Native Plants – Fafard

Garden Perennials that Gently Self Sow

Butterfly weed is a lovely native that will sow itself very gently and weave into the garden.

Some perennials persist in the garden not only as over-wintering plants, but also via self-sown seedlings. With their penchant for popping up spontaneously here and there, they’re a great fit for cottage gardens, wildflower borders, and other informal plantings. Additionally, they obviate the need for deadheading!

Unwelcome Self Sowers

Admittedly, a few perennials can take self-sowing too far. For example, a lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) that is allowed to go to seed will soon produce a population bomb, spawning gazillions of offspring. Although the plants profiled below typically self-sow in moderation, they can be more prolific in favorable situations. Keep an eye out and a hoe at hand just in case!

You’ll also want to discourage self-sowing by named varieties of perennial species whose seedlings are not true to type. Allow your pristine Phlox paniculata ‘David’ to self-sow, and you’ll likely soon have a flock of muddy-purple wild-type offspring. The same goes for many other groups of perennials, including columbines (Aquilegia spp.), and just about anything from the aster/daisy family, though on occasion their offspring can be quite pretty.

Aquilegia hybrids gently self-sow, but their seedlings yield various unexpected surprises.

Finally, avoid heavy applications of mulch in areas where you want to encourage self-sowing. Most perennial seeds will not germinate while are buried under a 3-inch stratum of shredded bark. A much more satisfactory method of controlling weeds is to allow desirable plants to seed themselves densely into any garden gaps and to keep the gaps weeded while the new seedlings develop. A light early-spring scattering of Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost is all the mulch you’ll need in an established, densely populated border.

Welcome Self Sowers

Black cohosh, bugbane (Actaea racemosa)

The white flower spikes and ferny foliage of black cohosh are both attractive.

Native to moist fertile woodlands over much of the eastern U.S. from zones 4-8, this imposing perennial produces moderate numbers of seedlings in similar garden habitats. Mature plants form ferny-leaved, 3-to 4-foot clumps, surmounted in summer by white bottlebrush flower spikes. Several other U.S. native bugbanes are also well worth growing, most notably the relatively compact, bold-leaved, late-summer-blooming Actaea rubifolia.

Blue-star (Amsonia spp.)

The pale flowers of Arkansas blue-star mingle with tall Allium.

Most members of this mostly North American genus will self-sow obligingly (but not invasively) in sunny to lightly shaded garden niches. Almost all amsonias are large, upright, long-lived clump-formers with handsome, lance-shaped, disease-resistant foliage and starry, light blue, late-spring flowers. Arkansas blue-star (Amsonia hubrichtii, Zones 5-9) is especially handsome, thanks to its extremely narrow leaves that lend its 3-foot clumps a hazy, dreamy look. It’s also one of the most reliable self-sowers of the lot.

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Both butterflies and bees are attracted to the bright flowers of butterfly weed.

A durable eastern U.S. native for hot dry sunny niches, butterfly weed summons early-summer pollinators with its brilliant flat-headed clusters of orange to yellow flowers on 2-foot stems. The ensuing seed pods split open to release downy seeds that float away on the summer breeze – and germinate the following spring. Volunteer seedlings can be sparse to abundant, depending on wind patterns and other vagaries. Grow it in zones 3-9.

Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.)

Fringed bleeding heart is an exceptional native for pollinators.

Fringed bleeding heart (Dicentra eximia, Zones 3-9) would be worth growing for its lacy, finely divided, blue-green foliage alone. For most gardeners (and hummingbirds), though, it’s the flowers (which resemble fanciful pink flasks rather than hearts) that are the primary feature of this lovely eastern U.S. woodlander. Bloom repeats sporadically from spring through fall, spawning the occasional seedling. Hybrids (such as ‘Luxuriant’) between Dicentra eximia and its western U.S. cousin Dicentra formosa (Zones 4-8) are sterile and seedless. At around a foot tall, Dicentra eximia and its hybrids are miniatures compared to the species whose cordate flowers inspired the common name “bleeding heart”. The purple-pink hearts of Dicentra spectabilis (recently re-dubbed Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Zones 3-9) open in mid-spring on arching stems that ascend to 3 feet or more. There’s also a beguiling white-flowered variant. All manifestations of the species self-sow modestly and true to form.

