Tennessee Natives

The Pale Purple Echinacea is a coneflower that blooms its pale purple to pink blooms in the early summer before most other flowers! This beautiful coneflower is loved for its nectar by hummingbirds and butterflies and will grow up to 3 feet tall. Try planting this variety with the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), which has a deeper purple flower and will bloom just when Pale Purple Coneflower bloom cycle is ending. Planting these two together will give you many, many weeks of beautiful, bright Echinacea blooms.

Drummond's Aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii) is a distinctive North American native plant. Clouds of small pale flowers open late in the season, extending forage for bees and adding a soft texture to naturalized plantings. It matures at approximately 36 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry-medium to medium conditions, with loamy soil or sandy soil. Space plants 18–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a tall native perennial covered with purple to pink flowers and golden centers in late summer and fall. It grows best in full sun to partial light with moist, well-drained soil and works well in meadows, rain gardens, and pollinator borders. The late flowers supply nectar for bees, butterflies, and migrating monarchs. Mature plants commonly reach 3 to 6 feet tall.

At maturity, the Rattlesnake Master Eryngium produces uniquely shaped beautiful white blooms that reach up to 4 feet high! This variety prefers moist soils and sites with full sun to partial shade. The Rattlesnake Master has been used medicinally by American Indians as a diaphoretic.

Dwarf Blazing Star (Liatris cylindracea) is a petite, drought-hardy species native to the dry prairies, glades, and rocky outcrops of the central and eastern United States, where its deep taproot allowed it to persist through challenging conditions. Unlike the taller prairie Liatris types, L. cylindracea stays low and compact, often producing short, sturdy flower spikes lined with cylindrical clusters of vivid purple blooms that open from the top down and draw in bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

Goldilocks produces fluffy double golden blooms with warm, darker centers. This compact selection flowers quickly and supplies abundant summer color in sunny beds, containers, and cutting gardens. Regular harvesting encourages branching and keeps new buds developing.

White turtlehead produces creamy white blossoms, often brushed with pink, on sturdy upright stems. The hooded late-summer flowers add fresh color to moist woodland borders and streamside plantings. It performs best in rich soil that remains evenly moist through the growing season.

Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) is an aromatic North American native perennial with dense clusters of small white flowers. Its long summer bloom provides abundant forage for bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Upright, branching plants fit naturally into pollinator gardens, meadows and sunny native borders. Average, well-drained soil and consistent moisture during establishment support strong growth.

This mix contains annuals and perennials that are native to the southeastern United States. This area includes Alabama, Arkansas, northern Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, extreme eastern Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and extreme eastern Texas.

American Lotus is a vigorous native aquatic perennial prized for immense round leaves and fragrant cream-to-yellow summer flowers. Stems rise above calm water before producing distinctive showerhead-shaped seed pods that add lasting ornamental interest. It thrives in full sun with roots anchored in pond soil beneath shallow water and may spread widely where conditions suit it. The flowers support native pollinators, while seeds and foliage provide food and shelter for wetland wildlife. The dried flower pods making a striking beautiful bouquet!

Creeping Jacob’s ladder pairs fernlike leaflets with loose clusters of sky-blue spring flowers. The compact clumps settle naturally into shaded borders, woodland gardens, and the edges of paths. Even moisture helps extend flowering and keeps the foliage fresh into summer.

River Oats was once listed as Uniola latifolia and is also known as Northern Sea Oats. This native of eastern North American woods and streambanks carries flat, dangling seed heads that turn gold in fall and have long been used in dried arrangements. Birds and small mammals eat the grain, and Pepper and Salt Skipper caterpillars use the grass. Give it partial shade and medium to moist soil; allow room for self-seeding.

Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) is a distinctive North American native plant. Lavender tubular flowers and softly hairy stems give this adaptable beardtongue a delicate look in dry borders and open woods. It matures at approximately 18 inches tall and flowers from mid to late spring through late spring to early summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry through medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil, sandy soil or dry soil. Space plants 12–18 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

The Obedient Plant Physostegia is a sun-loving flowering plant that produces pink flowers that blooms late summer and into fall! This variety spreads very fast with a large underground root system.

Hirtella Asclepias, more commonly known as Hirtella Milkweed or sometimes grouped under Asclepias hirtella and Tall Green Milkweed, is a native prairie species historically found across the central United States in moist to moderately dry meadows, savannas, and open grasslands. It is recognized for its tall, slender stems topped with rounded clusters of pale green to yellow-green flowers that attract a wide variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and monarch caterpillars.

