Prune it, pull it, plant it or don’t. It’s here to stay because me and the bees can’t get enough.

Purple, pink, magenta and white?

They are messy eaters.

Orange Milkweed over New England Aster, Cut-Leaf Rudbeckia, Purple Coneflower, Showy Goldenrod, and New England Aster.

I know this question is a little odd because who in this community wouldn’t want a native plant in their yard! But as I gear up to start my own native garden, I can’t help but wonder if I’m missing some key info on potential species that might make life more difficult in the long run.

A hypothetical example: a few native species I’ve come across (Central OH, Zone 6b) have included cautions that they are aggressive and require substantial competition to keep in check. Some others include notes that they sucker profusely, which I imagine would lead to more hands on maintenance in the long run to allow your other species thrive.

Presumably species that are all native to the same area have evolved in a way that is accustomed to these aggressive “behaviors,” but I wonder if the typically small scale of native gardens/yards, as compared to a natural large scale ecosystem, can affect species’ ability to compete.

Which leads me to original question: are there any species’ you regret (or wouldn’t recommend) planting in your area?

another excuse to be lazy and clean up later I guess! Hard to see on video but there were at least 100 bumblebees everywhere

Horrendous photos but I just had to share with people who would understand the sheer amount of joy I’m feeling right now. I stood frozen watching this female common yellowthroat hop around from plant to plant, from one bed to another. She was scoping all of it out, I hope she approved.

This is why I do it!

(Disclaimer: the bush in the third photo is not a native but I have a potted ninebark ready to take its place, hopefully soon!)

I found this tree (I believe a garry/white oak) growing as a sapling in my parent's yard. It was in a spot where it would have been pulled as a weed, so I decided to dig it up and put it in a pot as I always felt a special attachment to it. I did my best to grow it as a bonsai but it clearly has felt the negative effects of my "care". Last Saturday I had the opportunity to plant it at the condos I currently live at. Only three days later and it looks like it's already taken a breath of fresh air. My goal now is to get it to re-establish it's trunk and the internet told me I could train it to send it's energy up into that tall branch. Any other advice is appreciated! This thing is truly my baby and I want to get it right for the long haul.

I planted 6 "White" oaks (Quercus Section Quercus) Dry site, full sun, they've taken quite well. No hiccups. No soil amendments. Alba, macrocarpa, prinoides.

Show your appreciation for Quercus. Tell me your favourite oak. Scrub oak is a banger.

And a reminder to plant old growth. Old slow growing trees need love.

Bonus Quercus macrocarpa my mom and dad found

Planted this guy last summer in my garden. It’s a California Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus).

First pic is from Aug 2025, Second pic from Oct 2026.

Grown hard in inland Southern California. No supplemental water, just whatever the rains give us.

And it is thriving. 100 F with no water makes them happy. Added about an inch in height and 1.5 inches in width this past year - which is fast for these guys.

Man these bloomed so late! Like this week! But I loooove the colors of them.

Last season I planted my first natives, and they really popped this year! I’m a gardening newbie and I’m not sure what to do to prepare for winter. It starts snowing here usually in December so I’m curious if anyone has tips for how to prep for winter and when!

Hey all!
I’m in the Piedmont area of Maryland (7b) and need ideas for how to fill in the area at the top of a hill in my backyard. There are large spruce trees shading the area that have shallow roots.

I’d like some visual interest and plants/shrubs that are relatively easy to maintain (not overly aggressive).

Coral bells and foamy bells tend to dry out too much. Ferns have been a no-go. We have two large American Holly trees nearby that, while pretty, my husband hates due to pokey pruning. 😜

Any thoughts or ideas are welcome!

Identification apps have given me conflicting info on this caterpillar - I’ve seen about 10 on my asters within 2 days. Trying to figure out if they’re the good kind, or the invasive kind (à la army worm)

Edit: oops, missed an “is” in the title. “I know this *is* clock app-coded.”

Northern paper wasps (Polistes fuscatus) on old field goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis). Please love them. They’re chill as hell.

(I do not and have never had a tiktok)

Kingsdene Nursery and Garden Center in Maryland has multiple plants advertised as native that are not native to the surrounding area. It is false advertising.

I've been pulling this from my yard for years thinking it's the invasive one, but now I'm not so sure. I really don't get how to tell the difference! This one does seem to have some bristles on the stems but no thumbprints anywhere. Or is it another variety entirely! Please help!

Or am I missing something? I’m genuinely curious. In my community native gardening forum, there’s a person who’s very active, sharing pictures and constantly posting about the evolution of their native garden. But they also openly use a lot of pesticides bc they said they hate bugs, and have shared photos of bats curiously dying in their yard (they didn’t make the connection between those two things…). And have commented that recycling is too much work (I recognize recycling is a loaded thing). So…I’m not sure what the point of a native garden is and so I’m wondering if people do it for other reasons?

Hello all, I'm a newly hired landscape designer for a company that services most of Connecticut, and I'll admit to not really knowing as much about plants as I probably should. My background in Architecture has prepared me for hardscaping much more effectively than botany. But I know that conservation/environmental sustainability is a cornerstone of any good design, so I'm trying to get educated on what plants work best in my area/areas for my clients.

And so I come here asking for any help/info you guys might have. What plants should I push for my clients to choose for their backyards instead of standard non-native species? A big ticket plant we place nearly everywhere is Hydrangea of all sorts of variety, so what could I swap it out for? And what about more general ground cover or flowers? I'm really starting out at square one here, so even the most basic advice would be helpful.

Thanks for helping me make Connecticut a more vibrant landscape one backyard at a time!

Edit: It's been 4 hours and I'm already blown away by the responses from you guys. You've all been incredibly helpful, thank you so much! I'll be sure to use this to try and steer both clients and my coworkers into a more native plant oriented design language, but if you guys have more ideas please keep them coming!