Gas plant (Dictamnus albus)

Gas plant blooms have a sweet citrusy scent.

Slow from seed and in growth, gas plant is one of a multitude of splendid perennials that are rarely offered because they are a poor fit for mass-market plant production. Give it a few years, and it will mature into a 3-foot hummock of lustrous, dark-green foliage decked in late spring with spikes of fragrant, showy purple or white, hummingbird-seducing flowers. One of the best strategies for propagating this long-lived Eurasian native is to wait for volunteer seedlings, which occur sporadically. Gas plant has only one liability as an ornamental: in rare instances, the volatile oils that inspired its name can cause blistering and other symptoms of acute dermatitis. These volatile compounds are also responsible for a time-honored garden ritual. Hold a match near the plant on a calm warm evening and its “gases” will briefly flare into flame. Grow in zones 3-9.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Here purple and white coneflower variants mingle in a naturalistic garden.

No need to plant more of this beloved Midwest native: once it’s in your garden, it will almost certainly give you a scattering of volunteers. Expect to see their rose-pink, dark-coned flowers within a year after they germinate. Seedlings of the slew of recently introduced hybrids involving Echinacea purpurea (Zones 4-9) and the yellow-flowered Echinacea paradoxa (Zones 4-9) are a different story. Even if they survive the winter – a dubious proposition in USDA hardiness zones 6 and lower – they’ll produce flowers unlike those of their parent.

Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

The unique foliage and flowers of this prairie native add interest to native gardens. (Image by Kurt Stueber)

You might think that a perennial with yucca-like foliage (and a botanical name to match) would favor arid conditions. In fact, Eryngium yuccifolium (Zones 3-9) often occurs in moist habitats in its native range, which spans much of eastern and central North America. Give it a reasonably fertile, not too dry garden soil, and it will send up 4-foot stalks in midsummer, topped by spheres of silvery flowers. Allow it to seed, and you’ll be rewarded with progeny the following spring.

Bearfoot hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)

The pale chartreuse flowers of bearfoot hellebore bloom in late winter to early spring.

Most hellebores self-sow, given the opportunity. Helleborus foetidus (Zones 5-8) is perhaps the most adaptable and fecund of the lot, prospering and self-propagating in sun and shade. A member of the shrubby side of the tribe, it bears leaves and pale chartreuse flowers on upright stems that can ascend to 18 inches or more. The foliage is pleasantly pungent rather than unpleasantly fetid.

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Cardinal flower spikes have blooms of the purest red imaginable.

The brilliant red spires of cardinal flower (Zones 3-9) are a common midsummer sight in wetland habitats of eastern and central North America. Quite often they’re attended by adoring hummingbirds. Relatively short-lived in the garden, they persist by sowing themselves into moist exposed soil, germinating into evergreen rosettes. Equally wonderful is blue cardinal flower (Lobelia siphilitica, Zones 4-8), another eastern North American native and midsummer hummingbird fave. It succeeds in just about any garden position except deep shade. Its white-flowered form is also compelling.

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Virginia bluebells will make any spring garden look lovely.

Give this eastern U.S. native (Zones 3-9) a good moist soil in partial shade, and it will spread freely both from underground rhizomes and from self-seeding. A member of the borage family, it produces the blue flowers typical of the tribe. The blue-green, tongue-shaped leaves go dormant soon after the flowers fade in late spring.

Celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

Wooded native gardens are suited to celandine poppies.

An excellent shade-garden companion for Virginia bluebells (as well as trilliums and woodland phlox), this reliably self-sowing eastern U.S. native (Zones 4-9) bears glistening yellow mini-poppies on 18-inch plants clothed in large lobed leaves. Its East-Asian analog Stylophorum lasiocarpum blooms in summer.

Among the numerous other perennials that seed themselves are:

Blazing star (Liatris spp.);
Patrinia (Patrinia spp.);
Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.);
Balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus);
and Yellow fumitory (Pseudofumaria lutea).

They’re living proof that going to seed is not necessarily a bad thing!

Native Hellstrip Gardens

The Highline in New York City is filled with some of the toughest natives for urban hellstrips, such as purple leadplant, native grasses, and coneflowers.

