Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 1–2 ft and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, and forgives neglect — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
- Home
- By state
- Massachusetts
- Low-maintenance
Massachusetts · Zones 5–7
Easy Native Plants in Massachusetts
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. For Massachusetts, the right natives are shaped by Northeastern Coastal Forest & Cape and a cool, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Foxglove Beardtongue and Purple Coneflower to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Massachusetts and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
29 native species for Massachusetts
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 2–4 ft tall and 1.5–2 ft wide, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 3–5 ft tall and 3–5 ft wide — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 2–3 ft wide and for clay and loam ground, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 1–2 ft wide and for clay and loam ground, and forgives neglect, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Plant it and forget it: lavender-pink flowers and cold-hardy to zone 3, no fuss; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A beginner's native — for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and hardy in zones 3–9, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
About as hard to kill as a native gets — golden yellow flowers and for sand, clay, and loam ground, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 6–10 ft tall and happy in clay and loam soil, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 20–30 ft tall and rose-magenta flowers, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 3–6 ft and hardy in zones 4–9, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 10–20 ft wide and reaching 15–25 ft; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Plant it and forget it: good through zone 9 and reaching 2–4 ft, no fuss; it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 12–18 in and 1–2.5 ft tall, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Plant it and forget it: for sand, rocky, and loam ground and 1.5–2 ft tall, no fuss, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Plant it and forget it: spreading 2–3 ft and good through zone 9, no fuss — it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Plant it and forget it: good through zone 8 and spreading 2–3 ft, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A beginner's native — 5–10 ft wide and white to pink flowers, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: reaching 3–5 ft and 1.5–2.5 ft wide — it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 12–18 in and reaching 4–8 in, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Plant it and forget it: happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and inconspicuous green flowers, no fuss; it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Plant it and forget it: spreading 6–10 ft and white, white berries flowers, no fuss, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Plant it and forget it: good through zone 9 and for sand, clay, and loam ground, no fuss — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Plant it and forget it: yellow catkins flowers and good through zone 9, no fuss — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
5 more also qualify: Inkberry Holly, American Elderberry, Little Bluestem, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Massachusetts
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.