Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Plant it and forget it: cold-hardy to zone 3 and for clay and loam ground, no fuss — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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- By state
- West Virginia
- Low-maintenance
West Virginia · Zones 5–7
Easy Native Plants in West Virginia
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 West Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for West Virginia's cool, humid, mountainous climate across Allegheny Mountains & Ridge-and-Valley, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Wild Geranium. 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
33 native species for West Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — lavender-pink flowers and good through zone 8, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
About as hard to kill as a native gets — cold-hardy to zone 4 and reaching 20–30 ft, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for clay and loam ground and 2–4 ft wide — it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Thrives on neglect once placed right: cold-hardy to zone 3 and white flowers; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Plant it and forget it: spreading 2–3 ft and reaching 3–4 ft, no fuss; it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Plant it and forget it: 1.5–2 ft wide and 2–4 ft tall, no fuss, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A beginner's native — 1.5–2 ft tall and bright gold flowers, content with whatever you give it, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Plant it and forget it: chartreuse-gold flowers and happy in clay and loam soil, no fuss; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Plant it and forget it: 4–7 ft tall and hardy in zones 6–10, no fuss, and 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 — hardy in zones 3–8 and reaching 1–2.5 ft, and forgives neglect; it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Thrives on neglect once placed right: for sand, clay, and loam ground and golden yellow flowers — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — creamy white flowers and happy in clay and loam soil, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A beginner's native — for clay and loam ground and coral-red flowers, content with whatever you give it; it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A beginner's native — sky blue flowers and hardy in zones 3–8, content with whatever you give it, flowering as it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
About as hard to kill as a native gets — cold-hardy to zone 3 and happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, and forgives neglect, and it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Plant it and forget it: 3–5 ft tall and white domes flowers, no fuss, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Thrives on neglect once placed right: 3–5 ft tall and spreading 2–3 ft; it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
About as hard to kill as a native gets — for clay and loam ground and cold-hardy to zone 3, and forgives neglect; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
About as hard to kill as a native gets — good through zone 9 and 30–50 ft tall, and forgives neglect, flowering as it flowers in Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 30–50 ft
- Blooms Jun
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
About as hard to kill as a native gets — reaching 5–10 ft and for clay, rocky, and loam ground, and forgives neglect; 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: hidden maroon flowers and 4–8 in tall, no fuss, flowering as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Common Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
About as hard to kill as a native gets — 3–5 ft tall and spreading 2–3 ft, and forgives neglect; it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
A beginner's native — reaching 6–12 ft and good through zone 9, content with whatever you give it, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
9 more also qualify: Inkberry Holly, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Sideoats Grama, Stiff Goldenrod, Pennsylvania Sedge, Little Bluestem, Christmas Fern.
Sourcing
Where to find these in West Virginia
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.