
This is a selected list of blooming plants indigenous to the City of Philadelphia. It is not a list of all plants native to the City, but plants that are readily available as plants or seeds for plant nurseries. There are other plants native to the surrounding area, that are fine to add to Philadelphia gardens. These plants are indigenous to the Atlantic Coastal Plain and smaller area of Piedmont Upland of the northwest section of the city.
Botanical name – Common name – flower color – height – light- soil


Spring Blooming Native Trees
Trees – tall canopy trees
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree), green with orange centers – height 100+ feet – sun – moist
Robinia pseudoacacia (Black Locust), white pea-like flowers – height to 75 feet – sun – moist
Trees – small understory trees suitable to plant near houses and buildings
Aesculus pavia (Red Buckeye) – red tubular flowers-sun/part sun-height 10′ – 25′- (native range south of Phila., but does well here)
Amelanchier canadensis (Downy Serviceberry or Shadbush) – white flowers-15-25′-full sun to part shade
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud) – deep pink flowers – 25′ – sun to shade – moist soil
Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur Hawthorn) – white flowers – 30′ – sun – dry to moist soil – dry to moist
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood) – white flowers – height varies – sun to light shade – moist
Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay Magnolia) – large white flowers -10-20′ – sun to shade – moist soil
Malus spp. (Flowering Crabapple), color varies – height varies – light sun/part shade – moist
Prunus virginiana (Chokecherry) – white flowers – 20′ – sun – moist to dry soil – dry to moist

Shrubs
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Buttonbush) – white – 9′- sun – moist
Cercis canadensis (Eastern Redbud) – deep pink – 25’ – sun to shade – moist
Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood), white – 3′ – 10′ – sun/light shade – moist
Lindera benzoin (Spicebush) – yellow – 6-12’ – sun to shade – moist (See also Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly Life Cycle
Magnolia virginiana (Sweetbay Magnolia) white – 25’+ – sun/shade – moist
Rhododendron calendulaceum (Flame Azalea) – 10’ – sun/pt. shade – moist
Rhododendron periclymenoides (Pinxter Azalea) – 8’ – sun/pt. shade – dry/wet
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) – white,
Viburnum dentatum (Arrowwood Viburnum), white – 6′ – 12′ – light shade/sun – dry/moist
Viburnum trilobum (American Cranberrybush) white – 5′ – 15′ – sun, part sun – moist

Spring Blooming Native Plants: Flowers
Flowers (Herbaceous)
Acontium uncinatum – (Eastern Monkshood) – blue – 36” – sun/pt. shade – moist
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern Columbine) – red/yellow – 10-24” – sun/part. shade – moist
Baptisia australis (Blue False Indigo) – violet/blue – 36-48” – sun/pt. shade – moist/dry
Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches) – pink – 3-6” – shade/pt. sun – moist
Dicentra eximia (Fringed Bleeding Heart) – pink – 12” – shade to sun – moist
Dodecatheon media (Shooting Star) – white, pink, or lilac – 8-14” – shade – moist
Heuchera species (Coral Bells), red – 2′ – part sun/shade – moist
Iris versicolor (Blue Flag Iris) – blue-violet flowers – 1-3′ – full sun – moist soil
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower) – red – 1-3′ – sun/part shade – moist
Lupine (Lupinus spp.), varies, sun, height varies
Mertensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells) – pink to blue flowers – 1-2′ – part to full shade – moist soil
Oenothera fruticosa (Sundrops) – yellow flowers 1-2′ – full sun – moist/dry
Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardstongue) – white – 24-48″ – sun to partial shade – moist
Penstemon hirsute (Hairy Beardtongue) – purple-violet flowers – 24-48″ – full sun/pt. shade – dry
Polemonium reptans (Jacob’s Ladder) – deep blue flowers 6-18″ – full to part shade; moist soil
Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s seal) – white-greenish -1-3′ – full to part shade – moist
Senecio aureus (Golden ragwort) – yellow – 1-3′; shade to sun; moist soil
Silene virginica (Fire Pink), red, 1 – 2’ – sun/pt. shade – moist
Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon Seal) – white – 1 – 3’ – shade/pt. sun – moist
Spigela marilandica (Indian Pink), red – 2-18″ – part sun/light shade – moist
Tiarella cordifolia (Heart-leaf Foamflower) – white – 3-10” – sun/shade – moist
Tradescantia virginiana (Spiderwort) – 1-3′ – purple – pt./full shade – dry
Trillium spp. shade – moist soil
Zizia aurea (Golden Alexander) – yellow flowers 1-3’ – sun/shade – moist

Ground Covers
Cornus canadensis (Bunchberry) – white flowers 4-10” – partial sun/shade – moist
Jeffersonia diphylla (Twinleaf) – white flowers – 12-18” – shade/pt. sun – moist soil
Mahonia repens (Creeping Mahonia) – yellow flowers – 2-3” – sun/shade –
Phlox stolonifera (Creeping Phlox) – pink – 6-10” – pt.sun/shade – moist
Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple) – white flowers 1-2’ – shade – moist
Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot) – white flowers – 3-6″ – shade – moist
Sedum ternatum (Wild Stonecrop) – white flowers – 3-8″ – sun/pt. shade – moist
Viola blanda. (Sweet White Violet) – white flowers – to 1′ – sun/shade – moist
Viola, various species
Vines
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), orange-red – 4′ – 15′ – sun/partial sun – moist
Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans (L.) , orange-red – vine – sun/partial sun – moist
More Posts on Spring Blooming Native Plants
Spring Blooming Native Plants Photo Gallery
Spring Blooming Native Plants of Philadelphia
Spring Blooming Plants to Attract Bumble Bees