What is a native plant?
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) defines a native plant as one that occurred within Pennsylvania before European settlement. Native plants include ferns; grasses and sedges; annual, biennial and perennial wildflowers; trees, shrubs and vines that covered “Penn’s Woods” when English, Dutch, German and Swedish settlers brought their agricultural plants and associated weeds to the colony. More than 2,100 plant species make up the native botanical heritage of Pennsylvania.
Why should I care about native plants?
Native plants create beautiful landscapes that provide native wildlife with the diverse habitat and food they need to survive. Plants are a foundation of local ecosystems. As such they maintain the unique natural heritage of a region. Pennsylvania’s native plants give a sense place that is recognized and enjoyed by citizens and visitors from all over the world. Native plants form the basis of the food chains that support bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds inhabiting our backyards. Supporting our favorite birds requires more than seed-feeders for the adults. Bluebirds, chickadees, warblers – in fact over 90 percent of birds that share our suburban neighborhoods raise their babies on a diet of insects, especially caterpillars. By providing plant food for the butterfly and moth caterpillars, we help adult birds feed the next generation of songsters.
Goldenrods, asters, sunflowers, bonesets and other plant support hundreds of species of butterflies and moths that have co-adapted to feed on their leaves, pollen and nectar here in the eastern United States. These insects in turn support birds and other wildlife in the ecological network.
Because Pennsylvania’s native plants are adapted to grow here, they thrive with less maintenance thereby reducing the labor and expenses of watering and fertilizing.
As wildlands are developed, paved or planted to biologically impoverished grass lawns, our community and residential gardens become increasingly important to sustaining the natural beauty and wildlife that define the region.
Go native with these six basics:
1. Protect native plant communities and minimize habitat destruction
The easiest, least expensive, and best way to conserve Pennsylvania plant heritage is to protect existing native plant communities from further disturbance. If disturbance is necessary, strive for minimum impact on habitat.
2. Landscape with native plants
In many neighborhoods, wild native plant communities have been seriously impaired. The landscaping of parks, yards, streets and campuses then provides the foundation of the local ecosystem. Well-chosen native plants can perform beautifully in these landscapes. The DCNR-Bureau of Forestry recommends hardy and adaptable native plants which flourish in a wide variety of conditions and have a better chance of success in gardens. These plant species grow abundantly throughout the state. For a short list of recommended native plants easily purchased, see table below.
3. Learn more about native plants
Learn what plants are native in your area. Many field guides and online resources can help you get started. Days afield in Pennsylvania’s parks and wildlands getting to know the wildflowers are both delightful and educational.
4. Buy nursery-propagated native plants
Many retail nurseries and mail-order catalogs
Deciduous Shrubs and Trees |
|||||
Botanical Name | Common Name | Botanical Name | Common Name | Botanical Name | Common Name |
Acer rubrum | Red maple | Fothergilla gardenii | Dwarf fothergilla | Physocarpus opulifolius | Ninebark |
Acer saccharum | Sugar maple | Fothergilla major | Witch-alder | Pinus strobus | Eastern white pine |
Aesculus parviflora | Bottlebrush buckeye | Franklinia alatamaha | Franklin tree | Potentilla fruticosa | Shrubby cinquefoil |
Amelanchier canadensis | Serviceberry | Gaylussacia dumosa | Dwarf huckleberry | Prunus maritima | Beach plum |
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Bearberry | Hamamelis vernalis | Witch-hazel | Quercus bicolor | Swamp white oak |
Aristolochia macrophylla | Dutchman’s pipe | Hamanelis virginiana | Common Witch-hazel | Quercus rubra | Red oak |
Aronia arbutifolia | Chokeberry | Hydrangea arborescens | Smooth hydrangea | Rhododendron maximum | Rhododendron |
Asimina triloba | Pawpaw | Hydrangea quercifolia | Oakleaf hydrangea | Rhus aromatica | Fragrant sumac |
Azalea periclymenoides | Pinxterbloom azalea | Hypericum kalmianum | Kalm’s St. John’s wort | Rosa palustris | Swamp rose |
Azalea viscosum | Swamp azalea | Ilex glabra | Inkberry | Rosa regosa | Regosa rose |
Betula nigra | River birch | Ilex verticillata | Winterberry | Rosa virginiana | Virginia Rose |
Calycanthus floridus | Carolina allspice | Itea virginica | Virginia sweetspire | Salix discolor | Pussy willow |
Campsis radicans | Trumpet vine | Juniperus horizontalis | Creeping juniper | Sambucus canadensis | American black elderberry |
