Beautiful Ontario Native Plants to Add to Your Waterloo Region Garden
Updated: May 11, 2021
With all of us spending more time at home over the past year our outdoor spaces have taken on more importance than ever before. And what looks better outside a Waterloo Region home than a beautiful flower and shrub filled garden? This is especially true if you are preparing your Waterloo Region home for sale, as great outdoor spaces are higher on many buyers wish lists than ever before.
There seems to be an assumption that if you want to impress people with your garden, you need a lot of exotic tropical plants, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! We’ve compiled a list of some of the most beautiful native plants to add to your landscape in Ontario, so you can have a beautiful yard (with more butterflies!) for a lot less time, effort and money.
Black Eyed Susan
This Ontario native wildflower’s sunny golden petals will instantly brighten up your garden and attract butterflies and birds who enjoy sipping its nectar. Black Eyed Susans bloom from June to September, so they’re ideal for mixing in with spring-blooming Ontario native plants to keep your patio looking vibrant throughout the summer.
Canada Anemone
This popular Ontario native plant has small white cup-shaped flowers with butter yellow centers that sit atop vibrant emerald foliage. It spreads easily, is drought-tolerant, and thrives in both sun and shade, making it an ideal filler plant for those hard-to-reach garden spots.
Bee Balm
These Ontario native shrubs are adorned with the oddest-looking blossoms, which resemble Cyndi Lauper’s 1980s haircut. Bees aren’t the only ones who enjoy them; butterflies and hummingbirds are also big fans. It’s best not to overcrowd bee balm in your garden and give it plenty of room to breathe, so it doesn’t develop mildew on its leaves.
Butterfly Weed
As you might guess from the name, these Ontario native shrubs are covered in flowers that butterflies can’t get enough of. The vibrant orange petals attract a butterfly with a similar appearance: the elusive Monarch, whose orange, white, and black markings are always a delight to see.
Purple Coneflower
These lovely daisy-like blooms, also known as Echinacea, are a favorite of bees because their bulbous pollen-filled centers are easy to perch on. This flower is a great option if your yard’s soil quality isn’t great, because it thrives in less-than-ideal conditions. Because soil modified with amendments and fertilizers produces more foliage than flowers, you’ll get a lot more blooms this way.
Blue False Indigo
Because these Ontario native plants are members of the pea family, their blossoms resemble those of a pea shoot but are a stunning purple-blue jewel tone. They’ll start to develop little peapods if you don’t deadhead the spent blossoms. You can choose whether to leave the peapods on or off because some gardeners enjoy the appearance and rattling sound they make in the wind and some do not!
Wild Strawberry
Who doesn’t appreciate a low-maintenance garden plant that produces tasty treats? These tiny fruits, which grow from the centers of cute five-petaled white blossoms, contain more vitamin C than an orange in one cup.
Cardinal Flower
This bright blossom is a hummingbird favorite. They’re particularly drawn to the candy apple red petals that cover tall, upright stems that stand out against the dark green foliage around them. They can grow up to 4 feet tall, so they make a big impact as a border plant or a focal point in the middle of your garden.
Consider planting a garden full of Ontario native plants if you want a vibrant garden full of a variety of plants but don’t have a lot of spare time to devote to regular maintenance. You’ll love the color and fragrance they add to your garden, and so will the local wildlife. And if you’re thinking about selling your Waterloo Region home, or may be selling soon, this type of garden is a fantastic home staging tool that buyers will appreciate.