If your landscape isn’t home to at least a few native plants, you’re missing out.
Natives are thriving in popularity, and for good reason. Here in the Triangle area, we’re lucky to have some stunning options: passion flower, Virginia sweetspire, purple beautyberry — even its name says it all.
Why Choose Native Plants?
Native plants are hardy, naturally adapted to our climate, and often more resistant to pests and diseases. Once established, they typically need less water than non-natives, making them a smart and sustainable choice.
They also play a vital role in supporting wildlife. Native plants provide food through berries, seeds, and nectar, as well as layers of shelter for birds and pollinators. By incorporating a mix of grasses, perennials, vines, and trees, you create a thriving habitat right in your own landscape.
Non-native species, on the other hand, can become invasive and crowd out the beneficial plants local wildlife depends on.
Convinced? Let’s look at some of the best native options for Raleigh.
Native Trees
- American Holly: A beautiful woodland evergreen with striking red berries that attract bluebirds during the winter months.
- Flowering Dogwood: North Carolina’s state flower and a favorite for woodland gardens or shaded areas. Newer hybrid varieties can handle sunnier spots.
Native Shrubs
- American Beautyberry: Produces clusters of bright purple berries in fall, attracting migrating songbirds like black-throated blue warblers. Pink flowers bloom in early summer.
- Winterberry Holly: A deciduous holly that drops its leaves in fall, leaving its clusters of vivid red berries on display all winter long.
- Virginia Sweetspire: Features arching branches, fragrant white flowers in summer, and colorful fall foliage that often lasts into early winter.
- Highbush and Lowbush Blueberries: Both produce delicious berries. Highbush grows tall, while lowbush (wild blueberry) stays knee-high and offers smaller, sweeter fruit. Bonus: brilliant fall color and spring blossoms.
Native Perennials
- Christmas Fern: Stays green year-round, with glossy fronds that thrive in shady, moist soil.
- Tiarella (Foam Flower): Offers heart-shaped, variegated foliage and delicate white spring flowers lasting up to six weeks.
- Creeping Phlox: Creates a carpet of bluish-purple blooms in spring, ideal as a ground cover.
- Butterfly Weed: Bright orange and yellow flowers bloom from late spring to summer, feeding butterflies and monarch caterpillars. Drought-tolerant and low-maintenance.
- Ironweed: Tall, sturdy stems topped with vivid purple blooms that butterflies love. Fluffy seed heads add texture into fall and winter.
Native Grasses
- Big and Little Bluestems: Prairie natives with copper-bronze winter color. Little bluestem reaches 2–3 feet, while big bluestem can grow up to 9 feet tall. Perfect for meadows or larger properties.
Native Vines
- Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens): A non-invasive, native honeysuckle with bright orange-red trumpet flowers loved by hummingbirds. Grows 10–15 feet tall and produces small red berries for birds.
- Passion Flower: A striking vine with intricate purple-and-white blooms from June to September. Found throughout North Carolina, it produces pods in fall and can sprawl across the ground or climb structures.
Why Go Native with Greenscape?
At Greenscape, Inc., we love native plants as much as the birds and butterflies do. They’re hardy, beautiful, and environmentally friendly — a true win-win for your property.
Let us help you select the perfect native plants to enhance your landscape.
We’ve been serving the full-service landscaping needs of commercial customers in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and Cary for more than 35 years. Our services include landscape management, lawn care, design and build, irrigation, landscape lighting, and more.
Call us at 919-552-7742 or fill out our online form to request a free consultation and learn how we can transform your landscape.