Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Plant it and forget it: for clay, rocky, and loam ground and reaching 2–4 ft, no fuss; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Maryland · Zones 6–8
Easy Native Plants in Maryland
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 Maryland and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8 — proven performers for Maryland's humid, four-season climate across Piedmont & Chesapeake Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Foxglove Beardtongue and American Beautyberry. 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 Maryland
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 4–7 ft wide and pink (then purple fruit) flowers, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A beginner's native — spreading 2–3 ft and hardy in zones 3–8, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: reaching 1.5–2.5 ft and sky blue flowers, flowering as it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — reaching 1–2.5 ft and red & yellow flowers, and forgives neglect — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 2–3 ft and rose pink flowers, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 12–18 in wide and reaching 1.5–2 ft, and forgives neglect, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Plant it and forget it: 15–25 ft tall and for clay and loam ground, no fuss; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 1.5–2.5 ft tall and chartreuse-gold flowers, and forgives neglect — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Thrives on neglect once placed right: happy in clay and loam soil and spreading 3–5 ft, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A beginner's native — spreading 12–18 in and 1.5–3 ft tall, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Plant it and forget it: pink flowers and for clay and loam ground, no fuss — it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — rosy purple flowers and 1.5–2 ft wide, and forgives neglect, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 8–15 ft tall and 3–6 ft wide, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 6–10 ft and creamy white flowers, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: hardy in zones 4–9 and spreading 15–25 ft; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
About as hard to kill as a native gets — reaching 1.5–3 ft and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 1.5–2 ft wide and happy in loam soil, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
A beginner's native — violet-blue flowers and cold-hardy to zone 3, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 6–12 ft and reaching 6–12 ft, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
A beginner's native — foamy white flowers and reaching 3–5 ft, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 5–10 ft and reaching 5–10 ft; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Thrives on neglect once placed right: spreading 12–18 in and hidden maroon flowers, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Plant it and forget it: 6–10 ft wide and good through zone 7, no fuss; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
8 more also qualify: Virginia Creeper, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Inkberry Holly, Stiff Goldenrod, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Maryland
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.