Have you spent too many spring months coveting your neighbors’ gardens? Have you wished that your garden would simply take care of itself and give back to the beautiful ecosystem around you? It’s not a pipe dream. With native plants, you can curate the landscape of your dreams without all the intense maintenance of exotic plant varieties.
Native plants are an excellent way to add high-impact intrigue to your greenspace without taking away from your ability to enjoy it. Choosing to work with a landscape designer this year can help you enjoy your garden for years to come.
What Plants Are Native to the Greater Philadelphia Area?
Trees
Below are some of the trees native to Southeastern PA:
- Serviceberry – Amelanchier grandiflora
- Common chokeberry – Prunus virginiana
- Eastern hemlock – Tsuga canadensis
- Sugar maple – Acer saccharum
- Flowering dogwood – Cornus florida
- American Beech – Fagus grandifolia
A certified arborist can help you decide on the best native trees for your property.
Herbaceous Plants and Perennials
While trees can provide great shade, visual flair, and habitat to local wildlife, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and perennials can fill your garden with beautiful flowers and striking foliage. Some of the beautiful herbaceous plants and perennials native to Southeastern Pennsylvania include:
- Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis
- Butterfly weed – Asclepias tuberosa
- Asters
- Wild bleeding heart – Dicentra eximia
- Joe-pye weed – Eupatorium fistulosum
- Virginia bluebells – Mertensia virginica
- Coneflowers
- Bee balm – Monarda didyma
- Black-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia fulgida
- While blue phlox – Phlox divaricata
Advantages of Adding Native Plants to Your Landscaping
Native plants offer a number of ecological and aesthetic benefits. Some of these benefits include:
Fewer maintenance demands: Because native plants are well-suited to their environment, they require less fertilizer and daily watering than other types of plants.
Limited pesticides: Similar to maintenance demands, native plants are adapted to tolerate and deter natural pests. For this reason, it’s not necessary to treat them with pesticides constantly to avoid potential infestations.
Color: Don’t let your preconceived notions about “boring plants” turn you against native plants. Native plants come in a stunning variety of colors that change with the seasons.
Save Water: Exotic plants require almost around-the-clock watering to avoid scorching in our climate. When you choose native plants, you can do your part to conserve water in your community.
Support Local Wildlife: Planting more native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants offers more shelter and food opportunities to the local wildlife.
For more information about the best native plants for your property, tree planting, or our fertilization services, contact us today!