You love local food, music, business, and art — so while you’re planning your garden this spring, why not choose local plants, too?great hook

Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate, provide sustenance to native wildlife, and save water by thriving on normal rainfall. Plus, they’re more visually diverse than, say, lawn grass.

Consider planting some Virginia flora this spring. We’ll get you started.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Water needs: Moist, Dry
Light needs: Sun
Bloom time: March-November

Growing tips: Black-eyed susan can become aggressive without competition, so consider planting it alongside other plants on this list.

Attracts: Birds, butterflies (Bordered Patch + Gorgone Checkerspot)

Butterfly Milkweed

Asclepias tuberosa

Water needs: Moist, dry
Light needs: Sun, shade, part-shade
Bloom time: May-September

Growing tips: Butterfly weed attracts aphids, which you can deal with by spraying with soapy water, blasting with high-pressure streams, or by leaving the aphids for ladybugs.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Monarch + Grey Hairstreak)

Plant some of this, and you may find yourself playing host to monarchs. | Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Water needs: Dry
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: April-September

Growing tips: Yarrow’s soil-enriching properties, medicinal benefits, and attractiveness to beneficial insects makes it an ideal companion plant.

Attracts: Butterflies, moths, bees, predatory wasps

Wild Blue Indigo

Baptisia australis

Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun
Bloom time: April-July

Growing tips: Sow indigo in late fall or spring — but the historic South Carolina sprig is a labor of love, and won’t flower for up to three years.

Attracts: Native bumble bees

Wild Red Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Water needs: Moist, dry
Light needs: Shade, part-shade
Bloom time: February-July

Growing tips: Plant columbine in thin, well-drained soil to ensure a long lifespan. This flower struggles in heat, so plant in the shade before temperatures climb in spring.

Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, hawk moths, finches, and buntings