This
is a "starter" list of native plants
for Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. It
is intended for residential or commercial landscapers
who want to create attractive and varied native
landscapes.
(LARGE)
Red Maple
Sugar Maple
Yellow Birch
Black Birch
River Birch
Pignut Hickory
Shagbark Hickory
Atlantic White Cedar
Persimmon
American Beech
White Ash
Green Ash
Red Cedar (Eastern)
Sweetgum
Tulip-tree
Black Gum
Shortleaf Pine
Loblolly Pine
Virginia Pine
Sycamore
Wild Black Cherry
White Oak
Swamp White Oak
Scarlet Oak
Southern Red Oak
Pin Oak
Willow Oak
Northern Red Oak
Post Oak
Black Oak
Sassafras
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Excellent fall color, red buds and twigs late winter
Excellent fall color, beautiful large shade tree
Does best in cool soils, beautiful bark
Golden yellow fall color
Modest yellow fall color; seeds attract birds
Golden yellow fall color; rapid growth rate
Yellow to gold-brown fall color; squirrels eat nuts
Green to bluish-green needle-like foliage
Yellow/orange/mauve fall color; butterfly larval plant
Golden brown fall color; nuts attract birds & squirrels
Yellow/maroon/purple fall color; butterfly larval plant
Grows fast, tolerates salt; yellow fall color
Good for screening; attracts birds
Brilliant ylw/orng/scarlet/prpl fall color; fruit litters
lawn
Attracts hummingbirds/birds/squirrels; butterfly host
Yellow/orange/red/purple fall color; fruit attracts birds
Dark blue-green needles; seeds eaten by birds
Dark green needles; rapid growth; seeds for brids
Foliage useful for Christmas decor., seeds for birds
Leaves drop all summer; white mottled bark
Messy; small, edible berries in summer; attracts birds
Brown/red/wine fall color; acorns for birds/squirrels
Yellow to red/purple fall color
Brilliant scarlet fall color; rapid growth
Brown fall color; drought tolerant
Russett/bronze/red fall color
Yellow to yellow-brown fall color; less mesy oak variety
Russett red to bright red fall color; grows rapidly
Variable fall color; non-showy to golden brown
Reddish brown fall color
Yllw flowers (April) clear yllw/orng/pink/scarlet fall
color
Showy, white flowers (Mar-Jun); edible fruit (Jun-July)
Showy, white flowers (Mar-Jun); edible fruit (Jun-July)
Unique fruit resembles & tastes like banana
Rosy, pink flowers in early spring
Wispy, creamy, white fragrant flowers in May
Flat, white flower head mid-spring- not fragrant
White flowers (spring); berries attract birds (fall)
3" creamy, white lemon-scented flowers all summer
Velvety red fruit on female plants;persist into winter
Host plant for butterflies
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Yellow &
orange fall color; fruit eaten by birds
Red berries load shrub; eaten by mamals & birds
Dependable showy orange/burgandy/purple fall color
Creamy, white somewhat fragrant flowers (Jun-Aug)
Small white fragrant flowers(Jul-Aug); yellow leaves fall
Creamy white flowers (May-Jun); no fall color
Edible fruit- ancestor of blueberries
Fragrant creamy to bright yellow flowers in fall
Evergreen shrub; forms suckering colonies
Bright-red berries into winter; attracts birds
Spectacular & long-lasting yllw/orng/crimson fall
color
No fall color; inconspicuous flowers; evergreen
Evergreen foliage; pink-white showy flowers (May-Jun)
Yllw, spicily-fragrant flowers (late winter);red fruit
in fall
Leaves are fragrant when crushed; olive green in color
Semi-evergreen; transplants well
Pale, pink flowers in late May
Very fragrant, sticky, white flowers in early summer
Showy orange to reddish-purple fall color
1" pink flowers (Jun-July)
Showy white flowers (July); edible fruit (Sep)
Twiggy shrub, wht flowers (May); red/bronze fall color
Excellent fall color; fruit edible for humans/wildlife
Flowers (May-June); small blue-black berries in fall
Clusters of small, white flowers (May-July)
White flowers (spring); fruit attracts birds; edible
Heart-leaved
Aster
Whte Wood Aster
New England Aster
New York Aster
Marsh Marigold
White Turtlehead
Black Cohosh
Dutchman's Breeches
Shooting Star
Mistflower
Common Boneset
Wild Geranium
Sharp-lobed Hepatica
Round-lobed Hepatica
Alumroot
Eastern Rosemallow
Dwarf Crested Iris
Virginia Blue Flag
Cardinal Flower
Great Blue Lobelia
Lupine
Virginia Bluebells
Monkeyflower
Arrow Alum
Moss Phlox
Mayapple
Solomon's Seal
Pickerel Weed
Bowman's Root
Black-eyed Susan
Bloodroot
Lizard's Tail
Early Saxifrage
Wild Stonecrop
Fire Pink
Roughstem Goldenrod
Seaside Goldenrod
Clumping Foamflower
White Trillium
Blue Vervain
New York Ironweed
Marsh Blue Violet
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Blue-purple