Where there’s a sidewalk, there’s often also a hellstrip – that narrow planting space between the walk and the street. Flanked by baking pavement and blessed with soil composed of compacted sand, construction rubble, and the like, it’s not the most welcoming place for plant life. It also confronts unique challenges such as marauding dogs (and humans), traffic visibility restrictions, and road salt. If a plant is over 4 feet tall or can’t handle even a bit of foot traffic or salt spray, it’s probably not suited for hellstrip duty.

Hellstrips take a beating from heat, pedestrians, and traffic. The fuller your initial planting, the better. (This one looks like it will be under foot in no time.)

As it turns out, quite a few plants native to eastern and central North America are more than up to these challenges. After all, environmental conditions in coastal sand dunes, dry prairies, rocky slopes, and numerous other native habitats can get every bit as hostile as those in your typical hellstrip.

To give your hellstrip border a strong overall visual structure, dot it with shrubs and large perennials planted singly or in small groups. Then fill in the gaps with smaller plants, including generous groupings of ground-covering perennials. In future years, edit seedlings and offshoots as desired.

Native Plants for Hellstrips

Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Butterflyweed feeds monarchs and other butterflies and will withstand hellstrip conditions.

Monarch butterflies in your neighborhood will flit with joy if you stud your strip with clumps of this tap-rooted, 2-foot-tall perennial. Native to dry sunny meadows and prairies of Central and East North America, butterflyweed (Zones 3-9) will take as much sun and drought as nature throws at it, answering with an early summer display of orange-red to yellow flowerheads. You’ll likely have even more of it next year, thanks to self-sown seedlings. Lots of other drought-tolerant Asclepias are well worth seeking out and growing – especially the spectacular purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens, Zones 4-9). It does indeed produce rich rose-purple domes on stems that are taller than those of butterfly weed (to 3 feet or slightly more). As an ornamental, it’s far superior to its vaguely similar cousin common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), which has duller flowers and a much more invasive habit (and is best avoided unless you want your border to be ONLY common milkweed).

Twilight aster (Eurybia × herveyi ‘Twilight’); heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)

Heath aster provides good green cover in summer and lovely white fall flowers.

A hybrid of large-leaved aster (Eurybia macrophylla) and showy wood aster (Eurybia spectabilis), ‘Twilight’ (Zones 3-4) spreads relatively rapidly into ground-covering foot-tall swards clothed with narrowly heart-shaped leaves. Thirty-inch stems decked with pale lavender flowers arise in summer, with bloom continuing from early August into fall. A first-great ground cover for drought-prone partially shaded borders, it also does well in full sun. Speaking of asters, prostrate forms of heath aster (Zones 3-9) and its kin can hardly be bettered as ground covers for hot sunny hellstrips. With their needle-like foliage, they do indeed resemble a heath or heather, until their clouds of small daisy flowers open in late summer. The carpeting, white-flowered cultivar ‘Snow Flurry’ is indispensable for covering ground or cascading down a wall.

Coneflowers (Echinacea and Rudbeckia)

*Rudbeckia triloba* with swarms of relatively dainty burgundy-and-yellow “black-eyed Susans” in summer.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 4-8) and showy coneflower (Rudbeckia speciosa, Zones 3-9) are a bit too salt-sensitive for many hellstrips. Instead, you might want to opt for Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis, Zones 4-9), a somewhat smaller, more graceful, more salt-tolerant take on purple coneflower, with narrow leaves and blunter, horizontal (rather than drooping) petals. The flowers are the usual echinacean purple, in late spring and summer. Its hybrid ‘Pixie Meadowbrite’ is a wonderful little thing with shocks of narrow leaves which give rise to relatively large rose-pink flowers on 20-inch stems. As for rudbeckias, among the best and most adaptable is ‘Prairie Glow’, a cultivar of Rudbeckia triloba with swarms of relatively dainty burgundy-and-yellow “black-eyed Susans” in summer. At 40 inches tall it’s close to being a stretch for a hellstrip planting, but its height is countered by the airy see-through texture of its inflorescences. The somewhat short-lived plants inevitably self-sow.

