Gardening With Native Plants

Native Plants of Indiana

Gardening with plants native to your area has many advantages. Native plants and wildflowers have adapted to the local environment and therefore thrive without a lot of care. This means that they require less physical maintenance, less watering and little or no use of chemical fertilizers. Additionally, if there are sudden changes in the weather (which if often the case in the midwest), native plants are more apt to handle these changes and survive whereas many nonnative plants would die out. Using native plants in your garden can also attract wildlife such as birds, butterflies and small mammals. By gardening with native plants, you are making a positive impact on the environment by keeping out non-native invasives, reducing chemical use, and helping natives thrive. The following list is a selection of plants native to Indiana and surrounding areas that are just as beautiful and enjoyable as the traditionally used non-natives.

Shrubs Vines Ground Cover Ferns

Plants that thrive in sand & gravel beds

Partridge Pea
Cassia fasciculata
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/wildflowers/images/common%20names/partridge_pea_cassia.jpg

Lupine
Lupinus perennis
http://www.bcadventure.com/adventure/wilderness/wildflowers/lupine.jpg

Rough Blazing Star
Liatrisaspera
http://www.grownative.org/image/plantlib/DETA-4.jpg

Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
http://www.rowesanctuary.org/wild%20bergamot%20stand%203.JPG

Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
http://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/Vascular_plants/solidago/solrig_aspect_01.jpg

Smooth Aster
Aster laevis
http://www.dyckarboretum.org/image/lib/plants/DETA-163.jpg

Side Oats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
http://people.uis.edu/braeb1/uisprairieproject/images/sideoats.jpg

Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
http://www.littlered.ecasd.k12.wi.us/naturearea/naturehome/plantpage/forbs/psmoke.jpg

Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium albidum
http://www.gardencrossings.com/_ccLib/image/plants/DETA-191.jpg

Coneflowers
Echinacea spp.
http://www.aaps.k12.mi.us/aaps.news/2003-04_aaps_gardens/da.data/13437/Photo/coneflowers.jpg

Lead Plant
Amorpha canescens
http://www.co.washburn.wi.us/images/landwatercons/shrubs/lead-plant.jpg

Blackeyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
http://www.signaturelandscapes.com/plants/plant_images/perennials_gc/blackeyed%20susan.jpg

Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
http://www.chicagowilderness.org/images/photos/Showy-goldenrod.jpg

Prickly Pear
Opuntia humifusa

Plants that attract wildlife

Indian Pink
Spigelia marilandica
humming birds
http://www.rubythroat.org/images/PinkIndian01.jpg

Purple Milkweed
Asclepias purpurascens
butterflies
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/milkweedf4.jpg

Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
larvae
http://savetheprairiesociety.org/virtual/images/goldalexcluster.jpg

Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
http://www.michiganaudubon.org/bakersanctuary/images/rattlesnake_master.jpg

Sweet Cicely
Osmorhiza claytoni
http://www.etsu.edu/biology/friendsofnature/Species/Wildflowers/Pictures/sweet%20cicely%20usda.jpg

Black Snakeroot
Sanicula spp.
http://john.walker.name/photoblog/archives/flowers/BlackSnakeroot.jpg

Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
http://bwca.cc/wildflowers/flowerimages/lorrainespictures/redosierdogwood.jpg

Downy Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea
http://www.ontariowildflower.com/images/serviceberrytree.jpg

Coralberry
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
http://www.theeagle.com/homegarden/photos/021105coralberry.jpg

Nectar Providing Plants

Royal Catchfly
Silene regia
http://biology4.wustl.edu/tyson/flora/catchfly1.jpg

New England Aster
Aster novae-angliae
http://www.tva.gov/river/landandshore/stabilization/plants/images/aster_novae-angliae.jpg

Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
http://www.suhsd.k12.ca.us/mvm/netlinks/1cather/wild%20columbine.jpg

Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/plants/wildflower/bergamot.jpg

False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides
http://personalpages.tds.net/~savanasp/image3ET.JPG

Plants that provide for larvae

Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/ceoc5242.jpg

Highbush Blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/Plants/Highbush%20Blueberry/TS0223_1l.jpg

Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
http://www.ontariowildflower.com/images/milkweedswampfl.jpg

Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
http://indianspringherbs.com/Images/Spicebush2.jpg

New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
http://www.co.washburn.wi.us/images/landwatercons/shrubs/new-jersey-tea.jpg

Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
http://gypsymoth.ento.vt.edu/vagm/Treeimages/pawpaw_leaves.jpeg