The Partnership has created this list of native plants appropriate for plantings throughout Arkansas. Use this list to help guide your plantings for year-round blooms and support for pollinators.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Bloom Period | Flower Color | Light Needs¹ | Water Needs² | Approx. Height (ft.) | Benefits³ | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aesculus pavia | red buckeye | Spring to Early Summer | red | sun to shade | M | 6-10 | B, H | Small tree for rain gardens, but can also be drought tolerant |
| Amorpha canescens | leadplant | Summer to Fall | blue/purple | sun to light shade | L, M | 2-3 | B, Bu | Woody shrub |
| Amsonia tabernaemontana | Eastern bluestar | Spring | blue | sun to med. shade | M | 2-3 | B, Bu | |
| Aristolochia tomentosa | Dutchman's pipevine | Spring to Summer | yellow/green | part sun to shade | M, H | Bu | Host plant for pipevine swallowtail larvae | |
| Asclepias incarnata | swamp milkweed | Spring to Summer | pink | sun | L, M | 4-5 | Bu, M | Native to NWA, can tolerate moisture |
| Asclepias sullivantii | prairie milkweed | Spring to Summer | rose/lavender | sun | M | 2-3 | B, Bu, M | |
| Asclepias syriaca | common milkweed | Early to Mid-Summer | lavender | sun to part shade | M | 2-6 | B, Bu, M | Vigorous spreader |
| Asclepias tuberosa | butterfly milkweed | Late Spring to Summer | orange | sun | L, M | 1-2.5 | B, Bu, M, H | Can bloom again in fall! |
| Asclepias viridis | antelopehorn milkweed | Spring to Summer | green/purple | sun | L, M | 1-2 | B, Bu | Spreads slowly |
| Baptisia alba v. macrophylla | white wild indigo | Summer | white | sun | M | 2-3 | B, Bu | |
| Callirhoe involucrata | wine cup | Early Spring to Summer | dark purple-red | sun | L | 0.5-1.5 | B, Bu | Drought tolerant once established |
| Ceanothus americanus | New Jersey tea | Spring to Summer | white | sun to light shade | L, M | 3-4 | B, Bu, H | Woody shrub |
| Cephalanthus occidentalis | buttonbush | Summer | white | sun to light shade | M, H | 6-10 | B, Bu, H | Woody shrub - good for rain gardens |
| Cercis canadensis | Eastern redbud | Spring | pink | sun to part shade | L, M | 20-30 | B, Bu | Small tree |
| Conoclinium coelestinum | blue mistflower | Summer to Fall | blue-purple | sun to part shade | M, H | 1.5-2 | B, Bu | Can spread vigorously |
| Coreopsis lanceolata | lanceleaf coreopsis | Spring to Summer | yellow | sun to part shade | L | 2-3 | B, Bu, M | May take 2 years to establish. |
| Dalea purpurea | purple prairie clover | Spring to Fall | lavender-purple | sun to part shade | L | 1-3 | B, Bu | |
| Echinacea pallida | pale purple coneflower | Summer | lavender | sun to part shade | L, M | 2-3 | B, Bu | |
| Echinacea purpurea | purple coneflower | Summer | purple | sun to part shade | L, M | 2-5 | B, Bu | |
| Eryngium yuccifolium | rattlesnake master | Summer | white | sun | M | 2-5 | B, Bu | Good pollinator plant |
| Eupatorium perfoliatum | Common boneset | Late Summer to Fall | white | sun | M, H | 4-6 | B, Bu | Important for fall migration |
| Eutrochium purpureum | Joe Pye Weed | Summer | pink-purple | sun to part shade | M, H | 3-7 | B, Bu | Good for rain gardens. |
| Glandulararia canadensis | rose vervain | Spring to Summer | pink | sun | L | 0.5-1.5 | B, Bu | Poor and well-drained soil needed |
| Helianthus angustifolius | narrowleaf sunflower | Fall | yellow | sun | M | 1 | B, Bu | |
| Helianthus divaricatus | woodland sunflower | Summer | yellow | part shade to shade | L, M | 2-6 | B, Bu | may form colony |
