Low maintenance: <\/strong>Native plants have naturally evolved to survive their environment and climate conditions. Since they\u2019re already acclimated to the environment, most native plants require less care.<\/p>
Durable: <\/strong>Many native plants are resistant to disease, insects, and environmental conditions such as drought, wind, and freezing temperatures.<\/p> Good for the environment: <\/strong>Native plants play an important role in preserving natural landscapes and ecosystems in Pennsylvania. Many different types of wildlife depend on native plants for food and shelter. By having native plants, you are supporting birds, bees, butterflies and more, while enjoying their daily visits to your yard.\u00a0<\/p> How do you choose the best native plants for your yard? Pittsburgh is in USDA hardiness zone<\/a> 6B. Native plants can withstand lows down to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and soil conditions that are consistently dominated by highly acidic clay and silt loam soil. There are around 2,100 native plants in Pennsylvania. We have put together a list of 9 favorite native shrubs, trees, and wildflowers for your Pittsburgh property. Attract beautiful butterflies to your yard with butterfly milkweed<\/a>, also known as butterfly weed. This native perennial lures many different species of butterflies, especially the Monarch butterfly, whose larvae feed and live on the plant. The clusters of small, vibrant orange flowers also attract hummingbirds, bees, and other insects.<\/p> Do you have a problem with critters tearing up your garden? This plant is very resistant to both deer and rabbits. It\u2019s also disease and pest-resistant. Butterfly milkweed has a history of medicinal uses and was used by Native Americans for food. Be careful: This plant can be toxic if not properly prepared before human consumption. Columbine<\/a> is a branching wildflower with striking bright red-and-yellow petals and clover-like foliage. The plant\u2019s flowers bloom for only one month in the spring, but it makes an excellent ground cover or border plant the remainder of the year.\u00a0 Get ready to spend your summer afternoons watching hummingbirds fly around your garden as they pollinate the Columbine blossoms. It also attracts bumblebees and butterflies, as well as songbirds, which eat the plant\u2019s seeds.\u00a0 Bring a bit of cheer to your yard with the black-eyed Susan<\/a>. A member of the daisy family, its bright yellow flowers will not only add a pop of color to your garden but will also invite birds and butterflies, too. The \u201cblack eye\u201d is named for the dark, brown-purple center inside the flower. Black-eyed Susans are very drought tolerant and can grow in a variety of environments, from prairies to meadows to savannas. Native Americans have used this plant to treat colds, snakebites, swelling, and earaches. Aromatic aster<\/a> is easy to grow and adapts to many types of environments, making it a great addition to your native plant garden. This plant is also known as the fall aster, wild blue aster, and shale aster. It tends to flower in the fall, usually between September and November. Aromatic asters produce bunches of small flowers that range in color from pink to lavender-blue. The colorful petals emit a balsam-like fragrance that attracts several kinds of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and skippers. Caterpillars and wild turkeys also will eat the plant\u2019s foliage. Also known as the willow herb, fireweed<\/a> is a fast-spreading ornamental native plant. This showy plant forms spires of flowers with bright pink petals and leaves that will remind you of the willow tree. Fireweed blooms from June through September and can thrive in a variety of environmental conditions. Be careful not to plant too much because it can spread aggressively (like invasive plants) in the right conditions. It is a source of nectar for bees, and also attracts moths and butterflies. The shoots and leaves of young fireweed plants are edible when cooked. Bring some color to Pennsylvania\u2019s fall landscape by planting a black birch tree. Black birch<\/a> is a native tree with a peeling, satiny bark that reveals a light brown trunk. The tree trunk tends to range between 20 and 60 inches in diameter. In the fall, the leaves turn a beautiful yellow, adding a bit of color to the fall scenery. With high water needs, this native tree grows best around wet areas such as swamps, ravines, streams, and rivers. If cared for properly, it will last for at least two decades. Red oak<\/a> is a fast-growing, ornamental, native tree that puts on quite a show in the fall when its leaves turn scarlet red. This tree has a long lifespan, typically surviving 150 years, but some have lived to be 500 years old. The tree\u2019s acorns attract squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey, deer, and a host of birds. Avoid deadly oak wilt<\/a> by not pruning between mid-April and mid-July. Also known as sweet azalea, this native perennial shrub makes a charming addition to your Pennsylvanian native plant garden. The smooth azalea<\/a>\u2019s white and pink