what plants are native to indiana

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is a small tree native to Indiana and has been cultivated by humans for centuries because of its beautiful red-colored bark. Maple is one of the few species that can be grown from seed and cuttings.

Full Answer

What are the best plants to plant in Indiana?

Photo Index to Indiana Natives 1 Trees & Shrubs. Arrowwood vib. 2 Vines 3 Ferns 4 Grasses, Sedges & Rushes 5 Wildflowers & Ground Covers

Are there wildflowers in Indiana?

Wildflowers native to Indiana, usually local South Central Indiana genotype (Ecologic Indiana LLC origin), or Prairie Moon Nursery ("Midwestern genotype). Highly adaptable and freely seeding native perennial.

Where do cranberries grow in Indiana?

American cranberry (Viburnum trilobum) is a native shrub in Indiana. This plant is often found in moist areas such as stream banks, river banks, and damp forested areas. The leaves are heart-shaped, with three lobes that extend from the rounded base of the leaf.

What is the 2022 Indiana native plant of the year?

T-Shirts Are Here! The 2022 Indiana Native Plant of the Year is butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)! Now we can celebrate this winner with a winning t-shirt designed by Mary Welz. It comes in several colors and shapes, and proceeds go to INPS native plant education and conservation activities.

Are hostas native to Indiana?

Again, the question just came up of “why” and “what else.” In this case, it was interesting to learn that hostas are not native to our area at all–they actually aren't even native to our country. Hostas are native to northeast Asia, including China, Japan and Korea.

Are evergreens native to Indiana?

The most common types of trees in Indiana range from: CONIFER (a.k.a. EVERGREEN or Softwood) trees bear cones with embedded seeds and have needle-like or scale-like leaves that remain “ever” green throughout the year.

What grasses are native to Indiana?

Common warm season grasses include big and little bluestem, Indian grass, sideoats grama, prairie dropseed, and panic grass, to name a few. All of the above are native to Indiana prairies.

Are irises native to Indiana?

Indiana has three species of native irises — the southern blue flag, the short-stemmed or zigzag iris, and the dwarf crested iris. Irises have very distinctively shaped flowers with their own terminology to describe the various parts. The three sepals that typically droop to the sides are known as the falls.

What flowering trees are native to Indiana?

There are several varieties that do well in the Indiana garden, including Lavender Twist, which is a weeping form; Forest Pansy, which has purple and green leaves; and Hearts of Gold or Rising Sun, with yellow leaves. There's also a white flowering variety, Alba.

Are apple trees native to Indiana?

If you are looking for an apple tree in Indiana, you can start with the black cherry. This variety is native to the state, but it is also an excellent choice for the state. Tart varieties tend to grow in cooler areas with shorter summers, while sweet cherries do well in southern Indiana.

Is Wild Ginger native to Indiana?

It can be found growing wild from New Brunswick, south to North Carolina and west to Manitoba and Missouri.

What herbs are native to Indiana?

But there are some truly breathtaking plants that are native to Indiana, including wild bergamot, ostrich fern, and swamp rose mallow. Many have some of the most creative plant names you'll come across, like autumn sneezeweed, hairy foxglove, wild sweet william, and rough blazing star.

Are peonies native to Indiana?

The story goes that because the peony is not native to the Hoosier state, in 1995 the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society and the Indiana Academy of Science lobbied to name the fire pink, a native wildflower with tiny clusters of red starry florets, as our state floral emblem.

Is Hibiscus native to Indiana?

Swamp mallow (Hibiscus moschuetos) Despite its tropical looks, swamp mallow is native to Indiana.

Are Tiger Lillies native to Indiana?

A tiger lily is a true lily. A hardy bulb originally from Asia, it spreads by seed and tiny bulbs and has naturalized throughout the eastern United States, including Indiana.

Are tulips native to Indiana?

The tuliptree is native to most of the eastern half of the United States and prefers rich, moist, well-drained, loamy soil. It is found throughout Indiana, but it is more prevalent in the southern two-thirds of the state.

Are arborvitae native to Indiana?

A native to the eastern part of the United States, American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) thrives in Indiana. The needled evergreen reaches heights of 60 feet in the wild, but keeps a more manageable height of 20 to 30 feet in the home landscape.

Are juniper trees native to Indiana?

Indiana Native Juniper Trees, Juniperus. The Cypress family, Cupressaceae, contains the genus Juniperus, Juniper.

Is bee balm native to Indiana?

This bright and funky flower is native to the U.S. Typically in the garden center you'll find varieties of scarlet bee balm, or hybrids between scarlet and wild bee balm. Both species grow naturally in Indiana in grassy mesic prairies.

Is obedient plant native to Indiana?

Fall obedient plant, a Texas native, gets its name from the way that individual flowers in the flower spike will stay in place when manipulated into a new position.

Why are native plants important?

They were here long before us. Native plant species are vital to our ecosystems because they have developed important , often crucial , relationships with our wildlife. IWF encourages using native species in your home garden because it offers an opportunity to fulfil our responsibility as stewards of our environment and because it gives you a unique way to experience the wonder of wildlife at home. Native plants support our dwindling pollinators, provide host opportunities for insects who have lost their natural habitats, and are beautiful flowers and grasses you can be proud to have on your property. Since our native species are best suited for the soil and weather conditions in Indiana, they are the perfect plants to grow in your yard. They require no fertilizer, no pesticides, and less water than non-native species, all while attracting and supporting Indiana’s wildlife.

Do native plants grow in Indiana?

Since our native species are best suited for the soil and weather conditions in Indiana, they are the perfect plants to grow in your yard. They require no fertilizer, no pesticides, and less water than non-native species, all while attracting and supporting Indiana’s wildlife.

How many caterpillars do chickadees feed their young?

And they need lots and lots of them. Doug Tallamy says a Black-capped Chickadee pair brings 390-570 caterpillars to their young per day for 16 days.

What do native trees and shrubs do to caterpillars?

Native trees and shrubs nourish caterpillars. Plant a few in your yard, and you’ll be doing your part to support the web of life.

Who is the leader of landscaping with natives?

Our Landscaping with Native team is taking up the cause. Team leader Coralie Palmer lays it all out here. Stay tuned as we synch up with Tallamy’s bold plan to engage home gardeners in restoring vibrant, productive ecosystems in their own yards.

Plant Lists

These lists present garden-worthy Indiana natives for your flower garden and for your woodland, woods edge, grassland or wetland. We’ve included plants that are readily available through retail nurseries and mail-order sources.

Species Pages

For all the species in our plant lists, we have photos and additional information. You can search for a photo and species information in several ways: