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Native Annuals and Perennials for North Carolina Mountain Region

About 25 percent of the plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

Native Plants, Native Perennials, Native Annuals, North Carolina Native Plant, North Carolina Native Perennials, North Carolina Native Annuals, Fun Perennials, Sun Annuals

North Carolina is divided into three ecological regions: the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Mountains. Each region provides a rich variety of ecological habitats, supporting over 4,000 native plant species.

The Mountain region includes all portions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains that occur west of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. It is a deeply dissected mountainous area of numerous steep mountain ridges, intermontane basins, and trench valleys that intersect and give the area its rugged mountain character. The Blue Ridge contains the highest elevations and the most rugged topography in the Appalachian Mountain system of eastern North America. The Mountain region covers about 10% of the area of the state.

The Mountain region is home to many species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Noted for its short, mild winters and sultry summers, it can also support many non-native species which are beginning to make their way across the landscape. Regrettably, some of these exotic immigrants are invasive and are threatening the native flora and ecology of the state.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species, and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it has occurred naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants.

  • First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers, and pesticides or use less water.
  • Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats.
  • Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Here is a list of North Carolina native annuals and perennials that are well-suited for plantings in the Mountain Region.

  • Never collect native plants from the wild as it will deplete natural ecosystems. 
  • When possible, plant species grown straight from local seed sources. These native originals are the best choice, as they co-evolved with specific wildlife, which supports migration, breeding, and other seasonal interdependencies.

Guide Information

Plant Type Annuals, Perennials
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States

Recommended Native Annuals and Perennials for North Carolina Mountain Region

Ageratina altissima (White Snakeroot)
Amsonia tabernaemontana (Blue Star)
Aquilegia canadensis (Canadian Columbine)
Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed)
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Aster dumosus (Bushy Asters)
Campanulastrum americanum (American Bellflower)
Chelone lyonii (Pink Turtlehead)
Chelone obliqua (Twisted Shell Flower)
Chrysogonum virginianum (Green And Gold)
Coreopsis auriculata (Lobed Tickseed)
Coreopsis verticillata (Threadleaf Coreopsis)
Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s Breeches)
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Erigeron pulchellus (Robin’s Plantain)
Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset)
Eurybia divaricata (White Wood Aster)
Eutrochium fistulosum (Joe-Pye Weed)
Eutrochium purpureum (Sweet-Scented Joe-Pye Weed)
Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)
Helianthus angustifolius (Swamp Sunflower)
Heliopsis helianthoides (False Sunflower)
Hibiscus moscheutos (Hardy Hibiscus)
Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal)
Iris verna (Dwarf Violet Iris)
Liatris spicata (Blazing Star)
Lilium superbum (Lily)
Lobelia cardinalis (Cardinal Flower)
Lobelia siphilitica (Great Blue Lobelia)
Maianthemum racemosum (False Spikenard)
Mertensia virginica (Virginian Bluebells)
Monarda didyma (Scarlet Bee Balm)
Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot)
Oenothera fruticosa (Sundrops)
Packera aurea (Golden Ragwort)
Phlox carolina (Carolina Phlox)
Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)
Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)
Phlox stolonifera (Creeping Phlox)
Phlox subulata (Creeping Phlox)
Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant)
Polemonium reptans (Creeping Jacob’s Ladder)
Polygonatum biflorum (Great Solomon’s Seal)
Pontederia cordata (Pickerel Weed)
Rudbeckia hirta (Black-Eyed Susan)
Rudbeckia laciniata (Cutleaf Coneflower)
Rudbeckia triloba (Brown-Eyed Susan)
Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)
Scutellaria incana (Downy Skullcap)
Sedum ternatum (Wild Stonecrop)
Silene caroliniana (Wild Pink)
Silene stellata (Starry Campion)
Silene virginica (Fire Pink)
Solidago caesia (Wreath Goldenrod)
Solidago odora (Sweet Goldenrod)
Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink)
Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Blue Wood Aster)
Symphyotrichum laeve (Smooth Aster)
Thalictrum dioicum (Early Meadow Rue)
Tiarella cordifolia (Foam Flower)
Tradescantia ohiensis (Ohio Spiderwort)
Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)
Viola cucullata (Marsh Blue Violet)
Viola pedata (Bird’s Foot Violet)
Waldsteinia fragarioides (Barren Strawberry)
Zephyranthes atamasca (Atamasco Lily)
Actaea simplex (Bugbane)
Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-Eyed Susan)

Discover Helpful North Carolina Guides for Further Reading

Native Shrubs for North Carolina Mountain Region
Native Trees for North Carolina Mountain Region
Great Pollinator Plants for North Carolina
Monarch Nectar Plants for North Carolina
Native Grasses for North Carolina
Native Groundcovers for North Carolina
Invasive Plant Species in North Carolina
Native Vines for North Carolina
Native Ferns for North Carolina

Discover more beautiful North Carolina native plants

North Carolina native plants

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Plant Type Annuals, Perennials
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South

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