Indiana Native Plants - Displayed by Common Name in Ascending Order

In fall, this classic cultivar becomes a glowing mass of vibrant pink daisy-like flowers that will stop traffic on your street. ‘Alma Potschke’ grows 4 ft. tall but can be pinched once or twice in late spring or early summer for more compact plants.

‘Purple Dome’ is less than half as tall as other New England Asters, and when it blooms in fall, it really does resemble a purple dome. The ideal companion is Sedum ‘Autumn Joy.'

The ultimate nectar plant for Monarch butterflies! Purple flower spikes on upright, tall stems reach up to 5', blooms late summer to early fall. Can grow in poor soils and is pest and disease resistant.

Generous amounts of burgundy, daisy-like flowers with brown center disks. Scores of blooms appear from summer until fall with no deadheading. Choose this variety for naturalized areas, wildflower meadows, and borders. A short-lived perennial with pleasing tendencies to reseed. It is easy to grow in average, moist, well-drained soil.

A delightful mix of free-flowering plants provides shimmering color over many weeks. Clumps perform best when left undivided. Presents a great display in a wildflower garden or natural area. Drought tolerant.

A virtually hassle-free, very long lived perennial, this cultivar of our native A. tuberosa offers three months of golden yellow blooms from early through late summer. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one.

The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Gather bouquets of Asclepias all summer long; the long stems are wonderful for cutting and are long-lasting. Sear the ends of the cut stems over a flame to stop the milky sap from leaking out.

Following the fabulous flowers, green fruits develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs reminiscent of its cousin, common milkweed. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.

A virtually hassle-free, very long lived perennial, offering three months of tangerine orange blooms (occasionally red or yellow) from early through late summer. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, Monarch butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Gather bouquets of Asclepias all summer long; the long stems are wonderful for cutting and are long-lasting. Sear the ends of the cut stems over a flame to stop the milky sap from leaking out.

Following the fabulous flowers, green fruits develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs reminiscent of its cousin, common milkweed. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.

Huge, rosy-red flowers supported by strong stems. Attracts butterflies.

A classic purple coneflower. Beautiful rose-pink ray petals with a coppery-brown, spiky central cone comprise the huge, flat flower heads. Newer blooms are more intense in color and fade to pale rose as they age.

One of the best new strains, E. ‘Ruby Star’ is similar to E. ‘Magnus’ in that they both hold their petals in a refined, horizontal arrangement. However, the petals of ‘Ruby Star’ are more substantial with a deeper magenta-red color.

A classic white coneflower. Pure white ray petals reflex downward, away from the coppery-brown, spiky central cone. Their sweet honey-like fragrance attracts masses of butterflies. ‘White Swan’ is a bit shorter in stature than many other coneflowers.

Evergreen, dark, shiny green fronds are leathery and lance-shaped and divided with holly-like leaflets. Typically grows in asymmetric fountain like clump. Young fiddleheads in spring have a silver sheen. This plant is given the common name Christmas fern because its evergreen fronds maintain their vibrant green color even at Christmas time, when the weather in its native range gets extremely cold, and can thus be used in decorations.

Every new frond is a treasure on Jurassic Gold. While they mature into the lush, lively green that made ferns popular, the new growth starts out in an exquisite orangey tone that's totally unique. Plant it in with a mix of ferns, and the random streaks of fiery color will keep the whole mix interesting. With that mix, you could coat a shady woodland garden in verdant beauty. On the other hand, you could add Jurassic Gold to a shade border as an easy, low–maintenance feature. Ferns are popular for container gardening—try this one either as a colorful, graceful filler in a mixed container or centerstage in a container of its own.

Jurassic Gold has already gotten itself a fair bit of critical acclaim. It won Best New Plant at Hort Week Awards in 2019, and second place at the Farwest Trade Show in 2020.

Tiarella ‘Elizabeth Oliver’ has become a classic among the fancy-leaved varieties of foamflower available today. It was the earliest of the hybrids between eastern and western Tiarella to become widely known, and it is the ancestor of almost all of the cut-leaved forms currently on the world market. Like its namesake, it is still among the very best available.

A truly low-maintenance shade native that thrives in a woodland garden, Elizabeth Oliver is a beautiful selection with a tidy clumping habit, striking red streaked leaves and delicate flowers tinged with pink.

Multiple wands of bright violet-purple flowers open from top to bottom beginning in early summer. All together, Liatris is a very strong vertical accent for the garden. It is a staple item for cutting gardens.

