Thanks to the mild climate, plentiful sunshine, and abundant rainfall, Louisiana has more than its share of beautiful native plants.

You will find a suitable native plant for every gardening or landscaping purpose. Also, native plants tend to be better at attracting native wildlife such as birds, butterflies, and squirrels. And because native plants have evolved to the local climate, including its often unpredictable extremes in temperatures and rainfall, they generally require less maintenance and are more likely to thrive over the long term than exotic plants.

Our estuary has a variety of aquatic habitats. These range from fully freshwater systems, through intermediate and brackish regions, to the coastal saltmarsh where the salinity often equals that of ocean water. As many fishermen know, salinities can fluctuate even in a specific location. So scientists actually define habitat types by the plants living there.

Trees: Small Deciduous Flower Fruit
Aralia spinosa Devil’s Walking Stick x
Asimina triloba PawPaw x
Carpinus caroliniana Ironwood
Chionanthus virginicus Fringe Tree x
Cornus florida Dogwood x x
Crataegus marshallii Parsley Hawthorne x x
Crataegus opaca Mayhaw x x
Crataegus viridis Green Hawthorne x
Halesia diptera Silver Bell x
Hammamelis virginiana Witch Hazel x
Ilex decidua Deciduous Holly x
Malus angustifolia Southern Crab Apple x x
Malus floribunda Crab Apple x x
Prunus americana American Plum x x
Prunus mexicana Mexican Plum x x
Rhamnus carolinaian Carolina Buckthorn x x
Rhus copallina Shining Sumac
Trees: Medium Deciduous Flower Fruit
Acer rubrum ‘Drummondii’ Swamp Red Maple x x
Betula nigra River Birch
Gleditsia triacanthos Honey Locust x
Oxydendrum arboretum Sourwood x
Prunus serotina Black Cherry x x
Robinia Pseudoacacia Black Locust x
Taxodium distichum Cypress x
Ulmus alata Winged Elm
Trees: Large Deciduous Flower Fruit
Celtis laevigata Sugar Hackberry
Fagus grandifolia American Beech
Liquidambar styraciflua Sweet Gum x
Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Tree x
Magnolia acuminata Cucumber Magnolia x x
Platanus occidentalis Sycamore
Quercus alba White Oak x
Quercus fallcata Southern Red Oak x
Quercus michauxii Swamp Chestnut Oak x
Quercus nigra White Oak x
Quercus phellos Willow Oak x
Quercus shumardii Shumard Oak x
Ulmus americana American Elm x
Trees: Evergreen Small Flower Fruit
Ilex vomitoria Yaupon x
Myrica cerifa Southern Wax Myrtle x
Prunus caroliniana Cherry Laurel x
Trees: Evergreen Medium Flower Fruit
Ilex opaca American Holly x
Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar
Magnolia virginiana Sweet Bay Magnolia x x
Pinus glabra Spruce Pine x
Trees: Evergreen Large Flower Fruit
Magnolia grandiflora Southern Magnolia x x
Pinus echinata Shortleaf Pine x
Pinus elliottii Slash Pine x
Pinus palustris Longleaf Pine x
Pinus taeda Loblolly Pine x
Quercus virginiana Southern Live Oak x

Shrubs Deciduous Flower Fruit
Aesculus pavia Red Buckeye x x
Callicarpa americana French Mulberry   x
Calycanthus floridus Sweet Shrub x  
Euonymus americana Wahoo   x
Hydrangea quercifolia Oakleaf Hydrangea x  
Itea virginica Virginia Willow x  
Lindera benzoin Spice Bush x  
Rhodendron austrinum Florida azalea x  
Rhodendron canescens Wild Azalea x  
Viburnum nudum Arrowood x x
       
Shrubs Evergreen Flower Fruit
Ilex cassine Cassine Holly   x
Ilex vomitoria Yaupon   x
Illicium floridanum Starbush x  
Myrica cerifera Wax myrtle   x

