There are more than 2,000 native plant species in Western Pennsylvania. This list includes easy-to-find and easy-to-grow native flowering native plants. Please see our recommended resources for more information on other species, as well as grasses, shrubs, and trees.
20 Easy Native Flowers for Beginners
Common Name | Botanical Name |
Dense Blazing Star | Liatris spicata |
Black-eyed Susan | Rudbeckia hirta or Rudbeckia fulgida |
Purple Coneflower | Echinacea purpurea |
Swamp Milkweed | Asclepias incarnata |
Butterfly Milkweed | Asclepias tuberosa |
Wild Columbine | Aquilegia canadensis |
Cardinal Flower | Lobelia cardinalis |
Virginia Bluebells | Mertensia virginica |
New England Aster | Symphyotrichum novae-angliae |
Aromatic Aster | Symphyotrichum oblongifolium |
Blue Lobelia | Lobelia siphilitica |
Wild Blue Indigo | Baptisia australis |
Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod | Solidago rugosa |
Jerusalem Artichoke | Helianthus tuberosus |
Foamflower | Tiarella cordifolia |
Scarlet Beebalm | Monarda didyma |
Joe Pye Weed | Eupatorium fistulosum |
Wild Bergamot/Beebalm | Monarda fistulosa |
New York Ironweed | Vernonia noveboracensis |
Anise Hyssop | Agastache foeniculum |
Recommended Resources
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s: List of Western PA Natives
Penn State Extension: Pennsylvania Native Plants for the Perennial Garden
PAenFlowered: database of common PA native wildflowers, ferns, grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees
Another good resource is DCNR: Landscaping with Native Plants
When in doubt, use BONAP to determine if a plant is native.