Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Sep, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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Massachusetts · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Full Sun in Massachusetts
Sun-loving native wildflowers, grasses, and shrubs for the hot, bright, open parts of the yard that bake all afternoon. For Massachusetts, the right natives are shaped by Northeastern Coastal Forest & Cape and a cool, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Anise Hyssop and Foxglove Beardtongue to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Massachusetts and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
44 native species for Massachusetts
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Made for open ground — flowers in May and Jun, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A sun-lover that flowers in Sep and Oct, standing 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 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
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Made for open ground — flowers in Aug and Sep, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Give it full sun and it blooms Jul through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Give it full sun and it blooms Apr through Jun, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
A sun-lover that blooms Jul through Sep, standing 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
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
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Aug, 3–5 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Sep, standing 1.5–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A sun-lover that flowers in May and Jun, standing 6–10 ft tall.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
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
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Made for open ground — flowers in Mar and Apr, 20–30 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Aug, standing 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Made for open ground — flowers in Apr and May, 15–25 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Made for open ground — flowers in Aug and Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Give it full sun and it flowers in Sep and Oct, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Aug, 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Made for open ground — blooms May through Jul, 1.5–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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
20 more also qualify: Swamp Milkweed, Scarlet Beebalm, Common Boneset, Bearberry, Ninebark, Creeping Phlox, Blue Vervain, New Jersey Tea, Wild Lupine, Virginia Creeper, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, Inkberry Holly, American Elderberry, Little Bluestem, Big Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Prairie Dropseed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Massachusetts
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.