Native Plants in Delaware
The native plants that belong in Delaware gardens — grouped by sun, soil, and wildlife value.
24 native plants suit Delaware's ecoregions and USDA zones 7–7. Below they're grouped by how you'd use them — full sun, shade, wet soil and rain gardens, dry, drought-prone ground, deer-resistant picks, groundcovers, pollinators, birds and hummingbirds — with a species table and when to plant.
Data updated: August 2026Sources & method · Corrections
When to plant natives in Delaware
Plant after your last spring frost, around April 8. Fall is often even better for perennials and shrubs — the soil is still warm and roots settle before winter, ahead of the first frost around October 29.
For full sun
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
- Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra
- Winterberry Ilex verticillata
- Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis
For shade
- Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica
- Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- Spicebush Lindera benzoin
- Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
For wet soil & rain gardens
- Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- Spicebush Lindera benzoin
- American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
- Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra
- Winterberry Ilex verticillata
- Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis
For dry, drought-prone spots
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Deer-resistant
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica
- Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Spicebush Lindera benzoin
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Groundcovers
- Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
For pollinators
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- Spicebush Lindera benzoin
- American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
- Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra
- Winterberry Ilex verticillata
For birds
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- Spicebush Lindera benzoin
- American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
- Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra
- Winterberry Ilex verticillata
- Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis
- Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida
- Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
For hummingbirds
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens
Identify Delaware wildflowers by color
| Bloom color | Native wildflowers (typical U.S. bloom) |
|---|---|
| Blue | Great Blue Lobelia — Deep blue (Aug–Sep), Virginia Bluebells — Sky blue (Mar–May) |
| Gold | Black-Eyed Susan — Golden yellow (Jun–Sep) |
| Orange | Butterfly Weed — Vivid orange (Jun–Aug) |
| Pink | Common Milkweed — Dusty mauve-pink (Jun–Jul), Swamp Milkweed — Rose pink (Jul–Aug) |
| Red | Cardinal Flower — Electric scarlet (Jul–Sep) |
| Silver | Short-Toothed Mountain Mint — Silvery bracts (Jul–Sep) |
| White | Foxglove Beardtongue — White (May–Jun) |
Bloom months are a typical window across the species' U.S. range, not a local calendar — the same plant opens weeks later in the north and at altitude than it does in the south. Use it for ordering the season, and let the plants in front of you set the dates.
All 24 native plants for Delaware
| Plant | Type | Sun | Soil moisture | Height | Typical bloom (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 1.5–3 ft | Jun–Sep |
| Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa | Perennial wildflower | Full sun | Dry | 1.5–2.5 ft | Jun–Aug |
| Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 3–5 ft | Jun–Jul |
| Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Wet / Medium | 3–4 ft | Jul–Aug |
| Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis | Perennial wildflower | Part sun / Full sun | Wet / Medium | 2–4 ft | Jul–Sep |
| Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica | Perennial wildflower | Part sun / Full sun | Wet / Medium | 2–3 ft | Aug–Sep |
| Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 2–4 ft | May–Jun |
| Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Dry | 2–3 ft | Jul–Sep |
| Virginia Bluebells Mertensia virginica | Spring ephemeral | Part sun / Shade | Medium / Wet | 1–2 ft | Mar–May |
| Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides | Fern | Shade / Part sun | Medium / Dry | 1–2 ft | — |
| Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum | Fern | Part sun / Shade | Wet / Medium | 2–4 ft | — |
| Pennsylvania Sedge Carex pensylvanica | Sedge | Shade / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 6–12 in | — |
| Switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Ornamental grass | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium / Wet | 3–6 ft | — |
| Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Wet / Medium | 5–10 ft | Jun–Aug |
| Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun / Shade | Medium / Wet | 6–10 ft | May–Jun |
| Spicebush Lindera benzoin | Shrub | Part sun / Shade | Medium / Wet | 6–12 ft | Mar–Apr |
| American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Wet | 6–12 ft | Jun–Jul |
| Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra | Evergreen shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Wet | 4–8 ft | May–Jun |
| Winterberry Ilex verticillata | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Wet / Medium | 5–10 ft | Jun–Jul |
| Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis | Small tree / large shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Wet | 15–25 ft | Apr–May |
| Eastern Redbud Cercis canadensis | Small tree | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Dry | 20–30 ft | Mar–Apr |
| Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida | Small tree | Part sun / Shade | Medium | 15–25 ft | Apr–May |
| Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Vine | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 8–15 ft | Apr–Sep |
| Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | Full sun / Part sun / Shade | Dry / Medium | 30–50 ft | Jun |
Bloom months are a typical window across the species' U.S. range, not a local calendar — the same plant opens weeks later in the north and at altitude than it does in the south. Use it for ordering the season, and let the plants in front of you set the dates.
Confirm any plant is native to your county with your state Native Plant Society before planting.
The Delaware natives worth asking for
The natives worth asking for in Delaware — with the botanical name to say at the counter, so you get the plant that feeds something.
The complete Native Plants of Delaware
The native plants that belong in your yard — what to plant for pollinators, by zone, with bloom timing and a species table.
Want it on paper? See the printable Native Plants of Delaware.