Louisiana Native Plants

A 2018 UGA Trial Gardens Classic City Award and a People's Choice Award winner! The large, lightly fragrant flowers open a coral pink, deepen through rose, and finally maturing to burgundy held on sturdy 18" high stems above the deep green foliage in summer. SOMBRERO® Tres Amigos Coneflower or Echinacea is a hardy clump forming perennial growing to about 18-20"H x 22-24"W making it compact enough for containers as well as being a colorful addition to the garden and landscape. Like all of the Echinaceas, the fragrant nectar rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, especially butterflies and bees. Provide a fertile, average moist, well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Photos courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13156

The large pyramidal flower clusters are composed of showy, 1-2" wide, trumpet shaped, fragrant, white flowers that are accented by larger yellow-orange dots and numerous smaller purple dots and lines in the throat that act as bee guides. Flowering occurs over a few weeks in mid to late spring and attracts a number of different pollinators but especially native bees and honeybees. The Southern Catalpa, Catalpa bignonioides, is a naturally pyramidal shaped, fast growing tree when young quickly reaching flowering size at about 15-25' high under good conditions and with ample moisture and moderate fertility. With age, this deciduous tree develops a rounded crown. The large medium green leaves often produce good yellow fall color. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 3057

Dense spikes of rosy pink tubular flowers are produced in late summer and fall atop sturdy stems attracting butterflies, larger bees, and hummingbirds. The Southern Fall Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana ssp. praemorsa, is a clump forming species of Physostegia, whereas most species spread via long rhizomes, this one is a much more mannerly native perennial better suited to garden culture. It will slowly multiply developing into a dense clump of foliage and flowering stems. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a wet to moist to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12752

A low growing, clump forming to slowly spreading perennial the Southern Prairie Aster produces 1" wide, medium purple to lighter pinkish purple daisies with a yellow eye atop sturdy upright to arching stems beginning in late summer and lasting into fall. This is another Aster that is native to sandy dryer upland soils and so is somewhat drought resistant once well-established. Excellent for native pollinators.Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady.  Item# 10694.

Whorls of curving, tubular, yellow to cream flowers, commonly with purple dots, are held above the whorls of colorful bracts ranging from cream, to pink, to purple tones are produced in late spring and summer with the colorful bracts providing interest often into fall. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and occasional hummingbirds. Spotted Horsemint, Monarda punctata, is a clump forming, native perennial with lemony to oregano scented, narrow foliage. It is found throughout much of the central and eastern US and as far west as New Mexico and is commonly found on dryish, well-drained, and often poor, sandy soils. Spotted Horsemint makes an easy and reliable addition to naturalistic settings like roadsides, prairies, and meadows. Readily reseeds on exposed soils. Deer and rabbit resistant. Prefers a full sun site in well-drained soils.

The lightly fragrant flowers are composed of white falls and standards with a nicely contrasting greenish to gold signal and are topped by a trio of cream to pale green style arms. Starlite Starbrite Louisiana Iris grows to about 22-26" high and flowers in midseason or April. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Starlite Starbrite was the Marie Caillet Cup from the Society for Louisiana Irises in 2012. Item# 13454

The 2-3" wide yellow sunflower-like blossoms are held on 2-3'H branching sturdy stems with flowering beginning as early as late winter or early spring and often continuing into fall. The flowers attract a variety of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and flower flies. Starry Rosinweed, Silphium asteriscus, is a tough and easy, rosette forming, native perennial that is fairly adaptable to growing conditions from full sun to part shade. It is a common component of Longleaf Pine ecosystems as well as the Cajun Prairie. Makes an easy addition to roadside plantings, prairies and meadows but is well behaved enough and floriferous enough to enjoy a spot at the back of the flower garden or for low maintenance naturalistic landscapes. Moderately drought resistant once fully established and seems to prefer soils with average or better drainage. Item# 9585

An eye-catching yet elegant combination of large lemony-yellow falls are accented by lime-green veining and signals and are topped by contrasting bright white standards that are tipped in yellow and are accented by complimentary green and yellow veining which are then topped by lime-green style arms that are broadly tipped and edged in yellow. Start of Something Big Louisiana Iris is a small to medium-sized plant growing to about 30" high and it flowers very late in the season, typically May. It received an Honorable Mention from the American Iris Society in 2015. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13346

Clusters of sunny yellow, 2" long, tubular flowers are produced in late winter or early spring and continue through summer and into fall attracting mainly hummingbirds but potentially other pollinators. Sulphurea Coral Honeysuckle, an older yellow selection of Lonicera sempervirens, is a native, semi-evergreen to deciduous, twining woody vine growing to about 8-12' high and is cloaked in bluish-green foliage. Flowers are followed by 1/4"' diameter bright red berries that are a treat for songbirds. The more restrained habit of these Honeysuckles make them low maintenance selections well suited to arbors, posts, trellises, and fences. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Item # 1075

Large red berries cover the bare stems of this native deciduous shrub beginning in fall and lasting throughout much of winter and possibly into spring. Sunset Winterberry Holly develops into a medium-sized well branched shrub with a an upright to vase-shaped habit when young broadening with age. The textured deep green foliage may provide some yellow fall color prior to leaf fall if grown in full sun. Winterberry Hollies are easy to grow adaptable shrubs that produce clusters of small white flowers in spring that provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators. Sunset Winterberry Holly is a female and so will need a male pollinator that flowers at the same time for maximum berry production. 'Southern Gentleman' and 'Apollo' are two males that are recommended. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a moist acidic soil. Item# 11888

Often throughout summer, small, fragrant beautiful bell-shaped nearly white to blue flowers with gracefully recurving 'petals' (in Clematis it is the large colorful sepals that we often most enjoy) of light blue, blue, or purple. Grow the Swamp Leather Flower as a small perennial herbaceous vine that may top out at 5' but can reach 9' high. It can be cut back to 1-2' in later winter after the buds have begun to swell. Item# 10224.

