Rhode Island 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 Northeast Wildflower Seed Mix

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

Perennial Lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Black Eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)

White Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Pink Coreopsis (Coreopsis rosea)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Common White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Helenium (Helenium autumnale) (naturalized in New England)

Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Rhode Island Red
In Adamsville, Rhode Island, there is a monument to the Rhode Island Red, the famous bird with fan clubs as far away as India and Australia. This is the hen that gave the poultry industry to the world when it replaced the scrawny barnyard fowl. It is well-known for its succulent meat as well as for high-quality egg laying. Known throughout the world, the Rhode Island Red breed of poultry traces its ancestry back to a farm in Little Compton in the year 1854.

Violet ~ Viola palmata
Garden Violets are generally hybrids and may be purple, blue, yellow, white, or combinations of these, sometimes with double flowers and heart-shaped leaves. The Violet has long been regarded as a symbol of modesty. Followers of Napoleon, who promised to return from Elba with Violets in the spring, used the blossom as a badge. Various species, particularly the sweet Violet, have been used for perfume, dye, and medicine. Though in winter a Violet seems to disappear, it does not die. The rootstock shrinks, but with the coming of spring it sprouts anew. Violets have five petals, one upper pair and another pair separated by a broader petal.

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