Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 1.5–2 ft and reaching 1.5–3 ft; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
- Home
- By state
- Washington, D.C.
- Low-maintenance
Washington, D.C. · Zone 7
Easy Native Plants in Washington, D.C.
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. Every species here is genuinely native to Washington, D.C. and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Washington, D.C.'s humid, four-season climate across Northern Piedmont & Potomac fall line, not a generic list. Local standouts include Common Yarrow and Wild Geranium. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
32 native species for Washington, D.C.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — good through zone 8 and 1.5–2 ft tall, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
About as hard to kill as a native gets — reaching 4–7 ft and pink (then purple fruit) flowers, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A beginner's native — reaching 3–5 ft and good through zone 9, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay, rocky, and loam ground and 15–25 ft wide — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Plant it and forget it: good through zone 8 and reaching 6–10 ft, no fuss; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Plant it and forget it: for clay, rocky, and loam ground and rosy purple flowers, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A beginner's native — royal purple flowers and reaching 3–5 ft, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A beginner's native — golden yellow flowers and cold-hardy to zone 3, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Plant it and forget it: spreading 12–18 in and cold-hardy to zone 3, no fuss, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay and loam ground and 15–25 ft tall, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A beginner's native — 2–4 ft wide and pink flowers, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: bright gold flowers and reaching 1.5–2 ft, flowering as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 1.5–2.5 ft tall and spreading 2–3 ft, and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 2–3 ft and rose pink flowers, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Thrives on neglect once placed right: reaching 8–15 ft and cold-hardy to zone 4 — it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–8 and spreading 1–2 ft, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: good through zone 8 and white flowers, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: happy in clay and loam soil and white, white berries flowers, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 3–5 ft tall and good through zone 8, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Thrives on neglect once placed right: happy in loam soil and hidden maroon flowers, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A beginner's native — 5–10 ft wide and good through zone 7, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Plant it and forget it: 4–8 ft wide and 4–8 ft tall, no fuss, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: reaching 6–12 ft and creamy umbels flowers; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
8 more also qualify: Stiff Goldenrod, Blue Vervain, Virginia Creeper, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Little Bluestem, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Washington, D.C.
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.