YardNatives

Native plants for Montgomery County, New York

241 native plants recorded in Montgomery County, New York

The USDA plant database has 341 plants recorded growing wild in Montgomery County. 241 of them are native to the lower 48, and 36 are introduced species that this page leaves out.

By type: 127 wildflowers and herbs, 76 grasses and sedges, 10 shrubs, 6 low woody plants, 16 trees, 6 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 87 of them (36%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Annual ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) and 6 more are also recorded as introduced.

What fits each kind of spot in Montgomery County

SpotRated to fitRated not toUnrated
Sun all day860155
Half shade4937155
Under trees2165155
Heavy clay6423154
Sandy, drains fast5433154
Never watered3849154
Stays soggy5037154

Sun all day in Montgomery County: 86 rated natives

36 grasses and sedges, 24 wildflowers and herbs, 14 trees, 6 shrubs, 3 vines, 3 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Common blue violet (Viola sororia) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  2. Common goldstar (Hypoxis hirsuta) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  3. Groundnut (Apios americana) vines
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
  4. Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  6. Tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  7. Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  8. Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial

Half shade in Montgomery County: 49 rated natives

22 grasses and sedges, 13 wildflowers and herbs, 8 trees, 3 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
  2. Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
  3. Common blue violet (Viola sororia) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  4. Common goldstar (Hypoxis hirsuta) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  6. Tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  7. Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  8. Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · toxicity: slight

Under trees in Montgomery County: 21 rated natives

10 grasses and sedges, 7 wildflowers and herbs, 2 shrubs, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  2. Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  3. Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
  4. Knotted rush (Juncus nodosus) grasses and sedges
    USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. Purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) grasses and sedges
    USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  6. Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: severe
  7. Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
    USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  8. Common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) shrubs
    USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight

Heavy clay in Montgomery County: 64 rated natives

28 grasses and sedges, 17 wildflowers and herbs, 12 trees, 4 shrubs, 2 vines, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Groundnut (Apios americana) vines
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
  2. Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  3. Common blue violet (Viola sororia) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  4. Common goldstar (Hypoxis hirsuta) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  6. American black currant (Ribes americanum) shrubs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial
  7. Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
  8. Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial

Sandy, drains fast in Montgomery County: 54 rated natives

16 wildflowers and herbs, 14 grasses and sedges, 13 trees, 6 shrubs, 3 vines, 2 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Groundnut (Apios americana) vines
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
  2. Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  3. Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  4. Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
  6. American black currant (Ribes americanum) shrubs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial
  7. Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
  8. Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial

Never watered in Montgomery County: 38 rated natives

10 grasses and sedges, 10 trees, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 6 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Common goldstar (Hypoxis hirsuta) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  2. Northern bedstraw (Galium boreale) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  3. Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  4. Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. American black currant (Ribes americanum) shrubs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial · high drought tolerance
  6. Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
  7. Mapleleaf viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium) shrubs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · perennial · high drought tolerance
  8. Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) shrubs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial

Stays soggy in Montgomery County: 50 rated natives

27 grasses and sedges, 13 wildflowers and herbs, 6 trees, 2 vines, 1 low woody plants, 1 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

  1. Cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
  2. Groundnut (Apios americana) vines
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
  3. Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
  4. Common goldstar (Hypoxis hirsuta) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  5. Tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta) low woody plants
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
  6. Jack in the pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
  7. Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum) wildflowers and herbs
    USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
  8. Bailey's sedge (Carex baileyi) grasses and sedges
    USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil

Where to start in Montgomery County

If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Montgomery County gives you the most rated choice (86 plants), and Common blue violet (Viola sororia) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 21 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 155 unrated natives too.