Native plants that thrive in Mississippi include hardy trees like red maple and American holly, flowers like crossvine, aquatic plants like swamp sunflower, and edibles like American beautyberry.
Native plants are naturally adapted to Mississippi’s climate and soils, so planting natives is always the smart choice. They don’t need much fertilizer, pesticides, or supplemental watering, among other things, making them easy to maintain.
Native trees in Mississippi
Red maple
This tree can grow as tall as 90 feet and is noted for its lovely fall color. With its broad canopy, red maple makes a great shade tree. It features clusters of tiny red flowers that bloom from February to March and are followed by red-winged samaras.
Red maple grows fast, is low-maintenance, and needs just a little pruning. The good thing about red maple is that it won’t need much of your attention once it’s established. Just water it adequately through its first season and then leave it alone and enjoy it.
Scientific name: Acer rubrum
Other names: Swamp maple, Scarlet maple, Drummond’s maple
Tree type: Deciduous
USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
Bloom time: Early spring
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Sweet cherry or almond flower scent
Mature size: 90 feet tall and 30-50 feet wide
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, partial shade
Soil preferences: Clay, chalk, loam, sandy – moist to wet soil
Water needs: Moderate, likes wet and moist soil
Potential hazards: Toxic to horses
American holly
An evergreen that grows as high as 50 feet, American holly is found throughout Mississippi. Female trees bear fragrant fruits and leaves and are an essential food source for wildlife in the fall. It’s a low-maintenance tree.
Scientific name: Ilex opaca
Other names: Christmas holly
USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
Bloom time: Spring and early summer
Tree type: Evergreen
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Sweet
Mature size: 15-30 feet, may occasionally grow up to 60 feet in some moist regions
Sunlight requirement: Full sun to partial shade – needs afternoon shade in hot climates
Soil preferences: Moist, well-drained soil. Chalk, loam, clay, sand
Water needs: Medium, keep the soil moist
Potential hazards: Toxic to cats, dogs, and children if ingested
Pagoda dogwood
This is a rather small tree with a distinct horizontal branching pattern that gives it a stunning multi-tiered, pagoda look. It’s found in dry woodlands or along stream banks and produces creamy-white, flat-topped flowers from May to June.
You’ll see bluish-black fruits on the tree from July to August. Pagoda dogwood has a fibrous root system that keeps it from transplanting well but is a low-maintenance tree overall. The Pagoda dogwood tree looks very attractive against sharp, vertical architectural lines with its oval shape and sideways branching pattern.
Scientific name: Cornus alternifolia
Other names: Alternate-leaf dogwood,
USDA hardiness zone: 3-7
Bloom time: Spring and early summer
Tree type: Deciduous
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Sweet
Mature size: 12-20 feet tall
Sunlight requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Soil preferences: Well-drained and nutrient-rich soil. Loam, clay, sandy
Water needs: Low, needs regular watering until establishment and then only during droughts
Potential hazards: None
Native shrubs in Mississippi
Red buckeye
Rarely exceeding 10 feet in height, red buckeye is found on well-drained river and creek banks. It looks great planted in clusters beneath canopy trees.
A broad mounding shrub, red buckeye produces clusters of large, red spikes in March and April. Expect occasional defoliation in midsummer from leaf anthracnose, but it won’t harm the plant.
Scientific name: Aesculus pavia
Other names: Scarlet buckeye, firecracker plant
USDA hardiness zone: 4-8
Bloom time: March and April
Shrub type: Deciduous
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Sweet
Mature size: 20-40 feet tall
Sunlight requirement: Partial shade
Soil preferences: Well-drained, deep, acidic, clay, and loam
Water needs: Moderate, about one inch of water or rainfall per week
Potential hazards: Highly poisonous to both animals and humans
Winterberry holly
This native Mississippi shrub is known for its red berries that mature in the fall and serve as a good food source for birds and small mammals in the winter. However, you will have to cross-pollinate the plant for these berries to grow.
Winterberry holly is a low-maintenance plant but is picky about the soil it grows in; it requires acidic, moist, and well-drained soil to grow properly. The good news is that this plant is resistant to salt, fire, and deer foraging.
