Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay and loam ground and 1–2 ft wide — it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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- New Hampshire
- Low-maintenance
New Hampshire · Zones 3–6
Easy Native Plants in New Hampshire
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 New Hampshire and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–6 — proven performers for New Hampshire's cool, humid continental climate across White Mountains & northern hardwoods, not a generic list. Local standouts include Golden Alexanders and Swamp Milkweed. 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
29 native species for New Hampshire
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay and loam ground and rose pink flowers, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
About as hard to kill as a native gets — spreading 3–5 ft and happy in clay and loam soil, and forgives neglect; it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A beginner's native — good through zone 9 and happy in sand, clay, and loam soil, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A beginner's native — spreading 3–6 ft and for clay and loam ground, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Plant it and forget it: good through zone 8 and happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil, no fuss; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay and loam ground and spreading 10–20 ft, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A beginner's native — rosy purple flowers and for clay, rocky, and loam ground, content with whatever you give it; it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 2–3 ft wide and royal purple flowers, and forgives neglect, and it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: cold-hardy to zone 4 and rose-magenta flowers, and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Plant it and forget it: 2–4 ft wide and cold-hardy to zone 3, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Thrives on neglect once placed right: creamy white flowers and happy in clay and loam soil; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Plant it and forget it: for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and hardy in zones 3–9, no fuss, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A beginner's native — happy in loam soil and reaching 1.5–2 ft, content with whatever you give it; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Plant it and forget it: for rocky and loam ground and hardy in zones 3–8, no fuss, flowering as it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Plant it and forget it: cold-hardy to zone 3 and bright gold flowers, no fuss — it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
A beginner's native — 2–3 ft wide and foamy white flowers, content with whatever you give it — it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
A beginner's native — 10–20 ft wide and hardy in zones 3–9, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — creamy umbels flowers and spreading 6–12 ft, and forgives neglect; 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 — 5–10 ft wide 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
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
A beginner's native — white to pink flowers and good through zone 7, content with whatever you give it; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Plant it and forget it: hardy in zones 3–7 and spreading 12–18 in, no fuss, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Thrives on neglect once placed right: good through zone 9 and spreading 4–8 ft, and it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
About as hard to kill as a native gets — dusty mauve-pink flowers and 3–5 ft tall, and forgives neglect — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
5 more also qualify: Blue Vervain, Red-Twig Dogwood, Christmas Fern, Little Bluestem, Pennsylvania Sedge.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Hampshire
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.