Quick answer: 14 native Alabama plants have a recorded bloom range that includes November.
14 species
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum · 32 states
- Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens · 10 states
- Groundsel tree Baccharis halimifolia · 12 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Loblolly bay Gordonia lasianthus · 7 states
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · 10 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius · 21 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
November in an Alabama native garden
November is a quieter month in Alabama: 14 of the state's 293 native plants flower in November, compared with 191 at the May peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
10 finish in November, including Big bluestem, Blue mistflower and Groundsel tree, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
11 of them grow in full or partial sun and 3 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Sensitive fern and Sideoats grama to trees such as Carolina jessamine and Loblolly bay. For wildlife, 10 support pollinators, 10 provide food or cover for birds and 6 are caterpillar host plants.
13 of the 14 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Switchgrass: common listings for it are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Dec
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Aug-Nov
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Nov