No Lawns

A while ago I was trying to look up what plants were native to my area; I tried searching several different ways, even in my own language, but somehow every result ended up being about the USA or a specific state in the USA. Eventually I found one, but it took a while.

So if you're reading this, and you're a botanist (or just someone who knows a lot about plants), and not an American, I'd encourage you to maybe create some kind of site that lets the people in your area know which plants there are native. It could be extremely useful for someone one day!

Just got my hands on a swamp milkweed this week. Very excited to see what ends up on it next year.

Also bee balm, phlox, western sunflowers, a variety of coneflowers, eastern Prickly pear, and an ostrich fern all hidden in my tiny backyard.

I'm replacing my whole backyard with drought tolerant native plants. It's a work in progress and a constant battle against the weeds at the moment because it's about 5,000 square feet of area.

So far I have echinacea, mock orange, golden currant, several species of penstemon (cut-leaf, grandiflora, Rocky Mountain), a juniper tree, yarrow, sagebrush, chokecherries, showy milkweed, orange globemallow, and elderberries.

The milkweed is probably my favorite right now while things are growing in. I swear it is bigger every time I look at it.

A bunch, but I think my current favorite might be Agastache foeniculum

Prairie Blazing star is my favorite. They are so fluffy when not flowering and then a majestic when they are. I think I'm going to get more of them this fall

Going to try to compile a master list. I know I am forgetting some. I am only including things I planted and not natives that volunteer themselves.

Grasses

Elymus canadensis - Nodding Wild Rye

Elymus virginicus - Virginia Wild Rye

Bouteloua curtipendula - Side-oats Grama

Chasmanthium latifolium - River Oats

Panicum (Dichanthelium) clandestinum - Deer-tongue Grass

Wildflowers

Arisaema triphyllum -Jack in the Pulpit

Hydrophyllum virginianum - Virginia Waterleaf

Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower

Podophyllum peltatum - May Apple

Erythronium albidum - White Trout Lily

Heliopsis helianthoides - Ox Eye Sunflower

Asarum canadense - Wild Ginger

Rudbeckia triloba - Brown-eyed Susan

Geranium maculatum - Wild Geranium

Liatris spicata - Dense Blazingstar

Trillium grandiflorum - White Trillium

Asclepias syriaca - Common Milkweed

Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot

Bidens aristosa - Tickseed Sunflower

Packera aurea - Golden Ragwort

Vernonia altissima - Tall Ironweed

Thalictrum dasycarpum - Purple Meadow Rue

Aquilegia canadensis - Wild Red Columbine

Solidago caesia - Blue Stemmed Goldenrod

Verbena hastata - Blue Vervain

Asclepias incarnata - Swamp Milkweed

Eupatorium maculatum - Spotted Joe Pye

Campanula americana - American Bellflower

Penstemon digitalis - Foxglove Beardtongue

Polygonatum biflorum canaliculatum - Smooth Solomon's Seal

Lobelia siphilitica - Great Lobelia

Agastache foeniculum - Anise Hyssop

Aster divaricatus - White Wood Aster

Aster novae-angliae - New England Aster

Aster cordifolius - Symphyotrichum cordifolius - Heart Leaved Aster

Mentensia virginica - Virginia Bluebells

Trees/Shrubs

Asimina triloba - Pawpaw

Hypericum prolificum - Shrubby St Johns Wort

Amelanchier laevis - Allegheny Serviceberry

Viburnum lentago - Nannyberry Viburnum

Lindera benzoin - Spicebush

Sambucus racemosa - Red Elderberry

Sambucus nigra - Black Elderberry

Euonymus atropurpureus - Eastern Wahoo

Rosa palustris - Swamp Rose

Cornus sericea - Red Osier Dogwood

Platanus occidentalis - American Sycamore

Quercus rubra - Red Oak

Acer rubrum - Red Maple

Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush