Quick answer: 61 native Louisiana plants have a recorded bloom range that includes March.
61 species
- Allegheny chinquapin Castanea pumila · 21 states
- American elm Ulmus americana · 31 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 states
- American olive Osmanthus americanus · 8 states
- American sycamore Platanus occidentalis · 28 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black willow Salix nigra · 24 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Boxelder Acer negundo · 16 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Carolina jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens · 10 states
- Chinkapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii · 30 states
- Common blue violet Viola sororia · 37 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Coral bean Erythrina herbacea · 10 states
- Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens · 16 states
- Crossvine Bignonia capreolata · 16 states
- Eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana · 18 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum · 35 states
- Loblolly pine Pinus taeda · 18 states
- Longleaf pine Pinus palustris · 10 states
- Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum · 35 states
- Mayhaw Crataegus opaca · 6 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana · 10 states
- Mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens · 14 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Orange azalea Rhododendron austrinum · 5 states
- Pink evening primrose Oenothera speciosa · 8 states
- Possumhaw Ilex decidua · 17 states
- Post oak Quercus stellata · 28 states
- Red buckeye Aesculus pavia · 15 states
- Red maple Acer rubrum · 33 states
- River birch Betula nigra · 28 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Scarlet oak Quercus coccinea · 28 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata · 22 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Silver maple Acer saccharinum · 37 states
- Southern crabapple Malus angustifolia · 14 states
- Southern live oak Quercus virginiana · 10 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua · 26 states
- Two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera · 8 states
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica · 28 states
- Water oak Quercus nigra · 17 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- Wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata · 36 states
- Willow oak Quercus phellos · 23 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica · 16 states
March in a Louisiana native garden
March is a quieter month in Louisiana: 61 of the state's 179 native plants flower in March, compared with 121 at the May peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
46 start blooming in March, including Allegheny chinquapin, American holly and American hornbeam. 4 finish in March, including Loblolly pine, Mayhaw and River birch, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
35 of them grow in full or partial sun and 40 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Birdfoot violet and Eastern bluestar to trees such as Allegheny chinquapin and American elm. For wildlife, 50 support pollinators, 49 provide food or cover for birds and 32 are caterpillar host plants.
50 of the 61 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Crossvine, Eastern bluestar, Mountain azalea: common listings for these 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.
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-May
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun