Summer flowers
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
A locally native milkweed gives monarch caterpillars food and visiting butterflies a summer nectar stop.
Instead of tropical milkweed
Meet this plantPhoto: Joshua Mayer · CC-BY-SA 2.0
All statesNative plants
A GARDEN THAT BELONGS HERE
Native plants
for Kentucky.
Familiar garden favorites, with native roots.
Find your first swap for sun, shade, and the soil underfoot.
6+ hours of direct sun
Full sun
Upright purple flower spikes
Dense blazing star
Liatris spicata
Purple flower spikes draw bees and butterflies, while their seeds feed goldfinches later in the season.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Hedwig Storch · CC BY-SA 3.0
Late-season flower color
Rough goldenrod
Solidago rugosa
Late yellow flowers feed bees and butterflies when many other garden blooms have finished.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: F. D Richards · CC BY-SA 4.0
A pollinator-friendly shrub
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Round flower clusters feed bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, followed by seeds for birds.
Instead of butterfly bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Al Riordan · CC BY 4.0
White flowers for a wet meadow
Common boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Late native flowers feed many pollinators, and seedheads supply food for birds.
Instead of butterfly bush
Meet this plantPhoto: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
Upright pink flower spikes
Obedient plant
Physostegia virginiana
Native summer flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Susan Strine · CC BY 2.0
Tall yellow summer flowers
Wild senna
Senna hebecarpa
Native leaves feed sulphur butterfly caterpillars, while flowers supply pollen for bumblebees.
Instead of butterfly bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Steve Law · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Summer flowers for a moist hedge
White meadowsweet
Spiraea alba
Native flowers feed pollinators, and foliage hosts spring azure caterpillars.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Broad leaves and tall native grass texture
Eastern gamagrass
Tripsacum dactyloides
Native grass clumps shelter quail, feed seed-eating birds, and host skipper caterpillars.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC BY-SA 2.0 DE
A flowering border
Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Its lavender blooms feed bees and hummingbirds, and hollow stems can shelter nesting bees.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Joshua Mayer · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Long-lasting daisy flowers
Orange coneflower
Rudbeckia fulgida
Golden flowers feed pollinators, and seedheads left standing become a fall food source for goldfinches.
Instead of shasta daisy
Meet this plantPhoto: F. D. Richards · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A sunny perennial border
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Open flowers feed bees and butterflies, and the seed-filled cones keep feeding songbirds after bloom.
Instead of shasta daisy
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0
Upright flower spires
Foxglove beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
White tubular flowers provide nectar for bees, hummingbirds, and other visiting pollinators.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Andrey-Zharkikh · CC BY 4.0
A substantial flowering perennial
Blue false indigo
Baptisia australis
Blue flower spires feed bees, and native butterfly caterpillars use the foliage as food.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritz Flohr Reynolds · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A small flowering border
Nodding onion
Allium cernuum
Nodding flower clusters feed bees and butterflies, with seeds for songbirds.
Instead of lilyturf
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritzflohrreynolds · CC BY-SA 3.0
Long-lasting silver-white flowers
Pearly everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
This native perennial feeds painted lady caterpillars as well as visiting pollinators.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Kryzystof Golik · CC BY-SA 4.0
A flowering evergreen climber
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Early trumpet-shaped flowers supply nectar for hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Instead of english ivy
Meet this plantPhoto: Susan Strine · CC BY 2.0
A sunny yellow-flowered border
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Golden native flowers feed bees and butterflies, with seeds for birds.
Instead of shasta daisy
Meet this plantPhoto: Andrey Zharkikh · CC BY 2.0
A flowering vine for a trellis
Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Native trumpet flowers feed hummingbirds, and red berries feed songbirds.
Instead of english ivy
Meet this plantPhoto: Kathy Sill · CC BY 4.0
Layered flowers for pollinators
Spotted beebalm
Monarda punctata
Native flowers feed bees, wasps, and hummingbirds, while leaves host moth caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: johnx12 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A flowering vine for a sunny fence
Purple passionflower
Passiflora incarnata
Native leaves feed several fritillary butterflies, and flowers provide nectar for pollinators.
