Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
A sun-lover that flowers in Apr and May, standing 15–25 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
- Home
- By state
- West Virginia
- Full sun
West Virginia · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Full Sun in West Virginia
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 West Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for West Virginia's cool, humid, mountainous climate across Allegheny Mountains & Ridge-and-Valley, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Scarlet Beebalm. 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
59 native species for West Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
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
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Made for open ground — flowers in Jul and Aug, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
A sun-lover that flowers in Apr and May, standing 25–50 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Made for open ground — flowers in Mar and Apr, 20–30 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Give it full sun and it flowers in Aug and Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Made for open ground — flowers in Mar and Apr, 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A sun-lover that flowers in May and Jun, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Give it full sun and it blooms Aug through Oct, 5–8 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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
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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
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
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Jul, 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A sun-lover that flowers in Jul and Aug, standing 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Made for open ground — blooms Apr through Jun, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Made for open ground — blooms Jul through Sep, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Made for open ground — blooms Jul through Sep, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Made for open ground — blooms Jun through Sep, 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A sun-lover that flowers in May and Jun, standing 6–10 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Aug, standing 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A sun-lover that flowers in Jun and Jul, standing 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A sun-lover that flowers in Aug and Sep, standing 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
35 more also qualify: Cardinal Flower, Prairie Smoke, Anise Hyssop, Turk's Cap, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Butterfly Weed, Aromatic Aster, Cup Plant, Common Yarrow, Pink Muhly Grass, Wild Bergamot, New England Aster, Red-Twig Dogwood, Virginia Creeper, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, Inkberry Holly, Bearberry, Purple Prairie Clover, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Compass Plant, Sideoats Grama, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Stiff Goldenrod, New Jersey Tea, Indian Grass, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Prairie Dropseed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in West Virginia
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.