Wildflowers Aquatic Perennial Annual Vine
Agalinis fasciculata Pink FoxGlove herb
Aureolaria dispersa (small) Pennell False Foxglove root parasite
Castilleja indivisa Engelm. Indian Paint Brush herb
Gratiola brevifolia Raf. Hedge-hyssop x
Linaria Canadensis (L.) Dumont Blue Toadflax herb
Macranthera flammea (Bartr.) Flame Flower root parasite
Pedicularis Canadensis L. Lousewort x
Penstemon murayanus Hook. Red Penstemon herb
Penstemon laxiflorus Pennell Beard-tongue herb
Penstemon tubaeflorus Nutt. Beard-tongue x
Bignonia capreolata L. Crossvine x
Campsis redficans (L.) Seem. Trumpet-creeper x
Proboscoidea louisianica Unicorn-plant herb
Pinguicula caerulea Walt. Pale Blue Butterwort x
Pinguicula lutea Walt Yellow Butterwort herb
Utricularia inflate Floating Bladderwort x
Ruellia caroliniensis Ruillia, Wild Petunia herb
Mitchella repens Partridge Berry trailing herb
Lonicera sempervirens Coral Honeysuckle x
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower herb
Lobelia appendiculata Pale Lobelia x
Lobelia siphilitica Big Blue Lobelia x
Triodanis perfoliata Venus’ Looking-glass herb
Achillea millefolium Yarrow herb
Anthemis cotula Mayweed, Dog Fennel, Camomile x
Aphanostephus skirrobsis Lazy Daisy x
Aster ericoides Fall Aster x
Aster lateriflorus White Aster x
Aster adnatus Chain-leaf Aster herb
Aster praealtus Aster x
Bidens aristosa Beggar Ticks, Sticktight x
Bidens cernua Nodding Sticktight x
Bidens pilosa Shepherd’s-needle herb
Bigelowia nudata Bayless Goldenrod herb
Boltonia asteroids Boltonia herb
Borrichia frutescens Sea Ox-eye stoloniferous
Cacalia plantaginea Indian Plantain x
Cirsium muticum Swamp Thistle biennial
Cirsium horridulum Spiny Thistle winter
Carphephorous pseudo-liatris False Liatris x
Centaurea aericana Basket Flower, Star-thistle x
Chaptalia tomentosa Sunbonnet x
Chrysopsis graminifolia Golden-aster herb
Coreopsis lanceolata Coreopsis x
Coreopsis tinctoria Coreopsis x
Echinacea pallida Purple Cone-flower x
Erigeron philadelphicus Daisy Fleabane x
Eupatroium album White Thoroughwort x
Eupatorium coelestinum Wild Ageratum x
Eupatorium fistulosum Joe-pye Weed x
Eupatorium perfoliatum Boneset, Thoroughwort herb
Eupatorium rotundifolium False-hoarhound, Roundleaf Eupatorium herb
Eupatorium rugosum White Snakeroot x
Eupatorium capillifolium Cyparss-weed x
Gaillardia pulchella Indian Blanket x
Helianthus angustifolius Narrow-leaved Sunflower herb
Helianthus mollis Sunflower herb
Helianthus cucumerifolius Cucumber Leaf Sunflower herb
Helianthus divaricatus Sunflower x
Helianthus heterophyllus Sunflower herb
Helianthus strumosus Sunflower x
Helenium amarum Bitterweed winter
Helenium autumnale Sneezeweed herb
Heterotheca subaxillaris Camphor-weed herb
Hymenopappus scabuisaeys Humenopappus x
Krigia dandelion Dandelion herb
Liatris elegans Blazing-star herb
Liatris squarrosa Blazing-star x
Liatris squarrulosa Blazing-star x
Liatris pycnostachya Blazing-star x
Mikania scandens Climbing Hempweed annual
Polymnia uvedalia Bear’s-foot herb
Ratibida pinnata Cone-flower x
Ratibida columnaris Mexican hat x
Rudbeckia amplexicaulis Clasping-leaf Cone-flower x
Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan x
Rudbeckia maxima Giant Cone-flower x
Rudbeckia fulgida Bracted Cone-flower x
Senecio glabellus Yellow Top, Butterweed x
Silphium asperrimum Rosin Weed x
Silphium laciniatum Compass-plant x
Silphium gracile Rosin Weed herb
Solidago altissiima Common Goldenrod herb
Solidago odora Sweet Goldenrod x
Solidago rugosa Elm-leaf Goldenrod x
Solidago sempervirens Seaside Goldenrod x
Solidago tenuifolia Goldenrod x
Solidago nitida Blackleaf Goldenrod x
Sonchus asper Sow Thistle winter
Spilanthes americana Creeping Spilanthes herb
Stokesia laevis Stokes Aster x
Trilisa odoratissima Deer’s-tongue herb
Verbesina virginica Virginia Crownbeard herb
Verbesina walteri Wing-stem Crownbeard herb
Vernonia atlissima Ironweed herb
Vernonia missurica Ironweed herb