottlebrush blooms in spring, fiery foliage in fall.
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Roses Sun loving, no-fuss favorites.
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Purple Lovegrass A delicate and unexpected grass
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15 Common Garden Plants: Which Plants Are Native? What about tulips, daffodils, daisies…?
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Sundial Lupine The lupine for Northeastern gardens.
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Eastern Flowering Dogwood Iconic. Classic. Beloved. Native.
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New Jersey Tea A three-foot shrub with an absurd résumé.
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Hydrangeas Five low-maintenance, high-impact native options.
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Canada Anemone A sleeper hit for no-fuss spring/summer flowers.
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Boneset Put the name aside—this is a pollinator magnet.
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Wild Geranium Easy-to-grow springtime color.
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Daisy vs. Aster vs. Chrysanthemum — What’s the Difference? Only one is native to North America.
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Phloxes 60+ native species to pick from.
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Rose Mallow Dinner plate-sized flowers for wet gardens.
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Columbines Nature’s original hummingbird feeder.
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Best Native Plants for Rain Gardens Plants that love a good soak.
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Bigleaf Lupine A beauty from the West Coast, often misplanted in the East.
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California Poppy Looks delicate. Acts like a wildflower warrior.
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Amsonias One plant. Three seasons of beauty.
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Lupines Find the lupine that’s best for your region.
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Spiderwort Fast-growing, early-blooming, and nothing to do with spiders.
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Why Does Seed or Plant Provenance Matter? Closer is better. Here’s why.
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Where Can I Buy Native Plants? 625+ nurseries, plus online shops.
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Common Milkweed The classic milkweed. Tall, tough, and monarch-approved.
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Swamp Milkweed Stunning in wet spots and essential for monarchs.
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Prairie Coneflower Yellow fireworks that shrug off heat, drought and floods.
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Yellow Coneflower Grow a tall, elegant burst of sunshine.
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Pale Purple Coneflower Something graceful for your hottest, driest spot.
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Butterfly Weed Cheeto-colored blooms that feed monarchs all summer.
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Purple Coneflower Hot pink, hard to kill, and goldfinch-approved.
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Trout Lily A quiet sign that spring has officially begun.
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Turk’s Cap Lily Plant a living chandelier.
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Firewheel Heat-proof, eye-popping, and beginner-approved.
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Wood Lily Swap boring (and non-native) day lilies with this native stunner.
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Lilies Meet some of the 22 native lily species
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Why Are Native Plants Hard to Find? Long story short: we forgot them.
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Penstemons 200+ native options to plant.
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What Are Common Invasive Species? The biggest troublemakers in U.S. yards.
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Viburnums A professional landscaper favorite.
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Irises Native irises = fuss-free beauty
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Bluebell Bellflower Delicate blue blooms that don’t quit.
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Prairie Smoke A short puff of magic for your garden.
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Deer-Resistant Native Plants Limit unexpected snacking.
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Stokes Aster Short—great for borders—and a longtime bloomer.
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Native Plants That Look Great on Their Own Stand-alone stunners, right this way.
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Green-and-Gold Low-growing sunshine for shady spots.
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The Best Native Plants for Birds Grow your own birdseed.
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Culver’s Root Tall spires built for butterflies and cameras.
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Hackberry Under the radar, overdelivering for wildlife.
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Smoke Tree Why is this native tree not everywhere?
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Crabapples Grow a garden in the sky.
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What Native Plants Will Make You Do a Double Take? Grow some pretty and weird.
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Serviceberry Delicious, beautiful, and bird-friendly.
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Spicebush Buttery yellow beauty, 2x a year. And butterflies!
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Carolina Silverbell The tree all your neighbors will ask about.
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Franklin Tree Put your yard within one-degree of early American history.
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Virginia Sweetspire A gorgeous border-friendly shrub.
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The Best Native Trees for Front Yards Big welcome energy.
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Goatsbeard Fluffy blooms that light up the shade.
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Broadleaf Stonecrop A Pacific Northwest groundcover that plays well with others.
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Indian Pink Showstopper fireworks…for the shade.
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Coralbean Red fireworks in flower form.
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The Best Native Plants for Spring Gardens Find some early flowering favorites.
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The Best Native Plants for Fall Gardens
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Purple Muhly Grass Grass that looks like it was made by Willy Wonka.
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Foamflower Frothy blooms for shady spots.
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Turtleheads Shady rain garden favorite with big personality.