Robin’s plantain (Erigeron pulchellus)

Can a native lawn weed also be an unsurpassably useful groundcover? In the case of the cultivar ‘Lynnhaven Carpet’ (Zone 3-9), the answer is an emphatic “yes”. Large handsome rosettes of broad, fuzzy, gray-green leaves pop up here and there, eventually merging into a weed-smothering mass. It’s adorned in spring with numerous pink daisy flowers on 18-inch stems. Even better, ‘Lynnhaven Carpet’ thrives in just about any soil or sun exposure. Less vigorous but cuter is the Robin’s plantain variety ‘Meadow Muffin’, with congested rosettes of crinkly leaves.

White spurge (Euphorbia corollata)

Dainty white spurge will obligingly seed itself into whatever open patches of soil may occur. (Image by Cody Hough, college student, and photographer in the Michigan area.)

A delightful prairie and meadow dweller that’s ideal for naturalizing among carpeters such as heath asters, white spurge (Zones 3-9) carries flurries of flowers in late spring and summer that give the impression of a tall baby’s breath (Gypsophila paniculata). It’s a much less fussy critter than any gypsophila, however – provided it has ample sun and elbow room for its sparsely branched, 3-foot-tall stems. It will obligingly seed itself into whatever open patches of soil may occur. Numerous pollinators including the rare Karner’s Blue butterfly adore its flowers, and you’ll also love the vibrant orange and red color of its fall foliage.

Gaura (Oenothera lindheimeri)

Gaura is a tireless, heat-loving spring-to-fall bloomer

This tireless, heat-loving spring-to-fall bloomer was profiled a few months back in our piece on perennials that don’t quit. As with many of the other perennials portrayed here, it will seed itself around in any sunny border, giving you plenty of editing opportunities. White-flowered cultivars such as ‘Whirling Butterflies’ are beautiful things, their waving wands of fluttery white flowers making a pleasing complement to echinaceas and other members of the daisy family. You might also want to mix in a pink-flowered variety (look for ‘Siskyou Pink’ and ‘Crimson Butterflies’).

Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Hot sun and sandy poor soil are no problem for little bluestem. (Image by Proven Winners)

We dismiss some highly ornamental and useful plants simply because they’re familiar to us as roadside “weeds”. Such is the case with little bluestem (Zones 3-9), which you’ll see ornamenting hot sunny roadsides across most of the U.S. Yet it has many notable charms, especially in late summer and fall, when its tall plumes of purplish-tan seedheads and its sunset-toned fall foliage put on a show. Several cultivars (e.g., ‘Blue Heaven’ and ‘The Blues’) also stand out in summer with their steely silvery-gray leaves. Another to seek out is the tidy, upright, blue-green Prairie Winds^® ‘Blue Paradise’. Hot sun and sandy poor soil are no problem – in fact, they’re its preferred habitat.

Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)

Seaside plants such as this goldenrod also grow well on hellstrips.

A plant that naturally grows on sunny seaside dunes and cliffs is ready-made for hellstrip conditions. The mounds of blue-green, tongue-shaped leaves are quietly handsome, and the late summer to fall, 3-foot fountains of sunny flowers are a delight. They’re also a pollinator’s dream (the bumblers, in particular, love them). As with many hellstrip candidates, it actually does and looks best in dry poor soil. It would rather you not pamper it.

Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

Small shrubs, such as leadplant (Zones 3-8), also have a place in hellstrip plantings. The common name of this 2- to 3-foot shrublet refers to its tolerance of metal-laced soil – and it’s similarly disposed toward road salt. A pulchritudinous prairie native that would flatter any garden, it features ferny pinnate gray-green leaves adorned in early summer with feathery spires of purple-blue flowers.

Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)

White spring flowers, edible fruits, and fine fall foliage are some of the benefits of chokecherries.

Offering showy white flowers in late spring, edible black fruits in midsummer, and gleaming rich green foliage that goes fiery in fall, compact varieties of this widespread native Aronia (Zones 3-9) are excellent shrubby choices for sunny to partly shaded hellstrips (did we mention that it’s also remarkably adaptable?). Selections include 3- to 4-foot ‘Iroquois’ and the even smaller ‘Low Scape Mound’ (which tops out at 2 feet).

New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus)

New Jersey Tea feeds pollinators and performs very well in hellstrips.

Here’s another splendid small shrub native to sunny arid habitats in the central and eastern U.S. Its 3-foot stems are covered with frothy white flowers in late spring and early summer, as well as with pollinating butterflies and bees. New Jersey tea (Zones 3-9) also tolerates moist soils.

