Quick answer: 74 native Maine plants have a recorded bloom range that includes April.
74 species
- American basswood Tilia americana · 37 states
- American beech Fagus grandifolia · 31 states
- American elm Ulmus americana · 31 states
- American hazelnut Corylus americana · 34 states
- American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana · 33 states
- American mountain ash Sorbus americana · 18 states
- Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides · 17 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata · 20 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black ash Fraxinus nigra · 19 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black oak Quercus velutina · 30 states
- Black tupelo Nyssa sylvatica · 31 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butternut Juglans cinerea · 26 states
- Canada anemone Anemone canadensis · 29 states
- Canada plum Prunus nigra · 3 states
- Canada yew Taxus canadensis · 18 states
- Canadian serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis · 21 states
- Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana · 20 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Common blue violet Viola sororia · 37 states
- Common juniper Juniperus communis · 39 states
- Common winterberry Ilex verticillata · 32 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Creeping phlox Phlox subulata · 23 states
- Creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula · 12 states
- Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea · 37 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis · 25 states
- Eastern hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Eastern white pine Pinus strobus · 28 states
- Feathery false Solomon's seal Maianthemum racemosum · 45 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Gray birch Betula populifolia · 17 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Lanceleaf coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata · 35 states
- Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum · 35 states
- Mountain maple Acer spicatum · 18 states
- Nannyberry Viburnum lentago · 25 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Northern white cedar Thuja occidentalis · 21 states
- Pagoda dogwood Cornus alternifolia · 30 states
- Paper birch Betula papyrifera · 28 states
- Pignut hickory Carya glabra · 31 states
- Pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica · 20 states
- Purple clematis Clematis occidentalis var. occidentalis · 15 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red baneberry Actaea rubra · 29 states
- Red maple Acer rubrum · 33 states
- Red pine Pinus resinosa · 13 states
- Red spruce Picea rubens · 15 states
- Royal fern Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis · 30 states
- Scarlet oak Quercus coccinea · 28 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Silver maple Acer saccharinum · 37 states
- Slippery elm Ulmus rubra · 30 states
- Striped maple Acer pensylvanicum · 18 states
- Sugar maple Acer saccharum · 34 states
- Sundial lupine Lupinus perennis · 28 states
- Sweet birch Betula lenta · 21 states
- Tamarack Larix laricina · 17 states
- Trailing arbutus Epigaea repens · 24 states
- Twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla · 25 states
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica · 28 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White baneberry Actaea pachypoda · 33 states
- White oak Quercus alba · 33 states
- Wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata · 36 states
- Yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis · 21 states
April in a Maine native garden
April is Maine's peak bloom month: 74 of the state's 125 native plants in this directory flower in April, more than in any other month.
31 start blooming in April, including American basswood, American beech and American hazelnut. 6 finish in April, including American elm, Black ash and Eastern cottonwood, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
50 of them grow in full or partial sun and 57 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Birdfoot violet and Carolina springbeauty to trees such as American basswood and American beech. For wildlife, 49 support pollinators, 52 provide food or cover for birds and 32 are caterpillar host plants.
55 of the 74 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Common yarrow, Creeping phlox, Eastern hop-hornbeam: 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.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Feb-Apr