Native Plants in Louisiana
The native plants that belong in Louisiana gardens — grouped by sun, soil, and wildlife value.
32 native plants suit Louisiana's ecoregions and USDA zones 8–9. 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 Louisiana
Plant after your last spring frost — roughly February 20 in the milder south to March 26 in the colder north. 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 November 12 in the north to December 5 in the south.
For full sun
- Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata
- Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya
- Common Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium
- Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana
- Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
- Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
For shade
- Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia
- Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
For wet soil & rain gardens
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata
- Common Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
- Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra
For dry, drought-prone spots
- Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya
- Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium
- Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
- Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Pink Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
- Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata
- American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana
- New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus
Deer-resistant
- Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata
- Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya
- Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium
- Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
- Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Pink Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
Groundcovers
- Christmas Fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Fragrant Sumac Rhus aromatica
- Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia
For pollinators
- Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Butterfly Weed Asclepias tuberosa
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata
- Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya
- Common Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum
- Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum
- Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium
- Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana
- Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
For birds
- Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea
- Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta
- Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum
- Cinnamon Fern Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
- Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium
- Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum
- Pink Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris
- Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- Arrowwood Viburnum Viburnum dentatum
- American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana
- American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis
- Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra
- Flowering Dogwood Cornus florida
For hummingbirds
- Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis
- Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
- Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana
- Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
- New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus
- Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens
- Crossvine Bignonia capreolata
Identify Louisiana wildflowers by color
| Bloom color | Native wildflowers (typical U.S. bloom) |
|---|---|
| Gold | Black-Eyed Susan — Golden yellow (Jun–Sep), Compass Plant — Yellow (Jul–Aug), Lanceleaf Coreopsis — Bright gold (May–Jul) |
| Magenta | Purple Coneflower — Rosy purple (Jun–Sep), Dense Blazing Star — Magenta (Jul–Aug), Prairie Blazing Star — Purple-magenta (Jul–Aug) |
| Orange | Butterfly Weed — Vivid orange (Jun–Aug) |
| Pink | Obedient Plant — Pink (Aug–Sep) |
| Red | Cardinal Flower — Electric scarlet (Jul–Sep) |
| Silver | Short-Toothed Mountain Mint — Silvery bracts (Jul–Sep) |
| White | Foxglove Beardtongue — White (May–Jun), Common Boneset — Foamy white (Aug–Sep), Rattlesnake Master — Greenish-white (Jun–Aug) |
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 32 native plants for Louisiana
| Plant | Type | Sun | Soil moisture | Height | Typical bloom (U.S.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 2–4 ft | Jun–Sep |
| 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 |
| Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis | Perennial wildflower | Part sun / Full sun | Wet / Medium | 2–4 ft | Jul–Sep |
| Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 2–4 ft | May–Jun |
| Dense Blazing Star Liatris spicata | Perennial wildflower | Full sun | Medium / Wet | 2–4 ft | Jul–Aug |
| Prairie Blazing Star Liatris pycnostachya | Perennial wildflower | Full sun | Dry / Medium | 3–5 ft | Jul–Aug |
| Common Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Wet / Medium | 3–5 ft | Aug–Sep |
| Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum | Perennial wildflower | Full sun | Dry / Medium | 5–9 ft | Jul–Aug |
| Short-Toothed Mountain Mint Pycnanthemum muticum | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Dry | 2–3 ft | Jul–Sep |
| Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifolium | Perennial wildflower | Full sun | Dry / Medium | 3–5 ft | Jun–Aug |
| Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana | Perennial wildflower | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Wet | 2–4 ft | Aug–Sep |
| 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 | — |
| Little Bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Ornamental grass | Full sun | Dry / Medium | 2–4 ft | — |
| Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Ornamental grass | Full sun | Dry / Medium / Wet | 4–7 ft | — |
| Switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Ornamental grass | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium / Wet | 3–6 ft | — |
| Pink Muhly Grass Muhlenbergia capillaris | Ornamental grass | Full sun | Dry / Medium | 2–3 ft | Sep–Oct |
| Lanceleaf Coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata | Perennial wildflower | Full sun | Dry / Medium | 1.5–2 ft | May–Jul |
| 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 |
| American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 4–7 ft | Jun–Jul |
| American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Wet | 6–12 ft | Jun–Jul |
| New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Dry | 2–3.5 ft | May–Jul |
| Oakleaf Hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia | Shrub | Part sun / Shade | Medium | 4–8 ft | May–Jul |
| Inkberry Holly Ilex glabra | Evergreen shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Wet | 4–8 ft | May–Jun |
| 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 |
| Fragrant Sumac Rhus aromatica | Shrub | Full sun / Part sun | Dry | 2–6 ft | Mar–Apr |
| Trumpet Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Vine | Full sun / Part sun | Dry / Medium | 8–15 ft | Apr–Sep |
| Crossvine Bignonia capreolata | Vine | Full sun / Part sun | Medium / Dry | 25–50 ft | Apr–May |
| 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 Louisiana natives worth asking for
The natives worth asking for in Louisiana — with the botanical name to say at the counter, so you get the plant that feeds something.
The complete Native Plants of Louisiana
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 Louisiana.