Northwood News ♦ February 2015

15 Native Garden Plants to Consider for 2015

By Carole A. Barth

Winter, while the seeds sleep snug in the soil, is when gardeners nourish fond hopes for spring’s awakening.  With few garden chores to occupy us, verdant visions grow in our imaginations.

As you dream about the seasons to come, consider whether you have room in your garden for any of the native plants on this list.  You’ll be doing our environment a favor, because we need native plants to support pollinators, birds, and other wildlife.

Planting natives is also a great way to deal with difficult garden conditions such as heavy clay soils, dry shade, or steep hillsides.  It is always easier to grow plants suited to the conditions you have, rather than trying to change your garden to suit some plant’s requirements.  In fact, once established in the right place, most natives will not need to be watered or fertilized.  All the plants on this list are perennials, meaning that they come back year after year.

For more information on these (and other native plants) visit the Chesapeake Region Native Plant Center.  You can also learn more at the Maryland Native Plant Society, and participate in events held by the Montgomery county chapter (click on “Chapters” and “Montgomery County”).   ■

Common Name	Latin Name	Habitat	Comments
Adam’s Needle	Yucca filamentosa	Full Sun, Dry to Moist Soil	Blooms June-September, white, flower stalk can rise 5-10 feet above foliage, evergreen
Blue False Indigo	Baptisia australis	Full Sun-Pt. Shade, Dry to Moist Soil	Blooms May-June, blue-purple, blue-black seed pods
Cardinal Flower	Lobelia cardinalis	Full Sun-Pt. Shade, Moist to Wet Soil	Blooms July-October, scarlet.  Attracts hummingbirds.  Keep leaves clear in winter.
Christmas Fern	Polystichum acrostichoides	Part Sun to Full Shade, Moist Soil	Evergreen.  Good clumping groundcover, or for rock gardens
Columbine	Aquilegia canadensis	Full Sun to Part Shade, Dry to Moist Soil	Blooms April-July, red and yellow.  Attracts hummingbirds.  Burgundy leaves in Fall.
Golden Ragwort	Packera aurea	Full Sun to Full Shade, Moist to Wet Soil	Blooms April-August, yellow, good spreading groundcover in wet soils.  Attracts butterflies.
Green and Gold	Chrysogonum virginianum var. austral	Full Sun to Full Shade, Dry to Moist Soil	Blooms March-June, yellow, good spreading ground cover for shade
Joe-Pye Weed	Eupatorium dubium	Full to Part Sun, Moist to Wet Soil	Blooms July to October, purple, attracts butterflies and song birds.
Moss Phlox	Phlox subulata	Full Sun, Dry to Moist Soil	Blooms April-June, rose, pink, white.  Evergreen, good groundcover, butterflies
New York Ironweed	Vernonia novaboracensis	Full Sun to Part Shade, Moist to Wet Soil	Blooms August to October, bright purple. In fall, attractive dried flower heads.  Tall stems stay upright, spreads. Attracts butterflies.
Rose Mallow	Hibiscus moscheutos	Full Sun to Part Shade, Moist to Flooded Soil	Blooms July-September, cream, rosy pink. Attractive seed capsules, hummingbirds.
Sneezeweed	Helenium autumnale	Full Sun to Full Shade, Moist Soil	Blooms July-November, yellow.  Attracts butterflies, was used for snuff.
Virginia Spiderwort	Tradescantia virginiana	Full Sun to Full Shade, Moist Soil	Blooms April-July, deep blue-purple.  Dies back mid-July-August, new foliage in fall.
White Wood Aster	Eurybia divaricata	Partial Sun to Shade, Dry to Moist Soil	Blooms July-October, white with yellow or red centers, good groundcover.  Attracts butterflies.
Wild Geranium	Geranium maculatum	Full Sun to Part Shade	Blooms April-July, lavender-blue.  Good groundcover.  Attracts butterflies, leaves red in fall.