A Guide to Landscaping with Native Plants

in Northern New Jersey

What are native plants? Use the chart inside to guide you in selecting the native
plants best suited to the growing conditions in your yard.
Native plants have evolved over thousands of years to be
The chart helps you to consider plant height, flower color,
adapted to conditions in a particular region and to the other
bloom time, wildlife value, and deer resistance (if deer
plants and animals around them.
are present). Find additional native plant resources on the
Why should I grow them? following websites: www.JerseyYards.org/plant/,
www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/, and
To enjoy beautiful, hardy plants!
www.audubon.org/PLANTSFORBIRDS.
Natives thrive in our local climate and soil and have natural
defenses to plant diseases, harmful insects, and other pests.
To save time and money!
Well-adapted to local conditions, natives require less water and
fertilizer than non-natives, and are less likely to need pesticides.
To bring in the birds and butterflies!
Natives provide essential food, shelter, and nesting sites for
native wildlife.
To improve water quality!
Native plant roots hold soil in place, increase infiltration of
rainwater into the ground, and filter pollutants from our water. Since
native plants reduce the need to use fertilizers and pesticides, they
keep our water cleaner by decreasing the quantity of pollutants that
rainwater runoff can carry into our waterways.
 GETTING STARTED
1. Getting Started: Consider starting small so that you can experiment 5. Deer: You can discourage deer by selecting plants they do not prefer and
and learn. The goal is a beautiful, healthy, and wildlife-friendly yard with a using barriers, e.g. fences, cages, or deer repellents. “Deer resistance” often
diversity of native plants that bloom from spring to fall. Jersey-Friendly Yards varies in different areas, and when deer are really hungry, they may eat
is a great source of information to get started (www.jerseyyards.org/). plants they normally avoid.
2. Landscape Style: Native plants are well-suited to both formal and 6. Pest Management: Use the lightest touch possible. Remember that
informal landscapes. They can be mixed with your favorite non-natives, but insecticides and herbicides can kill everything on the label, including many
please remember that our yards should be >70% native biomass (including
“good guys,” not only the one pest that you are targeting!
native trees) to provide the ecosystem services required to reliably sustain
pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. 7. Cultivar vs. Straight Species: A simple cultivar selected for size or
3. For Easy Management: hardiness can be fine, but a cultivar with a different leaf or flower color
or structure may be unable to support the pollinators that depend on the
A. Select plants adapted to your soil conditions and eliminate the need to original native species (i.e., a fancy cultivar may be ecologically useless).
use soil amendments.
8. Winter Wildlife Garden: Leave the leaves and stems with seed heads
B. Build native plant “communities” with a mix of ground covers, perennial
in your winter garden. Many important pollinators overwinter in the loose
flowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees that thrive packed together.
leaves, and winter birds feed on the seed heads. In the spring, save many of
C. Plant densely and use native ground covers as a green “mulch” to the stems (cut to about 12-18 inches) so that native bees can use them for
prevent the growth of weeds. nesting. (Native bees without colonies to defend do not sting!)
D. Convert a patch of lawn – an easy way is to mow it short, cover with
9. Plant native trees: Big trees provide big benefits – they cool your
cardboard or several sheets of newspaper, wet it, and layer on 3 to 4 inches
house and neighborhood; are major managers of stormwater; and provide
of composted mulch. After waiting 3 to 6 months, you should be able to
plant right through it. unmatched services for pollinators. Oaks serve as hosts for over 500 species
of caterpillars, black cherry trees over 400, birches and willows over 350, and
4. Invasive Plants: If you do plant non-natives, please do not plant invasive aspens and maples about 300. Planting a tree is a long-term commitment.
species. Invasives naturalize into our forests and outcompete the native plants Find the right tree for your location using the Jersey-Friendly Yards plant
that our forests require for ecosystem health and for regeneration. Refer to
database. (www.jerseyyards.org/plant/)
the NJ Invasive Species Strike Team’s DO NOT PLANT list for which plants to
avoid. (www.fohvos.info/invasive-species-strike-team/info-center/)

