Get Started with WNC Native Plants
Starter Lists
Get inspired! On this page, you can browse the blooms of some of our favorite WNC natives. These pollinator-friendly plants are relatively easy to find and grow.
They also help you fulfill the plant requirements for our Native Pollinator Garden Certification. If you're starting from scratch, using one of these to guide your planting choices is the fastest way to create an effective pollinator habitat and get your certification. Please note that these plants aren't required. They are suggested here to make it easy to get started adding more native plants to your yard.
The Full List
Ready for even more options? Our Native Plants page is packed with valuable recommendations for WNC Native Pollinator-Friendly Plants, Nurseries and Landscapers. It’s an extensive (but not exhaustive) reference curated by an elite task force of local experts.
Starter List #1: Perennials for the Egg Tier
-
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
(Apr - Jun) -
Common yarrow
Achillea millefolium
(Apr - Sep) -
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
(Apr - Sep) -
Bee balm
Monarda didyma
(Jul - Sep) -
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
(Jun - Oct) -
Goldenrod
Solidago sp.
(Sep - Oct)
Starter List #2: Perennials for the Egg Tier
-
Creeping phlox
Phlox subulata
(Apr - Jun) -
Wild geranium
Geranium maculatum
(Apr - May) -
False blue indigo
Baptisia australis
(Apr - Jul) -
Butterflyweed
Asclepias tuberosa
(Jun - Sep) -
Black-eyed susan
Rudbeckia sp.
(Jun - Oct) -
Goldenrod
Solidago sp.
(Sep - Oct)
Starter List #3: Shrubs & Perennials for the Caterpillar Tier
-
Oakleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
(May-Sep) -
Arrowwood viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
(Mar - Apr) -
Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
(Apr - May) -
Common yarrow
Achillea millefolium
(Apr - Sep) -
Purple coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
(Apr - Sep) -
Bee balm
Monarda didyma
(Jul - Sep) -
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
(Jun - Oct) -
Goldenrod
Solidago sp.
(Sep - Oct)
Starter List #4: Shrubs & Perennials for the Caterpillar Tier
-
Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica
(May - Jun) -
Sweet pepperbush
Clethra alnifolia
(Jun - Aug) -
Lanceleaf coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
(Apr - Jun) -
Creeping phlox
Phlox subulata
(Apr - Jun) -
False blue indigo
Baptisia australis
(Apr - Jul) -
Butterflyweed
Asclepias tuberosa
(Jun - Sep) -
Dense blazing star
Liatris spicata
(Jul - Sep) -
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
(Aug - Oct)