Growing for Good: Native Plant Gardening

Whether we grew up in farming households, helped in the suburban yard, or lived in a concrete jungle, many of us started gardening as adults with a simple approach. We grabbed a few landscape plants from a big box store. Later, we found ourselves immersed in native plant sales at our local arboretum or botanical garden. Our mindset shifted from merely sprucing up the yard to designing a space that maximizes support of local biodiversity and habitat. We shifted in preference from turf grass to sedges and from tea roses to rose mallow.

While I grew up in a rural area, it was not until doing stream survey work as an undergrad that I was introduced to the concept of native plants and their importance to riparian areas and ecological restoration. As I learned more, I found that hikes in the woods became so much richer as I was able to observe and recognize different plant species. My concept of beauty has changed. I’ve always loved wild spaces, but now I see the functions of these spaces and appreciate that nature, while seeming chaotic, is quite organized and efficient.

Over the past 20 years, my appreciation of the work many people are doing to educate the public about native and invasive species has grown. Knowledge enhances our appreciation of nature. It changes our relationship to it. Hopefully, this compels us to participate as careful stewards of the land in our purview. I have decided to start a running list of the native plants in my yard so that others on a similar trajectory can pop over here and see what I’ve tried. I may eventually add pictures and commentary.

My current plantings are not strictly native species, so this list does not include everything in our one-third acre. As I fill in gaps and replace old plants, I’m choosing local or regional natives apart from fruits and vegetables for our family consumption. I’m doing this not out of elitism but out of serious concern over the die-off of insects and birds, knowing that one yard isn’t much, but it is a link in the patchwork of scarce resources.

As I am not a botanist, if you see something that does not belong on the list, please let me know!

