Why swap it
Lavender is loved for fragrant purple wands in lean, sunny soil, but it can struggle through cold, wet Canadian winters. These native aromatic perennials give you the same purple, pollinator-friendly haze and shrug off the cold.
Native plants to grow instead
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1Common MilkweedAsclepias syriaca
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA Monarch can only raise its young on milkweed. No milkweed, no Monarchs. It's that simple, and that fixable.
Brings back: Monarch Butterfly, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee
2Wild BergamotMonarda fistulosa
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeOnce common across eastern North America, now almost gone. It feeds on wild bergamot and asters, flowers any yard can grow.
Brings back: Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Barn Swallow
3Black-Eyed SusanRudbeckia hirta
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA grassland bird losing its grasslands. Native bunchgrasses bring back the insects and cover it needs.
Brings back: Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, Olive-sided Flycatcher
4Common ElderberrySambucus canadensis
a native shrub for the same spot in the border
Helps at-risk wildlifeIts flute-like song is fading from our woods. Native shrubs raise the caterpillars it needs to feed its chicks.
Brings back: Wood Thrush, Canada Warbler
5Dense Blazing-StarLiatris spicata
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeOnce common across eastern North America, now almost gone. It feeds on wild bergamot and asters, flowers any yard can grow.
Brings back: Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, American Bumble Bee
6New Jersey TeaCeanothus americanus
a native shrub for the same spot in the border
Helps at-risk wildlifeThis endangered butterfly can only raise its young on New Jersey Tea. Plant the shrub, save the butterfly.
Brings back: Mottled Duskywing
7Prairie MilkweedAsclepias sullivantii
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA Monarch can only raise its young on milkweed. No milkweed, no Monarchs. It's that simple, and that fixable.
Brings back: Monarch Butterfly
8Swamp MilkweedAsclepias incarnata
a native perennial for the same colour and fill
Helps at-risk wildlifeA Monarch can only raise its young on milkweed. No milkweed, no Monarchs. It's that simple, and that fixable.
Brings back: Monarch Butterfly
Showing the 8 strongest of 214 native plants that fill the same role. Browse the full native library →
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