Planting A Hellstrip

This hellstrip garden in Portland, Oregon. (Mike Darcy)

Late summer and early fall are a great time to plan and plant your own native hellstrip border. So why not get to it? If the soil is extremely compacted, sandy, or otherwise plant-habitat-challenged, you might want to fork in a couple of inches of Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost or apply it to the surface after planting. Even if you don’t, you’ll find that most of the plants portrayed here will manage to get by in all but the most extreme circumstances. You may sometimes find yourself wondering whether they’re native to the moon, rather than to the North American region of this planet. These babies are tough.

Non-Invasive, Native Evergreen Groundcovers

Moss phlox — Many native evergreen groundcovers, such as moss phlox (white flowers), are non-invasive natives. (Image by Jessie Keith)

It’s time for American gardeners to move beyond Japanese spurge (Pachysandra terminalis), English ivy (Hedera helix), and periwinkle (Vinca minor). It’s true that these ubiquitous landscape plants make excellent evergreen groundcovers, rapidly forming dense swaths of handsome foliage. But, in addition to being tiresomely common in American gardens, they’re a nuisance outside of cultivation, invading natural areas and out-muscling native plants with their aggressive growth. (English ivy and periwinkle appear on invasive plant lists over much of the southeastern and far-western U.S.).

Many U.S natives possess the same virtues as the ubiquitous three, with none of the liabilities. Here are several lovely native, evergreen options to replace tiresome invasive spreaders.

Allegheny Spurge

Bottlebrush spikes of white flowers appear just before new spring leaves unfurl. (Photo by Zen Sutherland)

Japanese spurge’s more alluring, better-behaved relative from Appalachia is Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens). Its broad, coarsely toothed leaves are similar in shape to those of its Japanese cousin, but they do much more in the way of color. Fresh grassy-green when emerging in early spring, the foliage becomes gray-suffused and darker over the growing season, developing silvery flecking as fall approaches. Low, bottlebrush spikes of white flowers put on a charming display just before the new leaves expand. This clump-former thrives in rich, well-drained soil and partial shade, gradually spreading into dense 2- to 3-foot-wide hummocks. It’s hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9, and reliably evergreen in USDA Zones 6b and warmer.

Fetterbush

Another Southeast U.S. native that makes a handsome evergreen groundcover for partial shade, fetterbush (Leucothoe axillaris spp.) bears glossy, oval, dark green leaves on arching, 2- to 4-foot-tall stems that sucker into thickets. For a traditional ground-hugging groundcover, choose the compact Leucothoe fontanesiana Scarletta, which forms billowing 2-foot-tall mounds with bright red new leaves, clusters of ivory flowers in spring, and maroon-red winter color. Or you can go full fetterbush and use a regular-sized Leucothoe axillaris as a tall groundcover. All forms produce white, bell-shaped flowers in spring. Fetterbush does well in moist humus-rich soil in USDA Zones 5 to 9 but is prone to leaf spot in poorly aerated sites.

Canby’s Mountain Lover

No evergreen groundcover for partial shade is finer – literally and figuratively – than Canby’s mountain lover (Paxistima canbyi). In the wild, it’s a rare, often gaunt inhabitant of rocky uplands from southern Pennsylvania to North Carolina. In favorable garden sites, however, it’s anything but shy and scraggly, spreading into low, thick, 3- to 5-foot-wide thatches of narrow, petite, deep green leaves. They provide a splendid textural contrast with bold-leaved evergreens such as rhododendrons and Pieris. Well-drained, humus-rich soil and partial to full sun seem to bring out the best in this beautiful Appalachian native, which is hardy from USDA Zones 4 to 8. Bronzing sometimes occurs in harsh winters.

Creeping Phlox

Quite a few native species offer eye-catching flowers in addition to ground-covering evergreen foliage. Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) earns its name via its ever-expanding carpets of spoon-shaped leaves that give rise in mid-spring to 8-inch spikes of proportionately large, showy flowers. Several cultivars are available, varying in their flower color and vigor. Perhaps the best colonizer (and the best as a groundcover) is ‘Sherwood Purple’, with violet-blue blooms. Although creeping phlox is happiest in partial shade and woodsy soil, it will also flourish in rich moist soil in full sun.