Sunny Moist Sample Design

12'
Foxglove
Switch Grass Beardtongue
5 3

Showy
Mountain Mint Goldenrod
3 3

Black-Eyed New England

Susan Aster
3 3

Swam p 7' Purple

Mi l k weed Coneflower
3 3
Eastern Golden
B luestar Alexander
3 3

Columbine
3

For more great information: Helpful field identification mobile apps:

Homegrown National Park: https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ iNaturalist: www.inaturalist.org
The Native Plant Society of NJ: www.npsnj.org PictureThis: www.picturethisai.com
 SMALL TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES
PHOTO NAME HEIGHT FLOWERS LIGHT SOIL WILDLIFE DEER RESISTANT AND NOTES
Common & Scientific Bloom Time & Color Moisture & Type
American Black MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – graceful arching branches;
Elderberry 5’ - 12’
fluffy white clusters C L O fruit for birds
Sambucus canadensis

Arrowwood MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – – Y, blue-black berries; red fall
6’ - 15’
Viburnum dentatum flat white clusters L SO foliage

Black Chokeberry MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – fall color, edible showy fruit
3’ - 5’
Photinia melanocarpa white clusters C L SO

Buttonbush MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT –

6’ - 15’ Y, tolerates wet areas
Cephalanthus occidentalis fragrant white balls

Coral Honeysuckle (Vine) MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT twining vine can be groundcover
8’ - 15’
Lonicera sempervirens red-orange with yellow C L SO or trained on trellis

Eastern Redbud MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT one of the earliest bloomers;
20’ - 30’
Cercis canadensis magenta C L O drought-resistant

Highbush Blueberry MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – – blueberries July-Aug.; red fall
6’ - 12’
Vaccinium corymbosum white-pinkish C L SO color; add organic matter to soil

Inkberry MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – evergreen boxwood alternative;
6’ - 8’
Ilex glabra small, greenish-white C L SO berries on female plants w/ male

New Jersey Tea MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, stunning pollinator attractor;
3’ - 4’
Ceanothus americanus fragrant,showy, white L SO needs well-drained soil

Ninebark MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT domed flower clusters;
5’ - 8’
Physocarpus opulifolius white to pink C L SO lovely fall color and winter bark

Northern Bayberry MAR APR MAY MAY JUN AUG SEP OCT – – Y, berries on female with male
5’ - 12’
Morella pensylvanica small, yellow-green L SO nearby; semi-evergreen

Pussy Willow MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – soft fuzzy early flowers; valuable
Salix discolor 6’ - 15’
white, yellow, green L SO host for diverse caterpillars

Red Twig Dogwood MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – bright red stems for winter
7’ - 9’
Cornus sericea white C L O interest

Serviceberry MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – Y, one of the earliest bloomers;
or Shadbush 15’ - 25’
small, white C L SO purple fruit in June
Amelanchier canadensis

Shrubby St. John’s Wort 1’ - 5’ MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, compact; perfect shrub for
Hypericum prolificum bright yellow C L SO border

Spicebush MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, “forsythia of the wilds;”
Lindera benzoin 6’ - 12’
fragrant yellow C L O berries on female plants w/ male

Summersweet MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – Y, blooms mid-summer in shade;
4’ - 8’
Clethra alnifolia fragrant white C L SO shrub border

Sweetspire MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – –

3’ - 8’ good fall color; shrub border
Itea virginica fragrant white C L SO

Wild Hydrangea MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT –
3’ - 6’ large showy flower clusters
Hydrangea arborescens white C L O

Winterberry MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – Y, red berries on female with
6’ - 12’
Ilex verticillata small, white C L SO male nearby
 HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
PHOTO NAME HEIGHT FLOWERS LIGHT SOIL WILDLIFE DEER RESISTANT AND NOTES
Common & Scientific Bloom Time & Color Moisture & Type