Instead of english ivy
Meet this plantPhoto: Linda Querec · CC BY 2.0
A flowering small tree with fruit
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Native foliage feeds swallowtail caterpillars, and the fruit feeds birds.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Maxime Laterreur · CC BY-SA 4.0
Silver-topped pollinator flowers
Blunt mountain mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Native flowers feed butterflies and other pollinators, while leaves host wavy-lined emerald caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0
Fine foliage and summer flowers
Narrowleaf mountain mint
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Native flowers feed sweat bees and butterflies, and leaves host wavy-lined emerald caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Cyndy Sims Parr · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A fragrant native flowering border
Virginia mountain mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Many small native flowers offer summer food for visiting pollinators.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Frank Mayfield · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Golden summer daisies
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Native flowers feed butterflies, and seedheads feed goldfinches in fall.
Instead of shasta daisy
Meet this plantPhoto: Dotty Leatherwood · CC BY 4.0
Fine grassy leaves and blue flowers
Blue-eyed grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Small native flowers feed bumblebees, sweat bees, butterflies, and flies.
Instead of lilyturf
Meet this plantPhoto: Susan Shrine · CC BY 2.0
Golden flower plumes for late summer
Showy goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Native flowers feed late-season pollinators, and seedheads feed songbirds.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Randy Harter · CC BY 4.0
Purple flowers for the end of summer
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Native flowers feed late-season bees and migrating monarchs, while seeds feed birds.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Drew Avery · CC BY 2.0
A fruiting shrub with fall color
Highbush blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Native flowers feed bees, and berries feed a wide range of birds and mammals.
Instead of burning bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Rob Hille · CC BY-SA 3.0
A butterfly border
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Unlike butterfly bush, this native milkweed feeds monarch caterpillars as well as nectar-seeking butterflies.
Instead of butterfly bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0
A textured ornamental grass
Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Native grass blades feed skipper caterpillars, and standing clumps shelter wildlife through winter.
Instead of chinese silvergrass
Meet this plantPhoto: Montrealais · CC BY-SA 3.0
Purple prairie flower spikes
Purple prairie clover
Dalea purpurea
Purple flower spikes feed pollinators, and the leaves host native butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: cultivar413 · CC BY 2.0
A soft cloud of ornamental grass
Pink muhly grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Native grass clumps shelter wildlife, while seedheads feed songbirds and small mammals.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plant
A low silver-green groundcover
Plantain-leaved pussytoes
Antennaria plantaginifolia
Its native leaves feed American lady butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of bugleweed
Meet this plantPhoto: Susan Strine · CC BY 2.0
White prairie flower spikes
White prairie clover
Dalea candida
Native flower spikes feed pollinators, and foliage hosts dogface butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A low grass with pink seedheads
Purple lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
Airy native seedheads add fall color and attract songbirds and small mammals.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Katja Schulz · CC BY 2.0
A fine-textured clumping grass
Prairie dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Native seeds feed sparrows and juncos, while foliage feeds prairie insects.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Joshua Mayer · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Low mounds of autumn flowers
Aromatic aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Late native flowers feed pollinators, and hollow stems can shelter nesting bees.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritz Flohr Reynolds · CC BY-SA 4.0
A compact grass for a dry border
Prairie junegrass
Koeleria macrantha
This native grass greens up early and tolerates drought once established.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 4.0
2–6 hours of direct sun
Part sun & shade
A flowering shrub
Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica
Fragrant flowers feed local pollinators, and the seeds give songbirds another food source.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0
A colorful wildlife hedge
Red-osier dogwood
Cornus sericea
White berries feed birds, and this native shrub also hosts spring azure butterfly caterpillars.
Instead of burning bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Tom Brandt · CC BY 2.0
Arching grass for moist shade
River oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Leaves feed native skipper and pearly-eye caterpillars, and the nodding seeds feed birds.