| Liatris aspera | tall blazing star | Summer to Fall | purple | sun | L, M | 2-3 | B,Bu, H | Excellent nectar plant for butterflies! |
| Liatris pycnostachya | prairie blazing star | Summer | purple | sun | L, M | 2-4 | B, Bu, H | Excellent nectar plant for butterflies! |
| Lindera benzoin | spice bush | Spring | yellow | shade | M, H | 6-14 | B, Bu | Host plant for spice bush swallowtail larvae! (small tree) |
| Monarda bradburiana | Eastern beebalm | Spring | pink/purple/white | sun to shade | L, M | 1-2 | B, Bu, H | may form a colony |
| Monarda fistulosa | wild bergamot | Spring | pink/purple | sun to light shade | M | 2-4 | B, Bu, H | Great plant for pollinators! |
| Penstemon digitalis | foxglove beardtongue | Summer | white | sun to light shade | M, H | 2-4 | B, Bu, M, H | Great plant for moths! |
| Phlox divaricata | woodland phlox | Spring | purple | sun to shade | M | 1-3 | Bu, H | Great nectar source for butterflies! |
| Phlox paniculata | garden phlox | Summer to Fall | pink/purple/ white | sun to shade | M, H | 2-4 | B, Bu, H | Great nectar source for butterflies! |
| Pycnanthemum tenuifolium | slender mountain mint | summer | white | sun | L, M | 1-1.5 | B, Bu | Excellent nectar plant for butterflies! |
| Pycnantheum muticum | clustered mountain mint | Summer to Fall | white | sun to part shade | L, M | 1-3 | B, Bu | Excellent nectar plant for butterflies! |
| Rudbeckia hirta | Black-eyed Susan | Summer | yellow | sun | M | 1-2.5 | B, Bu | Annual or short-lived perennial |
| Rudbeckia fulgida | Black-eyed Susan | Summer | yellow | sun | L. M | 2-3 | B, Bu | |
| Salvia azurea | azure blue sage | Summer to Fall | blue | sun to light shade | L, M | 3-5 | B, Bu | |
| Solidago caesia | wreath goldenrod | Fall | yellow | sun to part shade | L | 1.5-3 | B, Bu | Goldenrod which tolerates some shade |
| Solidago nemoralis | gray goldenrod | Summer | yellow | sun to light shade | L, M | 1.5-2 | B, Bu | Thrives in poor, dry soils in sunny locations |
| Solidago petiolaris | downy ragged goldenrod | Summer to Fall | yellow | part sun | L, M | 1-4 | B, Bu, M | Nectar source for monarch butterflies |
| Symphyotrichum novae-angliae | New England aster | Fall | purple | sun | M | 3-6 | Bu | Great for migrating monarchs! |
| Symphyotrichum oblongifolium | aromatic aster | Fall | purple | sun | L, M | 1-3 | Bu | |
| Vernonia arkansana | curlytop ironweed | Summer | purple | sun to light shade | M, H | 3-4 | B, Bu | |
| Vernonia baldwinii | Baldwin's ironweed | Summer | purple | sun | L, M | 3-5 | B, Bu | |
| Veronicastrum virginicum | Culver's root | Spring to Summer | white/blue | sun to light shade | M, H | 4-7 | Bu | |
| Zizia aurea | golden alexanders | spring | gold | sun to light shade | L, M | 1-2.5 | B, Bu | Host plant for black swallowtail larvae |
¹Light Needs:
Sun: An area that receives at least six hours of more of direct, mid-day sun, includes the south or west side of buildings and trees.
Sun to light shade: Includes area conditions listed for sun plus the east and north sides of buildings and trees where plants have considerable open sky overhead.
Light to medium/part shade: Includes areas with dappled sunlight and bright areas underneath trees; i.e., open sky not directly overhead.
Shade: Dappled to dense shade; areas that receive morning and evening sun in summer; areas on north sides of buildings and underneath trees
²Water Needs:
High (H), Medium (M), Low (L)
³Benefits:
Bees (B), Butterflies (Bu), Moths (M), Hummingbirds (H)
