Quick answer: 11 native Pennsylvania plants have a recorded bloom range that includes November.
11 species
- Balsam fir Abies balsamea · 6 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum · 32 states
- Fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis · 16 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis · 26 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
November in a Pennsylvania native garden
November is a quieter month in Pennsylvania: 11 of the state's 308 native plants flower in November, compared with 192 at the May peak. That makes these plants valuable for keeping color, and food for pollinators, going outside the main season.
9 finish in November, including Balsam fir, Big bluestem and Blue mistflower, so this is the last chance to see them in flower.
9 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 Balsam fir and Witch-hazel. For wildlife, 8 support pollinators, 8 provide food or cover for birds and 5 are caterpillar host plants.
10 of the 11 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Shrubby cinquefoil, Switchgrass: 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.
- 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