Here Are The Best Native Plants For Annapolis Gardens

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- Planting season, as Annapolis gardeners know, is officially upon us. And before you dig out those dusty trowels and gloves, take note of the plants that naturally grow in the area. We’re talking about native plants, which grew here long before Europeans started building settlements. They’re the foundation of the region’s biodiversity, and provide key food sources and shelter to birds.

Fortunately the folks at the National Audubon Society have done all the hard work to ensure gardeners have what they need to find the best native plants. The group has a database that includes perennials, shrubs, grasses, succulents, trees, vines and evergreens. Each entry also details what types of birds the plants attract.

The database allows users to filter results by plant type, resources and bird species they attract.

Regional Audubon experts hand-select the “best results” for each. In Annapolis, some of the best flowers to grow this season include Butterfly Milkweed, American Holly and Black Raspberry.

Here’s a roundup of some other great local options:

• American Black Elderberry
  • This bushy, wide spreading, perennial shrub grows 10 to 15 feet tall with deciduous compound leaves. It produces numerous white flowers during the summer and purple-black berries in late summer and fall that are eaten by many bird and mammal species. It grows in partial shade and in a variety of wet to dry soils, but is best in rich, moist, slightly acidic soils.
  • Birds they attract: Woodpeckers, thrushes, orioles, mockingbirds, thrashers, crows, jays, waxwings
• American Holly
  • It is an upright, pyramidal, evergreen tree that slowly matures to a height of 30 feet, sometimes even 60 feet in warmer areas. It is the only native U.S. holly with spiny green leaves and bright red berries. These fruits are poisonous to humans but enjoyed by many bird and mammal species. American Holly can grow in full sun to shade, and in moist, well-drained, sandy and loamy soils.
  • Birds they attract: Sparrows, waxwings, chickadees, vireos, wood warblers, mockingbirds, thrashers
• Black Raspberry
  • Also known as Thimbleberry, this perennial shrub produces 3 to 5 foot long thorny stems. It is commonly found in large colonies, blooming white flowers in May and June, and producing dark, purple-black fruit in the late summer. This plant can grow in full sun to shade, in dry, moist, and gravelly soils. It provides a source of food for birds and mammals, and nesting materials for native bees.
  • Birds they attract: Waxwings, wrens, mockingbirds, thrashers, woodpeckers, nuthatches, vireos
• Butterfly Milkweed
  • It typically grows in clumps up to 1 to 3 feet tall, and features clusters of bright orange to yellow-orange flowers. Its blooms are attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds, and like all milkweeds, it serves as a host plant for butterfly species including the Monarch. Drought tolerant, this plant grows in full sun and in dry to moist, well-drained, sandy soils.
  • Birds they attract: Sparrows, cardinals, grosbeaks, woodpeckers, wood warblers, crows, jays, mockingbirds, thrashers

These plants are key resources for birds and are relatively easy to grow. Perhaps just as importantly, many are available at local native plant nurseries, which the organization also lists.

Americans spent a record $47.8 billion on lawn and garden retail sales in 2017, according to the National Gardening Survey. The average household spent more than $500 on gardening. And while older adults accounted for 35 percent of all gardeners, millennials were getting their hands and knees dirty at all-time high levels. Adults 18-34 accounted for 29 percent of all gardeners, the survey found.

Among the recent trends — more people are investing in raised beds as opposed to digging holes, and they’re spending money on apps rather than glossy gardening books.

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.