Scientific name: Ilex verticillata
Other names: Common winterberry, winterberry
USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
Bloom time: Spring
Shrub type: Deciduous
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Does not have a distinct scent
Mature size: 3-15 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Soil preferences: Well-drained, clay, loam, sand, acidic, moist
Water needs: Moderate to high
Potential hazards: Toxic if ingested
Naturally occurring around swamps, lakes, ponds, and other areas with wet soil, the common buttonbush is known for its small, tubular, white flowers. They sprout between June and September and make a favorite food source for butterflies and bees.
As the weather cools, buttonbush develops reddish-brown fruits to complement the fall colors and make a nice food for several bird species. Buttonbush is an attractive plant, not just aesthetically but for a variety of pollinators, birds, waterfowl, and mammals.
Scientific name: Cephalanthus occidentalis
Other names: Buttonbush
USDA hardiness zone: 5-11
Bloom time: June – September
Shrub type: Multi-stemmed deciduous
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Intensely sweet
Mature size: 5-12 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Soil preferences: Moist, sand, loam
Water needs: Moderate to high
Potential hazards: Poisonous for humans and animals
Native flowers in Mississippi
Tickseed
Giving your Mississippi landscape the pop of color it needs, Tickseed’s name comes from its round seeds that resemble ticks and make a favorite snack for birds and other wildlife. It’s a low-maintenance flower that won’t need much from you if the soil and temperature are right.
Scientific name: Coreopsis
Other names: Buttonbush
USDA hardiness zone: 5-11
Bloom time: June – September
Shrub type: Multi-stemmed deciduous
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Does not have a distinct scent
Mature size: 5-12 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Soil preferences: Moist, sand, loam
Water needs: Moderate to high
Potential hazards:
Crossvine
The foliage of this tropical-looking flower starts green but develops a beautiful reddish-purple hue in the fall. It creeps up tree trunks and fences in the spring to fill your yard with fragrant orange-red flowers.
Crossvine has a marking on its stem that resembles the Greek cross, hence the name. It’s generally a low-maintenance flower to grow but will need some pruning to maintain a desired shape.
Scientific name: Bignonia capreolata
USDA hardiness zone: 6-9
Type: Flowering vine
Bloom time: Mid-April to late July
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Smells like mocha
Mature size: 6 inches to 4 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun or partial shade
Soil preferences: Clay, loam, sand
Water needs: Moderate to low
Potential hazards: Safe, but might cause mild reaction in children
Native herbs in Mississippi
Common yarrow
Yarrow is native to Mississippi but is popular in France for its reputed ability to heal the hands of working folks – earning it the nickname “carpenter’s herb.”
It’s edible; the leaves have a peppery taste and are used in salads, while the flowers are used to flavor liqueurs. You can use the flowers for fragrant bouquets or dried arrangements. If you’re trying to attract butterflies, this is your pick.
Scientific name: Achillea millefolium
Other names: Yarrow, Milfoil, Western Yarrow
USDA hardiness zone: 4-8
Type: Wildflower, herb
Bloom time: Early May to late July
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Earthy, chamomile-like scent
Mature size: 24-36 inches tall and 12-18 inches wide
Sunlight requirement: Full sun but will tolerate light shade
Soil preferences: Well-drained, dry to medium moisture soils. Chalk, loam, sand
Water needs: Low
Potential hazards: Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.
Bergamot
With its attractive flowers, bergamot lures in plenty of bee species and hummingbirds to keep your Mississippi landscape busy and colorful. It has a clump-forming growth pattern and super fragrant lilac-purple flowers and green foliage.
The nectar-rich blooms ensure regular visitors to the garden, while the herb’s aromatic leaves are used in teas.
Scientific name: Monarda fistulosa
Other names: Wild bergamot, beebalm
USDA hardiness zone: 3-8
Bloom time: Mid-summer to early fall
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Hints of citrus and mint
Mature size: 36-48 inches tall and 12-18 inches wide
Sunlight requirement: Full sun and partial shade
Soil preferences: Dry to medium moisture, well-drained
Water needs: Moderate to low
Potential hazards: No
Lemon balm
This herb is a member of the mint family and is known for its calming, soothing properties. It produces yellowish-green, heart-shaped leaves that have a distinctive lemony aroma when crushed. You will see its small, white, yellow, or pinkish flowers blooming from summer until fall.
Lemon balm is a vigorous grower, though, so watch out for rapid spread.
Scientific name: Melissa officinalis
Other names: Balm leaf, balm oil plant, bee balm
USDA hardiness zone: 4-9
Bloom time: Summer
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Leaves are lemon-scented
Mature size: 18-24 inches
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, partial shade
Soil preferences: Sandy, moist, well-drained
Water needs: Low to moderate
Potential hazards: No
Native ferns in Mississippi
Christmas fern
This Mississippi fern gets its name from its quality of staying green throughout the holiday season. It has a leathery texture and its glossy, green fronds retain color year-round. It loves shade; it might even get stressed and go pale and stunted in continuous sun exposure.
Apart from a few specific soil requirements, this is a pretty low-maintenance plant. Native American groups used it for medicinal purposes.
Scientific name: Polystichum acrostichoides
Other names: Christmas dagger, Christmas dagger fern
USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
Bloom time: Year-round
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Faint, must-like scent
Mature size: 1.5-2 feet, occasionally grows 3 feet tall
Sunlight requirement: Shade and part-shade
Soil preferences: Cool, moist, well-drained, sandy, sandy loam, medium loam
Water needs: Moderate
Potential hazards: No
Royal fern
A popular fern for Mississippi landscapes, the royal fern grows around the banks of streams and woodland bogs. Taking on a pink hue in spring, its tips are crowned with rusty-brown flower spikes. The foliage then turns reddish-brown in fall.
Overall, royal fern is low-maintenance, disease and pest-free. It’s also used for medicinal purposes all over the world.
Scientific name: Osmunda regalis
Other names: Blooming fern, bog onion, ditch fern
USDA hardiness zone: 3-10
Bloom time: Spring and summer
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Does not have a distinctive aroma
Mature size: 2-6 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun and partial shade, but manages to grow in shade as well
Soil preferences: Moist but well-drained, clay, loam
Water needs: Moderate to high
Potential hazards: No
Native vines in Mississippi
Crossvine
Crossvine is common in Mississippi. It produces trumpet-shaped, orange-red flowers that bloom in clusters of 2 to 5. It makes an excellent nectar source for native pollinators and its flowers attract hummingbirds to gardens.
This vine will climb and scramble over anything in its path and is often used to cover structures with its attractive foliage.
Scientific name: Bignonia capreolata
Other names: Trumpet flower
USDA hardiness zone: 6-9
Bloom time: Spring and summer
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Mocha
Sunlight requirement: Full sun and partial shade
Soil preferences: Moist but well-drained, chalk, loam, clay, sand
Water needs: Low to moderate
Potential hazards: No
Trumpet vine
This vigorous vine is a woody climber that features showy trumpet-shaped flowers. These flowers fill your landscape with color throughout the summer with clusters of tubular flowers at the end of branches. Flowers attract hummingbirds too.
Trumpet vine is often used for controlling erosion, but you need to keep the plant in check because it has an aggressive colonizing tendency.
Scientific name: Campsis radicans
Other names: Common trumpet, trumpet creeper, cow vine
USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
Bloom time: Summer
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Non-fragrant
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, partial sun
Soil preferences: Moist but well-drained, chalk, loam, clay, sand
Water needs: Low to moderate
Potential hazards: Slightly toxic if ingested, may cause skin issues in sensitive groups
Native grass-like plants in Mississippi
Big bluestem
This perennial bunchgrass forms an upright clump of stems with flattened leaves that appear blue-green in spring and mature into a fine green as the season progresses.
Its long flowering stems arise late in the summer above clusters of glossy deep purple flowers that resemble turkey feet. Standing amongst some of the most adapted grasses for Mississippi landscapes, big bluestem is also drought tolerant and needs very little care and maintenance.
Scientific name: Andropogon gerardii
Other names: Tall bluestem, turkey foot
USDA hardiness zone: 4-9
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Leaves give a strong minty smell when crushed
Mature size: 4-6 inches
Sunlight requirement: Full sun
Soil preferences: Moist but well-drained, chalk, loam, clay, sand
Water needs: Low to moderate
Potential hazards: No
Switchgrass
This clump-forming perennial grass forms a narrow clump of bright green leaves that pairs well with reddish-purple flower panicles from late summer to fall.
