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Indiana Native Plants

FAQs about native plants in Indiana

Here are our collections of Indiana native plants that won’t just survive in Indy’s long and hot summers and extremely chilly winters, but will thrive. Each plant in these collections has evolved in Indiana, so they’re all well-suited to the wild temperature fluctuations Hoosiers experience! 

Our Indiana native plants for sale aren’t just great to look at either. They also come with a wide range of benefits that you simply can’t get with non-native plants. When you buy native plants for Indiana, you’re helping wildlife and humanity in more ways than one!

Not sure if these are the right Indiana native plants for your garden? Try using a native plant finder by ZIP code instead! Not in Indiana? Then use our native plant by state finder.

Orange Butterfly Milkweed 3-Plant Set (Full Sun) Full Sun - Garden for Wildlife

Orange Butterfly Milkweed Plant Sets (I)

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Monarch Munchables (I) 6-Plant Collection Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Monarch Munchables 6-Plant Collection

$68.00
$68.00
$68.00
Hummingbird Heroes Plant Collections (I) Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Hummingbird Heroes Plant Collections (I)

from $68.00
from $68.00
$68.00
Swamp Milkweed 3-Plant Set Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Swamp Milkweed Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Pollinator Power Plant Collections (I) Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Pollinator Power Plant Collections (I)

from $68.00
from $68.00
$68.00
Spring Bee Buffet 6-Plant Collection Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Spring Bee Buffet 6-Plant Collection

$68.00
$68.00
$68.00
Monarch Munchables (I) 12-Plant Collection Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Merry Monarchs Plant Collections (I)

from $108.00
from $108.00
$108.00

Pollinator Picnic Plant Collections (I)

from $108.00
from $108.00
$108.00
Whorled Milkweed 3-Plant Set Full Sun - Garden for Wildlife

Whorled Milkweed Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00

Summer Songbird Plant Collections (I)

from $68.00
from $68.00
$68.00
Grayleaf Goldenrod 3-Plant Set (Full Sun) Full Sun - Garden for Wildlife

Grayleaf Goldenrod Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Garden For Wildlife Gift Card Gift Cards - Garden for Wildlife

Garden For Wildlife E-Gift Card

from $35.00
from $35.00
Little Bluestem Grass 3-Plant Set Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Little Bluestem Grass Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Great St. John's Wort 3-Plant Set Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Great St. John's Wort Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
New
Hummingbird Haven Plant Collections (I) Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Hummingbird Haven Plant Collections (I)

from $108.00
from $108.00
$108.00
Firefly Delight 12-Plant Collection

Firefly Delight 12-Plant Collection

$108.00
$108.00
$108.00
Sold Out
Carolina Rose Shrub Part Shade - Garden for Wildlife

Carolina Rose Shrub

$69.00
$69.00
$69.00
Rain Garden 12-Plant Collection Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Rain Garden 12-Plant Collection

$108.00
$108.00
$108.00
Purple Lovegrass Plant Sets Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Purple Lovegrass Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
New
Purple Coneflower Plant Sets Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Purple Coneflower Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00

Pollinator Pleaser Plant Collections

from $108.00
from $108.00
$108.00
Monarch Munchables 18-Plant Collection Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Monarch Munchables 18-Plant Collection

$148.00
$148.00
$148.00
Rough Blazing Star Plant Sets Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Rough Blazing Star Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Prairie Blazing Star Plant Sets Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Prairie Blazing Star Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Prairie Dropseed Grass Plant Sets Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Prairie Dropseed Grass Plant Sets

from $42.00
from $42.00
$42.00
Summer Songbird Plant Collections (II) Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Summer Songbird Plant Collections (II)

from $108.00
from $108.00
$108.00
Purple Pollinator Pleaser 12-Plant Collection Plants - Garden for Wildlife

Purple Pollinator Pleaser 12-Plant Collection

$108.00
$108.00
$108.00
butterfly icon You’ll help birds, pollinators such as bees, butterflies, other insects, amphibians and small mammals, and reptiles. globe icon Your impact reaches far beyond your own garden. You’ll be creating habitat for declining wildlife, but also helping to reduce urban heat islands and manage storm water runoff. house icon Bring nature home. There’s no easier place to get a daily dose of nature and the physical, mental and spiritual benefits. hands holding a plant icon All orders support our non-profit mission to help declining wildlife and expand native plant availability nationwide.

About Indiana native plants

It’s no secret that we get some extreme weather in Indy. We get the hot summers, with July regularly getting to 83°F. In January, it can drop to 22°F. And both spring and fall are wildly unpredictable, with the temperature going from one extreme to another on a daily, sometimes even hourly, basis! But finding plants that will survive in the face of such unpredictability is not the challenge you might think.

Indiana native plants have been growing in Indiana for millenia. Many of them thrived even without any help from humans at all. These plants are used to the cold and have adapted to even the chilliest of Indiana's winters. They’re also accustomed to the natural levels of rainfall in Indiana, so you won’t need to water them as much as non-native plants.

These Indiana native plants are well-equipped to obtain the nutrients they need from the soil, decreasing the need for fertilizer. When you buy plants native to Indiana, it’s also best to go pesticide-free as much as possible to make your garden as healthy and habitable for wildlife.

