Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Aug, standing 5–10 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Full Sun in Missouri
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 Missouri and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Missouri's humid continental to subtropical climate across Ozarks, glades & prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Buttonbush and Cup Plant. 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
63 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A sun-lover that blooms Jul through Sep, standing 5–8 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Pink Muhly Grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris
Give it full sun and it flowers in Sep and Oct, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
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
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
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A sun-lover that blooms Sep through Nov, standing 1.5–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
A sun-lover that blooms Jun through Sep, standing 1–2.5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 20–30 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
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
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Give it full sun and it flowers in Mar and Apr, 6–12 in tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Made for open ground — blooms Aug through Oct, 5–8 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
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
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
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A sun-lover that flowers in Jul and Aug, standing 2.5–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Give it full sun and it blooms Jul through Sep, 4–7 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Give it full sun and it blooms May through Sep, 1–2 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Give it full sun and it blooms Jun through Sep, 2–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A sun-lover that blooms Jul through Sep, standing 2–3 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jul and Aug, 3–4 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Give it full sun and it flowers in Apr and May, 25–50 ft tall.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Give it full sun and it flowers in Jul and Aug, 3–5 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
39 more also qualify: Black-Eyed Susan, Arrowwood Viburnum, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Cardinal Flower, American Beautyberry, Obedient Plant, Foxglove Beardtongue, Purple Coneflower, Showy Goldenrod, Golden Alexanders, Culver's Root, Serviceberry, Prairie Smoke, Butterfly Weed, Red-Twig Dogwood, Showy Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, Bearberry, Ninebark, Compass Plant, Rattlesnake Master, Common Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Inkberry Holly, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Sideoats Grama, Stiff Goldenrod, Virginia Creeper, Common Boneset, Blue Grama, American Elderberry, Creeping Phlox, Prairie Dropseed, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indian Grass, Big Bluestem.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Missouri
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.