EPA Level III Ecoregion
Southeastern Plains
1798 native plants for the Southeastern Plains ecoregion (Richmond area).
The Southeastern Plains stretch from the Chesapeake down through the Carolinas and Georgia into Alabama and the Florida panhandle, taking in Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, Montgomery, and Tallahassee. Rolling terrain, sandy to loamy soils, hot humid summers, and mild winters give it a long growing season and steady rain through the year. Natives like sweetbay magnolia, white wild indigo, and seaside goldenrod suit that, though this ecoregion runs more than a thousand miles north to south, so check the individual plant page for the end of the range you actually garden in.
Conditions: Sandy to loamy soils over rolling terrain, 45–55 inches of rain spread through the year, hot humid summers and mild winters.
Cities and areas: Richmond, Raleigh, Columbia, Montgomery, Tallahassee, Baltimore.
1798 Native Plants for the Southeastern Plains
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
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
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
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
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
Drooping Prairie-coneflower
Ratibida pinnata
Mallow-rose
Hibiscus moscheutos
Nodding Onion
Allium cernuum
Brown-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
Blue Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Inland Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Smooth Aster
Symphyotrichum laeve
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Narrowleaf Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Smooth Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Golden Groundsel
Packera aurea
Soft rush
Juncus effusus
Sevenbark
Hydrangea arborescens
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
Indiangrass
Sorghastrum nutans
American Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Scarlet Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Aromatic Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Red-osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Narrowleaf Blue-eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Tall Blazing Star
Liatris aspera
Virginia Mountain-Mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Spotted Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Showing 48 of 1798. Enter your ZIP for the natives matched to your yard.
Fall care in the Southeastern Plains
What to do right now for plants commonly grown here. Each links to the full regional care guide for that species, with sources.
- Fall aster
Fall is bloom time. Aromatic aster flowers from late summer until the first frost.
- Garden phlox
Garden phlox blooms from mid summer to mid fall, so fall is for light tidying and steady moisture in Tallahassee.
- Buttonbush
Fall is a fine time to plant buttonbush as the weather cools. Keep the soil moist.
- Scarlet strawberry
Fall is a good time to plant new wild strawberry or divide runners in Tallahassee, while soil is still warm and the weather is easing.
- Blue woodland phlox
Cooler fall weather helps the plant recover. Tidy up and refresh the mulch.
- Basil beebalm
Fall is easier on the plant. Water as needed while the weather cools and let it finish blooming.
- Dwarf witch alder
Leaves turn orange, yellow, or red in fall. Color is usually best with good sun, though Tallahassee warmth may mute it.
- European columbine
Fall is a good time to sow seed or replace plants that struggled. Soil stays warm but days cool.
- Inkberry
Fall is a time to prepare for possible cold.
- Bigleaf hydrangea
Fall is a time to hold off on pruning.
Build a plan for the Southeastern Plains
The Pollinator Patch App turns plants like these into a front-yard plan tuned for the soil, climate, and HOA expectations of the Richmond area.