Anise Hyssop 24” - 48” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, columns of pollinator-
Agastache foeniculum blue-purple C L SO attracting flowers

Black-Eyed Susan 24” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
long bloom time
Rudbeckia hirta yellow C L

Blazing Star 24” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
Y, drought-tolerant
Liatris spicata purple spikes C L S

Butterfly Weed 18” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, butterfly favorite (hosts
Asclepias tuberosa orange L S Monarchs); pretty seedpods

Cardinal Flower 24” - 48” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – Y, intense red color attracts
Lobelia cardinalis red C L hummingbirds

Columbine 12” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, unique two-toned flowers;
Aquilegia canadensis red to yellow L SO spreads by seed

– Y, flat top flower clusters attract

Common Boneset 36” - 72” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
butterflies; popular herb; good
Eupatorium perfoliatum white C L S for wet site

Culver’s Root 24” - 72” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, stunning;
Veronicastrum virginicum white to pale blue L O slow to establish but long-lived

Eastern Blue Star 24” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, easy to grow; clumping;
Amsonia tabernaemontana blue C L SO yellow fall color

False Sunflower 36” - 60” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, attractive daisy-like flower
Heliopsis helianthoides yellow L S with a long bloom time

Foamflower 6” - 12” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, interesting foliage;
Tiarella cordifolia spikes of white L great choice for a shade garden

Foxglove Beardtongue 36” - 60” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, tolerates poor drainage;
Penstemon digitalis white to pink C L SO not a true Foxglove (Digitalis)

Great Blue Lobelia 12” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – Y, interesting, long-blooming
Lobelia siphilitica blue spike C L S blue flowers
Y, supports early pollinators;
Heart-leaved Golden 12” - 30” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – –
tidy plant and attractive
Alexander Zizea aptera yellow C L SO seedhead
New England Aster pollinator magnet; pinch in
Symphyotrichum 36” - 72” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT

novae-angliae blue to violet C L S June to keep plant compact

Purple Coneflower 24” - 48” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
goldfinches love its seeds
Echinacea purpurea purple-pink C L S

Showy Goldenrod 24” - 48” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, easy to grow, late season
Solidago speciosa yellow C L S pollinator workhorse

Swamp Milkweed 36” - 60” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – Y, attracts butterflies (hosts
Asclepias incarnata Monarchs); tolerates wet unlike
pink C L butterfly weed
Virginia Mountain Mint 24” - 36” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – –
Pycnanthemum virginianum Y, blooms buzz with pollinators
tiny white C L S
White Turtlehead 24” - 36” –
Chelone glabra
MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT flower shaped like a turtle’s
white C L S head; good in a shade garden
 HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS
PHOTO NAME HEIGHT FLOWERS LIGHT SOIL WILDLIFE DEER RESISTANT AND NOTES
Common & Scientific Bloom Time & Color Moisture & Type
White Wood Aster 12” - 30” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
Eurybia divaricata freely seeds; lights up fall shade
white L SO
Wild Bergamot 24” - 48”
Monarda fistulosa
MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, fragrant flowers and foliage;
pink to purple C L SO can spread

Wreath Goldenrod 18” - 36”

Solidago caesia
MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, blooms in shade;
small yellow C L SO not aggressive

GROUND COVERS, CAREXES AND GRASSES

PHOTO NAME HEIGHT FLOWERS LIGHT SOIL WILDLIFE DEER RESISTANT AND NOTES
Common & Scientific Bloom Time & Color Moisture & Type
Barren Strawberry 2” - 6” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
Y, semi-evergreen; not
Waldsteinia fragarioides
yellow C L SO agressive
Christmas Fern 12” - 24” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
Polystichum acrostichoides Y, clumping; evergreen
no bloom, dark green leaves L O
Golden Ragwort 6” - 18” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
–
Y, semi-evergreen ground
Packera aurea foliage with a spring flower
yellow C L O layer floating at 2’-3’
Little Bluestem 24” - 48” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, drought tolerant; very
Schizachyrium scoparium ornamental; turns bronze-
green to reddish tan L S orange after frost
Moss Phlox 3” - 6” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
Y, spreading, mat-forming
Phlox subulata
red, purple, or white C L SO evergreen
Pennsylvania Sedge 6” - 12” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT Y, graceful no-mow turf
Carex pensylvanica alternative for low traffic area;
green, purple, brown L SO part shade and shade
Switchgrass 36” - 72” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT – – Y, bunch grass with great fall
Panicum virgatum
green to brown to rose C L S color; tolerates wet areas
Wild Ginger 6”- 12” MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT
– Y, excellent groundcover; slow
Asarum canadense
hidden, purplish-brown L O to emerge in spring