The Sneezeweed Helenium produces a numerous amount of beautiful, large, daisy-like yellow flowers that bloom in the late summer and early autumn! Despite its common name, this variety presents no problems for most allergy sufferers.

Sweet black-eyed Susan bears golden daisies with dark brown centers on tall, well-branched stems. Its long display runs from summer into early fall and adds height without looking heavy. Gently aromatic foliage and sturdy growth make it a memorable choice for meadows and back borders.

Marsh marigold brightens the early garden with glossy foliage and cheerful golden flowers. It thrives in consistently moist soil beside ponds, streams, rain gardens, and other low areas. The clumping plants bring welcome color before many other perennials begin blooming.

Flat-topped Aster was formerly known as Aster umbellatus, a reminder of its changing botanical classification. Native to North American wet meadows and moist prairies, it flowers earlier than many asters with broad clusters of pale rays. Bees, wasps, flies, beetles, and butterflies visit the blooms; turkey and swamp sparrows also use the plant. Give it sun to partial shade and moist soil, with room for rhizomes.

Pale Beardtongue (Penstemon pallidus) is a distinctive North American native plant. Pale tubular blooms appear above a compact base, making this beardtongue especially useful in sandy or rocky native plantings. It matures at approximately 12 inches tall and flowers from mid to late spring through late spring to early summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry to dry-medium conditions, with sandy soil, dry soil or poor soil. Space plants 10–12 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is a distinctive North American native plant. Heart-shaped leaves form a low woodland groundcover, concealing unusual red flowers beneath the foliage in spring. It matures at approximately 6 inches tall and flowers from early to mid spring through mid to late spring. Plant it in partial to full shade, in dry-medium through medium-wet conditions, with acidic soil, loamy soil or sandy soil. Space plants 6–12 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) is a native perennial with flat-topped clusters of bright yellow flowers in spring to early summer. It grows well in moist to mesic meadows, open woods, and woodland edges in full sun to partial light. The flowers provide early forage for bees and butterflies, while the upright foliage adds structure to native plantings. Plants typically reach about 18 to 24 inches tall once established.

The Upright Prairie Coneflower is a beautiful meadow wildflower that produces an abundance of beautiful, vibrant yellow petals. This breathtaking variety is known for growing wild in the plains states. The Prairie Coneflower gets its name for its yellow petals surrounding tall cones. This flowering plant produces light-green foliage that creates a beautiful backdrop for the textured blooms.

The Butterfly Asclepias is sun-loving, easy to grow and blooms brilliant, vibrant orange colored blooms that will attract may pollinators to the garden. This stunning variety and can reach 2' feet tall. Sow in early January for first year blooms.

The Big Bluestem is a warm season ornamental grass that actively grows during the summer when soil temperatures are warm but is beautiful all year round. This variety is a big plant, getting over six feet tall in most situations! In a landscape, the Big Bluestem can be used as an accent. This ornamental grass has a great fall color in the range of gold and pink.

Royal catchfly displays brilliant scarlet flowers on upright stems during the heat of summer. The vivid color draws hummingbirds and gives prairie restorations and sunny borders a striking focal point. Sticky upper stems are a distinctive feature of this uncommon native wildflower.

American alum root creates a handsome mound of maple-shaped foliage for shaded beds and woodland edges. Slender stems carry airy sprays of tiny cream flowers above the leaves in late spring. Its adaptable habit works well as a textural groundcover in average, well-drained soil.

Pink turtlehead carries rosy hooded flowers above a dense clump of deep green foliage. Its late-season display is especially useful in rain gardens, wet borders, and areas with heavy soil. The upright stems remain tidy while supporting butterflies and other visiting pollinators.

Wild Geranium is native to eastern North American woods and has a long history in woodland gardens. Pink-purple spring flowers feed bees and butterflies, while the crane's-bill seed mechanism flings ripe seeds away from the parent plant. Divided leaves form low, spreading patches that shelter small woodland life. Give it sun to shade and medium to moderately dry soil.

White Wild Indigo is a long-lived native legume of eastern and central North American prairies, once listed under the names Baptisia leucantha and Baptisia lactea. White pea-like flowers on dark stems attract bumblebees, while sulphur and blue butterfly caterpillars use its foliage. Its deep roots and association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria help it persist in prairie plantings. Give it sun to partial shade and room for its broad, shrub-like form.

Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) is a distinctive North American native plant. Fine, heath-like foliage is covered with many small white flowers late in the season, supporting pollinators when fewer plants remain in bloom. It matures at approximately 24 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry to medium conditions, with loamy soil, sandy soil or dry soil. Space plants 18–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.