Instead of lilyturf
Meet this plantPhoto: Katja Schultz · CC BY 2.0
A shrub with fall color and berries
Red chokeberry
Aronia arbutifolia
Spring flowers feed pollinators, and persistent red berries supply winter food for wildlife.
Instead of burning bush
Meet this plantPhoto: Andrey Zharkikh · CC BY 2.0
A shrub with autumn color
Black chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
Native flowers attract pollinators, while dark fruit and red fall leaves extend seasonal interest.
Instead of burning bush
Meet this plant
Late flowers for a moist border
White turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Native leaves feed Baltimore checkerspot caterpillars, and late blooms feed pollinators.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: R.A Nonenmacher · CC BY-SA 4.0
Late blue flowers for moist ground
Blue mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum
Nectar-rich flowers feed butterflies, followed by seeds for birds.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Bob Peterson · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Fine-textured grass and airy plumes
Tufted hairgrass
Deschampsia cespitosa
This native grass adds songbird habitat and flower plumes that persist into winter.
Instead of maiden grass
Meet this plantPhoto: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bright berries on bare winter branches
Winterberry holly
Ilex verticillata
Native berries supply winter food for birds, while leaves host Henry's elfin caterpillars.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: SB Johnny · CC BY-SA 3.0
Flowers for a wet border
Southern blue flag
Iris virginica
Native violet flowers and upright leaves thrive where an ordinary border stays too wet.
Instead of orange daylily
Meet this plantPhoto: Justin Meissen · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red flowers for a moist border
Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Late red flowers supply nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: Debbie Roos · CC BY 2.0
Blue flower spikes for moist shade
Great blue lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Native flower tubes feed bumblebees and other long-tongued pollinators.
Instead of woodland sage
Meet this plantPhoto: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
A flowering groundcover
Woodland phlox
Phlox divaricata
Its soft spring flowers offer nectar for butterflies and bees at the woodland edge.
Instead of common periwinkle
Meet this plantPhoto: Hope Duckworth · CC BY 4.0
A shrub with colorful berries
American beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Clusters of purple berries offer a fall food source for robins, towhees, and other songbirds.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Susan Strine · CC BY 2.0
A soft flowering border
Wild geranium
Geranium maculatum
Spring flowers feed bees and butterflies, and songbirds can eat the seeds that follow.
Instead of bloody cranesbill
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0
A mound of textured foliage
American alumroot
Heuchera americana
Airy flower stalks add nectar for bees and other pollinators above a low mound of native leaves.
Instead of heartleaf bergenia
Meet this plantPhoto: Behnke Nurseries, Inc. · CC BY 4.0
Tall, feathery flowers for shade
Goat's beard
Aruncus dioicus
Native flower plumes attract pollinators, and the foliage feeds dusky azure caterpillars.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: Meneekre bloem · CC BY-SA 4.0
A flowering groundcover
Wild strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Native spring flowers feed pollinators, including specialist bees.
Instead of bugleweed
Meet this plantPhoto: Matt Lavin · CC-BY-SA 2.0
A summer-flowering woodland shrub
Smooth hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Fertile native flowers feed pollinators, and the foliage hosts hydrangea sphinx moth caterpillars.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: Michelle Campbell · CC0
A flowering shrub for a natural hedge
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Native flowers attract bees, and the shrub provides habitat for birds.
Instead of japanese spirea
Meet this plantPhoto: F. D. Richards · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Low pink flowers for a rocky border
Wild pink
Silene caroliniana
Native spring flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.
Instead of bloody cranesbill
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritzflohrreynolds · CC BY-SA 3.0
A flowering hedge with dark berries
Arrowwood viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Native fruit feeds songbirds, and the shrub can host spring azure caterpillars.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritz Flohr Reynolds · CC BY-SA 4.0
Nodding spring flowers
Eastern red columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Red-and-yellow flowers give hummingbirds and bumblebees a nectar stop in spring.
Instead of asian bleeding heart
Meet this plantPhoto: Patty Felder · CC BY 4.0
A shrub with lasting berries
Common snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
Native foliage feeds snowberry clearwing caterpillars, and white berries provide food for wildlife.
