Native Plants in Greensboro, NC: Your Complete Guide
When Guilford Garden Center opened in 1963, North Carolina’s population was about 4.55 million. By 2020, it had more than doubled to almost 10.44 million. With the influx of new residents came a need for housing and resources. We’ve seen landscapes change over the decades.
Fields of lush native plants and trees became neighborhoods. Water use changed. Insects and animals had to find new areas to graze, live, and pollinate. Take an oak tree as an example.
One oak tree is home to more than 1,000 species of caterpillars. Add songbirds, chipmunks, squirrels, and other tree-dwelling animals to the residents.
When Triad residents choose native plants, they help sustain the ideal environment for animals and beneficial insects. Non-invasive plants conserve water. Best of all, they’re low-maintenance.
Take a closer look at the many reasons native trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses are the best addition to your Greensboro, NC, yard and garden. Whether you want fruit trees, herbs, and garden produce to feed friends and family, or flowers to add splashes of color, we can help.
Our 60+ years of expertise as the Triad’s native plant expert ensure you get the best plants, trees, and shrubs for your property, along with guidance on soil amendments that help them thrive.
When you commit to non-invasive plants, you have a lush, breathtaking yard and gardens, and pollinators, birds, and wildlife have a safe place to call home.
Why Choose Native Plants for Your Greensboro Garden?
Transform your interior with lush, thoughtfully designed plant arrangements that enhance ambiance, improve air quality, and reflect your style.
The Nature Conservancy reports that invasive species contributed to the decline of 42% of today’s threatened and endangered species. Planting invasive shrubs, trees, flowers, and grasses harms local wildlife, native plants, and the food sources pollinators depend on. Eventually, native plants and animals die out.
The Chinese Tree of Heaven offers a soothing name and lush greenery, with finger-like leaves that spill from its branches, providing plenty of shade. It’s also one of North Carolina’s biggest problems.
This invasive sumac smells anything but heavenly. The stinky flowers are just one problem. It spreads rapidly, smothering native plants that pollinators and wildlife depend on. Worse, it releases a toxic chemical into the surrounding soil, making it difficult for native plants to survive.
Native plants are also adapted to local climate, soil types, and water resources. They require less water and soil amendments, which is better for the environment. Planning your Greensboro, NC, landscaping and gardens with native plants is always best.
Best Native Plants for Greensboro Gardens
We specialize in many types of native plants from North Carolina and the Triad area. However, we have a few favorites we recommend to gardeners.
Native Plants for Pollinators
- Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) grows 1 to 3 feet high on average, depending on the cultivar. s This perennial offers a large, yellow, daisy-like flower with a dark brown, conical center. It likes full sun and well-drained soil.
- Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) has clusters of bright orange flowers that hummingbirds and pollinators love. This relative of milkweed is a perennial that grows up to 2 feet high. It’s a drought-friendly flower that likes lots of sun and sandy soil.
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a tall perennial with stems leading to purple petals surrounding brownish-purple centers. It grows up to 4 feet high in semi-shady areas with well-drained sand or soil.
- Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a member of the mint family with pink or lavender flowers. Also known as bee balm, it grows 2 to 4 feet tall. It thrives in full sun or shade and prefers dry soil.
Native Plants for Shade
- Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is a glossy green fern that retains its color well into winter. Fronds reach up to 2 feet in length, and silver-green fiddleheads appear in early spring. It thrives in shade and cooler, moist soil.
- Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) is a good choice for ground cover, with dark green leaves and spires of star-shaped whitish-pink or purple flowers on 6- to 16-inch stalks. It’s ideal for shady areas with moist, acidic soil.
- Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) spreads readily in shady areas with well-drained, moist soil. It grows low to the ground, reaching 6 inches, and has large, heart-shaped leaves and dark red flowers.
Drought-Tolerant Native Plants
- Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is a native grass found throughout much of North America. The clusters of blue-green grass grow well in dry, sandy soil, making it a great choice for drought-resistant gardens.
- Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia humifusa) is a breathtaking addition to gardens, with plants reaching up to 19 inches and producing beautiful yellow flowers with an orange-tinged center. It prefers dry soil and thrives in a rock garden.
- Sedum ternatum, or wild stonecrop, is one of the most common native sedum species in the eastern U.S. The jade-green leaves and white flowers rise about 6 to 12 inches from the soil and spread across the ground and rocky areas. It prefers partial shade and well-drained soil.
Why We Don’t Sell Invasive Plants
Invasive plants are not only frustrating as they overtake your yard, but they also impact the economy. The National Invasive Species Information Center estimates that the cost of invasive species in the U.S. is around $26 billion per year.
The harm to pollinators makes it harder for farms to turn out an abundance of crops. Invasive species impact wildlife and waterways, too. Research into how to remove these invasive plants eats into city budgets, too.
Guilford Garden Center also has a 100% non-invasive plant guarantee.
Our Milner Drive garden center helps you keep your commitment to responsible gardening in Greensboro, NC.
Native Plant Design Services
Guilford Garden Center’s Christina Larson shares years of residential design expertise with interested customers. It’s her goal to turn your outdoor space into your own personal paradise.
A landscape consultation starts with you answering a few questions.
- What areas are most important to you for native plant design services?
- What is your budget?
- How much sun reaches the area you want to enhance? When is the sun in that area of the yard?
- Do you have favorite colors or plants?
- Do you want more flower or garden beds than lawn or vice versa?
Your landscape designer comes to your home and takes photos, measurements, and notes. There’s an hourly design fee with a two-hour minimum.
After this on-site assessment, a design package is emailed to you, typically within 14 business days. Review our designer’s plans and decide whether to hire our team to complete the project. Place a 50% deposit to cover sourcing native plants and materials. The balance is due upon project completion.
As an alternative, use our plans and buy your plants through our Milner Drive location. We provide you with the blueprints and can deliver the plants to your home or have them ready for pickup. You plant them on your own schedule using our planting guide.
Custom container and bed designs are available. Contact us to learn more about our design services.
Visit Our Native & Non-Invasive Plant Nursery
See our complete selection at 701 Milner Drive, Greensboro.
This location is Guilford Garden Center’s native plant hub. Before you stop by, please check out our photo gallery for a glimpse into all we offer.
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Noon to 5 p.m.
Directions: Find us on the corner of Milner Drive and Hunt Club Road, across the street from Walmart
Parking: On-site parking with the entrance to the lot from Hunt Club Road
Frequently Asked Questions
Many gardeners come to us with their questions. Here are some of the questions we get most often.
What makes a plant “native” to North Carolina?
Native plants are species of trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, etc. that occur naturally in the state. They came from the area and thrive in the area’s climate and soil.
Are native plants hard to grow?
Native plants are the easiest plants to grow as they’re perfectly adapted to summer’s heat, winter’s cold, frosty, snowy weather, and periods of heavy rain and drought.
Will native plants attract more bees to my yard?
Pollinators are more likely to choose a native flower than an exotic one. Native bees need essential nutrients to support their hives and help them survive cold winters. Native plants provide bees with high-quality pollen and nectar.
Because bees seek native flowers for food, flower beds and landscaping full of native plants are more likely to attract bees to your yard. That benefits you when you have other plants in need of pollination, such as your garden veggies and fruit trees.
What’s the difference between native and non-invasive plants?
Native plants are those that grow naturally in North Carolina. Non-invasive plants are not native to the Triad, but they don’t grow aggressively or take over the space and nutrients that native plants need to thrive.
Where can I buy native plants in Greensboro?
Visit Guilford Garden Center on Milner Drive in Greensboro for the largest selection of pollinator-friendly plants, native trees and shrubs, and both annuals and perennials. If you don’t know where to start, Christina is available to help with your garden design.
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