A Guide to Growing Native Plants in Missouri

Generally native plants require lower maintenance and usually have less pest problems. Growing native plants helps restore and protect Missouri's biodiversity. There are numerous plants native to Missouri, including annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees and grasses. Whatever your garden wishes include, you are sure to find them met by a Missouri native plant. Following are just five of the many beautiful natives Missouri has to offer. The website Grow Native! is a joint program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and is a fantastic resource for plants native to Missouri.

American Snowbell (Styrax Americana)

The American Snowbell is a spring flowering shrub with unusual bark that is a gray to reddish-brown color. The shrub has white bell-shaped fragrant flowers with reflexed petals that hand from the branches in late spring. There is little color change in fall. This shrub is native to the swamps in Southern Missouri and grows best in acidic and moist or wet conditions in the shade. This shrub is ideal to use along streams or water features. The height of this shrub ranges from 4 to 9 feet and the spread ranges from 5 to 10 feet. It also is of benefit to wildlife as it provides cover and places to nest. Seeds can be sown in fall for spring germination. It is important to shelter the shrubs from wind as they mature.

Bee Balm (Monarda Bradburiana)

This plant is a member of the mint family. It has pink to white, purple-spotted flowers atop a whorl of purplish leafy bracts. The gray-green leaves are highly aromatic and can be used in teas. The flowers bloom in May and June and attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. This plant grows well in dry soil in full sun to light shade. Its height ranges from 12 to 24 inches and its spread ranges from 22 to 24 inches. This plant is an aromatic perennial which is attractive but can have the tendency to become invasive.

Fringetree (Chionanthus Virginicus)

In May to June this shrub/small tree gets covered in frothy white flowers. In fall, female trees produce a small bluish olive-like fruit which are greatly appreciated as a source of food by the local birdlife. In fall the leaves often turn a bright yellow, providing a great source of color in your garden. This shrub grows best in deep, acidic and moist soil but is highly adaptable to many conditions. This shrub will grow in dry clay soil but does not tolerate dry gravel-based soil. This shrub is beautiful in native gardens, along streams and ponds, as background plants or as a specimen shrub. Its height and spread ranges from 12 to 20 inches. This shrub grows best in full sun to medium sun/average shade. This shrub attracts songbirds to your garden.

Hackberry (Celtis Occidentalis)

This tree makes a great shade-tree with a broad crown and ascending branches. Leaves are a medium green turning a soft yellow in fall. In September and October small round purple to orange-red fruit forms attracting birds and other wildlife. This tree prefers rich, moist soil however is very adaptable to a variety of soil and moisture conditions. Its height and spread ranges from 40 to 60 feet. The tree provides not only fruit as a source of food for birds but also provides a site for nesting and attracts songbirds. The Common Hackberry is a very tolerant tree and is particularly useful in the prairie and plains areas.

Missouri Primrose (Oenothera Macrocarpa)

This beautiful perennial also commonly known as Ozark Sundrops has large showy yellow flowers up to 4 inches wide. The red-tinted trailing stems branch from a central rootstock with egg-shaped leaves in a pale to medium green. The fragrant primroses open up in the evening and remain open in the daylight hours showing red flecked calyces. This plant is best planted in spring in full sun, and is simple to grow with almost no diseases or pests. To encourage flowering, divide the clumps every three years. The Missouri Primrose can also be grown in containers and tolerates drought and poor soil but needs good drainage. Height is approximately 10 inches with the spread ranging from 12 to 18 inches. The fragrant flower attracts hummingbirds and makes excellent ground cover.

Sources:

Grow Native!

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