Common Western Pennsylvania Native Plants

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 NameBotanical Name
Dense Blazing StarLiatris spicata
Black-eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta or Rudbeckia fulgida
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
Butterfly MilkweedAsclepias tuberosa
Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis
Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
Virginia BluebellsMertensia virginica
New England AsterSymphyotrichum novae-angliae
Aromatic AsterSymphyotrichum oblongifolium
Blue LobeliaLobelia siphilitica
Wild Blue IndigoBaptisia australis
Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod Solidago rugosa
Jerusalem ArtichokeHelianthus tuberosus
FoamflowerTiarella cordifolia
Scarlet BeebalmMonarda didyma
Joe Pye WeedEupatorium fistulosum
Wild Bergamot/BeebalmMonarda fistulosa
New York Ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis
Anise HyssopAgastache 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.