Celebrate the Fourth with red, white and blue native plants
Published 12:00 am Friday, July 3, 2026
From fireworks and parades to picnics and pool parties, the Fourth of July is filled with celebrations. While gardens may not be the main attraction, they can provide a colorful backdrop to holiday festivities. What better way to celebrate America than by planting red, white and blue native plants that provide beauty while supporting local pollinators and wildlife?
Native plants with red flowers
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) produces brilliant 2-foot-long red spikes of flowers during the summer months that butterflies and hummingbirds frequently visit. It grows in full sun to part shade and prefers moist soils. Cardinal flower even can tolerate brief periods of flooding, making them good options for rain gardens. It is often short-lived but will readily reseed.
Royal catchfly (Silene regia) grows 3 to 4 feet tall and produces clusters of 2-inch red flowers during the summer. It grows in full to part sun and medium to dry, well-drained soils.
Scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) grows 2 to 4 feet tall and produces tubular, bright red flowers on a 3 to 4 inch flowerhead that looks similar to a mop-head. It is a member of the mint family and will produce a minty fragrance when crushed; it also will spread. It will grow in full sun to part shade and medium to wet soils.
Native plants with white flowers
Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) has bluish-green foliage that resembles yucca. These plants can grow to 2 to 5 feet tall and produce tightly packed flower heads that are ½- to 1-inch across. The round flower heads contain numerous small white flowers surrounded by prickly bracts. They grow best in full sun with slightly moist to dry conditions.
Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium) grows 2 to 4 feet tall and produces flat-topped white blooms from late spring to summer. It grows in full sun and average, dry to medium, well-drained soil.
Common mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) grows in full sun to partial shade in medium to wet soils. It will grow to be 2 to 3 feet tall, and like many other members of the mint family, it has fragrant foliage and will readily spread. It produces dense clusters of small white flowers that are readily visited by pollinators.
Native plants with blue flowers
Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) produces spikes of bluish flowers in mid to late summer. Like cardinal flower, it grows in full sun to part shade, prefers moist soils and needs consistent moisture. It also is relatively short-lived but will readily self-seed.
Blue vervain (Verbena hastata) has an upright growth habit, will grow 2 to 5 feet tall and produces spikes of purplish-blue flowers that bloom from the bottom up. It grows in full sun to partial shade in average, medium to wet soils.
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) is a small (2 to 3-foot tall) shrub with silvery-green compound leaves. It produces 4- to 8-inch spikes of purple-blue flowers that bloom from the bottom up. Leadplant grows best in full sun to partial shade and in well-drained, dry to medium moisture soils.
Good Growing Tip of the Week: Group plants of the same color together rather than alternating single plants. Blocks or drifts of color create a stronger visual effect from a distance.
