Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay, rocky, and loam ground and hardy in zones 4–9, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Georgia · Zones 6–9
Easy Native Plants in Georgia
Forgiving, hard-to-kill natives for first-time gardeners and anyone who wants a beautiful yard without the upkeep. Every species here is genuinely native to Georgia and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–9 — proven performers for Georgia's humid subtropical climate across Piedmont, Blue Ridge & Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Eastern Redbud and Arrowwood Viburnum. The easiest natives are the ones already adapted to your local soil and rainfall, so they need no fertilizer, no irrigation after year one, and no winter coddling. Start with these, plant them where their light and moisture needs are genuinely met, mulch the first year, and the maintenance shrinks to a single late-winter cleanup. Right plant, right place does ninety percent of the work.
The plants
31 native species for Georgia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–9 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A beginner's native — for clay and loam ground and reaching 6–10 ft, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: bright gold flowers and reaching 1.5–2 ft, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — reaching 15–25 ft and cold-hardy to zone 3, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
About as hard to kill as a native gets — coral-red flowers and good through zone 9, and forgives neglect — it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Thrives on neglect once placed right: reaching 4–7 ft and 4–7 ft wide — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for rocky and loam ground and red & yellow flowers, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for sand, clay, and loam ground and 1.5–3 ft tall, and forgives neglect — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: happy in clay and loam soil and good through zone 8; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay, rocky, and loam ground and rosy purple flowers — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Plant it and forget it: for clay and loam ground and 3–5 ft tall, no fuss; it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Thrives on neglect once placed right: reaching 2–4 ft and spreading 2–4 ft; it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Thrives on neglect once placed right: white domes flowers and 3–5 ft tall; it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A beginner's native — reaching 1.5–3 ft and white (wild form) flowers, content with whatever you give it; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 3–4 ft tall and hardy in zones 3–9; it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–8 and white flowers, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — lavender-pink flowers and spreading 1.5–2 ft, and forgives neglect — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A beginner's native — 1.5–2.5 ft tall and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
About as hard to kill as a native gets — hardy in zones 3–9 and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
A beginner's native — hardy in zones 3–9 and for sand, clay, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A beginner's native — happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and white to pink flowers, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A beginner's native — reaching 6–12 ft and 6–12 ft wide, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A beginner's native — 2–6 ft tall and 5–10 ft wide, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — violet-blue flowers and for clay and loam ground, and forgives neglect, and it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
7 more also qualify: Wild Ginger, Virginia Creeper, Common Boneset, Inkberry Holly, Little Bluestem, Christmas Fern, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Georgia
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.