flowers (Aug-Nov)
Clusters of white flowers late summer into fall
Bright lavender flowers with yellow centers late sum-fall
Flowers purple with yellow centers; bloom early fall
1-1.5" bright yellow flowers in spring and summer
White to pink 1-1.5" flowers summer into fall
Long slender clusters of white flowers in summer, fall
White and yellow pantaloon-like flowers in spring
1" flower with 5 lilac, pink, white petals facing
backwards
Attractive lavender flowers bloom in August
Flat-top clusters of small white flowers in the fall
1" lavender-purple flowers in spring and summer
White, pink, blue, or purple solitary flowers in spring
White, pink, blue, or purple solitary flowers in spring
Grn-purple bell-shped flwrs on leaflss stalk in spring
4-6" white-pink flowers, purplish-crimson base sum, fall
Pale lavender-blue crested flowers Apr-May
Blue sepals curve down; yellow base blooms late spring
Terminal cluster of bright-red flowers 1.5" long
in fall
Elongated cluster of pale drk- blue flwrs summer/fall
Spikes of lavender flowers in early summer
Nodding, trumpet-like 1" lt. blue flwrs spring/summer
1" violet flowers in summer and fall
Spathe in May to July
Trumpet-shaped red, purple, violet, pink, white flwrs
1" sol. white bloom at fork of 2 leaf stalks in spring
.5" bell-shaped green-white flwrs hang from leaf
axils
Spikes of bright lavender or blue flowers summer - fall
Narrow white-pink scraggly 5-petal flwrs in early summer
2-4" flwr head with 10-20 bright yellow petals, sum-fall
2" white flowers with yellow centers
Slender raceme of small shite flowers that droops at tip
5-petaled white flowers with 10 bright yellow stamen
Flowers have 4-5 white petals with sharp points in spring
1" red flowers with 5 spreading petals, 2-pronged
at tip
Tiny flowers like strings of yellow beads (Aug-Oct)
3" clusters bright yellow flwrs from clusters, sum-fall
Narrow cluster of small white flowers
2-2.5" white-pink flwr on eraect stalk with broad
petals
Small flowers crowded on terminal spikes (Jun-Oct)
Purple flowers attract butterflies in summer
Violet flowers with spurred lower tip blooms spring-summer
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Warm-season;grn/bl-grn
leaves;orange/red in fall
Grn leaves & stem turn dark red/purple/orange in fall
Cool season grass; sod-forming
Seeds are eaten by waterfowl
Green sedge; low maintenance
Greens early in spring; fine-leaved clumping perennial
Evergreen; blue flowers; best color in full sun
Short-leaved, light green, tufted perennial
Distinguished by relatively stiff, erect spikes
Rapid growth; green foliaged flower
Bright green cylindrical stems have no nodes or leaves
Saw-toothed leaf edges can readily tear the flesh
Clumping grass; grws well in sand good for beachfront
Bluish cast in summer; reddish fall color
Brt. grn-light blue leaves turn tan/copper/orange/red
Inflorescense wooly-looking when mature
Late sum. silky-golden flowering plumes above foliage
Leaf blades thick, strap-like; spherical bur-like flowers
Rich green foliage; distinctive flowers in spring
Cylindrical flower mid-late sum.; fresh/dried arrangements
1. While
the plants listed above are native to and appropriate
for their indicated regions, please recognize that,
in some instances, human development alters the
characteristics of a site such that it may be advisable
to use plants from a neighboring region. For example,
plantings in urban and suburban areas may receive
reflected heat from streets, sidewalks and/or walls
or be in media that receives less moisture than
normal (e.g., next to a paved area – the pavement
blocks rain from entering soil). Accordingly, using
plants from a neighboring region that support higher
temperatures and/or drier conditions may be more
appropriate.
2. While a plant is native to a region, that does
not mean that it will grow everywhere in that region.
The characteristics of any site will typically vary
from place to place and some plants may do better
than others at various places within a site. In
other words, a little experimentation might be required.
3. The above list is a starter list. Though adequate
for most residential and commercial landscapes,
there are many more native plants and should you
want to consider them, please inquire at a listed
nursery, community
service organization, reference
book or other resources.
CREDITS:
1. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's
(DCR), Natural Heritage Program, an agency of the Natural
Resources Secretariat. http://www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh
