Native Plant List for the Perkiomen Creek Watershed
Native plants thrive with only minimal maintenance because they are adapted to Pennsylvania’s environmental and climatic conditions. Native plants provide a wealth of benefits, providing food and cover for native wildlife, while attracting butterflies, birds and, beneficial insects. Use this list to create a beautiful and environmentally friendly landscape on your property; plant a rain garden, a stormwater basin, create a pollinator garden, or replace your nonnative landscape plants with natives. Be sure to thoroughly research each species in order to select the best plants for your site. You are also welcome to reach out to Conservancy Staff with native plant garden planning questions. Please note this is a brief list that does not include all Pennsylvania native plants.
Ferns
Scientific Name
Adiantum pedatum
Athyrium felix-femina
Dennstaedtia puntilobula
Dryopteris goldiana
Dryopteris intermedia
Dryopteris marginalis
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Onoclea sensibilis
Osmunda cinnamonea
Osmunda regalis
Polypodium virginianum
Polystichum acrostichoides
Thelypteris noveboracensis
Common Name
Maidenhair Fern
Lady Fern
Hay-Scented Fern
Goldie’s Woodfern
Evergreen Woodfern
Marginal Woodfern
Ostrich Fern
Sensitive Fern
Cinnamon Fern
Royal Fern
Common Polypody
Christmas Fern
New York Fern
Adiantum pedatum, Maidenhair Fern
Grasses & Sedges
Scientific Name
Andropogon gerardii
Andropogon glomeratus
Andropogon virginicus
Carex amphibola
Carex crinita
Carex gracillima
Carex lacustris
Carex laxiculmis
Carex lurida
Carex pellita
Carex pensylvanica
Carex stricta
Chasmanthium latifolium
Elymus hystrix
Elymus riparius
Elymus virginicus
Eragrostis spectabilis
Eriophorum virginicum
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Panicum virgatum
Schizachyrium scoparium
Scirpus cyperinus
Sorghastrum nutans
Sporobolis heterolepis
Tridens flavus
Scirpus cyperinus, Woolgrass
Common Name
Big Bluestem
Bushy Bluestem
Broomsedge
Creek Sedge
Graceful Sedge
Fringed Sedge
Hairy Sedge
Spreading Sedge
Shallow Sedge
Woolly Sedge
Pennsylvania Sedge
Tussock Sedge
Wild Oats
Bottlebrush Grass
Riverbank Wildrye
Virginia Wildrye
Purple Lovegrass
Tawny Cottongrass
Pink Muhly Grass
Switchgrass
Little Bluestem
Woolgrass
Indiangrass
Prairie Dropseed
Purpletop Tridens
Perennial Flowering Plants
Scientific Name
Acorus americanus
Actaea pachypoda
Actaea racemosa
Agastache foeniculum
Agastache phaniculum
Ageratina altissima
Allium cernuum
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Anaphalis margaritacea
Anemone canadensis
Anemone virginiana
Aquilegia canadensis
Arisaema triphyllum
Aruncus dioicus
Asarum canadense
Asclepias incarnata
Asclepias syriaca
Asclepias tuberosa
Asclepias verticillata
Baptisia australis
Caltha palustris
Campanulastrum americanum
Chelone glabra
Chrysopsis mariana
Chrysogonum virginianum
Claytonia virginica
Coreopsis tripteris
Coreopsis verticillata
Delphinium exaltatum
Desmodium canadense
Dicentra cucullaria
Dicentra eximia
Dodecatheon meadia
Doellingeria umbellata
Echinacea purpurea
Eryngium yuccifolium
Erythronium americanum
Eupatorium coelestinum
Eupatorium dubium
Eupatorium fistulosum
Eupatorium hyssopifolium
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Eupatorium purpureum
Eutrochium maculatum
Eurybia divaricata
Eurybia macrophylla
Gentiana andrewsii
Gentiana clausa
Geranium maculatum
Helenium autumnale
Helianthus angustifolius
Helianthus decapetalus
