Top 10 Native Plants to Brighten Your Main Line Landscape This Spring

Spring is just around the corner and there's no better way to celebrate the season than by enhancing your garden with beautiful, low-maintenance native plants. 

Not only do these plants thrive in our area and blend in with the architecture of the Main Line of Philadelphia, but they also support pollinators and wildlife, making your landscape both vibrant and supportive of the local environment.

 Here’s our list of the top 10 native plants to install and enjoy this spring:

1. Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

This small tree bursts with pink-purple flowers in early spring, creating a stunning focal point in your garden.  The flower buds hug the tree branches and absolutely glow in spring.

2. Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Add a pop of delicate blue with these shade-loving perennials that bloom in mid-spring and naturalize beautifully.  The mint-green foliage emerges and is followed by beautiful stems of blue-pink-purple flowers that shimmer in the forested garde.

3. Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Known for its elegant three-petaled blooms, this deep red trillium thrives in shaded woodland settings and adds a touch of grace to any spring garden.

4. Eastern Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Its red and yellow flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, adding charm to any sunny or partly shaded area.  Held atop delicate stems, these flowers bloom and gently seed in, enhancing the native landscape.

5. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)

This groundcover thrives in shade, producing sprays of white, foamy flowers in spring and lush, textured foliage year-round.  A beautiful alternative to ivy, with gently rambling foliage and beautiful upright flowers.

6. Amsonia (Amsonia tabernaemontana 'Grande')

This versatile perennial features pale blue, star-shaped flowers in spring and feathery foliage that turns golden in the fall, adding seasonal interest.  Getting multi-season interest from one perennials in yoru landscape is an awesome way to maximize your space.

7. Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)

With deep blue flowers that resemble lupines, this hardy perennial is perfect for sunny spots and adds a sculptural element to your garden.  The early season flowers are a great forerunner to summer blooming perennials.

8. Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)

This low-growing groundcover blankets your garden in vibrant pink, purple, or white flowers in early spring, ideal for rock gardens and borders.

9. Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

A charming native with delicate lavender-blue flowers, this shade-loving perennial is perfect for woodland gardens and attracts butterflies.

10. Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)

A multi-season star, this small tree offers white spring blossoms, summer berries for birds, and vibrant fall foliage.

By planting these native species, you’ll create a garden that’s not only stunning but also sustainable. These plants are adapted to our region’s conditions, making them easier to care for and more resilient to pests and diseases.  Planning your design and scheduling your installation will allow you  to enjoy a landscape that comes alive with beauty and wildlife