Our team gives you a brief introduction to what native plants are, why they’re so important, and what plants we carry that are native to Pennsylvania.
What are Native Plants?
Native plants are plants that occur in a particular region without human introduction. In Pennsylvania, these are typically plants that grew here prior to European colonization.
It is important to acknowledge that Indigenous peoples in the Americas have always interacted with, cultivated, and assisted in the distribution of plants. We are using colonization as our time frame since the rate of land use change and introduction of species from further places accelerated during this time.
Non-Natives and Invasives:
The opposite of a native plant is a non-native plant. Non-native plants were introduced by humans from other parts of the world. Many traditional garden plants, including many food crops and ornamentals, are not native to our area. Non-native plants do not provide the same food resources to local wildlife and may need extra support from gardeners, such as fertilizers or supplemental water.
Some non-native plants “escape” the garden and spread to other areas by reseeding, or having their seeds spread by animals. When these plants escape and compete with native species, or cause other damage, they are considered invasive species. Invasive species can hurt wildlife by outcompeting their native food resources and destroying useful habitat.
Why Native Plants?
Native plants evolved for a particular region’s conditions and alongside its wildlife, providing the basis of the ecosystem. The timing of blooms and shape of flowers evolved alongside a plants’ particular pollinators. Native insects evolved to recognize these plants as food sources and places to lay their eggs. In turn, native birds feed on these insects and the fruits and seeds of these plants. As a whole, native plants do a much better job supporting backyard wildlife than non-native plants. Planting native plants, even in urban areas, helps provide habitat otherwise lost to development. As a result, multiple studies have shown that yards with native plants increase the number of insects and baby birds in the area.
Species of native plants can provide benefits for the human gardener, too. When placed properly, they can be low-maintenance options that don’t require soil amendment or fertilization. There are many deer-resistant options as well as many that provide long-blooms, stunning fall color, or other aesthetic value to the garden. Native plants can be seamlessly integrated into a traditional garden setting, alongside or in place of non-natives, to provide benefits to both gardeners and wildlife.
Nativars:
Horticulturalists are constantly finding and breeding new varieties of plants. This includes finding plants in both nurseries and the wild that show natural, but unique genetic variation, as well as cross-breeding varieties for specific traits. These desired traits could be unique colors, different sizes, resistance to diseases, amongst others. That leaves gardeners with choices of “straight species” (often the most common form of the plant as found naturally) or “nativars” (cultivated varieties with differences from their straight species form).
There are advantages to both types of native plants. Some gardeners prefer to work only with straight native species because they know that they provide the full natural benefits for native wildlife. Some gardeners prefer selected cultivated varieties because they may fit a space better, bloom for longer, or solve another issue in the natural variety.
Scientists have not been able to study the rapidly expanding selection of nativars, but if you are choosing nativars to support wildlife, choose ones with flowers that are the same shape and foliage that is the same color as the original.
If you have questions about particular varieties, please feel free to ask our staff. Here at Colonial Gardens, we strive to carry a wide selection of straight species in addition to many nativars. We are in frequent talks with our growing partners about what native plants our customers are looking for to help to expand the selection.
Right Plant, Right Place:
If you are planning on using native plants, you should always use the number one rule of gardening: right plant for the right place. While native plants are purported to be lower maintenance than non-natives, that is only true if they are planted in the proper place that aligns with their needs. Take into account the sun and soil conditions of your planting space to guide your selection. For example, rose mallow and joe-pye weeds love wet areas. If you plant them in a dry spot, you may find that you need to continue to give them supplemental water even after they’re established. The good news is that native plants almost never need supplemental fertilizer. They are also well-adapted to our climate, which can mean less winter prep and more reliable blooms than some ornamental non-natives.
From a gardening perspective, not all native plants are well-suited to the residential garden. Some native plants spread aggressively, crowding out other plants and appearing as unwanted “weeds” in other beds. When choosing the right plants for you, look at the growing habits of the plants to make sure they are suited to your situation. For example, plants like common milkweed spread aggressively through reseeding so they are best planted in naturalized areas. Milkweed species like swamp milkweed and butterfly weed are more “well-behaved” with clumping growth in the garden and are easier to maintain in the long-term.
If you’d like some suggestions about native plants, please check out our YouTube page where you can find videos on why you should plant different natives.