Moss Phlox

Full-on sun is the preferred habitat of moss phlox (Phlox subulata). Sometimes scorned because of its association with median strips, whiskey barrels, and other lowbrow landscape features, it’s near the top of the list of tough, attractive groundcovers for hot sandy slopes and other difficult sites. The dense, ever-spreading, needle-like foliage is handsome and weed-suppressing, and the early spring flowers come in many colors besides the bubble-gum-purple shades disdained by plant snobs. Additionally, this Midwestern to eastern U.S. native is rock-hardy and adaptable, flourishing in well-drained soil in USDA Zones 3 to 9.

Other Native Evergreen Groundcovers

Christmas fern brightens shady gardens in summer and winter. (Image by Wasp32)

Blooming at the same time as creeping phlox (and making a knockout companion for blue-flowered cultivars such as ‘Sherwood Purple’), gold-star (Chrysogonum virginianum) mats the ground with fuzzy, toothed leaves that recall those of other members of the aster family such as Rudbeckia. The fully evergreen Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is another woodland groundcover for shade. Golden-yellow, five-parted star-flowers with fringed rays open in May and repeat sporadically until fall if conditions are not too hot and dry. Gold-star shares much the same cultural preferences and hardiness range (USDA Zones 4 to 9) as creeping phlox.

Toughness and adaptability are among the virtues of another often-scorned eastern and central U.S. native, robin’s plantain (Erigeron pulchellus). Two selections of this fuzzy-leaved meadow-dweller are excellent choices for challenging niches such as dry shade or sunny slopes. The cultivar ‘Lynnhaven Carpet’ has beefy rosettes of large, flat, tongue-shaped leaves that smother everything in their vigorously expanding path. In contrast, ‘Meadow Muffin’ produces congested, relatively slowly proliferating rosettes of smaller, crinkled leaves. Both cultivars send up pale lavender daisy-flowers on 10- to 15-inch stems in mid to late spring. Plants are evergreen through much of their USDA Zone 5 to 9 hardiness range but may go leafless in relatively harsh winters.

Hardy evergreen sedums, such as Oregon stonecrop (Sedum oreganum), create a fully evergreen cover for raised sunny beds or rock gardens. This species creates a spreading 2 to 3-inch mat of bead-like foliage that turns from green to reddish bronze in winter. Small, starry, yellow flowers grace the plants in summer.

Most newly planted groundcovers appreciate the addition of soil amendment, such as Fafard Premium Natural & Organic Compost Blend, at planting time. This organic-rich mix encourages root growth and holds needed moisture to help plants thrive. Water new plantings every few days for at least two weeks. In no time, your native groundcovers should be rambling effortlessly through your garden.

Dozens of other native species work wonderfully as evergreen groundcovers, but those offered in this article are reliable and attractive through all seasons.

Leucothoe Scarletta — *Leucothoe* Scarletta is a low-growing shrub evergreen that makes a great groundcover for shade. (Image by Russell Stafford)

Native American Roses for Wildscaping

Pasture rose — The pasture rose is one of several native roses suitable for wildscaping.

What is a Native American rose? Is it the beach rose (Rosa rugosa) that grows vigorously on the sand dunes of northeastern America,

Wild rosehips — Wild roses have pretty fall hips (*R. woodsii*)

or the wreath rose (Rosa multiflora) that rampages all over the eastern half of the United States? Could it be the Cherokee rose (Rosa laevigata), which grows freely in Georgia? The answer is none of the above. All are prolific, tough species roses, but none are native to North America.

True native roses, which are both beautiful and useful for wild and not-so-wild landscapes, are a bit harder to find at local nurseries, but they are worth seeking out. They look great in wild landscapes, offering delicate fragrant flowers and colorful hips. Bees and wildlife love them!

Native American Roses

Over 20 rose species are native to various parts of North America, but some are rarer than others. Most bloom only once a year and bear single, pollinator-friendly single flowers in white, pink, or rose. When the petals fade, native roses develop nutritious scarlet hips that are a treat for birds and animals, not to mention the humans who sometimes forage for them. Some natives are armed to the teeth with lots of sharp prickles, making them perfect for boundary or privacy hedges. Species like Rosa blanda, which feature relatively smooth stems, can hold their own in more “civilized” situations.

The following native roses have the widest North American geographic distribution, making them good candidates for wild gardens.