The growing conditions in Indiana

The US Department of Agriculture has classed Indiana as having only two hardiness zones, 5a to 6a. That’s great news for gardeners, as it’s going to be much easier to find Indiana native plants for sale that will thrive in your garden. While people living in states like Florida have to use a zip code native plant finder, Hoosiers can tend to find the perfect Indiana native plants according to the state.

And with some of the most fertile soil in the US, it’s a real pleasure to garden in Indy. When you buy Indiana native plants and get them into that rich soil, the maintenance levels are going to be low compared to non-native plants. From the green to the brown-thumbed, Indiana is a garden-lovers paradise — especially when it comes to growing native Indiana plants. Even if you’re famous in your family for not keeping plants alive, don’t panic. If you forget to water your native plants occasionally, they’ll be fine for years to come.

Why plant Indiana native plants?

When you plant native plants in your garden that have evolved to fit within the local ecology, you're doing a lot more than simply making your garden look nice. You’re also helping local wildlife, soil health, and water use. Indiana native plants play an essential part in the intricate web of the world around us. They aren’t just adapted to the Indiana climate, but they also sustain a massive range of wildlife, including pollinators.

Non-native, invasive species do just the opposite. While not all non-natives are bad for the local ecology, non-native invasives crowd out native plants, and they are often not a good source of food or habitat for local pollinators and other wildlife. Indiana pollinators, and the species that depend on them, need access to healthy habitats with native plants. Habitat loss is one of the largest drivers of declines for insects, birds, and other native wildlife. In the last 50 years, it's estimated that the US has lost 3 billion birds, and restoring habitat is one of the most important solutions to addressing this alarming decline..

From bees and butterflies to attracting fireflies to your Indiana garden, we need to do all we can to help nature fight back.

Are native plant gardens messy?

Everyone's tastes are different when it comes to plants. Some people prefer a wilder look, while others want a pristine garden full of symmetry. And there’s this consistent worry that gardens full of Indiana native plants are, by their very nature, messy. That’s simply not the case.

However you design your garden, native plants can help you accomplish your preferred look. The key thing to remember is that you must choose Indiana native plants that get the right amount of light. Some plants prefer up to eight hours of direct sunlight a day, while others prefer more shaded environments. Check the light conditions in your garden to help narrow down the best Indiana native plants for your garden. Check out our guide to plants and sunlight for more info.

 

FAQs about native plants in Indiana

The lawn is a seemingly quintessential part of American homeowner culture and design. It’s a status symbol to have a lawn in the US, and Indiana is no different. The problem is that lawns are far from natural and eliminate habitat for wildlife, impacting local biodiversity. As pollinator habitats disappear rapidly, we need to rethink our approach to the American lawn.

The anti-lawn movement is growing across the US. In Indiana, around 5% of the land area is covered in lawn grass, and none of that lawn does not provide the necessary ecological value to support local bees and butterflies.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can keep your lawn by all means, but adding even a few plants from our collections of Indiana native plants for sale means you immediately provide food, shelter, and habitats for local pollinators. Just a few native plants in your garden means you're doing your part to help save butterflies and bees, which are seeing declining population numbers.

It’s estimated that more than 80% of the invasive plant species found in Indiana have been planted by those in the landscape trade. That includes very invasive and hardy non-native species like the Callery pear tree and the Burning Bush. These non-native invasive species grow quickly and are extremely resistant to landscape cultivation. They quickly take over local environments, crowding out Indiana native plants. That means we lose native plants, and with them the vital ecological services they provide.

Invasive non-native plants do more than that. They also cost a lot of money to keep under control. In 2019, the Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation department spent over $140,000 on tackling invasive plant species. Callery pears are particularly prevalent in Indiana because they’re extremely adaptable. Their fruits are also ingested by birds, who disperse the seeds to new places.

You can check out the Indiana Invasive Species Council for a complete list of the invasive plants that you should avoid planting in the state. However, it’s important to note that not all non-native plants are invasive, and many will be fine to plant in your garden.

You don’t need a lot of specialist skills to get started with pollinator gardening in Indiana. Indy is one of the easiest states to garden in the entire US! More people than ever are transforming their gardens into havens for pollinators, and it’s incredibly simple to get started.

Begin by checking out our collections of Indiana native plants for sale. Choose the ones that are best suited to the light conditions of your outdoor space. Then dig into your pollinator plant planting! A top tip when designing your garden layout is to plant your Indiana native plants in clusters. This will cut down on the distance bees and butterflies have to travel to get to their plant of choice.

If you're planning to attract monarch butterflies in time for the summer breeding season in Indiana, plant as much Milkweed and Monarch-friendly nectar-producing plants as possible. Milkweed and monarch butterflies are critical parts of Indiana’s biodiversity and need all the help they can get.

This is a very common question, and it’s a popular claim among landscapers who prefer to plant invasive non-native plants. Native plant gardens will attract more wildlife across the board and from various places in the food web, including prey and the predators that help keep their populations in check. This is the hallmark of a healthy ecosystem, and the kind of environment we hope you will cultivate in your Indiana native plant garden.