flowers bloom from June to July, bringing a pop of color and a touch of fragrance to your yard. Smooth azaleas are fast-growing compared to other azalea varieties and they are one of the most durable types of native white azaleas. However, this plant is drought-sensitive and grows best in moist environments such as swampy forests, bogs, and around streams. Be careful not to let kids or pets ingest any part of this plant, as it is highly toxic. Marsh blazing star<\/a> is a slender perennial wildflower. This plant has several nicknames, including dense blazing star, dense gayfeather, dense Liatris, and marsh gayfeather. Its striking purple flowers bloom from July to September, attracting butterflies, birds, and hummingbirds. The marsh blazing star prefers growing in moist areas such as marshes, forest edges, and prairies with moist soil. As interest in native plants increases, they are starting to become as easily accessible as non-native species. Right now there are three primary ways to find and purchase native plant species in Pennsylvania: Including native plants in your Pittsburgh garden is beneficial to both you and the environment. Native plants are more often drought tolerant compared to non-native plants. They attract and support native wildlife, bringing in birds, bees, and butterflies to entertain you in the spring and summer. If you\u2019re looking for more native plants, look at the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society (PNPS) <\/a>website. Make sure to look for plants that are suited for central and western Pennsylvania and thrive in USDA hardiness zone 6B. Do you need help designing your landscape with native plants? Call a Pittsburgh lawn care professional<\/a> to get the help you need to incorporate these plants into your yard. <\/p> Main Photo Credit: nick fullerton | Flickr<\/a> | CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It takes tough landscaping to survive The Steel City\u2019s harsh winters. You need plants that can handle the cold conditions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":3363,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cdn.lawnlove.com\/images\/best+native+plants-Pittsburgh+hero.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"close-up of a bright red and yellow columbine flower","footnotes":""},"categories":[188],"tags":[490],"class_list":["post-3355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pennsylvania","tag-lawn-care-pittsburgh-pa"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i3.wp.com\/cdn.lawnlove.com\/images\/best+native+plants-Pittsburgh+hero.jpg?w=1200&fit=1200,960&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Sav Maive","author_link":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/author\/sav-maive\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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<\/p> 1. Butterfly milkweed (asclepias tuberosa)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"bright](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_rsz_0509200941a.jpg\")
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<\/p> 2. Columbine (aquilegia canadensis)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"red](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_449781621_e0363d0a0e_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 3. Black-eyed susan (rudbeckia hirta)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"vibrant](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_43403579244_9255395873_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 4. Aromatic aster (symphyotrichum oblongifolium)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"close-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_0531201341.jpg\")
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<\/p> 5. Fireweed (chamerion angustifolium)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"large](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_15832222934_9dfaa19ac4_c.jpg\")
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<\/p> 6. Black birch (betula nigra)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"trunk](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_birch-tree-and-other-trees.jpg\")
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<\/p> 7. Red oak (quercus coccinea)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"Cloe-up](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_1024px-2014-10-30_10_49_37_red_oak_foliage_during_autumn_on_farrell_avenue_in_ewing_new_jersey.jpg\")
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<\/p> 8. Smooth azalea (rhododendron aborescens)<\/em><\/h2>
![\"white](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_shutterstock_1541179016.jpg\")
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<\/p> 9. Marsh blazing star (liatris spicata)<\/em> <\/h2>
![\"vibrant](\"https:\/\/lawnlove.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/rsz_1024px-dense_blazing_star_-_liatris_spicata_4347689892.jpg\")
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<\/p> Where to find native plants<\/h2>
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