An outstanding specimen plant for the partially shaded garden. Looking much like a very large white astilbe, Goat's Beard has similar foliage and feathery, creamy white flower plumes up to 1 ft. long.

These are the world-famous multi-colored lupines everyone loves. Spikey clusters of pea-like flowers in mixed colors. Palmate leaves are a good dark green. Flowers bloom white, pink, red and blue in late spring.

Compact plants with multiple spikes of pure blue Sweet Pea shaped flowers. Blooms 1st year from seed.

A compact, floriferous, early blooming Lupine! Beautiful spires of a mix of blue and white, pink and white, yellow, and red flowers. Unsurpassed when grown en masse!

‘Tutti Frutti Mix’ is an improved bicolor mix that produces an abundant display of robust, full, tight flower spikes boasting rich color combinations. This variety produces 36" inch, well formed plants that bloom from early spring to mid summer. Colors include: rose, red, orange, yellow, cream, light green, blue, and purple. The stately flower spikes are a cut flower dream and add a dynamic patchwork of color to any garden bed planting. This variety will self sow freely and each year you will see them thrive and mutate into a rich stained glass assortment of colors. An easy keeper, Lupine are not fussy about their soil type as long as it is well drained. This sun loving variety is magnificent in a wild flower field, meadow or in large swaths in vast landscape plantings.

Following many years of breeding and selecting, Thompson & Morgan has succeeded in developing a fantastic new mixed selection of Lupines. They exhibit the high quality flower spikes of expensive varieties from cuttings, but at the much more affordable cost of a seed grown variety.

‘Brandywine’ is cross between A. rubrum October Glory® and A. rubrum ‘Autumn Flame’, and was developed by the U.S. National Arboretum. Only sterile flowers are produced in spring, thus no fruit or undesirable messy seedlings. The long lasting fall color gradually turns from red to brilliant reddish purple. A medium-sized shade tree with an oval crown and significant leafhopper resistance. Although adaptable to a wide range of conditions, prefers a slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Excellent for lawn, street, highway and park plantings.

Common Milkweed is the sole source of food for Monarch butterfly larvae. Large amounts of lavender buds open to reveal fragrant pink flowers in midsummer. This is one of the easiest and fastest to establish of the milkweeds, as it spreads rapidly by rhizomes and grows readily from seed.

A virtually hassle-free perennial, offering three months of vanilla-scented, white flowers in clean clusters from midsummer to early fall. Deadheading the flowers will stimulate another bloom cycle about a month after the first one. The flowers, which are heavily laden with nectar and pollen, are particularly attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects.

Following the fabulous flowers, typical milkweed seed pods develop which rupture to reveal seeds with long, silvery-white, silky hairs. These are great to use in dried flower arrangements.

This species grows in loose clumps by means of slowly creeping rhizomes. It is not invasive and can safely be mixed in with other perennials in the border. Ascelpias incarnata is native to North America.

‘Soulmate’ forms a tall, upright clump of long green leaves, bearing clusters of cherry-pink flowers with a tiny white center. These have a delightful vanilla fragrance and are a favorite of butterflies. Monarch butterflies also lay their eggs specifically on this plant, which the larvae use for food.

A new smaller version of purple-leafed Ninebark. This shrub has very compact branching and fine, deeply cut leaves. A very hardy shrub that requires little pruning, this unique native plant has pinkish-white, button-like flowers in mid-summer.

Spreading mats of needle-like, evergreen foliage disappear under countless pink-and-white striped blooms in spring. This one is so easy on the eye and so charming, you'll want to plant it where you can see it up close.

A replacement for ‘Emerald Pink’, this creeping phlox has a richer rose color and larger flowers.

Masses of purple-blue flowers cover mats of deep-green foliage in spring. Plants look stunning on a bank or tumbling over a wall, and , like all Moss PInks, make a striking ground cover for a sunny spot.

In spring, this cultivar becomes a sheet of rose-red flowers that draws the eye like a magnet. Interplant with pure-white Tulips for a combination that will make your jaw drop.

‘Flame® Pro White’ offers all of the flower power of its bigger cousins, but in a compact, manageable size. In mid- to late-summer, pure white panicles of star-shaped blossoms top the strong 12-18” stems, attracting butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. The deep green lanceolate foliage provides a backdrop for this native stunner, and shows strong mildew resistance. Pure white flowers on tall stems make beautiful cut flowers, and deadheading will encourage more blooming. An excellent option for small gardens and tight spaces, or anywhere you’d like to add a bright spot in a sunny garden!