Pasture or Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina): Sometimes called the “pasture rose”, fragrant Rosa carolina roams much farther than the boundaries of its namesake state, surviving in dry open meadows and along forest edges. It is native to the eastern half of North America and succeeds especially well in the southeastern United States. The prickly plants grow 3-feet tall and wide with pink flowers that bloom from May to June, depending on the location. As with many species roses, petal color fades to near-white as the blooms age. The crisp green foliage turns beautiful shades of orange-red in the fall. Though quite shade tolerant, this disease-susceptible rose flowers and performs best in full sun.

Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana): Rosa virginiana is a taller shrub rose (5- to 7-feet tall and 3-feet wide) that is less geographically widespread than Rosa carolina. It sports single, fragrant blooms that may be pink, yellow, or rose-purple and flower from June to August. It requires full to partial sun and is tolerant to a wide range of soil types, from moist soils to dry. Leaves turn fire orange-red in fall alongside deep red hips.

Prairie Rose (Rosa blanda): This sweet thornless rose bears several evocative nicknames, including “prairie rose”, “Hudson’s Bay rose” or “Labrador rose”, for its favored locales. Cold-hardy and tough, it is native across northeastern North America where it survives in open, dry, sunny prairies and open woods. Its nearly thornless stems and mounded habit make it a good candidate for use in “wild” planting schemes. Flower color varies from dark pink to white and blooming may occur from June to August. It only reaches 4-feet tall and wide, but it tends to spread, so it needs elbow room. Native plant lovers can rejoice in the fact that the relatively smooth stems make necessary pruning easier.

Wood’s Rose (Rosa woodsii): This is one of the better natives for colorful flowers and hips. Pink-flowered Wood’s rose is a westerner by inclination, found in growing wild in the western half of the United States and much of Canada. It also goes by the name “mountain rose” because it succeeds in challenging high-altitude conditions. Small, medium-pink flowers appear annually from May to July on upright shrubs adorned with blue-green foliage and a bumper crop of prickles. Growing up to 5-feet tall, Wood’s rose is extremely cold tolerant. In addition to the flowers, the shrubs produce loads of bright, teardrop-shaped hips and have fiery fall leaf color.

Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris): If your wild garden is damp, Rosa palustris may be right for you. Native to the eastern half of North America, swamp rose is a large shrub (8-12-feet tall) that likes to be sited at the water’s edge, where it can commune with moisture-loving sedges, iris, and other, similarly inclined plants. It will tolerate some shade but it blooms and performs best in full sun. The late spring blooms are lightly scented and may be deep rose pink or pale pink. The prickles are hooked, which makes pruning a challenge.

Climbing Prairie Rose (Rosa setigera): This spring-blooming climbing rose offers blooms that range from deep magenta to white. Sometimes known as the “bramble-leafed”, it sends out long, flexible shoots that enable it to scramble up to 15 feet, making it useful as a substitute for non-native climbing roses. If trained on an arch or trellis and provided full sun and good draining soil, climbing prairie rose can be a show-stopper. The fragrant pink blooms appear in clusters that develop into showy red hips in fall. Wise gardeners remove the root suckers that inevitable sprout at the base, enabling the plant to shoot skyward without producing a thicket underneath.

Landscaping with Wild Roses

Remember that wild landscapes and gardens can be “wild” without looking completely unruly. They are created using native species and emphasize biodiversity, habitat creation, sustainability, and beauty. Plant placement can be naturalistic while also be civilized and pleasing to the eye.
To use native roses most effectively, provide enough space. Many, but not all varieties grow tall and relatively wide, with a tendency to form dense thickets if left to their own devices. They look great planted alongside bold native Adam’s needle (Yucca filamentosa), breezy native bunch grasses like Shenandoah switch grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’), and native purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea).

Species roses have gotten by on their own for millennia, but they will respond with more flowers and hips if given a good start with a quality soil amendment like Fafard® Premium Topsoil, alfalfa meal natural fertilizer, and regular of water. All bloom and perform better if given open air and full sun. Prune seasonally to keep plants tidy and to promote good airflow, which will dissuade fungal diseases.
Native roses are not available in big-box stores or even most garden centers. The best way to locate specific species is to seek out mail order nurseries that specialize in species roses. High Country Roses is one such source.

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