Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Give it full sun and it flowers in Apr and May, 25–50 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
- Home
- By state
- New Jersey
- Full sun
New Jersey · Zones 6–7
Native Plants for Full Sun in New Jersey
Sun-loving native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs for the hot, bright, open parts of the yard that bake all afternoon. Every species here is genuinely native to New Jersey and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–7 — proven performers for New Jersey's humid, four-season climate across Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Crossvine and Swamp Milkweed. A spot with six or more hours of direct sun is prime real estate for the prairie and meadow natives that evolved in the open — most want exactly that much light to bloom hard and stand up straight. Give them lean, well-drained soil rather than rich and pampered, skip the fertilizer, and they will reward the tough love with more flowers and sturdier stems.
The plants
51 native species for New Jersey
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Made for open ground — flowers in Jul and Aug, 3–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Give it full sun and it flowers in Apr and May, 15–25 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A sun-lover that flowers in Jun and Jul, standing 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A sun-lover that blooms Jul through Sep, standing 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Aug, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jul and Aug, 2.5–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Aug, standing 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 20–30 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Made for open ground — flowers in Aug and Sep, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Give it full sun and it blooms Apr through Jun, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Made for open ground — blooms Apr through Sep, 8–15 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
A sun-lover that blooms Jul through Sep, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Made for open ground — blooms Jun through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A sun-lover that flowers in Sep and Oct, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Made for open ground — blooms Jun through Aug, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jun and Jul, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Made for open ground — flowers in Aug and Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Made for open ground — blooms Sep through Nov, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A sun-lover that blooms May through Jul, standing 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Sep, standing 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Give it full sun and it flowers in May and Jun, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A sun-lover that blooms Jul through Sep, standing 5–8 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
27 more also qualify: Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Common Yarrow, Dense Blazing Star, Arrowwood Viburnum, New England Aster, Culver's Root, Pink Muhly Grass, Red-Twig Dogwood, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly, Bearberry, Common Boneset, Creeping Phlox, Virginia Creeper, New Jersey Tea, Ninebark, Stiff Goldenrod, Fragrant Sumac, American Elderberry, Common Milkweed, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Jersey
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.