Native Plants and Calculators

Use Regionally Native Plants

Native plants are species that are indigenous to a specific region, for example, the Chesapeake Bay watershed. They are adapted to the local soil and climate. As people moved from the Old World to the Americas, they brought exotic plants, and frequently changed the landscapes to resemble those that they knew in Europe and elsewhere. The result of the tendency to try to reproduce plants and plant arrangements from other countries is that thousands of acres of turf grass and many alien invasive species have been introduced.

Native plant benefits include:
• Best adapted to local conditions, for example, no need to use chemical fertilizers.
• Water conservation, that is, once plants are established in the right place, no need for supplemental watering.
• Reduced maintenance over the long run. While native plants are not maintenance-free, if they are placed in the landscape based on their preferred conditions, they require less care than non-native species.
• Won't harm natural areas, e.g., won't become invasive.
• High habitat value provides food, shelter, and nesting areas for wildlife.
• Great variety of species for all conditions and create a "sense of place."

Click here for the on-line version of Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Select Plant Type: View All Types Fern Grass, sedge, carex Perennial Rain Garden Plants Shrub Shrub: deciduous Shrub: evergreen Tree Tree: deciduous Tree: evergreen Vine Xeriscape Plants

Botanical Name     Common Name

A

B

C

D

E

F-G

H

I

J-L

M-O

P

Q

R

S

T

U-Z

ALL

Caltha palustris Common Name: Marsh Marigold One of the first plants to bloom in spring with bright yellow flowers held above mounds of glossy green leaves. Marsh marigold lights up moist areas and will grow as a water plant, in boggy areas, or in constantly moist garden soil. Plants may coloni... [ More Info ]

---

Carex pensylvanica Common Name: Pennsylvania Sedge This sedge forms short clusters and spreads slowly by rhizomes to form a lush carpet. This thick mat of growth provides excellent seasonal cover for foraging small songbirds and the insects and other small animals they love to eat. Reddish-brown, thi... [ More Info ]

---

Carex stricta Common Name: Tussock Sedge Tussock sedge grows in 2-3' tall clumps about 2' wide. As old leaves die, they build up around the living plant, making a "tussock" or little hill. It grows in or near water and spreads by rhizomes to make new clumps. As new tussocks form, they trap ... [ More Info ]

---

Ceanothus americanus Common Name: New Jersey Tea New Jersey tea is a dense shrub that is ideally suited for the edge of the woods or along the back of a border. It's habit is full and its leaves are bright green throughout the summer. Billowing clusters of tiny, fragrant white flowers appear on lon... [ More Info ]

---

Cephalanthus occidentalis Common Name: Buttonbush Hundreds of tiny, tubular creamy white flowers are packed into large showy flower heads, which dangle from the bush in August. Butterflies and other insects find the nectar irresistible. The fragrant flower heads mature into round fruits each contain... [ More Info ]

---

Cercis canadensis Common Name: Eastern Redbud Leafless horizontal branches are smothered in small deep pink flowers in early spring. Its early nectar and pollen attracts a large number of specialized native bees and butterflies such as elfins. Red-purple, pea-shaped seedpods follow the flowers. ... [ More Info ]

---

Chamaecyparis thyoides Common Name: Atlantic White Cedar This beauty is a great evergreen for gardens or for grouping in larger landscapes. Its tolerance for wet soils makes Atlantic White Cedar a great choice for rain gardens.... [ More Info ]

---

Chasmanthium latifolium Common Name: Northern Sea Oats Drooping seed heads hang in clusters from slightly arching stems topping an upright clump of bamboo-like foliage. Green leaves turn copper in fall and the seed heads emerge green but turn purplish bronze by late summer then dry to a straw color. Clum... [ More Info ]

---

Chelone glabra Common Name: Turtlehead Dense spikes of white flowers (which take their common name from their distinct shape) are a welcome sight in late summer and early fall. Deep green foliage is handsome all season long. This is the main larval food for the Baltimore checkerspot butte... [ More Info ]

---

Chionanthus virginicus Common Name: Grancy Graybeard / White Fringetree A carefree native, this small tree puts on a heck of a show in late spring with thousands of pendulous, delicately fragrant white flowers covering the tree before the leaves emerge. At the end of bloom season, the green leaf tips accent the snowy... [ More Info ]

---

Chrysogonum virginianum Common Name: Green and Gold / Goldenstar Chrysogonum is a native ground cover known for both it's foliage and flowers with toothed, light green, triangular leaves and dark yellow, slightly notched, star shaped flowers that bloom well above the foliage and have contrasting brown stamens.... [ More Info ]

---

Cimicifuga racemosa Common Name: Bugbane / Black Cohosh A stately plant with airy spikes of ivory-white flowers in summer. Though it can reach 4 to 7 feet tall, it does not need staking.... [ More Info ]

---

Clethra alnifolia Common Name: Summer Sweet Bush / Sweet Pepper Bush Summer sweet is a vase-shaped deciduous shrub, which features fluffy, bottle brush-like, 3-6" spikes of extremely fragrant white flowers that are an extremely important nectar source in summer. Glossy, dark green leaves turn a rich yellow in autu... [ More Info ]

---

Cornus florida Common Name: Flowering Dogwood Flowering dogwood has spreading horizontal branches and distinctive white flowers in spring. The 3" diameter flower clusters bloom mid-April to mid-May, attracting a number of butterflies and other pollinators. 'Cloud 9' flowers profusely and... [ More Info ]

---

Cornus racemosa Common Name: Gray Dogwood Gray twig dogwood is a deciduous shrub bearing dome-shaped clusters of white flowers in late spring. The flowers give way to clusters of small white berries and the stems holding the flowers and fruit are licorice red which makes a distinct contrast.... [ More Info ]

---

Cornus sericea Common Name: Red-Osier Dogwood Red-Osier Dogwood is a fast-growing, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub with cherry red winter stems. The stems are especially showy against a snowy backdrop. Tiny white flowers appear in flat-topped clusters in late spring. Flowers give way to clusters ... [ More Info ]