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Queen of the Prairie Cotton-candy pink plumes for the soggy corner of your yard.
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Purple Prairie Clover Beautiful, tough, and generous.
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Goldenrods Fall’s golden fireworks—courtesy of 75 native species.
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Blue Mistflower A fast-growing blur of purple just when you need it.
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False Sunflower Looks like a sunflower. Blooms way longer.
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Red Columbine The no-fuss native that lights up shady corners and feeds hummingbirds weeks before the rest of the garden wakes up.
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Hummingbird Mint Host a good-smelling pollinator party.
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Ironweeds These water-loving plants are pollinator favorites
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Celandine Poppy Shade loving plants that can grow for 20+ years!
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Mountain Mints A pollinator favorite in every form.
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The Three-Color Rule for Designing with Native Plants Simple color combos that look intentional.
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Dogwoods Meet the 12 native dogwoods of North America.
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Highbush Blueberry Yep! Blueberries are native!
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American Wisteria Cascades of purple flowers—trellis anyone?
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Witch Hazels Flowers in the fall or winter, when the rest of the yard has gone brown.
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Beautiful Native Plants with Terrible Names Tickseed or spiderwort, anyone?
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Cucumber Magnolia Not a salad ingredient, just a tall native with quiet drama.
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Magnolias Meet all eight native options.
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Joe Pye Weed A tall pollinator magnet with a great backstory.
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Oakleaf Hydrangea The hydrangea of your dreams—without the weird fertilizer needs
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The Best Native Plants for Dry Areas Water-wise and wonderful.
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Rhododendron vs. Mountain Laurel vs. Azalea: What’s the Difference? It’s time for a plant family reunion.
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Nodding Onion Tiny drooping fireworks that deer won’t touch.
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Coreopsis (Tickseed) Cheerful, compact, and hard to mess up.
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Blue-Eyed Grass Looks like grass, but it’s secretly a flower.
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False Blue Indigo Tall, tough, and secretly improving your soil.
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How to Plant a Hummingbird Garden Go beyond sugar water.
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What Does Established Mean in Gardening? It’s like freshman year—for plants.
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The Best Native Plants for Mid-Atlantic Gardens 70+ ideas for your garden.
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Southern Magnolia Plant an icon that lasts for generations.
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Sweetshrub Looks like paper art. Smells like bubblegum.
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Pawpaw Tree Grow North America’s largest fruit.
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Sweetbay Magnolia A flowering native that deserves way more attention.
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The Best Native Plants for Northeast Gardens 50+ plants don’t mind snow.
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Creeping Phlox Plant a semi-evergreen welcome mat.
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Winterberry Something bright when you need it.
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Asters Forget mums. Plant native asters.
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Coral Honeysuckle A vine that’s basically a bird feeder.
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Passionflower A flower that looks like a clockmaker designed it.
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The Best Native Host Plants for Butterflies Without host plants, butterflies will disappear.
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The Best Native Plants for Southeastern Gardens These plants are ok with heat.
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How Much Time Does Native Gardening Take? Way less work than a lawn.
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Lawns vs. Native Gardens — What’s Easier? Grass is needy. Natives aren’t.
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Texas Mountain Laurel Drought-tolerant. Heat-friendly. And the flowers smell like Grape Kool-Aid.
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Obedient Plant Late-summer pink spires that bees dive straight into.
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The Best Native Plants for Midwest Gardens 70+ Midwestern garden gems.
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I’m Nervous. What If I Mess Something Up? Mistakes grow great gardeners.
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If I Stop Using Pesticides, Will Bugs Eat All My Plants? No worries! Here’s why.
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Golden Alexander Bright, easy, and built for Swallowtails.
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Carolina Jessamine Bright, mostly evergreen, and built for the heat.
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Cardinal Flower Plant a 360-degree hummingbird feeder.
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Bee Balm Old-school garden star. Native plant essential.
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Fringe Tree Like lace—but from a tree.
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Buttonbush Planet-shaped blooms, happiest near water.
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Rhododendron Meet North America’s native rhodos.
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Mountain Laurels Evergreen shrubs that deliver effortless beauty.
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Azaleas Meet 17 native azaleas that put the others to shame.
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Redbud North America’s ‘valentine’ tree.
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Black-Eyed Susans Bright + drought-tolerant. Let’s rename to “resilient Susans.”
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Blazing Star The name speaks for itself.
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Are Butterfly Bushes Invasive? Yep. Here’s why.
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Milkweeds Plant milkweed and help monarchs!
