Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 12–18 in wide and good through zone 8, and it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Easy Native Plants in Missouri
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 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 Wild Columbine and Common Yarrow. 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
35 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Thrives on neglect once placed right: good through zone 9 and white (wild form) flowers; it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Plant it and forget it: hardy in zones 3–8 and sky blue flowers, no fuss, flowering as it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A beginner's native — reaching 3–5 ft and for clay and loam ground, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Plant it and forget it: spreading 15–25 ft and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, no fuss — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Plant it and forget it: royal purple flowers and reaching 3–5 ft, no fuss — it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for sand, rocky, and loam ground and reaching 1.5–2 ft, and forgives neglect, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Plant it and forget it: reaching 3–4 ft and happy in clay and loam soil, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Plant it and forget it: reaching 1.5–3 ft and for sand, clay, and loam ground, no fuss — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 1.5–2 ft wide and for loam ground, and forgives neglect, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A beginner's native — hardy in zones 3–8 and creamy white flowers, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Plant it and forget it: for clay and loam ground and good through zone 9, no fuss, and 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: hardy in zones 6–10 and spreading 4–7 ft, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
About as hard to kill as a native gets — cold-hardy to zone 3 and pink flowers, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A beginner's native — happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and white flowers, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A beginner's native — good through zone 9 and 2–4 ft tall, content with whatever you give it — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — chartreuse-gold flowers and happy in clay and loam soil, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Plant it and forget it: happy in clay and loam soil and 10–20 ft wide, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Plant it and forget it: happy in clay and loam soil and 6–10 ft wide, no fuss; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
A beginner's native — 1.5–3 ft wide and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Plant it and forget it: spreading 5–10 ft and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Thrives on neglect once placed right: hardy in zones 3–9 and dusty mauve-pink flowers; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A beginner's native — spreading 5–10 ft and hardy in zones 3–9, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Plant it and forget it: happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and good through zone 9, no fuss; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
11 more also qualify: Wild Ginger, Blue Vervain, Sideoats Grama, Stiff Goldenrod, Virginia Creeper, Common Boneset, Blue Grama, American Elderberry, Christmas Fern, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge.
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.