15 Perennial Native Plants for Your Garden

Don't like to plant year after year, consider perennial plants. These favorites of native gardeners will not die at season's end. Plenty of choices below give you ideas to help make your next garden project the best it can be, and with native plants you know that they are designed for the area.

Actaea alba (White Baneberry)

Perennial herb with 2 foot stems, this plant has showy white flowers blooming in May. It fruits July-August with 10-20 berry like fruits. Baneberry prefers partial shade. It's an old aborigine's medicine for rheumatism.

Actaea rubra (Red Baneberry)

Identical to White Baneberry, but the fruits are glossy cherry-red in July with 20-24 fruits. These fruits are very poisonous and care should be taken around them. It is slightly taller at times, growing from 2-3 feet. Expect delicate white flowers, although there are some variants.

Amsonia tabernaemontana (Bluestar)

Bluestar is a perennial that grows up to 3 ½ feet. With wonderful light blue star-like flowers coming all through mid and late spring. It also has long leaves and will fruit with interesting displaying pod-like fruits. A great addition to any garden.

Anemonella thalictroides (Rue Anemone)

This lovely plant reminds me of a miniature Cherokee rose. A perennial herbaceous plant that grows to 9inches tall, its prized in woodland gardens. It blooms white from late winter to early spring. Root teas by Native Americans was believed to cure diarrhea and vomiting, although it potentially toxic.

Antennaria parlinii (Smooth Pussy-toes)

This evergreen perennial is from the daisy family. It will grow up to 9 inches tall and have several flower heads. Blooming late spring to early summer, it will be pink or white. Make sure you plant in full sun. The foliage is bright green and distinctive, with non-felt leaves. Pussy-toes have been used as a diuretic, astringent, and antitussive.

Arabis georgiana (Georgia Rockcress)

A perennial that takes full sun to partial shade. It will flower from March to April with white or yellow 4-petaled flowers. It is found in shaded limestone riverbanks. Rockcress was first collected in 1841 by Boykin near the Chattahoochie River. Very rare.

Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Milkweed)

This perennial herbaceous plant grows up to 2 feet. An original plant with hairy stems, it has milky juice and ½ inch diameter blooms. Expect orange flowers starting in early summer. This is the only milkweed that has alternate leaves.

Caulophyllum thalictroides (Blue Cohosh)

This perennial grows up to 3 feet tall and has small yellow (turning to brown) flowers in clusters. Usually found in streams, it prefers shade and moist soil. Expect lovely blue-green foliage and dark blue berries. You may divide in spring or fall to propagate.

Chamaelirium luteum (Fairywand)

A perennial growing up to 4 feet with 6 inch leaves. Dense and spiky, it has white flowers that fade to yellow. It prefers early sun and has evergreen foliage. The name comes from the Greek meaning "on the ground lily".

Chrysogonum virginianum (Green and Gold)

This perennial makes a wonderful ground cover as it only grows 6-9 inches tall. It prefers full to partial shade and moist soil. Its blooms are 5-petal and daisy like appearing both spring and fall. It has dark green foliage.

Cimicifuga racemosa (Black Bugbane)

This perennial is excellent for borders with its tall spikes and white flowers. It is a member of the buttercup family and prefers deep shade. It will grow up to 8 feet and bloom May to September. Its root was an official drug of the US Pharmacopoeia from 1820-1926. Today it is a popular alternative to estrogen therapy.

Clematis viorna (Vasevine)

This perennial hairy vine has urn shaped red or purple flowers and grows up to 6 feet. It will flower from May to August and prefers shady wooded areas. It fruits from August to November with dark brown feathery seeds.

Corydalis favula (Yellow Fumewort)

This herbaceous perennial gets up to 15 inches tall and has single white blooms on the leaves. The flowers are yellow and will show from late winter to spring. The flowers are very small and delicate and you may need a magnifying glass to appreciate them. BEWARE: this plant may be toxic.

Delphinium tricorne (Dwarf Larkspur)

This herbaceous perennial is only found in four counties in Georgia. It will get up to 30 inches tall and has violet or deep blue flowers (rarely white). It will get 2-3 feet high and flower from April to May with 5 petal blooms. It prefers moist rich soil. BEWARE: this is toxic to cattle.

Epigaea repens (Trailing Arbutus)

This evergreen perennial has 3-5 clusters of white/pink/red blooms. You'll find the best display around early to mid spring and is fragrant. It has late summer berrylike fruits. It is low creeping and makes a great ground cover, but is not drought tolerant. This plant prefers partial shade.