Ceanothus americanus | New Jersey tea | Juniperus virginiana | Red cedar | Spiraea tomentosum | Steeplebush |
Cephalanthus occidentalis | Buttonbush | Kalmia angustifolia | Sheep laurel | Taxodium distichum | Bald cypress |
Cercis canadensis | Eastern redbud | Kalmia latifolia | Mountain laurel | Vaccinium angustifolium | Lowbush blueberry |
Chamaecyparis thyoides | White cypress | Leucothoe axillaris | Leucothoe | Vaccinium corymbosum | Highbush blueberry |
Chamaedaphne calyculata | Leatherleaf | Lindera benzoin | Spice bush | Vaccinium macrocarpon | Cranberry |
Chionanthus virginicus | Fringe tree | Lonicera sempervirens | Trumpet honeysuckle | Viburnum dentatum | Arrowwood viburnum |
Clethra alnifolia | Sweet pepperbush | Lonicera ‘Major Wheeler’ | Honeysuckle | Viburnum nudum | Smooth witherod |
Comptonia peregrina | Sweet fern | Magnolia virginiana | Sweet bay magnolia | Viburnum trilobum | Cranberry bush |
Cornus amomum | Dogwood | Mitchella repens | Partridge berry | Viburnum prunifolium | Blackhaw viburnum |
Cornus canadensis | Bunchberry | Myrica pensylvanica | Bayberry | Wisteria frutescens | American wisteria |
Cornus florida | Flowering dogwood | Nyssa sylvatica | Black gum | Wisteria macrostachya | Wisteria |
Cornus racemosa | Gray dogwood | Oxydendrum arboreum | Sourwood | Yucca filamentosa | Adam’s needle |
Cornus serecia | Red twig dogwood | Pachysandra procumbens | Allegheny spurge | Zenobia ‘Woodlander Blue’ | Dusty zenobia |
Diervilla lonicera | Bush honeysuckle | Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Virginia creeper | ||
PERENNIALS, FERNS & GRASSES |
|||||
Botanical Name | Common Name | Botanical Name | Common Name | Botanical Name | Common Name |
Anemone canadensis | Windflower | Fern – Osmundastrum cinnamomeum | Cinnamon Fern | Penstemon digitalis | Beardtongue |
Aquilegia canadensis | Columbine | Fern – Polystichum acrostichoides | Christmas fern | Phlox divaricata | Wild sweet William |
Aruncus dioicus | Goat’s beard | Gentiana clausa | Bottle gentian | Phlox paniculata | Garden phlox |
Asarum canadensis | Wild ginger | Geranium maculatum | Wild geranium | Phlox stolonifera | Creeping phlox |
Asclepias incarnata | Swamp milkweed | Grass – Carex appalachica | Appalachian sedge | Phlox subulata | Moss phlox |
Asclepias tuberosa | Butterfly weed | Grass – Carex pennsylvania | Sedge | Physostegia virginianum | Obedient plant |
Aster divaricatus | White wood aster | Grass – Chasmanthium latifolium | Indian woodoats | Polemonium reptans | Jacob’s ladder |
Aster laevis | Smooth aster | Grass – Deschampsia flexuosa | Crinkled hair grass | Polygonatum biflorum | Solomon’s seal |
Aster novi-anglii | New England Aster | Grass – Panicum virgatum | Switch grass | Potentilla tridentata | Solomon’s seal |
Baptisia australis | Blue false indigo | Grass – Schizachyrium scoparium | Little bluestem | Rudbeckia fulgida & triloba | Black eyed Susan & Brown eyed Susan |
Caltha palustris | Marsh marigold | Grass – sporobolus heterolepis | Prairie dropseed | Scutellaria | Skullcap |
Chelone glabra | White turtlehead | Heliopsis helianthoides | Oxeye sunflower | Sedum nevii | Southern Stonecrop |
Chelone lyonii | Pink turtlehead | Helenium flexuosum ‘Tiny Dancer’ | Purple-headed sneezeweed | Sedum ternatum | Three-leaved stonecrop |
Chrysogonum virginianum | Golden knee | Heuchera villosa | Hairy alum root | Senecio aureus | Golden ragwort |
Cimicifuga ramosa | Bugbane | Hibiscus moscheutos | Hardy hibiscus | Sysirinchium angustifolium | Blue-eyed grass |
Coreopsis rosea | Tickseed | Iris cristata | Dwarf crested iris | Solidago rugosa | Rough goldenrod |
Coreopsis verticillata | Threadleaf coreopsis | Iris versicolor | Blue flag | Spigelia marilandica | Indian pink |
dicentra eximia | Bleeding heart | Liatris spicata | Blazing star | Stylophorum diphyllum | Celandine poppy |
Echinacea purpurea | Purple coneflower | Lobelia cardinalis | Cardinal flower | Thermopsis villosa | Carolina lupine |
Eupatorium dubium | Joe Pye weed | Lobelia ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ | Cardinal flower | Tiarella cordifolia | Foam flower |
Eupatorium rugosum | Snakeroot | Lobelia siphilitica | blue cardinal flower | Verbena stricta | Hoary vervain |
Fern – Athyrium filix-femina | Lady fern | Lupinus perennis | Wild lupine | Vernonia lettermannii | Iron Weed |
Fern – Blechnum spicant | Deer fern | Mertensia virginica | Virginia bluebells | Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver’s root |
Fern – Dennstaedtia punctilobula | Hay-scented fern | Monarda didyma | Bee balm | Viola labradorica | Labrador violet |
Fern – Dryopteris | Japanese shield fern | Monarda fistulosa | Wild bergamot | Viola pedata | Bird’s foot violet |
Fern – Matteuccia struthiopteris | Ostrich fern | Myosotis sylvatica | Woodland forget-me-not | Waldsteinia fragarioides | Barren strawberry |