Native Plants & Wildflowers

One of the delights of our Conservation areas, Provincial and National Parks are the plants in their natural habitats. These native plants have evolved to survive in the natural areas of these particular regions.

Many of these plants will adapt to conditions found in suburban or rural gardens. When you think of White Pine, Sugar Maple, Red Oak, Paper Birch, or Hemlock you have a distinct image of Eastern Canada.

Learn how to use native plants and wildflowers in your outdoor space.

Smaller Native Plants

The Downy Serviceberry and Pagoda Dogwood are easy to grow, will handle full sun or shade, flower in spring, and have attractive coloured autumn foliage and fruit.
Bayberry with its waxy, blue-grey, aromatic fruit.
St. John’s Wort with its bright golden-yellow flowers against blue-green leaves.
Fragrant Sumac with its brilliant red fall foliage and adaptability to poor soil.
Red Osier Dogwood with its burgundy-red twigs looks great in the winter.

Large Native Plants

Ohio Buckeye, Ironwood, Tamarack, Balsam Fir, and White Spruce, are large specimens that may cast significant shade and/or produce acidic soil.
Some may grow too large for a small city or suburban property. However, if your property is an acre or more, they are ideal and require little maintenance.

Wildflowers

Wildflowers fall roughly into two categories.

1) Those that naturally grow in forest shade – Trillium, Dog-toothed Violets, Hepatica, Bloodroot, Jack-in-the- Pulpit, Ferns, Solomon’s Seal, and Wild Ginger. These native flowers grow in the richest, blackest loam soil imaginable created by decades of decaying leaves, twigs, and branches.

You need to provide a similarly rich soil condition that drains well.
For sandy or clay soil, add a lot of compost, peat moss, and manure.
Plant other shade-tolerant perennials like Astilbe, Daylilies, or Hostas in the immediate vicinity since many of the spring flowering wildflowers disappear completely after flowering.
Mulch between plants to conserve moisture and help minimize weeds.

2) Those that grow in the sun in open meadows – Mullein, Joe-Pye Weed, Goldenrod, Swamp Milkweed, and Butterfly Weed. Wildflowers for sun can easily be started from seed mixtures that are composed of annuals, biennials, and perennials.

They grow randomly in a scattered pattern.
Some statuesque wildflowers are highly prized in perennial borders where they look perfectly at home and contained, rather than sprawling.
When trying to grow native plants in your own garden, try to recreate their natural growing habitat.
Never take wild specimens directly from nature. They are protected by law so future generations can also admire them in the wild rather than at a Botanical Garden. Sheridan Nurseries Garden Centres only sell native plants that are propagated by seed, division, or cuttings. Browse our Sheridan Garden Classics Native Roots Collection.