Land Stewardship
Native plant swaps for common suburban ornamentals
April 9, 2025 · 5 min read
You do not have to compromise on the look you like. Almost every popular non-native ornamental has a native equivalent that fills the same visual role and supports orders of magnitude more insect and bird life.
Trees
Callery pear → serviceberry or American plum for spring bloom. Norway maple → sugar maple or black gum for shade and fall color. Bradford pear → hawthorn or crabapple species for four-season interest. Ginkgo → native tulip poplar or American beech.
Shrubs
Burning bush → native highbush blueberry, chokeberry, or oakleaf hydrangea for red fall color. Barberry → ninebark, spicebush, or Virginia sweetspire. Boxwood → inkberry holly for a native evergreen equivalent. Butterfly bush → buttonbush, native azaleas, or clethra for pollinators.
Perennials
Hosta → native ferns or wild ginger for shade ground cover. Daylilies → native lilies, milkweeds, or coreopsis. Sedum → native goldenrods or asters. Boxwood hedges → inkberry or bayberry.
Choosing local ecotypes
A native plant sourced from your region is worth more than the same species from across the continent. Local ecotypes bloom on the schedule that local pollinators expect and tolerate local weather without coddling. Prioritize local native plant nurseries and native plant society sales.