Why Go Native?

When gardeners choose species that evolved here, together we’re working with the local ecosystem instead of against it. That means healthier plants, happier wildlife, and a garden that thrives without constant intervention.

Some Benefits of Going Native

• Ecological resilience

• Pollinator support

• Lower maintenance

• Climate adaptation

A Few Massachusetts Natives Worth Planting (I have them in my garden!)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa): A monarch magnet with bright orange blooms.

• Canada Windflower (Canada anemone): Lots of white blooms; spreads like a groundcover so make sure it’s in a place where it won’t crowd out other plants.

• Common Blue Violet (Viola soroai): So pretty when they spread.

• Heart-leaf Golden Alexanders (Zizia aptera): Dark green leaves and sunny yellow flower clusters.

• Joe‑Pye Weed (Eutrochium): Tall, architectural, and loved by butterflies; great for the back of a border.

• Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum): It can handle damp soil and is a good shade plant.

• Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum): A dainty looking plant with its thin stalks and flowers that bend downwards.

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ): Bees love them and they add color mid-summer.

• Solomon's Seal: (Polygonatum biflorum): Majestic and a hummingbird attractor.

• Wild Germanium (Geranium maculatum ): AKA Crane’s Bill Geranium. Pretty purple flowers and it blooms for a long time.

Some I planted and some “volunteered.”

Choosing native plants isn’t just good gardening, it’s stewardship. Every milkweed, blueberry shrub, or aster planted strengthens the local ecosystem and creates a landscape that feels authentically Massachusetts. Native gardens are vibrant, resilient, and alive with the wildlife that makes New England special. Here’s a list of native plants from the Massachusetts Native Plant Palette: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-native-plant-palette