Songbirds feast on their seeds while this long-living perennial stands through winter, even when dry or dormant, and greens back up in the spring.
Scientific name: Panicum vergatum
Other names: Wand Panic grass
USDA hardiness zone: 5-9
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Popcorn-like scent
Mature size: 3-6 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, partial sun
Soil preferences: Moist but well-drained, chalk, loam, clay, sand
Water needs: Moderate
Potential hazards: No
Edible native Mississippi plants
American beautyberry
This is a disease-, pest-, and fire-resistant native plant that produces beautiful glossy purple berries from late summer to early fall. These berries make a favorite food source for birds and small mammals and are edible for humans too.
Mind you, though they may be edible, they don’t have much flavor.
The fruit may even last through early winter. Its leaves produce a chemical that repels mosquitoes, fire ants, and ticks when crushed, making it a great multi-purpose shrub.
Scientific name: Callicarpa americana
Other names: American Mulberry, beautyberry, sour-bush
USDA hardiness zone: 7-11
Bloom time: Summer
Plant type: Deciduous shrub
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Citrus
Mature size: 4-8 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Soil preferences: Loam, sand
Water needs: Low
Potential hazards: No
American black elderberry
American black elderberry is found in moist places and thrives in both full sun and light shade. Dainty fragrant white flowers emerge in spring and summer while its fruit ripens in August and September, attracting a variety of birds and mammals.
It’s generally a low-maintenance plant but will need regular pruning to remove suckers from the base of the plant. Elderberry flowers are used to make wine and berries are often used for jams, pies, and preserves.
Scientific name: Sambucus canadensis
Other names: Common elderberry, black elder, elderberry, American elderberry
USDA hardiness zone: 3-9
Bloom time: Summer
Plant type: Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Lemon-scented flowers
Mature size: 5-12 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, part shade
Soil preferences: Moist but well-drained, chalk, loam, sand
Water needs: Low to moderate
Potential hazards: No
Aquatic Mississippi native plants
Swamp sunflower
This showy perennial forms clumps of tall green to slightly purplish stems that carry golden-yellow flowers from fall to frost. Each flower features narrow, pointed rays surrounding a purplish-brown disk, making your garden look exquisite.
The flowers bloom in late summer to early fall and serve as a nectar source for migrating monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Swamp sunflower is a great choice if you’re building a rain garden. You can use it as a specimen plant or mass and enjoy a profusion of late-season color in your yard when little else is blooming.
Scientific name: Helianthus angustifolius
Other names: Narrow-leaf sunflower, narrow-leaved coreopsis, sunflower
USDA hardiness zone: 5-10
Bloom time: Late summer to early fall
Plant type: Herb
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Sweet
Mature size: 5-8 feet
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, part shade
Soil preferences: Moist, good drainage. Clay, loam, sand
Water needs: Moderate to high
Potential hazards: No
Bald cypress
This native Mississippi tree has feather-like, thin green leaves arranged tightly on branches in October. Bald cypress cones from male trees are pollen-bearing while female cones are seed-bearing.
It works great with ponds and wetlands and is used for roosting and nesting by various bird species.
Scientific name: Taxodium distichum
Other names: Narrow-leaf sunflower, narrow-leaved coreopsis, sunflower
USDA hardiness zone: 4-10
Bloom time: Spring
Plant type: Deciduous
Duration: Perennial
Fragrance: Earthy, similar to smell of cedar
Mature size: 50-100 feet tall, 3-6 feet wide
Sunlight requirement: Full sun, part shade
Soil preferences: Moist, but will do well even in standing water
Water needs: Low, it’s somewhat drought-tolerant
Potential hazards: No
Ready for a low-maintenance landscape?
Planting natives means low upkeep requirements since the plants are naturally used to the environment and growing conditions that they don’t need you to make them right. That said, there’s still some TLC that your lawn deserves, and Lawn Love is here to help.
Call in a pro today and let our experts help you build a neighbor-envy-worthy landscape today.
More lawn care and landscaping resources for Mississippi:
- The Best Grass Seed for South Mississippi
- The Best Grass Seed for North Mississippi
- Planting Zones of South Mississippi
- Planting Zones of North Mississippi
- Planting Zones of Central Mississippi
Main Image Credit: yewchan | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0
