EPA Level III Ecoregion
Northern Piedmont
1363 native plants for the Northern Piedmont ecoregion (Lancaster area).
The Northern Piedmont runs from the Hudson Valley down through eastern Pennsylvania and Maryland into northern Virginia, taking in Lancaster, Reading, the western suburbs of Baltimore, and the Washington exurbs. It is rolling farm country on limestone and shale, with better soil than the mountains to the west and a longer season than the ridges. Natives like heart-leaf foamflower, sweetbay magnolia, and Appalachian-tea suit that middle ground, handling both the clay and the humid summers.
Conditions: Rolling limestone and shale soils, 40–48 inches of rain through the year, warm humid summers, moderately cold winters.
Cities and areas: Lancaster, Reading, Baltimore, Frederick, Trenton, Leesburg.
1363 Native Plants for the Northern Piedmont
HOA-friendly picks listed first. Pet-safety status varies by species; each plant page shows its sourced ASPCA status. Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Wild Red Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Common Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides
New Jersey-tea
Ceanothus americanus
Perennial Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida
Purple Lovegrass
Eragrostis spectabilis
Nodding Onion
Allium cernuum
Mallow-rose
Hibiscus moscheutos
Brown-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
Blue Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Smooth Aster
Symphyotrichum laeve
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Narrowleaf Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Inland Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Soft rush
Juncus effusus
Golden Groundsel
Packera aurea
Smooth Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Indiangrass
Sorghastrum nutans
American Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Sevenbark
Hydrangea arborescens
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Aromatic Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Red-osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Scarlet Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Spotted Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Virginia Mountain-Mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Creeping Polemonium
Polemonium reptans
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Gulf Muhly
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Showing 48 of 1363. Enter your ZIP for the natives matched to your yard.
Fall care in the Northern Piedmont
What to do right now for plants commonly grown here. Each links to the full regional care guide for that species, with sources.
- Autumn sage
Fall is when autumn sage blooms best, and the right prep helps it face a Lancaster winter.
- Golden alexanders
Fall is the best time to sow seed and tidy up.
- Walters violet
Fall is an easy time to plant or divide, since cooler air and rain help roots settle.
- Heart leaf foamflower
Fall is a calm time to plant, divide, and let leaves feed the soil.
- Fire pink
Fall is a good time to plant, divide, and let seed settle in.
- Creeping polemonium
Fall is a low-stress time to tidy up and divide.
- Golden groundsel
Fall is easy. Water if it is dry and let the leaves be.
- Spotted beebalm
Fall is for seed and cleanup. Easy chores keep it healthy for next year.
- Whorled tickseed
Fall is easy. Enjoy the last blooms and wait to cut back until the plant dies down.
- Whitetinge sedge
Fall is a good, low-stress time to plant or divide, and the plant needs little else.
Build a plan for the Northern Piedmont
The Pollinator Patch App turns plants like these into a front-yard plan tuned for the soil, climate, and HOA expectations of the Lancaster area.