| Beneficial Native Plants for the Metro DC Area Plants marked with an * were selected as Favorite Native Plants by local experts See code to abbreviations at bottom of list | |||||||||
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Type | Light | DT | Bi | Bu | Hu | Fl | Fr |
| Achillea millefolium | Common yarrow | Perennial | Su | X | - | X | X | X | - |
| Amsonia tabernaemontana | Blue star | Perennial | PS | X | - | - | - | X | - |
| Andropogon gerardii | Big bluestem | Grass | Su-PS | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| Andropogon ternarius | Split bluestem | Grass | Su-PS | X | X | - | - | - | - |
| *Aquilegia canadensis | Wild columbine | Perennial | Su-FS | X | H | X | - | X | - |
| *Asclepias tuberosa | Butterflyweed | Perennial | Su-PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Baptisia tinctoria | Wild indigo | Perennial | Su | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| *Campsis radicans | Trumpet creeper | Vine | Su | X | H | X | - | X | - |
| Chamaecrista fasciculata | Partridge Pea | Annual | Su-PS | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| Cimicifuga racemosa | Black cohosh | Perennial | PS-Sh | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Clitoria mariana | Maryland butterfly pea | Vine | Su-PS | X | X | - | - | X | - |
| Coreopsis lanceolata | Lanceleaf coreopsis | Perennial | Su- PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Coreopsis verticillata | Tickseed | Perennial | Su-FS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Delphinium tricorne | Dwarf larkspur | Perennial | PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Echinacea purpurea | Purple coneflower | Perennial | Su-PS | X | - | X | X | X | - |
| Eragrostis spectabilis | Purple lovegrass | Grass | Su | X | X | - | - | - | - |
| Eupatorium hyssopifolium | Boneset | Perennial | Su | X | X | - | - | X | - |
| Gaillardia pulchella | Firewheel, Indian Blanket | Perennial | Su-PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Geranium maculatum | Wild geranium | Perennial | PS-Sh | X | X | - | X | X | - |
| Helianthus divaricatus | Woodland sunflower | Perennial | Su-Sh | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| Heliopsis helianthoides | Oxeye sunflower | Perennial | Su | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Heuchera Americana | Alumroot | Perennial | PS-Sh | X | - | - | - | X | - |
| Iris Cristata | Dwarf crested iris | Perennial | PS-Sh | X | H | - | - | X | - |
| Liatris spicata | Gayfeather | Perennial | Su | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Lobelia siphilitica | Great blue lobelia | Perennial | Su-FS | X | H | - | - | X | - |
| Lonicera sempervirens | Coral honeysuckle | Vine | Su, PS | X | H | X | - | X | - |
| *Mertensia virginica | Virginia bluebells | Perennial | PS-FS | X | - | - | - | X | - |
| *Monarda didyma | Red bergamot, beebalm | Perennial | Su-FS | X | H | X | X | X | - |
| *Monarda fistulosa | Wild bergamot | Perennial | Su-PS | X | H | X | X | X | X |
| *Monarda punctata | Horsemint | Perennial | Su | X | H | X | X | X | - |
| Oenothera biennis | Evening primrose | Biennial | Su-Sh | X | H | X | X | X | X |
| Oenothera fruticosa | Sundrops | Perennial | Su | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| *Panicum vigatum | Switchgrass | Grass | Su | X | X | - | - | - | - |
| Passiflora incarnata | Passionflower vine | Vine | Su-PS | X | X | X | X | X | - |
| Phlox divaricata | Wild blue phlox | Perennial | Su-PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Pityopsis graminifolia | Golden aster | Perennial | PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Polemonium reptans | Jacob's Ladder | Perennial | Su-FS | X | - | - | - | X | - |
| Polygonatum biflorum | Solomon’s seal | Perennial | PS-Sh | X | X | X | X | X | - |
| Pycnanthemum incanum | Hoary mountain mint | Perennial | Su-PS | X | - | X | - | X | X |
| *Rudbeckia hirta | Black-eyed Susan | Perennial | Su-PS | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Salvia lyrata | Lyre-leaved sage | Perennial | Su-Sh | X | H | X | - | X | - |
| Schizachyrium scoparium | Little bluestem | Grass | Su-PS | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| Silphium perfoliatum | Cup plant | Perennial | Su | X | H | X | - | X | - |
| Solidago rugosa | Goldenrod | Perennial | Su | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| Tradescantia virginiana | Virginia spiderwort | Perennial | Su-Sh | X | - | X | - | X | - |
| Trillium grandiflorum | White trillium | Perennial | Su-Sh | X | - | - | X | X | - |
| Vernonia noveboracensis | Ironweed | Perennial | Su | X | X | X | - | X | - |
| Viola pedata | Bird’s foot violet | Perennial | PS-Sh | X | X | X | - | X | - |
** Note: this list was created for the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog and may not be copied without permission. However, please feel free to link to this page and to subscribe to the blog for future lists.
Light: FS=Full Su, S=Su, Sh=Sh
| Su | Full Su: direct sulight at least six hours a day. |
| PS | Partial Sh: direct sulight between three to six hours. |
| Sh | Sh: less than three hours of direct sulight a day. |
H in bird column signifies Hummingbirds. Plants which an X in the butterfly column are ofter HOST plants for specific butterfly species.
Sources: Xeriscaping and Conserving Water in the Landscape (PDF) – Maryland Cooperative Extension
Drought Tolerant Plants for the Mid-Atlantic Region (pdf) download from Charlottesville Water
Plant lists from: Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration and Landscaping, Virginia DCR
Most of the plant benefits were obtained from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Org. Native Plant Database
Drought tolerant native plants for Virginia
Drought Tolerant Perennials (PDF) – Clayton Virginia Native Plant Society
