Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
A beginner's native — happy in clay and loam soil and 2–3 ft wide, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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- By state
- New Jersey
- Low-maintenance
New Jersey · Zones 6–7
Easy Native Plants in New Jersey
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. 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 Swamp Milkweed and Serviceberry. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
32 native species for New Jersey
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–7 · see this collection in other states.
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
A beginner's native — for clay and loam ground and 15–25 ft tall, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
About as hard to kill as a native gets — happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and pink (then purple fruit) flowers, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Plant it and forget it: 15–25 ft wide and hardy in zones 4–9, no fuss, and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Plant it and forget it: spreading 1–2 ft and chartreuse-gold flowers, no fuss — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 8–15 ft tall and coral-red flowers, and forgives neglect, and it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Plant it and forget it: cold-hardy to zone 3 and reaching 2–4 ft, no fuss; it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–8 and spreading 12–18 in, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: hardy in zones 3–8 and happy in loam soil; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A beginner's native — cold-hardy to zone 3 and spreading 2–4 ft, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A beginner's native — good through zone 8 and for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A beginner's native — reaching 3–5 ft and cold-hardy to zone 3, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Plant it and forget it: 12–18 in wide and happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, no fuss; it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A beginner's native — 12–18 in wide and 1.5–3 ft tall, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 2–4 ft tall and spreading 1–2 ft, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Plant it and forget it: spreading 1.5–2 ft and good through zone 9, no fuss; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A beginner's native — cold-hardy to zone 3 and for clay and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A beginner's native — reaching 3–5 ft and for clay and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
A beginner's native — for clay and loam ground and white, white berries flowers, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 1.5–2.5 ft and good through zone 8, and forgives neglect — it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
About as hard to kill as a native gets — cold-hardy to zone 4 and for sand, clay, and loam ground, and forgives neglect; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — happy in clay and loam soil and 3–5 ft tall, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Plant it and forget it: hidden maroon flowers and cold-hardy to zone 3, no fuss; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Thrives on neglect once placed right: happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and reaching 30–50 ft, and it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
8 more also qualify: Ninebark, Stiff Goldenrod, Fragrant Sumac, American Elderberry, Common Milkweed, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge, Christmas Fern.
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.