Helianthus divaricatus
Heliopsis helianthoides
Heuchera macrorhiza
Hibiscus moscheutos
Iris cristata
Iris versicolor
Jeffersonia diphylla
Liatris scariosa
Liatris spicata
Lilium philadelphicum
Lilium superbum
Lobelia cardinalis
Lobelia siphilitica
Meehania cordata
Mertensia virginica
Mimulus ringens
Monarda bradburiana
Monarda didyma
Mondarda fistulosa
Monarda media
Monarda punctata
Oenothera fruticosa
Opuntia humifusa
Pachysandra procumbens
Packera aurea
Packera obovata
Panax quinquefolius
Parthenium integrifolium
Penstemon digitalis
Penstemon hirsutus
Phlox divaricata
Phlox paniculata
Phlox stolonifera
Physostegia virginiana
Podophyllum peltatum
Polemonium reptans
Polygonatum biflorum
Pycnanthemum muticum
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Ratibida pinnata
Rhexia virginica
Rudbeckia fulgida
Rudbeckia hirta
Rudbeckia laciniata
Rudbeckia maxima
Rudbeckia triloba
Ruellia humilis
Sanguinaria canadensis
Scutellaria incana
Sedum ternatum
Senna hebecarpa
Silene caroliniana
Silene virginica
Silphium laciniatum
Silphium perfoliatum
Silphium trifoliatum
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Solidago bicolor
Solidago caesia
Solidago flexicaulis
Solidago odora
Solidago rugosa
Solidago simplex ssp randii var racemosa
Spigelia marilandica
Stylophorum diphyllum
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Symphyotrichum ericoides
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Symphyotrichum novi-belgii
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Symphyotrichum puniceum
Thalictrum pubescens
Thalictrum thalictroides
Tiarella cordifolia
Tradescantia ohiensis
Tradescantia virginiana
Trillium grandiflorum
Trillium luteum
Trillium recurvatum
Uvularia perfoliata
Veratrum viride
Verbena hastata
Vernonia gigantea
Vernonia glauca
Vernonia noveboracensis
Veronicastrum virginicum
Viola pedata
Viola pensylvanica
Viola sororia
Viola striata
Zizia aptera
Zizia aurea
Common Name
Sweetflag Iris
Doll’s Eye
Black Cohosh
Anise Hyssop
Purple Hyssop
White Snakeroot
Nodding Onion
Eastern Blue Star
Pearly Everlasting
Canada Anemone
Thimbleweed
Red Columbine
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Goat’s Beard
Canadian Wild Ginger
Swamp Milkweed
Common Milkweed
Butterfly Milkweed
Whorled Milkweed
Blue False Indigo
Marsh Marigold
American Bellflower
White Turtlehead
Maryland Golden Aster
Green and Gold
Spring Beauty
Tall Coreopsis
Threadleaf Coreopsis
Tall Larkspur
Showy Tick Trefoil
Dutchman’s Breeches
Wild Bleeding Heart
Eastern Shooting Star
Flat-Topped White Aster
Purple Coneflower
Rattlesnake Master
Yellow Trout Lily
Blue Mistflower
Little Joe Pye
Trumpet Weed
Hyssop-Leaf Boneset
Common Boneset
Joe Pye Weed
Spotted Joe Pye
White Wood Aster
Bigleaf Aster
Bottle Gentian
Meadow Gentian
Spotted Geranium
Dog Tooth Daisy
Swamp Sunflower
Thin-Leaved Sunflower
Woodland Sunflower
Oxeye Sunflower
Alumroot
Rose Mallow
Dwarf Crested Iris
Blue Flag Iris
Twinleaf
Northern Blazing Star
Dense Blazing Star
Philadelphia Lily
Turk’s Cap Lily
Cardinal Flower
Great Blue Lobelia
Heart-Leaved Meehania
Virginia Bluebell
Monkey Flower
Eastern Bee Balm
Scarlet Bee Balm
Bee Balm
Purple Bee Balm
Spotted Bee Balm
Narrowleaf Evening Primrose
Eastern Prickly Pear
Allegheny Spurge
Golden Ragwort
Roundleaf Ragwort
American Ginseng
Wild Quinine
Foxglove Beardtongue
Hairy Beardtongue
Woodland Phlox
Fall Phlox
Creeping Phlox
Obedient Plant
May Apple
Jacob’s Ladder
Smooth Solomon’s Seal
Clustered Mountainmint
Narrowleaf Mountainmint
