Build the perfect NJ garden with these 10 native plants

🌺 April is prime time to plant native flowers, trees, and shrubs in New Jersey for a thriving backyard garden.
🌺 Native plants support pollinators and wildlife, helping boost the state’s ecosystem naturally.
🌺 These are the top 10 natives for your NJ garden, one expert says

Spring is here, and now is the time to get your backyard gardens ready.

Best time to plant native plants in New Jersey gardens

In fact, April is the perfect month to plant native flowers, trees, shrubs, plants, and grasses, said Angela Monaghan, Master Gardener at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Middlesex County.

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That’s because natives receive a lot more moisture due to the April rains, and before it gets super hot with droughty weather on the horizon, this gives the plants time to become more established.

However, the rule of thumb still stands that vegetables should not be planted until around Mother’s Day, when the threat of frost dissipates.

Why native plants are essential for NJ wildlife and pollinators

Monaghan said it’s so important to incorporate natives into your gardens because they support New Jersey’s ecosystem, helping to feed wildlife, especially insects. Natives have also evolved in the soils of New Jersey for years, so they are very well-suited for various environments.

Just be sure you’re planting the right plant. Not every plant is suited for every soil and soil moisture level in New Jersey.

To help you plant the perfect New Jersey garden this spring, Monaghan chose her top 10 favorites, broken down by category.

Top native trees, shrubs and plants for your backyard garden

Trees

Oak – Oaks are very important because they are a keystone species. That means many organisms rely on oak trees for food and for reproduction. So, if you’re planting a tree on your property, oak should be number one, Monaghan said. Choose either White Oak or Red Oak, which is the state tree of New Jersey.

Sweetbay Magnolia – Another native tree that Monaghan likes is the Sweetbay Magnolia, which is a late-spring flowering tree. “It’s really pretty because it’s a shorter tree. It’s multi-stemmed, and it has a beautiful, very nicely scented white flower that blooms,” she said. However, this tree tolerates more moist soils, so it would not be very good if you have a very dry site, she said.

Shrubs

Inkberry Holly - Monaghan’s favorite native shrub to plant is this evergreen. If you choose a cultivated variety of the Inkberry Holly, one that is a little bit shorter, you can use it instead of a boxwood. “It can be pruned like a boxwood. It does not have a disease pressure that a boxwood has, and it does really well in dry and moist soils,” Monaghan said.

Virginia Sweetspire – This shrub is an early-summer bloomer, and it has awesome fall color, like a bright orange color. “This is another one where you can find the cultivar that can be a little bit shorter, better for foundation planting around the home,” Monaghan said. It has a beautiful white flower. It’s a great nectar source for pollinators, and again, the fall color is spectacular.

Grass

Pennsylvania Sedge – This is one native grass that Monaghan highly recommends. This is good for dry to moist woodlands. It’s a really good ground cover. While it can be sun-tolerant, it does need a lot of moisture, especially if it’s going to be in full sun. “It’s really beautiful to edge around your woodlands or even to edge your native plant garden. It spreads really nicely, not aggressively. In mass, it looks really gorgeous,” she said.

Herbaceous Plants

Golden Alexander – For spring bloomers, this is a beautiful native yellow-colored plant/flower. This is the host plant for the Swallowtail Butterfly. A host plant is a plant on which the adult butterfly will lay its eggs on the leaf. The caterpillar will feed on those leaves, and the host plant helps the insect complete its life cycle. “I love Golden Alexanders. Great plant. It spreads really nicely, creating somewhat of a ground cover, more so in the warm season,” Monaghan said.

Hairy Beardtongue – This is a late spring-blooming plant. It’s a short, purple, tubular flower. It’s great for dry soils. It tolerates full sun. There are lots of different species of Penstemon, and you can find one for pretty much any landscape. The seed head is very interesting. “I like to keep the seed head on because it creates garden interest, and I also like to incorporate them in my flower bouquets,” Monaghan said.

Milkweed – You can’t put together a native plant and flower list without including milkweed, Monaghan said. Her favorite is the Butterfly Weed, not to be confused with Butterfly Bush. Butterfly weed is another host plant for the Monarch Butterfly. It helps the butterfly complete its life cycle. It’s great for dry soils. If your soil is moist, Swamp Milkweed would be a better fit for your garden.

Goldenrods and Asters – These bloom around the same time, providing great nectar and serving as pollinating sources for migrating butterflies.

• Zigzag Goldenrod – This is Monaghan’s favorite goldenrod. It’s great for shady gardens. Seaside Goldenrod is perfect for sunny, coastal gardens. Monarchs go crazy on Seaside Goldenrod as they are migrating south in the fall. She said that Goldenrods bloom around the same time as ragweed. Ragweed is what causes eye allergies, not the Goldenrods, because its pollen is not airborne.
• As for Asters, New England Aster is her pick for full sun, and White woodland  Aster for shady gardens.

Rutgers plant sale offers native plants and expert advice

Just in time for native planting season, the Rutgers Day Plant Sale is happening on Saturday, April 25, from 10 am to 4 pm on the Rutgers-Cook Campus, at the AG History Museum on College Farm Road, New Brunswick.

Native plants will be on sale, along with vegetables. Rutgers garden experts will be on hand to help you pick the right varieties for your garden, Monaghan said.

If there’s one rule to take with you, it’s to know what type of soil you have in your garden, know how much sun the garden gets, and know the soil moisture levels. These factors will determine how successful plants will be in your garden.

Happy planting!

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