Top Five Native Sun-loving Perennials for your Philadelphia region garden

Why add native perennials to your garden, you ask? How about all of the lively action you’ll be bringing to your yard? Feeding birds, bees, and butterflies around you? Adding to (or starting!) a network of gardens properties in your neighborhood? Philadelphia actually has significant notoriety for its famous gardens and is also home to some beautifully garden-scaped homes. Ardmore, Media, West Chester, Mount Airy all make for super enjoyable nightly walks, watching the action from yard to yard to yard. Here are our top five favorite sun loving native perennials to help you get the show started in your own backyard.

1. Aster

We love this one for ease of care and
providing flowers at a time of year when
little else does.

Height: 2-5’ tall depending on variety
Sun Requirements: Full-partial sun
Bloom time: Late Summer, early fall

2. Milkweed

Milkweed is the host plant for monarch butterflies,
who rely on this plant alone to reproduce.
Unfortunately, a loss in habitat for monarchs has
caused significant decline in monarchs over the
years. It is also deer resistant.

Height 3-4’
Sun requirements: full sun
Bloom time: Summer

3. Agastache Hyssop

A fragrant minty purple bloomer that is quite
easy to grow. It is also deer resistant.

Height 3-4’
Sun Requirments: Full Sun
Bloom time: Summer

4. Calamagrostis

This ornamental grass will add texture and height to
your garden. Great for mid or back tier of a garden.
Grasses are great for giving pollinators places to
hide, especially over the winter.

Height 4-5’ with seed heads
Sun requirements: full sun
Bloom time: puts seed heads out in the summer that
last until they are cut down

5. Echinacea

A well-loved and classic pink perennial that does
well in the garden provided the garden drains well.
You’ll be sure to see butterflies and bees visiting
their flowers and birds feasting on their seed
heads post bloom.
Height: 3-5’ depending on variety
Sun requirements: Full sun
Bloom time: