9 Ohio-Native Plants Your Garden Is Missing

Rolling hills, beautiful mountainsides, and seasonal flora attract visitors to Ohio each year. However, you can also have a manicured, manageable, and healthy piece of the hills right in your yard! These perennial Ohio-native plants can brighten your garden and beautify your home naturally.

These nine plants are not only beautiful, but they have some wonderful benefits, too! Consider which Ohio planting season would best suit your blooms and plan accordingly. These stunning perennials will bloom from spring through fall, so stagger them in your garden to always have beautiful flowers.

Tips For Ohio Gardeners

Planting native species creates a better environment for you and your local wildlife. Some non-native plants can mess with the local ecosystem and worsen your allergies from unfamiliar pollen. Entice bees and butterflies to your yard with this local species of perennials.

Each plant has its maintenance requirements. You won’t have to pay as much money to maintain Ohio native plants compared to other plants. Still, they have acclimated to Ohio’s climate and won’t need excessively special treatment or hefty fertilizers. Also, many Ohio plants tend to be more deer resistant due to their adaptive natures.

Keep this in mind when choosing your garden plants!

Nine Ohio-Native Plants You Should Try

1. Blue Vervain (Verbena Hastata)

Blue vervains grow skirts of flower petals around their slender and soft seed spikes, attracting hummingbirds, bees, and songbirds alike. Historically, they have been used in different medicines! Nowadays, they’re still beautiful and smell wonderful in their June through September blooming period.

Size: 2 to 6 feet tall; 4 to 6 feet wide
Sun: Full, 6 to 8 hours daily
Soil: 45 to 60%, or Average to Moist

2. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa)

Butterfly weed’s vibrant orange petals attract many pollinators. Several species of bees and butterflies love hanging out during their June to August blooming period. Afterward, the flowers become little seed pods that float away in the autumn winds! These flowers are also very resilient and work great for front garden displays!

Size: 1 to 3 feet tall; 1 to 1½ feet wide
Sun: Full, 6 to 8 hours daily
Soil: 21 to 45%, or Average to Dry

3. Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum Virginicum)

These tall stalks feature pretty white flowers and soft orange stamens as they first bloom. Their flowers bloom in late June to early July, turning light pink and purple as they age! Many Ohio gardeners put them on the sunny sides of the house because of their height. Pollinators, mainly butterflies and bees, are very attracted to Culver’s Root.

Size: 4 to 7 feet tall; 2 to 4 feet wide
Sun: Full to Partial, 4 to 8 hours daily
Soil: 45 to 60%, or Average to Moist

4. Blazing Star (Liatris Spicata)

Also known as gayfeather, these flowers boast bombastic and joy-inducing pink-purple swirls. In addition to the usual pollinators, moths and hummingbirds come to eat the nectar from these flowers. These plants can grow about waist-high but don’t expand out very far. Cluster them together for a long-lasting pretty puff from July to September!

Size: 3 to 6 feet tall; 3 inches to 1 foot, 6 inches wide
Sun: Full to Partial, 4 to 8 hours daily
Soil: Around 45%, or Average

5. Goldenrod (Solidago Ohioensis)

While several kinds of goldenrod are native to Ohio, this one is so Ohioan it has the state in its species name! They turn from these vibrant yellows to pure whites as the flowers bloom, starting at the end of August and lasting into September. These flowers fit your bill if you want a burst of color before the winter!

Size: 2 to 4 feet tall; 2 to 4 feet wide
Sun: Full, 6 to 8 hours daily
Soil: Around 45%, or Average

6. Obedient Plant (Physostegia Virginiana)

As the species name suggests, this beautiful flower also hails from Virginia. It changes color throughout its blooming period from July to early September, shifting from pretty white to lovely light pink! These self-reliant plants grow easily and attract hummingbirds. Though, contrary to their name, they will spread without proper maintenance.

Size: 3 to 4 feet tall, 2 to 3 feet wide
Sun: Full, 6 to 8 hours daily
Soil: 45 to 60%, or Average to Moist

7. Wild Bergamot (Monarda Fistulosa)

Wild bergamots are another historically medicinal flower! They bloom from mid-July to September in nicely-sized clusters. Hummingbirds love to eat from them just as much as well-trained botanists love to. Yes, they’re edible and make for a delicious herbal tea!

Size: 2 to 4 feet tall; 1½ to 2 feet wide
Sun: Full to Partial, 4 to 8 hours daily
Soil: 21 to 45%, or Average to Dry

8. Wood Poppy (Stylophorum Diphyllum)

These pretty yellow plants can take a little less sunlight than the others. Wood poppies grow wonderfully in forested areas or near shrubs. Their flowers bloom in the spring, starting in late March and usually lasting about two to three weeks. Songbirds, squirrels, and chipmunks enjoy their seeds, and you can enjoy watching them!

Size: 1 to 2 feet tall, 2 to 4 feet wide
Sun: Partial, 4 to 6 hours daily
Soil: Around 45%, or Average

9. Yellow Trout Lily (Erythronium Americanum)

Yellow trout lilies spend most of their time growing beneath trees. Their flowers bloom for roughly 5 to 6 weeks, between March and April, before the trees above develop their leaves. They are smaller compared to the other Ohio-native plants listed. Bees love them, their colors are incredible, and they’re low maintenance!

Size: 4 to 6 inches tall; 4 to 6 inches wide
Sun: Shade, 4 hours daily
Soil: 45 to 60%, or Average to Moist

Unsure About Planting These Yourself?

Receive the Williams County botanical help you need with Farrell’s Lawn & Garden Center. We’ve worked with Ohio-native plants and other state-native species since 1978. Our knowledge of garden maintenance requirements will have your flowers blooming more vibrantly than ever.

Fill out our contact form today for your hassle-free quote.

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