Your complete guide to native plants of Southeast USA – stunning native industrial plant that thrive in the heat and humidity .
The Southeastern United States is a botanical paradise where azaleas bloom in dramatic drift , towering magnolia perfume the gentle wind , and ancient live oak tree drape themselves in Spanish moss . From the Appalachian foothills of North Carolina to the semitropical coast of Florida , this region offers some of the most diverse and beautiful native plant life residential area in North America .
If you ’re gardening in the Southeast , you have approach to an incredible pallet ofnative plantsthat have evolve to fly high in hot , humid summer , modest winters , and the unique challenges of your regional climate . This scout will help you harness that raw lulu while creating garden that support local wildlife and need minimum inputs once established .
Magnolia grandiflora
Featured Image : New York Scheinaster Vernonia noveboracensis bywestheris license under CC BY 2.0
See also : The ultimate guide to garden with native plants : why locating matter
Understanding the Southeast Growing Region
Climate Zones and Characteristics
USDA Hardiness Zones : 6b-11
Upper Southeast ( North Carolina , Tennessee , Northern Georgia , Northern Alabama ):
Lower Southeast ( South Carolina , Georgia , Florida , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana ):
Magnolia grandiflora
Coastal Areas :
Regional Ecosystems
Piedmont
Coastal Plain
Appalachian Foothills
Subtropical Coastal
Signature Southeast Native Trees
Large Canopy Trees (50+ feet mature)
Southern Magnolia ( Magnolia grandiflora )
Live Oak ( Quercus virginiana )
Bald Cypress ( Taxodium distichum )
Tulip Tree ( Liriodendron tulipifera )
Longleaf Pine ( Pinus palustris )
Medium Trees (25-50 feet mature)
Dogwood ( Cornus florida )
Redbud ( Cercis canadensis )
Southern Sugar Maple ( Acer barbatum )
Persimmon ( Diospyros virginiana )
Essential Southeast Native Shrubs
Large Shrubs (6+ feet mature)
Native Azaleas ( Rhododendron metal money )
Flame Azalea ( Rhododendron calendulaceum )
Pinxterbloom Azalea ( Rhododendron periclymenoides )
OakleafHydrangea(Hydrangea quercifolia )
Elderberry ( Sambucus canadensis )
Spicebush ( Lindera asa dulcis )
Magnolia grandiflora
Medium Shrubs (3-6 feet mature)
Beauty Berry ( Callicarpa americana )
Strawberry Bush ( Euonymus americanus )
Wild Azalea / Swamp Azalea ( Rhododendron viscosum )
Cercis canadensis byLuked.is licensed under CC BY 3.0
Carolina Allspice ( Calycanthus floridus )
Small Shrubs and Subshrubs (Under 3 feet)
Yaupon Holly ( Ilex vomitoria )
Zamia integrifolia
Firebush ( Hamelia patens )
Rhododendron calendulaceum (Flame Azalea) byPlant Image Library from Boston, USAis licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Southeast Native Perennials and Wildflowers
Spring Bloomers
Wild Ginger ( Asarum canadense )
Trillium ( Trillium grandiflorum and T. cuneatum )
Virginia Bluebells ( Mertensia virginica )
Zamia integrifolia-leaves byStarr Environmentalis licensed under CC BY 2.0
Fire Pink ( Silene virginica )
Summer Bloomers
Coral Honeysuckle ( Lonicera sempervirens )
Bee Balm ( Monarda didyma )
Wild Bergamot ( Monarda fistulosa )
Trillium Grandiflorum byMassachusetts Office of Travel & Tourismis licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
Purple Coneflower ( Echinacea purpurea )
Black - Eyed Susan ( Rudbeckiafulgida )
Fall Bloomers
Aromatic Aster ( Symphyotrichum oblongifolium )
Goldenrod ( Solidago species )
Joe Pye Weed ( Eutrochium purpureum )
Monarda didyma bysonnia hillis licensed under CC BY 2.0
Ironweed ( Vernonia noveboracensis )
Southeast Native Grasses
Muhly Grass ( Muhlenbergia capillaris )
lilliputian Bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium )
Wiregrass ( Aristida stricta )
Solidago missouriensis byMatt Lavinis licensed under CC BY 2.0
Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum )
Heat and Humidity Champions
Plants That Thrive in Extreme Southeast Conditions
Beautyberry ( Callicarpa americana )
Native Azaleas
Regional Plant Combinations
Coastal Southeast Garden
