West Virginia 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

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod (Solidago rugosa)

Perennial Lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)

Black Eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Yellow Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum)

Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum)

Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba)

White Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)

Appalachian Sedge (Carex appalachia)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Black Cohosh (Actaea racemosa)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)

Meadow Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)

Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Common White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Helenium (Helenium autumnale)

Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Cardinal ~ Richmondena cardinalis
To watch the habits of a Cardinal family is fascinating. Father sits on an exposed perch for all to admire and pours out his series of whistles while Mother and her young remain hidden="hidden" in the foliage, occasionally uttering a sharp call note. Once primarily a southern bird, in recent years the Cardinal has steadily extended its range northward. Now, more and more people find their winter days enlivened by their compelling beauty.

Rhododendron Maximum ~ Rhododendron maximum
The Rhododendron of West Virginia sometimes grows to be a thirty-five-foot tree. This native species is perhaps the hardiest of all the evergreen Rhododendrons, and certainly the tallest and most treelike of the hardy northern types. Usually rose-colored, the flowers are about one-and-a-half inches across and slightly smaller than the Pacific Coast variety. Its flowers appear after the leaves of the current year’s growth are well expended. This new foliage hides the flower clusters to a considerable degree. This Rosebay Rhododendron, as it is also called, requires semi-shade to do well, and is frequently grown in gardens in the northern United States.

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