You love local food, music, business, and art — so while you’re planning your garden this spring, why not choose local plants, too?
Native plants are naturally adapted to the local climate, provide sustenance to native wildlife, and save water by thriving on normal rainfall. Plus, they’re more visually diverse than, say, lawn grass.
Consider planting some Tennessee flora this spring. We’ll get you started.
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Water needs: Moist, dry
Light needs: Sun, shade, part-shade
Bloom time: May-September
Growing tips: Butterfly weed attracts aphids, which you can deal with by spraying with soapy water, blasting with high-pressure streams, or by leaving the aphids for ladybugs.
Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Monarch + Grey Hairstreak)
Carolina Jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens
Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-May; may bloom again in early fall and December
Growing tips: Make sure your soil is never completely dry. Use elastic stretch ties and prune Jessamine early in its blooming season to train and maintain your desired shape.
Attracts: Hummingbirds, butterflies (Spicebush Swallowtail)
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun, part-shade
Bloom time: March-June
Growing tips: Rich soil and structural assistance will help this vine climb to its full potential — up to 20 feet.
Attracts: Quail, purple finch, goldfinch, hermit thrush, and American robin
Wild Blue Indigo
Baptisia australis
Water needs: Moist
Light needs: Sun
Bloom time: April-July
Growing tips: Sow indigo in late fall or spring — but the historic South Carolina sprig is a labor of love, and won’t flower for up to three years.
Attracts: Native bumble bees
Wild Red Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Water needs: Moist, dry
Light needs: Shade, part-shade
Bloom time: February-July
Growing tips: Plant columbine in thin, well-drained soil to ensure a long lifespan. This flower struggles in heat, so plant in the shade before temperatures climb in spring.
Attracts: Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, hawk moths, finches, and buntings
