Louisiana Native Plants, State Flower & State Bird

Hello native plant enthusiasts! In the list below, you will find popular native plants and wildflower seeds, available from American Meadows, that have a native distribution in your state. You’ll also find information about your state bird, state flower, and state wildflower!

• The links will take you to a single plant or seed selection for the plant listed -- but in many cases, we offer multiple cultivars for each plant, and we may offer both seeds and potted plants to grow the plant on your list. This list is a work in progress as we expand our native plant educational resources. 
• The list for your state is a great place for getting started with native plants - but it is by no means a comprehensive listing of the hundreds of native plants growing in each state. 

Grow our Native Southeast Wildflower Seed Mix!

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis)

Giant Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia maxima)

Black Eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Pale Purple Coneflower (Echinacea pallida)

Yellow Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

White Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)

Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Common White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Helenium (Helenium autumnale)

Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Brown Pelican ~ Pelecanus occidentalis
On the ground, the Pelican wins no beauty contest. But once he is airborne, even his ponderous bill cannot mar the inexpressible dignity of his powerful, sweeping wing-beats. When fishing, they may dive from as high as sixty or seventy feet. They spot their prey and abruptly tip forward and fall with half-closed wings to strike deep into the sea, seize a fish, and then take off into the wind.

Magnolia ~ Magnolia grandiflora
Towering ninety feet into the air after 75 to 100 years in the garden, and spreading to half that distance if not crowded, the southern Magnolia is truly a stately tree. Its gleaming dark green leaves, with undersides coated with a tan suede-like covering, serve as foils for some of the largest and most fragrant white blossoms found on any tree. Ordinary seedling trees of the species may take fifteen years to blossom and then bear flowers eight inches across. The flowers bloom abundantly in spring and summer, and occasions blossoms appear the rest of the year if night temperatures stay above forty degrees. Magnolias are practically pest-free and are used as shade and street trees.

From The Wildflowers of the 50 States U.S. stamps issued July 24, 1992:

• Native plants are essential for healthy ecosystems and habitat. They have evolved over time with local wildlife and climate conditions. Many pollinators have special relationships with native plants that they rely on for survival. For instance, some bees are specialists and require nectar and pollen from specific native plants to survive; and butterflies and moths often have specific host plants needed to nourish their caterpillars. For example, Asclepias (Milkweed or Butterfly Weed) is the host plant required for Monarch caterpillars to survive and grow into Monarch Butterflies!
• It’s OK to grow native plants in your yard that may not be native to your state or region. Remember – just because a plant is not native, does not necessarily mean that it is invasive or harmful. In fact, growing well-behaved introduced plants that are suited to your growing conditions can still provide many benefits to your yard (especially when compared to a traditional turf lawn).  
• Know before you grow – It's always a good idea to learn what plants are native, well-behaved, and invasive or aggressive in your region before digging in.
• Learn More: All About Native Plants

Explore our full selection of native plants and seeds