The excellent branching characteristics of this Phlox series ensure an abundance of super-sized, bright fuchsia flowers throughout the summer; uniform, upright habit. Powdery mildew resistance.

‘David’ is the most mildew-resistant garden phlox today. Its domed clusters of pure-white flowers appear above deep-green leaves that remain clean and healthy nine summers out of ten, despite extreme heat and humidity. Flowering beings in midsummer.

If you’re only going to choose one new Tall Garden Phlox this year, make it ‘Glamour Girl’. You won’t be disappointed!

This long-legged beauty stands tall, proudly showing off her large panicles of hot coral pink flowers held on dark purple stems. Even the oldest flowers in her panicles are a beautiful shade of light coral pink.

‘Glamour Girl’ maintains bright green, healthy looking foliage on strong stems all summer, putting on her flower show in mid through late summer. She powers through hot, humid summers with ease, shaking off any sign of powdery mildew that looks her way.

Rated a top performer! ‘Laura’ produces masses of fuchsia-purple blossoms with starry, white centers and dark eyes all summer long. This selection has a particularly long bloom time and has demonstrated very good mildew resistance.

Joining the other members of the Luminary™ Collection, ‘Backlight’ brings a highly sought-after flower color. Pure white flowers are produced in well-defined panicles at the top of a perfect habit. The dark green leaves resist mildew that often plagues Tall Garden Phlox, even in hot, humid conditions. Try this with other white-flowering plants to create a moonlight garden.

The brilliant flower color of 'Pink Lighting' will deliver a shock to the landscape when it begins blooming in midsummer. Each individual flower is a bright true pink with a central white starburst pattern. The intensity of the flower color matches varieties like 'Sunset Coral' and 'Ultraviolet'. Individual flowers are the largest in the series. Compared with 'Prismatic Pink' the flowers are not as lavender and have light colored centers instead of dark. Healthy foliage has been documented as mildew free through September.

The brilliant flower color of 'Pink Lighting' will deliver a shock to the landscape when it begins blooming in midsummer. Each individual flower is a bright true pink with a central white starburst pattern. The intensity of the flower color matches varieties like 'Sunset Coral' and 'Ultraviolet'. Individual flowers are the largest in the series. Compared with 'Prismatic Pink' the flowers are not as lavender and have light colored centers instead of dark. Healthy foliage has been documented as mildew free through September.

Brilliant, fragrant flower clusters attract butterflies to the garden. Stunning in the flower garden, planted with bee balm, cranesbill and ornamental grasses. Remove faded flowers to prolong bloom. Lovely cut for summer bouquets.

Glowing magenta flowers, the darkest of all tall garden phlox, make this plant a real eye-catcher! They are produced nearly all summer long atop clumps of medium green foliage.

‘Olympus’ is an unusual cultivar where the foliage demands equal billing to the flowers. This tall garden phlox is heavily variegated in creams and greens with the growing tips in brilliant cherry-reds. Large magenta flowers with pale pink eyes follow from mid to late summer. Fragrant too. Great for non-stop foliar and floral interest from early spring to fall dormancy. Popular with hummingbirds and butterflies.

Lavender-pink spring blooms are followed by new leaves tinged with orange, becoming bright golden. A unique color for weeping varieties, the foliage holds up well in sun and heat. The tall, narrow form is the perfect accent for small spaces. Deciduous.

Countless small daisy-like flowers on well branched, upright stems. Vibrant flowers are excellent for late-season color in the garden or bouquet. A beautiful addition to butterfly gardens.

Tiger Eyes® is a beautiful golden-leafed form of Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac. New growth is a lively chartreuse green, quickly changing to yellow, both colors contrasting nicely with the rosy-pink leaf stems. Yellow, orange and intense scarlet in autumn.

So how could Scentlandia® sweetspire improve on the classic? Better hardiness, for one, so that even gardeners in the colder parts of its hardiness zone can enjoy the fragrance, year after year. It also boasts brighter, more consistent fall color, along with a compact, refined habit.

Though this native plant is much beloved for its sweetly scented summer blooms, not all plants exhibit equally strong fragrance. Scentlandia® is a smaller variety that works with any size landscape, and has outstanding fall color so that the plant stays interesting beyond its bloom time. The flowers aren't just longer, larger, and more fragrant than other varieties - they're also more cold tolerant, assuring a good display even in USDA zone 5 where flower buds are frequently damaged.