Native Plant Catalog

Scientific name	Common name	Image Link
Achillea millefolium	Common Yarrow	Yarrow, Achillea millefolium
Acorus calamus	Sweetflag	Sweetflag, Acorus calamus
Aesculus pavia	Red buckeye	Red buckeye, Aesculus pavia
Adiantum pedatum	Maidenhair fern	Maidenhair fern, Adiantum pedatum
Asarum virginicum	Heart-leaf ginger	Heart-leaf ginger, Asarum virginicum
Asclepias syriaca	Common Milkweed	Native Plant – Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriacam
Asclepias tuberosa	Butterfly weed	Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa
Asimina triloba	American papaw	Pawpaw, Asimina triloba
Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’	Fanal Astilbe	Fanal Astilbe, Astilbe x arendsii ‘Fanal’
Bignonia capreolata	Crossvine	Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata
Calycanthus floridus	Carolina allspice	Carolina allspice, Calycanthus floridus
Callicarpa americana	American beautyberry	American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana
Carex cherokenensis	Cherokee Carex	Cherokee Carex, Carex cherokenensis
Carex grayi	Gray’s sedge	Gray’s sedge, Carex grayi
Cephalanthus occidentalis	Buttonbush
Cercis canadensis	Eastern redbud	Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis
Chamaecrista nictitans	Sensitive partridge pea	Sensitive partridge pea, Chamaecrista nictitans
Chasmanthium latifolium	River Oats	River Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium
Chelone lyonii	Hot lips’ Turtlehead	Hot lips’ Turtlehead, Chelone lyonii
Chionanthus virginicus	White fringetree	White fringetree, Chionanthus virginicus
Clethra alnifolia	Coastal pepperbush	Coastal pepperbush, Clethra alnifolia
Cornus florida	Flowering dogwood
Corylus americana	American Hazelnut	American hazelnut, Corylus americana
Dicentra exima	Bleeding heart	Bleeding heart, Dicentra exima
Echinacea purpurea	Purple Coneflower	Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea
Echinodorus bracteatus ‘Lantau Lady’	Amazon Sword	Amazon Sword, Echinodorus bracteatus ‘Lantau Lady’
Elodea canadensis	Waterweed	Waterweed, Elodea canadensis
Erigeron ‘azurfee’	Azure fairy
Eryngium yuccifolium	Rattlesnake Master	Rattlesnake master, Eryngium yuccifolium
Eupatorium perfoliatum	American Boneset
Eutrochium fistulosum	Joe pye weed	Joe pye weed, Eutrochium fistulosum
Equisetum arvense	Horsetail	Horsetail, Equisetum arvense
Fothergilla gardenii	Dwarf Fothergilla	Dwarf fothergilla, Fothergilla gardenii
Gelsemium sempervirens	Carolina jessamine
Hamamelis virginiana	Witch hazel
Hibiscus coccineus	Scarlet Rosemallow	Scarlet Rosemallow, Hibiscus coccineus
Hypericum densiflorum	Bushy St. John’s wort
Ilex decidua	Possumhaw	Possumhaw, Ilex decidua
Ilex opaca	American holly	American holly, Ilex opaca
Ilex verticillata	Winterberry	Winterberry, Ilex verticillata
Itea virginica	Virginia Sweetspire	Virginia Sweetspire, Itea virginica
Juniperus virginiana	Eastern red cedar
Kosteletzkya pentacarpos	Marsh mallow	Marsh mallow, Kosteletzkya pentacarpos
Lindera benzoin	Spicebush	Spicebush, Lindera benzoin
Lobelia cardinalis	Cardinal flower	Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis
Lonicera sempervirens	Trumpet honeysuckle	Trumpet honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
Magnolia grandiflora	Southern Magnolia	Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora
Monarda didyma	Bee Balm
Nelumbo lutea	American lotus	American lotus. Nelumbo lutea
Onoclea sensibilis	Sensitive fern
Oxydendrum arboreum	Sourwood	Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum
Peltandra virginica	Arrow arum	Arrow arum, Peltandra virginica
Polygonatum biflorum	Smooth solomon’s seal
Polygonatum biflorum ‘Variegatum’	Variegated Solomon’s Seal	Variegated Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum biflorum ‘Variegatum’
Pontederia cordata	Pickerel weed	Pickerel weed, Pontederia cordata
Prunus angustifolia	Chickasaw plum	Chickasaw plum, Prunus angustifolia
Prunus serotina	Black cherry	Black cherry, Prunus serotina
Penstemon laevigotus	Eastern Smooth Beardtongue	Beardtongue, Penstemon laevigotus
Phlox paniculata	Garden phlox
Pycnanthemum muticum	Blunt mountain mint
Quercus alba	White Oak	White Oak, Quercus alba
Quercus falcata – up for debate	Southern Red Oak	Southern Red Oak, Quercus falcata
Quercus laurifolia	Laurel Oak	Laurel Oak, Quercus laurifolia
Quercus nigra L.	Water Oak	Water oak, Quercus nigra L.
Quercus phellos	Willow Oak	Willow Oak, Quercus phellos
Rhus aromatica	Aromatic sumac	Aromatic sumac, Rhus aromatica
Rudbeckia hirta	Black eyed Susan	Black eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta
Rudbeckia laciniata	Cutleaf coneflower	Cutleaf coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata
Rudbeckia subtomentosa	Sweet coneflower	Sweet coneflower, Rudbeckia subtomentosa
Sagittaria latifolia	Broadleaf arrowhead	Broadleaf arrowhead, Sagittaria latifolia
Sambucus canadensis	Elderberry ‘York’	Elderberry ‘York’, Sambucus canadensis
Saururus cernuus	Lizard’s tail	Lizard’s tail, Saururus cernuus
Sisyrichium nashil ‘Suwanee’	Suwanee’ Blue eyed grass	Blue eyed grass, Sisyrichium nashil ‘Suwanee’
Solidago caesia	Goldenrod	Goldenrod, Solidago caesia
Spigelia marilandica	Indian Pink	Indian pink, Spigelia marilandica
Stokesia laevis	Stokes’ aster	Stoke’s aster, Stokesia laevis
Stylophorum diphyllum	Wood poppy	Wood poppy, Stylophorum diphyllum
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium	Aromatic aster
Thalia dealbata	Hardy Cana	Hardy Cana, Thalia dealbata
Tiarella cordifolia	Foamflower	Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia
Trillium grandiflorum	Trillium
Trillium sessile	Toadshade trillium	Toadshade trillium, Trillium sessile
Ulmus americana	American Elm	American Elm, Ulmus americana
Vernonia noveboracensis	New York ironweed
Viburnum dentatum	Southern arrowwood	Southern arrowwood, Viburnum dentatum