Part Of The American Meadows Meadowscaping Learning Center
Pennsylvania Native Plants, State Flowers & State Bird
Native plants are adaptable, low-maintenance, and beautiful. They are the best choice for habitat-friendly gardens and thriving ecosystems. Find top picks for native plants in your state - and learn about your state bird and state flowers!
Follow Along With More Of Our Guides
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!
About Our Native Plant Lists For Each State
- 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.
Pennsylvania Native Plants
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)
Long Beaked Sedge (Carex sprengelii)
White Tinged Sedge (Carex albicans)
Appalachian Sedge (Carex appalachia)
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 divaricata (Woodland Phlox)
Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Blazing Star (Liatris spicata)
Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)
Meadow Anemone (Anemone canadensis)
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
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)
Common White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Helenium (Helenium autumnale) (naturalized in New England)
Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)
Pennsylvania State Bird, State Flower & State Wildflower
Ruffed Grouse ~ Bonasa umbellus
One morning in spring, the male Ruffed Grouse will suddenly start a slow drumming of its wings that gradually increases, moving faster and faster until they vanish in a blur. That frightful booming roll is his love call, which is also a warning to rivals that he has staked a territory and will defend it against all newcomers. The name of America’s finest upland game bird is derived from the ruff of greenish-black feathers draped around its neck and shoulders.
Mountain Laurel ~ Kalmia latifolia
Mountain Laurels are cold-resistant shrubs with lustrous, dark green leaves that are attractive at all seasons. The leaves are nearly hidden beneath the large clusters of small cup-like blossoms in the late spring. The flowers range in color from nearly white to deep pink and almost red. Brownish flecks inside the cups look like freckles or sprinkles of nutmeg. The structure of the flower is unusual – each stamen is held in a tiny slot under tension, until it is released when bees touch down, catapulting its pollen onto them.
From The Wildflowers of the 50 States U.S. stamps issued July 24, 1992:
About Native Plants
- 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
More From Our Learning Center
