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
Delaware · Zone 7
Native Plants for Full Sun in Delaware
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 Delaware and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Delaware's mild, humid climate across Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Spotted Joe-Pye Weed and New England Aster. 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
51 native species for Delaware
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Give it full sun and it flowers in Sep and Oct, 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Give it full sun and it flowers in Aug and Sep, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A sun-lover that flowers in Mar and Apr, standing 20–30 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Give it full sun and it 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
Give it full sun and it flowers in May and Jun, 6–10 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jun and Jul, 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–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
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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Made for open ground — flowers in Sep and Oct, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Made for open ground — blooms Jun through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Made for open ground — flowers in Jun and Jul, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Oct, 2–5 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Made for open ground — flowers in Sep and Oct, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jul and Aug, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A sun-lover that blooms May through Aug, standing 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Made for open ground — flowers in Jul and Aug, 2.5–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
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
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Give it full sun and it flowers in Apr and May, 15–25 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Made for open ground — blooms Jul through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A sun-lover that blooms Apr through Sep, standing 8–15 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
27 more also qualify: Aromatic Aster, Obedient Plant, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Bergamot, Golden Alexanders, Prairie Blazing Star, Butterfly Weed, Cup Plant, Virginia Creeper, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Ninebark, New Jersey Tea, Stiff Goldenrod, American Elderberry, Wild Lupine, Fragrant Sumac, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly, Switchgrass, Big Bluestem, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Delaware
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.