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Will Native Plants Bring Too Many Bugs to My Yard? Good bugs > no bugs.
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I’m So Overwhelmed. How Do I Start? You’re not alone—and it’s easier than you think.
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American Beautyberry Electric purple berries (bird favorite!)
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Rattlesnake Master Yep, that name is correct.
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Coneflowers Meet the nine iconic coneflowers of North America.
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Native Plants That Look Good Year-Round Plants that never take a day off.
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What Is a Host Plant? Think of them as pollinator daycares.
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What Is an Invasive Plant? Some plants cause real harm.
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Do I Need to Know Latin Plant Names? Nope. But here’s when it helps.
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What Is a Planting Zone? Think of it as your garden’s ZIP code.
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What Is a Native Plant? Before lawns, there were these.
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What Is a Cultivar? Styled by people, not nature.
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Alum Root (Heuchera) Low-growing, shade-loving, and semi-evergreen.
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Ninebark Drama in every season.
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Firebush Florida’s own pollinator powerhouse.
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Buffalo Grass Drought-tough, slow-growing, and lawn-worthy.
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Arrowwood Viburnum Four seasons of drama—in one shrub.
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Why Plant Native? Less work. More life.
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Our writers
Rachel Toward
Rachel keeps the site growing. She researches and edits our plant profiles, runs our written interviews with growers and gardeners, and handles the behind-the-scenes work of getting each page published.
Dawna Kelley
Dawna writes about the plants she grows at home and photographs them in every season, including the awkward in-between weeks nobody posts.
Louise Lerner
By day, Louise is a science writer at the University of Chicago. On weekends, she’s a gardener and nature enthusiast.
Read all 25 pieces by Louise
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Fast-Growing Native Trees 15 trees that grow 2+ feet per year.
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Blue Vervain A North American fuss-free favorite.
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Birch Water-loving icons.
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Spring Beauty A tiny, joyful sign of spring.
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Trillium Springtime icons for a reason.
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Salvia Pollinator magnets that don’t ask for much.
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Ferns Shade-friendly grace.
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Rubber Rabbitbrush The queen of no-fuss Western shrubs.
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Oregon Sunshine A tiny sunflower in a wool sweater.
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Sedges Lots of green for minimal work.
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Edible Native Plants Beauty you can snack on.
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American Pussy Willow A cute and fuzzy sign of spring.
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Fast-Growing Native Plants for Privacy How to grow a verdant wall.
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What Is a Keystone Species? The MVPs of your garden.
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Grasses and Sedges The secret ingredient to making gardens work.
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Virginia Bluebells Shade-friendly beauty.
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Prairie Dropseed Drought tolerant, cinematic grass.
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Native Plants That Are Easy to Start from Seed Spend less than a cup of coffee to grow something.
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Wild Geranium Easy-to-grow springtime color.
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Bluebell Bellflower Delicate blue blooms that don’t quit.
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Red Columbine The no-fuss native that lights up shady corners and feeds hummingbirds weeks before the rest of the garden wakes up.
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Oakleaf Hydrangea The hydrangea of your dreams—without the weird fertilizer needs
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Creeping Phlox Plant a semi-evergreen welcome mat.
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Little Bluestem Whoever said grasses were boring never met this one.
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Buffalo Grass Drought-tough, slow-growing, and lawn-worthy.
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Becky Band Jain
By day, Becky is a strategic communications consultant. In her free time, she’s an active member and former VP of the Wild Ones Nation’s Capital Chapter, converting her Maryland yard to natives and rallying her community to do the same.
Read all 2 pieces by Becky
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Rocky Mountain Bee Plant The pollinator magnet Native Americans called the “fourth sister.”
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Dutchman’s Pipe The butterfly vine that once shaded front porches.
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Kat William Hiland
Kat (or Liam) is an Ohio native who moved to Philadelphia for school. Their interest in native plants began with a fascination with floral symbolism. After a two-year vocational program, they’re now studying horticulture at Temple University. Their favorite flower is any species of magnolia.
Read all 6 pieces by Kat
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Native or Invasive? How to Tell Common Vines Apart Which vine is climbing your fence?
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Rosebay Rhododendron A temperate rainforest beauty with color-changing flowers.
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Mountain Magnolia Showy, fragrant, and designed for songbirds.
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Umbrella Magnolia Finally, a magnolia for shade.
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Ashe Magnolia A Florida exclusive.
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Bigleaf Magnolia The magnolia the size of your head.
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