Instead of heavenly bamboo
Meet this plantPhoto: Patrick Standish · CC BY 2.0
Less than 2 hours of direct sun
Shade
Broad fern fronds for damp ground
Sensitive fern
Onoclea sensibilis
Native fern colonies provide low cover for woodland wildlife.
Instead of japanese painted fern
Meet this plantPhoto: Hornet Photography · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Tall fern texture for a wet woodland
Cinnamon fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Native fern clumps shelter birds, which also use the stem hairs to line nests.
Instead of japanese holly fern
Meet this plantPhoto: David J. Stang · CC BY-SA 4.0
Soft woodland foliage
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Foamy spring flowers bring bees and other pollinators to the shady parts of your garden.
Instead of fragrant hosta
Meet this plantPhoto: Tiarella cordifolia · CC BY-SA 4.0
A leafy groundcover
Wild ginger
Asarum canadense
Broad native leaves protect woodland soil, while its hidden flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles.
Instead of english ivy
Meet this plantPhoto: Kathy Sill · CC BY 4.0
Year-round fern texture
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Evergreen fronds provide winter cover close to the ground and nesting material for songbirds.
Instead of japanese painted fern
Meet this plantPhoto: Photo by Cranbrook Science · CC BY 2.0
Broad, textured woodland leaves
Plantain-leaved sedge
Carex plantaginea
Native sedge clumps shelter small wildlife and provide seeds for birds and small mammals.
Instead of lilyturf
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0
A carpet of woodland flowers
Creeping woodland phlox
Phlox stolonifera
A low carpet of native spring flowers offers nectar for butterflies and hummingbirds.
Instead of common periwinkle
Meet this plantPhoto: Michael Wolf · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lush foliage with airy flowers
Hairy alumroot
Heuchera villosa
Late flower stalks supply nectar for bees and other pollinators above a mound of native foliage.
Instead of heartleaf bergenia
Meet this plant
An evergreen woodland fern
Marginal wood fern
Dryopteris marginalis
Evergreen fronds give ground-level wildlife cover and supply material for songbird nests.
Instead of japanese holly fern
Meet this plantPhoto: desultrix · CC-BY-SA 2.0
Delicate, arching fern texture
Northern maidenhair fern
Adiantum pedatum
Lacy fronds shelter small woodland animals and provide material for bird nests.
Instead of japanese painted fern
Meet this plant
A flowering woodland climber
Virgin's bower
Clematis virginiana
Fragrant native flowers offer nectar for bees and hummingbirds, even in a shaded garden.
Instead of english ivy
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy DeWitt · CC BY 4.0
Arching foliage for woodland shade
False Solomon's seal
Maianthemum racemosum
Native spring flowers feed insects, followed by berries for birds and small mammals.
Instead of fragrant hosta
Meet this plantPhoto: Kathy Sill · CC BY 4.0
A leafy climber with fall color
Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Native berries feed birds and mammals, while small flowers feed pollinators.
Instead of english ivy
Meet this plantPhoto: Hope Duckworth · CC BY 4.0
Red-and-yellow woodland flowers
Carolina pink
Spigelia marilandica
Native tubular flowers supply nectar for hummingbirds in a shaded garden.
Instead of asian bleeding heart
Meet this plantPhoto: Cathy Dewitt · CC BY 4.0
Flowers and arching woodland foliage
Starry Solomon's plume
Maianthemum stellatum
Native berries attract birds and small mammals after the spring flower display.
Instead of fragrant hosta
Meet this plantPhoto: Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY 2.5
A soft, grassy groundcover
Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Fine native blades provide cover and support butterfly larvae, with seeds for birds and small mammals.
Instead of lilyturf
Meet this plantPhoto: Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Late flowers under the trees
White wood aster
Eurybia divaricata
Late flowers feed bees and butterflies, and seeds support birds into the colder months.
Instead of garden mum
Meet this plantPhoto: Fritzflohrreynolds · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grow with local know-how.
Use your garden’s sunlight, soil moisture, and available space to narrow the list.
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