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The Best Native Plants for Southeastern Gardens

Plants that have seen every southern summer and came back blooming.

AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN160 native plantsUpdated October 6, 20267 min read

Southern gardens grow fast and loud. Ninety-degree Julys, hurricane-season downpours, red clay in one county and sand in the next, and winters that sometimes forget to show up. The native plants that evolved here have handled all of it for thousands of years: native azaleas lighting up the woods in spring, butterfly weed feeding monarchs all summer, American beautyberry glowing electric purple into fall. Give them a spot and a little water their first year, and they’ll take it from there.

American beautyberry, a large arching shrub studded with purple berry clusters
The stunning American beautyberry used to be one of the most popular plants in the south

This article is filled with ideas for southern native gardens (plant profiles! nurseries! online sellers!)

Before we get into it, let’s start with a basic question.

Why plant native in the South?

Planting native plants ensures the plants can thrive in the South’s heat, weather, and water while saving time (and money), especially when compared to lawns. Here are four reasons to plant native:

1. Native plants are built to thrive in southern heat and weather

Native plants have existed in their home area for thousands of years. They have seen every drought, hurricane, or rainstorm in their area and thrived. Southern native plants are the best plants to grow in all southern gardens since they know and love the South.

Butterfly weed’s orange flowers with three gulf fritillary butterflies feeding
Native flowers like butterfly weed are made to thrive in southern gardens

2. Native plants take the least amount of care (and water)

Because southern native plants have seen all the weather and soil in the South, they are ready for the natural weather. This means that just normal rainfall should keep them happy once established.

This is a BIG difference from non-native plants, which may need lots of extra watering to get through droughts or southern heat. Plant native and save on your water bill.

3. Southern native plants help butterflies and hummingbirds

Some of our most iconic butterflies—such as monarchs and Gulf fritillaries—only lay their eggs on one plant. These monogamous plant-butterfly pairings are called host plants. Without native host plants, iconic North American butterflies will not survive.

4. Native plants are gorgeous

Finally, as you’ll see below—the native plants from the South are jaw-droppingly gorgeous. They will quickly become your garden favorites and last for years and years.

We’ve covered the benefits. Now let’s meet some southern native favorites.

They have seen every drought, hurricane, or rainstorm in their area and thrived.

Find your plants

These native plants are perfect for southern gardens

All these plants have thrived in southeastern North America for thousands of years—they are ready to thrive in your garden. Each of these plants is also a perennial, meaning they will return year after year looking better than ever.

Native plants are the easiest to grow, especially compared to non-native. After their first year being established, each of these flowers will come back year after year and require nothing fancy to keep going besides rain. Planting native plants ensures our gardens look amazing and our water bills stay low. You don’t have to have a botany degree to have a garden! Plant these easy natives and enjoy a gorgeous yard all year long—and spend 2400% LESS TIME than if you were doing lawn care.

Looking for more expertise? We got you:

Hear from southern experts

Hear tips and tricks for planting in the South in our interview series:

Where can I find natives for the South?

Looking for places to buy or source natives? We have a list below, and here’s a tip:

Buy native plants online from southern sellers

Here are recommendations for buying native seeds and plants online in the south:

Southern native plant nurseries

Finding natives can be challenging—unless you visit a nursery specializing in them. Here are some native nurseries to visit:

Southeastern native nurseries include:

Alabama
Florida

North Florida

Central Florida

South Florida

Georgia

Northeast Georgia (Blue Ridge Area)

Northwest Georgia (Ridge and Valley)

Central Georgia (Piedmont)

Southwest Georgia

Southeast Georgia (Coast)

Kentucky
Louisiana

Greater New Orleans

Northshore & Gulf Coast

Baton Rouge & Surrounding Areas

Acadiana & Southwest Louisiana

North Louisiana

Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee

Best books for southern native gardens

Sometimes, you just want to flip through beautiful photos on glossy pages. Here are some of our favorites:

Cover of “Gardening with Native Plants of the South” by Sally and Andy Wasowski, a garden under a pergola

Gardening with Native Plants of the South

Sally Wasowski, 2020

Originally published in 1994 and updated in 2020, this book has lots of pictures of gardens—not just individual plants.

Cover of “Best Native Plants for Southern Gardens” by Gil Nelson, with orange and pink azaleas

Best Native Plants for Southern Gardens

Gil Nelson, 2010

Gil is an expert, and it shows in this incredible compendium of southern plants. It’s filled with lots of images to help it from being too overwhelming.

Cover of “The Southeast Native Plant Primer”, a grid of butterfly, flower and goldfinch photos

The Southeast Native Plant Primer: 225 Plants for an Earth-Friendly Garden

Larry Mellichamp and Paula Gross, 2020

With tons of pictures and easily organized, this is a great source of inspiration for Southeast gardeners.

And that sums up our guide to the best native plants for southern gardens. These native flowers, shrubs, and trees have the DNA to be the most resilient and beautiful choices for southern gardens. Sadly, native plants have been overlooked for generations (we partly blame Marie Antoinette), but we can change this, even in our lifetimes. Native plants are beautiful, powerful choices for our landscaping—especially compared to lawncare or non-native plants. Explore some of our most popular plant profiles: Beginner’s Guide to Coneflowers or our Beginner’s Guide to Native Magnolias to find some new favorites. Happy planting!

Sources

Southwestern flowering shrubs

Emily Lessard standing among white coneflowers in a garden

Written by

Emily Lessard

Founder & Editor, The Plant Native

Emily Lessard is the founder and editor of The Plant Native, the site that helps homeowners across North America get started with native plants. She holds a Sustainable Landscapes certificate through the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association, is finishing a Native Perennial Garden Design Certificate at Temple University, and is the author of Plant Native: A Practical Guide to Over 100 Native Plants of North America (Quarto, March 2027). She gardens outside Philadelphia in the 8.3 Southeastern Plains ecoregion.

Meet Emily

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