Medium to large pyramidal clusters of golden yellow flowers are produced in summer and fall attracting a myriad of mainly smaller pollinators with special importance to native bees. Sweet Goldenrod, Solidago odora, is an upright growing, clump-forming, herbaceous, native perennial adorned in anise-scented, deep green, glossy, narrow foliage and the single to multistemmed plants grow to about 2-4' high and 1-2' wide. The flowers and foliage, fresh or dried, is often used to make a very nice herbal tea, as a mild spice in cooking, and could certainly be used in potpourris as well (Bonnie fell in love with the fragrance of the dried seed heads!). The strong fragrance makes them unlikely to be browsed by deer or rabbits. Use Sweet Goldenrod in a sunny perennial border, herb garden, or allow it to naturalize in meadows, prairies, and roadside plantings. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, acidic soil with good drainage, but otherwise plants are fairly adaptable. Item# 10684

Loads of glossy black, 3/8", thin skinned, very sweet huckleberries (actually blueberries) begin ripening in mid April often lasting through May. Sweetie Pie Elliott's Blueberry, a local selection of Vaccinium elliottii, is one of the earliest ripening native blueberries and we selected this variety for its exceptionally sweet, larger than average, tender fruit and its heavy bearing characteristics. An excellent berry for pancakes, muffins, pies, jams, and certainly fresh eating. An Almost Eden Exclusive introduction that is always in high demand! Item# 10832

The heavily ruffled deep blue-violet falls and standards are accented by nicely contrasting yellow signals all topped by a trio of greenish style arems with violet tips. Swirling Waters Louisiana Iris flowers in early midseason or April and is a vigorous selection growing to 42-44" high. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13455

A show stopper! Tangerine Beauty Cross Vine produces a huge mass of 2" orange trumpets with yellow throats in late spring with some blooms throughout summer on well-established vines. An easily grown and vigorous clinging native evergreen vine that can easily grow up masonry, tree bark, or other structures without support.Cross Vines are a low maintenance choice for fences, posts, and large trellises. The trumpet shaped flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators. The unusual compound, glossy, dark green foliage takes on orange, red, bronze, and purple tones when grown in full sun during fall and winter.  Item# 12029

Clusters of soft yellow-orange tubular buds mature into medium orange tubular trumpet-shaped flowers that darken as they age. Flowering begins in late winter to early spring and continues cyclically throughout the growing season and finishing up in fall at the end of hummingbird season. Tangerine Princess Coral Honeysuckle, a Louisiana selection of Lonicera sempervirens, is a native, twining, deciduous, woody vine that is one of the longest flowering vines for attracting hummingbirds. The mother plant was discovered during a tour of the Dr. Charles Allen Nature Preserve in northern Louisiana with its namesake noted botanist, author, and retired professor Dr. Charles Allen, Ken and Sonie Milton, etal. Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle will happily twine through a 6' high chain link fence or up an 8' arbor, trellis, or post. Caterpillar host: Chalcedon Checkerspot. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. 1/4" red berries follow flowering and are a treat for songbirds. Item# 957

A choice native coneflower, the Texas Coneflower produces 3-5" bright golden yellow daisies that  are borne singly, or in small clusters of up 5 flowers, and are held on sturdy upright stems in summer. A rosette of large, rich dark green glossy foliage subtends the flower stalks. Texas Coneflower provides us with a medium-sized Rudbeckia that is similar in habit to the stately Giant Coneflower. Item# 10217.

Texas Ironweed produces clusters of rich purple, to pinkish purple, frilly flowers in summer atop fairly sturdy upright stems. This one of the smaller growing Ironweeds and can be somewhat rhizomatous but does not appear to aggressive. This is tough little drought resistant perennial that is excellent for pollinators common to well-drained soils. Texas Ironweed is shade tolerant but will perform best when grown in full sun in well-drained soils. Item# 10671.

The wispy and whimsical, but sturdy, elongating, and often eventually branching, flower spikes are adorned with small, light purple to light purple-blue, funnel-shaped shaped flowers from late winter or early spring and well into fall attracting a variety of smaller pollinators. Texas Vervain, Verbena halei, is a small, clump forming, herbaceous, native perennial that emerges from a basal rosette of foliage in spring and is adorned with medium to dark green, spatulate to oblong, serrated foliage and growing to about 18-24" high and 8-16" wide by the end of the growing season. This is a tough and easy to grow, deer and drought resistant, smaller growing native perennial with one of the longer flowering periods of most native perennials. It should lend itself to use in naturalized areas like roadside plantings and shorter meadows as well as a mixed perennial borders or whimsical container specimens. Texas Vervain is native to the south central and south eastern US as far west as southern Arizona, as far east as Florida, and north to lower central Arkansas. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in well-drained, loamy to sandy, average moist soils for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13579

Clusters of 3" long yellow, orange, orange-red, or red trumpets adorn this vigorous native vine throughout summer. An excellent choice for hummingbirds. Trumpet Creeper's vigor, tolerance of poor soils, and durability lend it to use in difficult sites. Use as an espalier, allow it to climb a sturdy fence, or cover an arbor. These are seedling grown and so the flower color may be range from a rich orange to nearly yellow to a dark brick red. Item# 11295