Native Plants for the Northeast: Zones 5-7 Pollinator Picks

Native plants for zones 5–7 in the Northeast — keystone species, pollinator value, where to source true natives, and why the cultivar vs. straight-species debate matters for your garden.

What "native" actually means — and why the definition matters

A native plant, in the ecological sense, is a species that evolved in a particular region before European settlement and has developed co-evolutionary relationships with local insects, birds, and soil organisms. Per Penn State Extension, native plants "provide food, shelter, and other resources for wildlife that evolved alongside them" — relationships that exotic ornamentals, however beautiful, cannot replicate.

The controversy arises with cultivars and nativars — cultivated varieties selected from native species for traits like compact size, unusual foliage color, or double flowers. A straight-species black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and a cultivar called 'Cherry Brandy' with dark foliage and reddish flowers are both sold as "native plants." They are not ecologically equivalent. Per Xerces Society, research on nativars shows that "double-flowered cultivars provide little to no pollen or nectar for bees" and that "plants with purple or bronze foliage may be less attractive to caterpillars" that evolved to find green foliage. The data is not uniformly damning — some nativars perform similarly to straight species — but the principle is clear: when in doubt, plant the straight species.

What NOT to call native: Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed, native to South America), Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush, native to China), and garden-center "wildflower mixes" that typically contain European species like cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas). These are not native to the Northeast regardless of what the packaging implies.