Why Plant Native Species?
Native plant gardening is a growing trend. More gardeners and homeowners are coming to realize the benefits of choosing native species:
They support and stabilize the natural environment in a region.Native species support wildlife, providing habitat and food sources.Many native flowers attract pollinators.They require less water and maintenance.Natives are particularly well-suited to their area and are better able to survive and thrive.
Choose native plants that grow in your region for a successful, beautiful, and environmentally friendly garden.
Iowa Native Plants
These are just a few of the many native plants in Iowa that gardeners can choose for more eco-friendly beds:
Jack-in-the-pulpit – Jack-in-the-pulpit is a woodland wildflower with a unique, cup-like bloomDutchman’s breeches – Dutchman’s breeches is a wildflower with blooms shaped like little pantsVirginia bluebells – Despite the name, Virginia bluebells are a pretty spring flower native to IowaWild geranium – Wild geranium, this pretty pink flower blooms in springShooting star – Shooting star is a unique flower that looks inside out and a cluster of shooting starsCanadian wild ginger – A pretty groundcover, Canadian wild ginger has large, heart-shaped leavesLady fern – Lady fern is a delicate fern for woodland gardensOstrich fern – Ostrich fern is a dramatic fern suitable for shady areas that need a bold statementCinnamon fern – Cinnamon fern turns a lovely shade of bronze and grows very tallServiceberry – Serviceberry is a large shrub or small tree that provides spring flowers, summer fruits, and fall colorPagoda dogwood – Pagoda dogwood is an understory tree with four-season interestArrowwood viburnum – Arrowwood viburnum is a smaller shrub with white flowers and dark berries
Michigan Native Plants
Choose from among these native Michigan flowers, trees, shrubs, and more to create a healthy, balanced garden:
Black-eyed Susan – Black-eyed Susan is a popular perennial for its cheerful, late summer and fall bloomsCanada anemone – Canada anemone, use this small white flower for areas with moist soilButterfly weed – Butterfly weed is a bright orange beauty for full sun and drier soilsNew England aster – choose New England aster, a pretty daisy-like flower, for bright blue fall colorSwamp milkweed – Swamp milkweed supports endangered monarch butterflies with its flowersMaidenhair fern – Maidenhair fern is a small, delicate fern with lacy leavesWinterberry – Winterberry is a native holly that produces bright red berries for winter colorGray dogwood – Gray dogwood, a low maintenance shrub with white flowers and white berriesPaper birch – Paper birch is a small tree with smooth, white barkBig bluestem – The native grass big bluestem is a great choice for a native ornamental grass
Minnesota Native Plants
There is a lot of overlap with Michigan and Iowa natives, but also try these species for a native Minnesota garden:
Autumn onion – A native onion that produces pretty spheres of pink lavender flowers and has edible bulbsWild columbine – Wild columbine is a beautiful native woodland flower with striking red and yellow bloomsCardinal flower – Choose cardinal flower for bright red colorWood lily – The tall native wood lily produces large, red-orange flowersDwarf false indigo – Dwarf false indigo is a shrub with delicate, feathered leaves and purple flowersRed osier dogwood – The shrub red osier dogwood produces white flowers and berries and provides winter color with red stemsCreeping juniper – Creeping juniper is an evergreen groundcover with purple berriesPrairie June grass – Prairie June grass is a short but showy native ornamental grass
Wisconsin Native Plants
Again, many native species overlap in this region, and most of the above are suitable for Wisconsin. Here are some other species native in the state:
Pale purple coneflower – Pale purple coneflower is a pretty perennial that attracts butterflies and birdsPrairie blazing star – Prairie blazing star is a perennial that blooms with striking pink and magenta flowersShowy goldenrod – Often blamed for allergies, goldenrod isn’t a common allergen and provides gorgeous fall colorPrairie smoke – Prairie smoke, a unique plant named for its wispy, smoke-like seedheadAmerican elderberry – A sprawling shrub, American elderberry produces pretty, scented flowers and edible dark berriesLowbush blueberry – Grow native berries with the small shrub lowbush blueberryNew Jersey tea – Once used as a tea substitute during the Revolutionary War, the New Jersey tea shrub is native to the MidwestFox sedge – Fox sedge is a showy sedge with a flower stalk that resembles a fox’s tail
