Popularity, clearly labeled
The Most Popular North American Native Perennials
The three most-saved North American native perennials are Coneflower, Milkweed and Black-eyed Susan. Every perennial here is cataloged as North American native, and the order reflects gardener saves. Use regional guidance to determine which North American native species occur where you live.

Coneflower
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 187 varieties. Prominent cones support pollinators, then leave seed heads that feed birds.
Zones 4–9All 187 varieties →
Milkweed
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 27 varieties. Milkweeds are essential monarch host plants as well as rich nectar sources.
Zones 4–9All 27 varieties →
Black-eyed Susan
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 34 varieties. Dark-centered gold daisies create a durable bridge from summer into fall.
Zones 4–10All 34 varieties →
Blanket Flower
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 26 varieties. Warm, banded daisies keep flowering through heat that slows many perennials.
Zones 4–10All 26 varieties →
American Aster
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 37 varieties. North American asters provide essential late nectar in clouds of small daisies.
Zones 4–8All 37 varieties →
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 134 varieties. From creeping mats to tall fragrant panicles, phlox fills several garden layers.
Zones 4–9All 134 varieties →
False Indigo
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 40 varieties. Shrub-like clumps carry lupine-shaped flowers, then ornamental charcoal seedpods.
Zones 5–8All 40 varieties →
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 46 varieties. Daisy flowers extend the border season and offer late forage for insects.
Zones 4–8All 46 varieties →
Lupine
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 47 varieties. Palm-shaped leaves and dense flower spires bring bold meadow structure.
Zones 4–9All 47 varieties →
10Dahlia
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 120 varieties. From neat pompons to dinner-plate blooms, dahlias deliver late-season spectacle.
Zones 5–10All 120 varieties →
Beardtongue
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 88 varieties. Tubular flowers rise above tidy foliage and supply nectar in lean, sunny soil.
Zones 4–9All 88 varieties →
12Papaver
Poppy
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 44 varieties. Silken, crinkled petals make each short-lived flower feel like an event.
Zones 4–7All 44 varieties →
13Heuchera
Coral Bells
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 185 varieties. Scalloped foliage supplies season-long color in shades few perennials can match.
Zones 4–8All 185 varieties →
Joe Pye Weed
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 29 varieties. Broad, nectar-rich flower clusters crown tall stems in moist late-season borders.
Zones 4–9All 29 varieties →
15Vernonia
Ironweed
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 16 varieties. Tall stems finish the season with saturated purple flowers and strong winter structure.
Zones 5–9All 16 varieties →
16Viola
Violet / Pansy
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 44 varieties. Small, expressive flowers bring early color and often seed into charming colonies.
Zones 4–8All 44 varieties →
17Iris
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 269 varieties. Sword-like leaves and intricate flowers give beds a strong architectural rhythm.
Zones 4–9All 269 varieties →
Wild Buckwheat
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 19 varieties. Its representative is notable for being North American native and dry-spell tolerant.
Zones 4–8All 19 varieties →
19Verbena
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 57 varieties. Small flower clusters on airy stems add nectar without visually crowding a border.
Zones 5–10All 57 varieties →
20Chelone
Turtlehead
Ranked by its most-saved matching variety; the full catalog includes 6 varieties. Turtle-shaped flowers add late color to moist soil and streamside plantings.
Zones 4–8All 6 varieties →
About this list
How was this the most popular north american native perennials list ranked?
A plant must first match the catalog filters named in the title. Each genus is represented and ranked by its most-saved matching variety, so genera with many cultivars do not receive an automatic advantage.
Why plant North American native plants?
Regionally appropriate North American native plants can support specialist insects and other wildlife that depend on plants with which they evolved.
Are North American native plants low maintenance?
They can be when matched to the site, but “North American native” is not a care requirement. A wet-prairie plant still needs moisture, and a desert plant still needs drainage.
Track these in your garden
Save the ones you plant and get care reminders timed to your zone.


