12 Beautiful Landscaping with Native Plants From Ohio

Landscaping with native plants from Ohio can be exciting since they feature incredible characteristics that make them look so attractive. From lovely lavender flowers to deep green foliage, these Ohio native plants will offer you an effortless beauty in your landscape.

Not only are they enchanting, but these native plants are a perfect home for native wildlife, like birds, butterflies, and bees. Most of them are a nectar source, providing foods for the pollinators.

And as native plants, they are way more adaptable to the local climate and growing conditions, making them easier to care for. Nonetheless, choosing the best landscaping plants can be tricky since they should suit your geographical condition.

Therefore, we have created a quick guide to selecting and creating beautiful landscaping with native plants from Ohio. There are 12 Ohio native plants you can choose from with each unique feature.

Let’s find out!

BEST landscaping with Ohio Native Plants

Now imagine that very landscape reimagined, not with exotic outsiders, but with the stars born and raised in Ohio’s embrace. Delving deep into landscaping with Ohio’s native plants isn’t just an aesthetic choice; it’s a nostalgic journey back to nature’s original design.

Join us as we unearth the vibrant treasures of Ohio’s soil, showcasing plants that not only thrive but also tell a story as old as the Buckeye State itself.

1. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia Hirta)

Let’s start our amazing native landscaping plants of Ohio list with Black-Eyed Susan or Rudbeckia hirta. It may look similar to sunflowers since it has cheerful yellow flowers with a dark brown center.

Considering its long-blooming period, this native flowering plant will be an ideal fit for the Ohio landscape or ornamental plants in your garden. 

Unfortunately, it is a short-lived perennial among its species. Despite loving the sun, it will bloom longer in afternoon shade. It also loves well-drained, dry to moist soil with acidic pH.

Since it spreads widely, Black-Eyed Susan is an ideal choice for the flower borders. In addition to that, it is a drought-tolerant plant that attracts birds and butterflies to visit.

2. Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia Australis)

Among other flowering native plants growing in Ohio, Blue Wild Indigo or Blue False Indigo deserves attention because of its effortlessly stunning purple-blue flowers.

Not to mention its charming green foliage that stands well all seasons before laying low on the ground in the winter. Other than being beautiful, it is also a hardy native plant, making it worthy of being awarded plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association in 2010.

To create a wonderful landscape, you will need moist, well-drained soils or clays with acidic to circumneutral pH. It also favors sunlight. Therefore, plant them where they can have ideal lighting exposure.

Unfortunately, this plant is toxic, although there is no specific evidence that it can be fatal to humans.

3. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa)

Asclepias tuberosa or Butterfly Weed is a clump-forming perennial native flowering plant that bears bright orange flowers with contrasting green foliage. The flowers are nectar sources and pollen for pollinators.

Therefore, Butterfly Weed is a must-have native plant that can attract butterflies, identically winged, or other beneficial insects into having frequent visits.

Regarding its growing requirements, you will not be bothered by many maintenance tasks. As it favors soaking up under the sunlight, it is better to spare a spot with proper full sun exposure in your garden for Butterfly Weed.

It also prefers neutral to acidic soil. Moreover, you must maintain its soil moisture during the first year until established. After that, reduce it to occasional watering because it favors dry soils.

4. Common Milkweed (Asclepias Syriaca)

Despite being in the same family as Butterfly Weed, Common Milkweed, or Asclepias syriaca does not feature striking orange flowers. Instead, it has large ball-shaped clusters of pink to purplish flowers with pleasant scents.

The fragrance is favored by butterflies, while monarch butterfly larvae enjoy the foliage – the only preferred food source for them.

Speaking of its growing conditions, it loves the sun and well-drained soil, but moist. It will grow well in medium to fine sandy, clay, rocky calcareous, and is also found in well-drained, loamy soils.

Besides grown as a beautiful perennial to stunningly enhance gardens and landscapes, Common Milkweed has cardiac glycoside whose digitalin is involved in treating heart disease.

However, this perennial is poisonous in large quantities.

5. Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium Reptans)

If you are thinking of having fantastic flower beds, Jacob’s Ladder can be a great option. It is a lovely flowering native plant that grows terminal clusters of light blue flowers with solid white stamens, creating an appealing center point to any landscape.

Additionally, its pinnately green compound leaves look like ribbons adorn each flower stalk.

Furthermore, this sprawling perennial is a great ground cover choice, thanks to its showy flowers that bloom from spring to late spring. And like most ground cover plants, it loves partial shade yet tolerates full sun in cool summer climates.

Jacob’s Ladder also prefers humus, moist, well-drained soil to grow. Plus, it does not need any complicated maintenance.

6. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum Novae-angliae)

Aster novae-angliae or New England Aster is a species of the Aster family that has a variety of eye-catching daisy-like flowers whose colors vary from pink, and white to purple.

However, the most commercialized is the pink flowers variant. The color contrast created by this cultivar is splendid, combining lilac shade with a bright yellow in the center. No wonder butterflies and birds love to feed on the blooms.

In addition to its beauty, New England Aster is also pretty easy to care for. It thrives in both full sun and partial shade in moist, rich soils – though it can handle medium moisture.

Moreover, this versatile plant tolerates drought, making it easier to handle, especially when you forget to water them. Divide the roots every several years to allow healthy growth.

7. Ohio Goldenrod (Solidago Ohioensis)

Growing native plants does not need much effort compared to non-native ones, for example, Ohio Goldenrod or Solidago ohioensis. This native plant of Ohio bears flat-topped yellow flowers adorned with large basal foliage that resemble rabbit ears.

The combination of yellow and green shade makes this plant looks flashy.

Knowing Ohio Goldenrod is naturally grown in wet meadows and prairie, it is no doubt that it favors partial soil moisture to moist soil. It thrives on clay, loam, and sand for the soil types, even though humid clay is preferable.

Furthermore, it prefers full sun to shade. Additionally, Goldenrod is often mistakenly accused as the cause of hay fever. In fact, it does not have wind-borne pollen.

Instead, beneficial insects like bees and butterflies help the pollination.

8. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)

Echinacea purpurea, or Purple Coneflower, is one of the Ohio native perennials that is extremely popular for its health properties. No wonder it is commonly utilized as herbal tea to strengthen the immune.

In addition to its beneficial aspects, this perennial is well-known for the alluring upturned pink flowers and pale lavender flowers that bloom gracefully, dropping petals. They show off their long-lasting beauty from mid-spring to early fall.

With its spectacular qualities, it is no doubt that people are interested in growing Purple Coneflower in their gardens. This native perennial is adaptive to various soil types yet prefers dry, well-drained, and rich soil under the sun or partial shade.

Besides its beautiful flowers, some people cultivate Echinacea purpurea for research materials.

9. Tall Blazing Star (Liatris Aspera)

Some plants native to Ohio have eye-catching flowers bloom, including Tall Blazing Star or Liatris aspera. It carries violet flowers atop tall thin spikes of green stalks. Because of its rounded and rough bracts, it is also known as Rough Blazing Star.

Even though the flower shapes may seem messy, it is one of the most popular gayfeather flower that will offer you transitional beauty from summer to fall.

Like Black-Eyed Susan, Tall Blazing Star is also a drought-tolerant plant that thrives best in dry soil moisture. It also prefers sandy or rocky soils under full sun to live, just like in its natural habitat.

Since it is a nectar-producing plant, it provides food for butterflies and other beneficial pollinators.

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10. Trout Lily (Erythronium Americanum)

Erythronium americanum, more popular as Trout Lily, is a native wild flowering plant of Ohio that features yellow nodding flowers with bent backward petals, exhibiting red to bronze stamens.

