5 Native Plants of the Southeast

If you're a gardener in the southeastern United States, especially one just starting out, then some native plants can be an excellent addition to your garden. Native southeastern plants are well adapted to growing in the southeastern climate and soil, so these plants will give you less work. Native wildlife will also be attracted by the native fruits that these plants have.

Nodding Onion

A perennial and one of the most famous plants of the Southeast, this plant has a tall stalk with white or pink flowers. The name comes from its onion like smell and the natural dropping of the flowers when it reaches full maturity. This dropping helps it to naturally release its seeds. These flourish in the nutrient rich and wet southeast, but can also be found up the eastern US all the way to New York.

American Bellflower

Also called the tall bellflower because it can grow anywhere from 2 to 8 feet high, depending on the soil and amount of rain. This plant is an annual/biennial with light to dark blue flowers that bloom between mid-summer to mid-fall in elongated clusters. It is an insect pollinated plant that does best in light shade and very rich soil.

Butterweed

This biennial or winter annual plant is another good edition to your garden. There are about 50 species all called butterweed, so it is important to distinguish this as senecio glabellus. Their flowers bloom golden-yellow from mid-spring to early summer in big clusters. It grows 3 feet tall and does well in moist soil.

American Beautyberries

These perennial shrubs can grow up to 9 feet tall in perfect conditions while most grown between 3 and 5 feet. They grow large clusters of purple berries along with pink, white, and purple flowers from late spring to mid summer.. These purple berries attract local birds in large groups. They are sweet to the taste and edible for humans but only in small amounts because they are astringent, meaning they make your mouth dry and sore. They are often used in small amounts in jams.

Carolina Rhododendron

Perhaps the most famous southeastern shrub, this evergreen produces beautiful red, pink, and white flowers during the spring months. They can become as large as 6 feet wide. These plants are known for their beauty and are often used in landscaping. They will be an excellent addition to your garden if you have the room for such a beautiful shrub.

These are just five of the many excellent plants of the southeast. By using local plants, you will make the gardening easier on you and begin to appreciate the natural beauty of your area even more.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron , etc.