Virginia Mountainmint
Greyheaded Coneflower
Virginia Meadow Beauty
Black Eyed Susan/Orange Coneflower
Black Eyed Susan (fuzzy leaf)
Cutleaf Coneflower
Great Coneflower
Brown Eyed Susan
Wild Petunia
Bloodroot
Downy Skullcap
Woodland Stonecrop
American Senna
Wild Pink Catchfly
Fire Pink
Compass Plant
Cup Plant
Whorled Rosinweed
Narrow-Leaved Blue-Eyed Grass
White Goldenrod
Blue Stem Goldenrod
Zigzag Goldenrod
Anise-Scented Goldenrod
Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod
Riverbank Goldenrod
Woodland Pink Root
Wood Poppy
Blue Wood Aster
Heath Aster
New England Aster
New York Aster
Aromatic Aster
Purple-Stemmed Aster
Tall Meadow Rue
Rue Anemone
Heartleaf Foamflower
Ohio Spiderwort
Virginia Spiderwort
White Trillium
Yellow Trillium
Purple Prairie Trillium
Perfoliate Bellwort
Green False Hellebore
Blue Vervain
Giant Ironweed
Upland Ironweed
New York Ironweed
Culver’s Root
Birdfoot Violet
Pennsylvania Violet
Common Blue Violet
Striped Cream Violet
Heart-Leaved Zizia
Golden Alexander
Anemone canadensis, Canada Anemone
Asclepias tuberosa, Butterfly Milkweed
Eupatorium coelestinum, Blue Mistflower
Helenium autumnale, Dogtooth Daisy
Mertensia virginica, Virginia Bluebell
Physostegia virginiana, Obedient Plant
Stylophorum diphyllum, Wood Poppy
Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort
Verbena hastata, Blue Vervain
Shrubs
Amelanchier arborea
Amelanchier laevis
Aronia arbutifolia
Aronia melanocarpa
Ceanothus americanus
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Clethra alnifolia
Cornus amomum
Cornus florida
Cornus racemosa
Cornus sericea
Dirca palustris
Hamamelis virginiana
Hydrangea arborescens
Hydrangea quercifolia
Hypericum prolificum
Ilex glabra
Ilex verticillata
Itea virginica
Kalmia latifolia
Linden benzoin
Myrica pennsylvanica
Physocarpus opulifolius
Sambucus canadensis
Vaccinium corymbosum
Viburnum dentatum
Viburnum recognitum
Hydrangea arborescens, Smooth Hydrangea
Downy Serviceberry
Smooth Serviceberry
Red Chokeberry
Black Chokeberry
New Jersey Tea
Buttonbush
Summersweet
Silky Dogwood
Flowering Dogwood
Gray Dogwood
Red Osier Dogwood
Leatherwood
Witchhazel
Smooth Hydrangea
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Shrubby St. John’s Wort
Inkberry Holly
Winterberry Holly
Virginia Sweetspire
Mountain Laurel
Spicebush
Northern Bayberry
Common Ninebark
Canada Elderberry
Highbush Blueberry
Southern Arrowwood
Northern Arrowwood
Trees
Acer negundo
Acer pensylvanicum
Acer rubrum
Acer saccharum
Acer saccharinum
Betula alleghaniensis
Betula lenta
Betula nigra
Carpinus caroliniana
Carya glabra
Carya ovata
Celtis occidentalis
Cercis canadensis
Fagus grandifolia
Liriodendron tulipifera
Liquidambar styraciflua
Magnolia virginiana
Nyssa sylvatica
Pinus strobus
Platanus occidentalis
Quercus palustris
Quercus bicolor
Quercus rubra
Quercus velutina
Quercus phellos
Sassafras albidum
Taxodium distichum
Tsuga canadensis
Quercus rubra, Red Oak
Box Elder
Striped Maple
Red Maple
Sugar Maple
Silver Maple
Yellow Birch
Sweet Birch
River Birch
American Hornbeam
Pignut Hickory
Shagbark Hickory
Hackberry
Eastern Redbud
American Beech
Tulip Poplar
Sweetgum
Sweetbay Magnolia
Black Gum
Eastern White Pine
American Sycamore
Pin Oak
Swamp White Oak
Red Oak
Black Oak
Willow Oak
Sassafras
Bald Cypress
Eastern Hemlock
Clematis virginiana, Virgin’s Bower
Vines
Allegheny Vine
Wild Trailing Bean
Trumpet Creeper
Virgin’s Bower
Coral Honeysuckle
Adlumia fungosa
Apios americana
Campsis radicans
Clematis virginiana
Lonicera sempervirens