The spring bloomers grow decorated with a pair of brownish mottled foliage, adding an exquisite look to the plant. Hence, it is not only humans but Trout Lily also attracts bees and other beneficial insects for its accessible nectar source.

Moreover, you will need a part-shade location with moist and rich soil to have Trout Lily in your own landscape. However, it is crucial to ensure it has ample sun exposure in spring to allow new flowers to bloom.

Since it is a colony-growing plant, Trout Lily will make a beautiful ground cover in your area. Nonetheless, if you spot clumping leaves with few flowers, you should divide the plant to encourage fresh growth.

11. White Trillium (Trillium Grandiflorum)

No one can resist seeing a stunning stretch of white flowers with green leaves owned by White Trillium. This clump-forming perennial shows its most beautiful in spring.

The white shade turns pale pink as it ages, which doesn’t detract from its elegance. Thanks to these excellent features, White Trillium will be a great choice to grow in your native garden or landscape.

As a native plant, White Trillium requires little to no maintenance. It grows well in partial to full shade in humus-rich, moist, and well-drained soils with acid to neutral pH.

To achieve proper acidity, mulching with leaves in fall is recommended. Furthermore, the best time to plant a lovely White Trillium is late summer or early fall.

12. White Wood Aster (Eurybia Divaricatus)

Following the previous Aster, Eurybia divaricata or White Wood Aster is a bushy perennial herb that grows beautiful purplish-white daisies that will beautify the Ohio landscape.

They bloom from late summer to late autumn, attracting birds to visit the expanse of blooming flowers covering their green leaves. Besides being grown in gardens, White Wood Aster is perfect for cut flowers, thanks to its amazing qualities.

Since it is a low-maintenance native plant, it does not need too many treatments to grow. White Wood Aster favors relatively fertile, dry to medium, well-drained soils under partial to full shade locations. It is also drought-tolerant; thus, the water requirement is low.

Nonetheless, it can turn aggressive though in dry conditions. Therefore, periodic pruning after flowering is recommended.

Final Thought

Embracing these botanical wonders in your landscaping not only paints your yards with vibrant colors and textures but also reconnects you with the land’s soul. As you cultivate each native bloom and shrub, you’re preserving Ohio’s ecological legacy for future generations.

So, when you’re poised for your next gardening project, remember: by choosing Ohio’s natives, you’re not just designing a garden, you’re crafting a living homage to the Buckeye State.

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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

What are some native plants from Ohio?

Besides the above mentioned, beautiful landscaping with native plants from Ohio can be done by planting some of the following native flowering plants of Ohio, such as Trillium grandiflorum, Joe Pye Weed, and Cardinal Flower.

One of the most famous native landscaping plants of Ohio is Cardinal Flower. The cardinal flowers bloom in spring, offering eye-catching vibrant red flowers to the season.

Other than being captivating, they are quickly adapting to the growing conditions, and local climate, and also preferred food sources for pollinators. 

What are the two benefits of having native plants in your yard?

Native species offer a number of benefits if they are planted in your yard, garden, or landscape.

First, they are mostly low-maintenance; thus, you will not be bothered in taking care of them. Second, native plants are generally free of severe pests and diseases. Hence, no pesticides are necessary. 

Third, native plants require little to no watering. In a sense, by planting them, you help to save water and reduce erosion. They also help to reduce air pollution.

Plus, native plants are food sources and also good homes for wildlife.

Are Ohio Native Plants low maintenance?

Absolutely! Ohio Native Plants typically require less care than non-native species. They’ve grown accustomed to the state’s climate, soil, and natural water availability, making them resilient. With the right initial care and planting, you’ll find they thrive with minimal intervention, often outperforming other species.

How do Ohio Native Plants cope with changing seasons?

Being native to Ohio, these plants have evolved to gracefully handle the state’s seasonal changes. From blooming in spring to conserving energy in winter, their life cycles are intrinsically tuned to the local climate’s ebb and flow.