tree : Live Oak , Bald Cypress , Longleaf PineShrubs : Yaupon Holly , Beauty Berry , CoontiePerennials : Coral Honeysuckle , Seaside GoldenrodGrasses : Muhly Grass , Wiregrass
Piedmont Woodland Garden
Canopy : Tulip Tree , Southern Magnolia , DogwoodUnderstory : Oakleaf Hydrangea , Spicebush , Native AzaleasPerennials : Wild Ginger , Trillium , Christmas FernGroundcover : Partridgeberry , Wild Strawberry
Hot, Dry Southeast Garden
tree diagram : Persimmon , Redbud , Eastern RedCedarShrubs : Beauty Berry , Yaupon Holly , Carolina AllspicePerennials : Purple Coneflower , Aromatic Aster , Black - Eyed SusanGrasses : Little Bluestem , Muhly Grass
Pollinator Paradise
Trees : Southern Magnolia , Tulip Tree , DogwoodShrubs : Native Azaleas , Spicebush , ElderberryPerennials : Bee Balm , Joe Pye Weed , IronweedLate bloomers : Goldenrod , Aromatic Aster
Seasonal Care Calendar for the Southeast
Spring (March-May)
former Spring ( March ):
Mid - Spring ( April ):
Late Spring ( May ):
Schizachyrium scoparium byAaron Volkeningis licensed under CC BY 2.0
Summer (June-August)
Early Summer ( June - July ):
Mid - Summer ( July - August ):
Late Summer ( August ):
Aromatic Aster byAndreyZharkikhis licensed under CC BY 2.0
Fall (September-November)
former Fall ( September - October ):
belated Fall ( November ):
Winter (December-February)
Early Winter ( December - January ):
Late Winter ( February ):
Dealing with Southeast Challenges
Heat Management
Plant Selection :
Watering scheme :
Soil Improvement :
Echinacea purpurea Coneflower” byF. D. Richardsis licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Humidity Management
Air Circulation :
Disease Prevention :
Hurricane and Storm Preparation
Garden Design :
Sourcing Southeast Native Plants
Regional Specialty Nurseries
North Carolina :
South Carolina :
Georgia :
Florida :
Alabama / Mississippi :
Native Plant Societies
Seed Sources
Success Tips for Southeast Native Gardening
Site Assessment
Plant Selection Strategy
Establishment Success
Long-Term Care
The Southeast Advantage
Gardening with native plants in the Southeast gives you memory access to some of North America ’s most salient flora . From the fabled looker of native azalea blooming in spring forest to the architectural drama of bouncy oak tree draped in Spanish moss , Southeast aborigine tender unmatched looker and ecological note value .
The winder to success is working with the region ’s rude rhythm – the long growing season , abundant rainfall , and yes , even the heat energy and humidity that make this area unequaled . Choose plants that celebrate these conditions rather than fighting them , and you’llcreate gardens that are both beautifuland sustainable .
Remember that “ Southeast native ” covers a lot of territorial dominion – a plant life native to the mountains of North Carolina may not prosper in the coastal plain stitch of Georgia . Always control that your pick out plants are appropriate for your specific placement within this diverse region .
bug out with easy , proven performing artist like Beauty Berry , Coral Honeysuckle , andPurple Coneflower , then gradually expand your palette as you learn what flourish in your specific garden conditions . Before long , you ’ll have a garden that capture all the magic of the Southeast while underpin the aboriginal wildlife that makes this region so special .
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Martin Cole has been an zealous plant fan and nurseryman for more than 20 years and have a go at it to talk and write about gardening . In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year contender . He is a member of the National dahlia Society .
He antecedently exist in London and Sydney , Australia , where he take a diploma row in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland . He founded GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012 . The site is aimed at everybody who make out plants or has been bitten by the gardening bug and wants to know more .
Gardening Step by Step has beencited by Thompson and Morgan , the UK ’s largest mail order plant retail merchant , as a website that publishes technical gardening content .
