{"id":515,"date":"2011-07-18T15:26:00","date_gmt":"2011-07-18T15:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2011\/07\/three-native-perennials-for-southern-gardens.html"},"modified":"2025-12-19T15:33:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T20:33:58","slug":"three-native-perennials-for-southern-gardens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2011\/07\/three-native-perennials-for-southern-gardens.html","title":{"rendered":"Three Native Perennials for Southern Gardens"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n
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Butterfly Bush<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A weekend spent moving buckets of rocks and slates for the paths gave me quite the workout. I also weeded and spent time noticing which among the flowers growing on the hot, sunny slope of the flowers beds thrived, and which struggled. Hands-down, the winners are always native perennials here in the garden at Seven Oaks.<\/p>\n

What are native perennials, and why do they do so well? First, you have to understand that not all flowers are created equal (neither are trees, shrubs or vegetables, for that matter.)\u00a0 Before people planted gardens, all sorts of plants flourished on their own. Time and natural selection ensured that the healthiest, hardiest plants survived in whatever conditions they lived. If you live in a northern climate, for example, anything growing in the wild can survive your coldest winters. If you live in the south, native plants thrive in the heat. And so on and so forth.<\/p>\n

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Gaillarida, “Punch Bowl” hybrid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/a>This is a very simple way of describing native plants, but it gives new gardeners a clue as to why native plants are so great for the garden. First, they’re uniquely adapted to whatever the climate in your area throws their way – heat, drought, snow, rain, ice, whatever. In my part of the world here in south central Virginia, the climate varies from hot and dry to mild and rainy (or snowy).\u00a0 Our town is at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountain and the climate can vary a lot from year to year.<\/p>\n

I’ve noticed that the flowers that flourish in my garden are those that are native to the United States, and especially to the hot, dry plains regions of the USA.\u00a0 My soil is different, but the heat and drought conditions are the same.<\/p>\n

Native plants that love my southern garden include:<\/p>\n