KEY
LIGHT............................................................................................................................................................................... WILDLIFE
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Shade = less than 3 hours of direct sunlight a day, or filtered sunglight
Partial shade = approximately 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight a day Songbirds
Full sun = at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day Beneficial Insects
(Bees, other pollinators, and pest-controlling insects like lady beetles)
SOIL CONDITIONS – Moisture......................................................................................................................................
HERBACEOUS PERENNIAL
– – A non-woody plant that lives for more than two years. It dies back at
the end of each growing season, then re-emerges each spring from the
Dry = water does not remain after a rain root stock.
Moist = soil is damp, and occasionally saturated DEER RESISTANCE
Wet = soil is saturated, except during droughts Y = Deer-resistant plant
SOIL CONDITIONS – Type.............................................................................................................................................
(Note that even listed plants may sometimes be eaten.)
PHOTO CREDITS
C L SO
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database: https://plants.usda.gov/
Organic soil (contains a high percentage of organic matter such as decayed leaves)
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder:
Sandy or coarse-textured soil (drains rapidly) www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/
Loamy or medium-textured soil (drains but holds moisture) your-garden/plant-finder.aspx
Clay or fine-textured soil Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: www.wildflower.org
 www.JerseyYards.org
Get started with Going Native! Then try the searchable Plant Database on the Jersey-
Friendly Yards website to find even more native plants for your yard. Using the database,
you can create a custom list of plants suited to your yard’s specific growing conditions.
Locate nurseries that sell native plants by using the website’s “Where to Buy” page and
resources on the Native Plant Society of NJ website.
Jersey-Friendly Yards is packed with information and resources to guide you through the
steps to a healthier yard. Learn how to maintain healthy soil, reduce use of fertilizers
and pesticides, conserve water, and create habitat for wildlife. A healthier yard means a
healthier environment and a healthier New Jersey!
The Barnegat Bay Partnership developed Jersey-Friendly Yards for the entire state of New
Jersey with 319(h) grant funding from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection.

©The Northern New Jersey Edition is based on the original brochure created by the Barnegat Bay Partnership for the Barnegat Bay watershed.
Friends of Foote’s Pond Wood, in consultation with the Native Plant Society of New Jersey, modified the original to create this Northern New Jersey edition.

A pdf of this edition is available at www.fofpw.org. Contact us with questions via the website.
Visit Foote’s Pond Wood park in Morristown to see demonstration gardens-in-progress.

©2022 Barnegat Bay Partnership • www.barnegatbaypartnership.org • PO Box 2001 • Toms River, NJ 08754
For copies of the original edition, email Barnegat Bay Partnership at [email protected].
This publication is based on Native Plant Demonstration Garden, published in 2006
by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary and the Delaware Sea Grant College Program.

COVER PHOTO: Garden photo by Don Knezik.

COVER INSET PHOTOS (l. to r.): Bird photo by Raymond Truelove (iStockphoto.com). Butterfly photo by Edward Teune (Wikipedia Commons).
Hummingbird photo by Joe Schneid (Wikipedia Commons). Bee photo by Hannah Gaines, provided courtesy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

ABOVE PHOTO: Black-Eyed Susans photo by Joseph Pirozek.

This message has been funded by the USEPA under a Clean Water Act grant
agreement to Ocean County College and has not undergone USEPA review.