Our Selection:
Here at Colonial Gardens, we try to provide solutions for gardeners with a wide variety of needs. That being said, we recognize the important role that native plants play in the environment and have been working with our growers to expand the native plants we can carry. We now proudly carry over 100 species of plants that are native to Pennsylvania and the Mid Atlantic region. We have a dedicated section for native plants in our perennial beds, but due to the sheer number of species and their different growing needs, we now have signage that labels the species as native by using the shape of PA on the sign. Our selection varies across the year and week to week. Give us a call if you’d like to inquire about the availability of a particular species.
Trees and Shrubs:
Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
Betula nigra (River Birch)
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum)
Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum)
Quercus alba (White Oak)
Tilia americana (Basswood)
Amelanchier canadensis (Serviceberry)
Amelanchier laevis
Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry)
Asimina trioloba (Pawpaw)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush)
Cercis canadensis (Redbud)
Chionanthus virginicus (Fringetree)
Clethra alnifolia *Summersweet)
Cornus alternifolia (Dogwood)
Cornus florida (American Dogwood)
Cornus sericea (Red-Twig Dogwood)
Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea)
Ilex glabra (Inkberry Holly)
Ilex verticillata (Winterberry Holly)
Itea virginica (Sweetspire)
Kalmia latifolia (Mountain Laurel)
Lindera benzoin (Spicebush)
Magnolia virginica (Southern Magnolia)
Sambucus canadensis (Elderberry)
Vaccinium angustifolium (Lowbush Blueberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry)
Viburnum dentatum (Arrowwood Viburnum)
Viburnum nudum (Possumhaw Viburnum)
Perennials for Sun:
Spring Bloomers:
Phlox stolonifera (Creeping Phlox)
Amsonia tabernaemontana (Bluestar)
Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo)
Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris)
Mimulus ringens (Allegheny Monkeyflower)
Packera aurea (Ragwort)
Penstemon digitalis (Beardtongue)
Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Blue-Eyed Grass)
Summer Bloomers:
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
Asclepias perennis (White Swamp Milkweed)
Blephilia ciliata (Ohio Horsemint)
Boltonia asteroides (False Aster)
Campsis radicans (Trumpet Vine)
Chelone glabra (Turtlehead)
Chelone obliqua (Turtlehead)
Coreopsis lanceolata (Lance-leafed Coreopsis)
Coreopsis rosea (Rose Coreopsis)
Coreopsis verticillata
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower)
Eupatorium coelestinum (Blue Mistflower)
Eupatorium dubium (Coastal Joe-Pye)
Eupatorium maculatum (Spotted Joe Pye)
Eupatorium purpureum (Sweet Joe-Pye Weed)
Eutrochium fistulosum (Hollow Joe Pye)
Geranium maculatum (Cranesbill)
Heliopsis helianthoides (Oxeye)
Liatris spicata (Blazing Star)
Lonicera sempervivens (Honeysuckle)
Hibiscus moscheutos (Rose Mallow)
Monarda fistulosa (BeeBalm)
Oenothera fruticosa (Sundrops)
Pycnanthemum muticum (Blunt-leafed Mountainmint)
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium (Narrow-Leafed Mountainmint)
Ruellia humilis (Wild Petunia)
Scutellaria incana (Skullcap)
Spigelia (Indian Pinks)
Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio Spiderwort)
Fall Bloomers:
Aster cordifolius (Heart-leafed Aster)
Aster divaricatus (Woodland Aster)
Aster lateriflorus (Calico Aster)
Aster novae-angliae (New England Aster)
Aster oblongifolius (Aromatic Aster)
Aster macrophyllus (Big-leaf Aster)
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)
Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-eyed Susan)
Solidago rugosa (Goldenrod)
Vernonia noveboraensis (Ironweed)
Perennials for Shade:
Asarum canadense (Wild Ginger)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania Sedge)
Carex plantaginea (Plantain Sedge)
Dicentra eximia (Bleeding Heart)
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)
Pachysandra procumbens (Allegheny Spurge)
Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)
Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern Columbine)
Heuchera americana (Coral Bells)
Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)
Aruncus dioicus (Goat’s Beard)
Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)
Polemonium reptans (Jacob’s Ladder)
Grass:
Andropogon garadii (Big Bluestem)
Juncus effusus (Common Rush)
Panicum virgatum (Panic or Switch Grass)
Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem)
Tripsacum dactyloides (Eastern Gama Grass)
Colonial Gardens is an independent garden center located in Phoenixville in Chester County, Pennsylvania since 1967. We carry one of the widest selection of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs, and food gardening crops in Southeastern Pennsylvania. We offer professional landscaping services and a full-service florist. Visit our greenhouse for unique houseplants and our gift shop for gifts and garden accessories. In the fall and winter, join us for our family-friendly seasonal events and Christmas shop.