Native Plants of the Northeast
- The northeast has many beautiful native plants.VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Many gardeners prefer to grow native plants, and with good reason. When grown in their natural habitat, plants thrive because they're suited to the climate and soil conditions, and resistant to area diseases and insects. Much of the northeastern United States was woodland before colonization; therefore, many of the best native plants do well in shade as well as sun. - Striped maple leaves turn bright yellow in fall.Moosewood leaves image by KCpixs from Fotolia.com
The striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum), also called moosewood, is a medium-sized, native maple with green-and-white striped bark. The leaves turn brilliant yellow in the fall. The University of Delaware Botanic Gardens notes the cultivar Erythrocladum has red-and-white striped bark. Striped maple is native to northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia south to Georgia and west to Minnesota. Grow it in partial sun, in moist, well-drained, acidic soil. The tree is hardy is U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. - Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia) is a colorful shrub that's native throughout most of the eastern United States and parts of Canada. It grows 6 to 10 feet tall and about half as wide, giving it a narrow, upright habit. Aronia is adaptable to both wet and dry soils, in full sun or partial shade. The bright red fruits that give the shrub its name follow clusters of small, white flowers in May. The fruit often persists well into winter. In fall, the leaves turn intense reddish-purple. The cultivar Brilliantissima blooms and fruits profusely, and has bright red fall color. The University of Connecticut recommends red chokeberry as a good substitute for the imported, invasive burning bush (Euonymus alata). Red chokeberry is hardy in zones 4 through 9.
- Turk's cap lily (Lilium superbum) gets its name from the shape of the flowers; the petals curve backwards, making the flower resemble a turban. The summer-blooming flowers are reddish-orange, heavily spotted with purple. This true lily is native to deep, fertile soil in moist shade. The US Department of Agriculture shows Turk's cap lily as native from New Hampshire south to Florida (except for Vermont) and west to Missouri. When in flower, plants can reach 6 to 9 feet tall, according to North Carolina State University.
- Tradescantia image by Jeff from Fotolia.com
Native Americans used Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) for food and medicinal purposes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. Despite its name, this spiderwort is native to most of the eastern United States, including all of New England. This grass-like plant has slightly fragrant, three-petaled flowers that are usually blue. It blooms from spring to mid-summer, and grows best in moist areas in sun or shade. The leaves grow 1 foot high. When the plant is well situated, it will expand into a dense clump, but it is not invasive. According to Wood's "Encyclopedia of Perennials," the Osprey cultivar has white flowers with a blue eye. Red Cloud has deep pink flowers. Spiderwort is hardy in zones 4 through 9.
