Here’s another link to Wild Ones explaining why to choose native plants over non natives.
What natives do you have growing?
A while ago I was trying to look up what plants were native to my area; I tried searching several different ways, even in my own language, but somehow every result ended up being about the USA or a specific state in the USA. Eventually I found one, but it took a while.
So if you’re reading this, and you’re a botanist (or just someone who knows a lot about plants), and not an American, I’d encourage you to maybe create some kind of site that lets the people in your area know which plants there are native. It could be extremely useful for someone one day!
Does your area have an ag extension office? Or a master gardener program? They should be good resources!
I actually have no idea, but I’ll look into it! Thank you!
Yeah, in our sources I’ve been trying to add stuff for other countries but it’s a lot harder when you don’t live there. I’m not sure what to search, what organizations might exist, or even what places have demand for it.
Oh, if you want to add it, the one I found for Portugal was this one.
It’s apparently developed by the Portuguese botanical society as a volunteer project, and it seems great! I can even pinpoint an area on a map, and it will order all the plants by how likely they are to be found near there. It will also tag some plants saying if they are “nearly threatened”, “vulnerable”, or “in danger”.
This. I’d love to plant native species, but I have no idea what they are. Whenever I look, I can’t find any useful links.
Just got my hands on a swamp milkweed this week. Very excited to see what ends up on it next year.
Also bee balm, phlox, western sunflowers, a variety of coneflowers, eastern Prickly pear, and an ostrich fern all hidden in my tiny backyard.
Ohhh can’t wait to see pics!
I’m replacing my whole backyard with drought tolerant native plants. It’s a work in progress and a constant battle against the weeds at the moment because it’s about 5,000 square feet of area.
So far I have echinacea, mock orange, golden currant, several species of penstemon (cut-leaf, grandiflora, Rocky Mountain), a juniper tree, yarrow, sagebrush, chokecherries, showy milkweed, orange globemallow, and elderberries.
The milkweed is probably my favorite right now while things are growing in. I swear it is bigger every time I look at it.
If you feel like it, I’m sure the community would love to see pics! I know I would.
A bunch, but I think my current favorite might be Agastache foeniculum
I don’t even know that I have a favorite haha. I just like pretty colors
Prairie Blazing star is my favorite. They are so fluffy when not flowering and then a majestic when they are. I think I’m going to get more of them this fall
Going to try to compile a master list. I know I am forgetting some. I am only including things I planted and not natives that volunteer themselves.
Grasses
Elymus canadensis - Nodding Wild Rye
Elymus virginicus - Virginia Wild Rye
Bouteloua curtipendula - Side-oats Grama
Chasmanthium latifolium - River Oats
Panicum (Dichanthelium) clandestinum - Deer-tongue Grass
Wildflowers
Arisaema triphyllum -Jack in the Pulpit
Hydrophyllum virginianum - Virginia Waterleaf
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
Podophyllum peltatum - May Apple
Erythronium albidum - White Trout Lily
Heliopsis helianthoides - Ox Eye Sunflower
Asarum canadense - Wild Ginger
Rudbeckia triloba - Brown-eyed Susan
Geranium maculatum - Wild Geranium
Liatris spicata - Dense Blazingstar
Trillium grandiflorum - White Trillium
Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot
Bidens aristosa - Tickseed Sunflower
Packera aurea - Golden Ragwort
Vernonia altissima - Tall Ironweed
Thalictrum dasycarpum - Purple Meadow Rue
Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Red Columbine
Solidago caesia - Blue Stemmed Goldenrod
Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain
Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed
Eupatorium maculatum - Spotted Joe Pye
Campanula americana - American Bellflower
Penstemon digitalis - Foxglove Beardtongue
Polygonatum biflorum canaliculatum - Smooth Solomon’s Seal
Lobelia siphilitica - Great Lobelia
Agastache foeniculum - Anise Hyssop
Aster divaricatus - White Wood Aster
Aster novae-angliae - New England Aster
Aster cordifolius - Symphyotrichum cordifolius - Heart Leaved Aster
Mentensia virginica - Virginia Bluebells
Trees/Shrubs
Asimina triloba - Pawpaw
Hypericum prolificum - Shrubby St Johns Wort
Amelanchier laevis - Allegheny Serviceberry
Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry Viburnum
Lindera benzoin - Spicebush
Sambucus racemosa - Red Elderberry
Sambucus nigra - Black Elderberry
Euonymus atropurpureus - Eastern Wahoo
Rosa palustris - Swamp Rose
Cornus sericea - Red Osier Dogwood
Platanus occidentalis - American Sycamore
Quercus rubra - Red Oak
Acer rubrum - Red Maple
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush
