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UK natives

Plants native to the United Kingdom.

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All 87 uk natives in the catalogue, alphabetical by common name. Each links to a full page with its ratings across the USDA, RHS, Canadian and Australian systems.

  • Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria – Slender meadow perennial with tall spikes of small yellow flowers. Mild and safe digestive and urinary tonic in European herbal tradition. USDA zones 3–8
  • Alder — Common Alnus glutinosa – Riparian European tree, one of the few non-leguminous nitrogen fixers thanks to its Frankia root symbiosis. Bark is a traditional astringent for sore throats. USDA zones 3–7
  • Autumn crocus (Meadow saffron) Colchicum autumnale – Crocus-like bulb that throws up leafless pale lilac-pink goblet flowers from bare ground in late summer and early autumn. Strap-like leaves follow in spring. USDA zones 4–9
  • Bird cherry Prunus padus – Small native cherry of damp woodland, flowering in long fragrant white racemes after the leaves are out. Bitter black fruits are quickly stripped by birds. USDA zones 3–7
  • Bird's foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus – Sprawling European perennial with bright yellow pea-flowers fading to orange and seed pods arranged like a bird's claws. A meadow staple supporting many butterfly species. USDA zones 3–8
  • Bog myrtle (Sweet gale) Myrica gale – Aromatic wetland shrub of UK and northern European bogs. Used to flavour beer (gruit) before hops became standard, and a traditional Scottish midge repellent. USDA zones 1–6
  • Brooklime Veronica beccabunga – Low semi-aquatic native perennial with succulent stems, glossy rounded leaves and small bright blue flowers, creeping at the margins of streams and ponds. USDA zones 3–8
  • Buckthorn — Alder Frangula alnus – Wetland-edge European shrub. Aged bark is a stimulant laxative similar to senna; only the dried-and-aged bark is safe — fresh bark causes severe vomiting. USDA zones 3–7
  • Cleavers (Goosegrass) Galium aparine – Sticky scrambling annual that catches on clothing — and on itself — via tiny hooked hairs. Traditional spring lymphatic tonic; young shoots edible. USDA zones 2–9
  • Common box Buxus sempervirens – Slow-growing evergreen native shrub with small dark glossy leaves, exceptional density, and unmatched fineness of clipping detail. The classic European formal-garden topiary, parterre, and low-hedge species. USDA zones 5–8
  • Common dog violet Viola riviniana – Low-growing native woodland violet with unscented blue-violet flowers in early spring. The most widespread larval host for fritillary butterflies. USDA zones 3–8
  • Common dogwood Cornus sanguinea – Native hedgerow shrub with white flat-topped flower clusters in summer, black berries in autumn and rich red young stems that glow through winter. USDA zones 4–8
  • Common honeysuckle (Woodbine) Lonicera periclymenum – Twining deciduous climber with intensely fragrant cream and pink trumpet flowers. The classic scent of midsummer evenings in the British countryside. USDA zones 4–9
  • Common ivy Hedera helix – Self-clinging evergreen climber that becomes shrubby and flowers only on mature stems high up on its support. The flowers are one of the most important late-season nectar sources in temperate gardens. USDA zones 4–9
  • Common knapweed (Black knapweed) Centaurea nigra – Tough native meadow perennial with thistle-like rose-purple flower heads on wiry stems. One of the top native plants for pollinator diversity. USDA zones 3–8
  • Corn poppy (Common poppy) Papaver rhoeas – Iconic scarlet annual of disturbed ground and cornfields. The remembrance poppy and the visual signature of summer field margins. USDA zones 3–9
  • Cornflower Centaurea cyanus – Brilliant blue annual once common in cornfields, now almost extinct in the wild. Easy to grow from seed and indispensable for pollinator-friendly annual displays. USDA zones 2–10
  • Cowslip Primula veris – Native meadow perennial with clusters of nodding deep yellow flowers held above a rosette of leaves. Once common in chalk and limestone grassland. USDA zones 3–8
  • Cuckoo flower (Lady’s smock) Cardamine pratensis – Slender pale-mauve wildflower of damp meadows and stream banks, flowering with the arrival of the cuckoo in spring. USDA zones 3–8
  • Devil’s bit scabious Succisa pratensis – Native damp-meadow perennial with rounded violet-blue flower heads in late summer. Sole larval food plant of the rare marsh fritillary butterfly. USDA zones 3–8
  • Dyer’s broom (Dyer’s greenweed) Genista tinctoria – Low spreading British native broom relative with bright yellow pea-flowers in summer. Whole flowering shoots produce a clear yellow dye, the traditional partner to woad for medieval green cloth. USDA zones 2–8
  • Elderberry Sambucus nigra – Vigorous deciduous shrub or small tree. Creamy summer flower heads (cordials, wine) followed by clusters of dark berries (syrups, traditional medicine). USDA zones 3–9
  • English bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta – Native woodland bulb forming sheets of nodding deep violet-blue bells in April and May. Bluebell woods are an internationally recognised UK habitat. USDA zones 4–8
  • English elm Ulmus procera – Once a defining tree of the English lowland landscape, devastated by Dutch elm disease from the 1970s onwards. Disease-resistant cultivars now make replanting viable. USDA zones 5–8
  • English holly Ilex aquifolium – Evergreen tree or shrub with glossy spiny leaves and bright red winter berries. The traditional Christmas holly of the British Isles. USDA zones 5–9
  • English yew Taxus baccata – Long-lived native evergreen with very dark needle-like foliage and bright red fleshy arils in autumn. Some specimens are among the oldest living things in Britain. USDA zones 6–9
  • European beech Fagus sylvatica – Tall European native tree with smooth grey bark, copper-coloured autumn leaves that persist on young growth all winter, and pale, hard, even-grained timber that is the standard hardwood for furniture, flooring, and bentwood chairs. USDA zones 4–7
  • European hornbeam Carpinus betulus – Native European tree with characteristic muscle-like fluted trunk, fine-toothed leaves, and the hardest, densest, most shock-resistant native European timber. Long used for tool handles, mill cogs, butcher’s blocks, and parquet. USDA zones 4–8
  • Field scabious Knautia arvensis – Native meadow perennial with flat lilac pincushion flower heads on tall slender stems. A reliable bee and butterfly plant for chalk and dry soils. USDA zones 3–8
  • Garlic mustard (Jack-by-the-hedge) Alliaria petiolata – Biennial woodland-edge herb with garlic-scented leaves used as a wild salad green. Important early-season food plant for several butterflies. USDA zones 3–8
  • Granny’s bonnet Aquilegia vulgaris – European native cottage-garden perennial with deeply divided grey-green leaves and nodding spurred flowers in blue, purple, pink, or white in late spring. Among the most widely grown cottage flowers. USDA zones 3–8
  • Greater knapweed Centaurea scabiosa – Larger-flowered chalk-grassland relative of common knapweed, with deeply divided leaves and showy rose-pink flower heads. USDA zones 3–8
  • Guelder rose Viburnum opulus – European hedgerow shrub with white lace-cap flowers in spring and clusters of bright red translucent berries in autumn. Bark ("crampbark") is a traditional antispasmodic. USDA zones 3–8
  • Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna – Thorny hedgerow tree with white spring blossom and red autumn haws. Backbone of British and Irish hedgerow ecology — supports hundreds of insect species. USDA zones 4–8
  • Hazelnut (Cobnut, Filbert) Corylus avellana – Multi-stemmed deciduous shrub or small tree, native to Europe and historically coppiced for poles, hurdles, and nuts. Excellent wildlife habitat. USDA zones 3–9
  • Heather Calluna vulgaris – Low evergreen shrub of acid moorland across northern Europe, with masses of small mauve, pink, or white bell flowers in late summer. Aerial parts produce yellow to greenish-yellow textile dye. USDA zones 4–7
  • Juniper Juniperus communis – Variable evergreen conifer ranging from prostrate ground cover to small upright tree. Berry-like cones are the signature flavour of gin and a traditional digestive and urinary herb. USDA zones 2–7
  • Laburnum (Golden chain) Laburnum anagyroides – Small European tree with spectacular pendulous racemes of yellow flowers in late spring — the famous Laburnum Arch at Bodnant Garden being the iconic example. USDA zones 5–8
  • Lady’s bedstraw Galium verum – Sprawling native meadow perennial with whorls of needle-like leaves and dense clouds of tiny yellow flowers in midsummer. Aerial parts yield a yellow dye and the roots yield a red dye. USDA zones 3–8
  • Lesser celandine Ficaria verna – Low spreading native spring ephemeral with glossy heart-shaped leaves and brilliant yellow buttercup flowers in earliest spring. Dies back completely by early summer. USDA zones 4–8
  • Lily of the valley Convallaria majalis – Diminutive shade perennial with paired broad leaves and arching stems of small intensely fragrant pendant white bells in late spring. Among the most powerfully fragrant flowers in the temperate garden. USDA zones 3–8
  • Linden (Lime tree) Tilia cordata – Large long-lived European tree (the British "lime", unrelated to citrus). Flowers are a classic European nervine tea — calming and mildly sleep-promoting. USDA zones 3–8
  • Marsh marigold (Kingcup) Caltha palustris – Native pond-margin perennial with large glossy buttercup-yellow flowers in earliest spring above mounds of round dark green leaves. USDA zones 3–7
  • Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria – Damp-meadow perennial with frothy creamy flower heads carrying salicylates — the natural precursor that gave aspirin its name (from the old genus Spiraea). USDA zones 3–8
  • Midland hawthorn Crataegus laevigata – Native small tree of ancient woodland and old hedgerows, very similar to common hawthorn but more shade-tolerant and slightly earlier flowering. USDA zones 4–8
  • Oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare – Tall white-and-yellow daisy of native flower meadows. The visual signature of midsummer grassland and a workhorse of meadow pollinator support. USDA zones 3–8
  • Pine — Scots Pinus sylvestris – Iconic conifer of the European and Asian temperate north, with characteristic orange-red upper bark. Needle and resin essential oils have respiratory and antimicrobial uses. USDA zones 2–7
  • Plantain — Ribwort Plantago lanceolata – Narrow-leaved cousin of broadleaf plantain. Traditionally used as a respiratory expectorant and for soothing sore throats. USDA zones 2–10
  • Primrose Primula vulgaris – Clump-forming native woodland-edge perennial with pale yellow flowers held just above a rosette of crinkled leaves. One of the very first flowers of spring. USDA zones 4–8
  • Purging buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica – Spiny native shrub of chalk and limestone hedgerows. With alder buckthorn, an essential larval host for the brimstone butterfly. USDA zones 3–7
  • Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria – Tall native wetland perennial with spectacular spires of magenta flowers in late summer. Outstanding bee plant in its native range. USDA zones 3–9
  • Ragged robin Silene flos-cuculi – Damp-meadow perennial with deeply cut, fringed pink petals on slender stems. Once common in wet meadows, now declining and worth cultivating. USDA zones 3–8
  • Red campion Silene dioica – Native woodland-edge perennial with deep pink five-petalled flowers. Often the first splash of colour beside emerging bluebells in spring woodland. USDA zones 3–8
  • Red clover Trifolium pratense – Pink-purple flowering legume long used as a forage crop, nitrogen-fixing cover crop, and herbal source of phytoestrogenic isoflavones. USDA zones 3–9
  • Reedmace (Greater bulrush) Typha latifolia – Tall emergent aquatic with long strap leaves and the unmistakable brown cigar-shaped seed heads. A keystone plant of freshwater wetlands. USDA zones 2–9
  • Rosehip (Dog rose) Rosa canina – Wild European hedgerow rose. Bright red autumn hips carry exceptionally high vitamin C and were the basis of wartime UK rosehip syrup. USDA zones 3–8
  • Rowan (Mountain ash) Sorbus aucuparia – Small graceful European tree with feathery foliage and brilliant orange-red berries. Berries are exceptionally high in vitamin C and traditionally used in jellies and tonics. USDA zones 3–7
  • Salad burnet Sanguisorba minor – Tufted British native perennial of chalk and limestone grassland, with ferny-pinnate leaves and small round purple-red flower heads on wiry stems. Classic edging plant and traditional salad herb. USDA zones 4–9
  • Sea holly Eryngium maritimum – Coastal native perennial with steely-blue spiny leaves and architectural blue thistle-like flower heads. A signature plant of British shingle beaches. USDA zones 5–9
  • Sea kale Crambe maritima – Coastal perennial brassica with glaucous wavy leaves. Forced shoots were a Victorian luxury and remain a fine, almost-forgotten vegetable. USDA zones 4–9
  • Selfheal Prunella vulgaris – Low creeping perennial with short violet flower spikes. Tough enough to flower in a mown lawn and a reliable forage plant for short-tongued bees. USDA zones 3–8
  • Sloe (Blackthorn) Prunus spinosa – Suckering thorny shrub of European hedgerows. White flowers smother the bare branches before leaves emerge — a reliable late-winter signal. USDA zones 4–8
  • Snake’s head fritillary Fritillaria meleagris – Slender bulb with pendant chequered purple or white bell flowers on wiry stems in mid-spring. Once carpeted English damp meadows, now mostly seen at a handful of protected sites. USDA zones 3–8
  • Snowdrop Galanthus nivalis – Nodding white winter bulb that often pierces snow to flower. Naturalises freely in woodland, hedge banks and short grass. USDA zones 3–8
  • Soft shield fern Polystichum setiferum – Evergreen British native fern with arching feathery soft-textured fronds, finely divided and gracefully curved. Among the most reliable evergreen ferns for shade gardens. USDA zones 6–9
  • Spindle tree Euonymus europaeus – Native small tree or large shrub with inconspicuous summer flowers and spectacular four-lobed pink fruits that split to reveal vivid orange seeds in autumn. USDA zones 3–7
  • Stinging nettle Urtica dioica – Fierce-looking perennial with stinging hairs that hide one of the most nutritious wild greens. Young shoots cook into a spinach-like vegetable; mature plant is anti-inflammatory. USDA zones 2–9
  • Sweet violet Viola odorata – Low-growing ground cover with intensely fragrant deep-purple flowers in earliest spring. Flowers and leaves edible and medicinal. USDA zones 3–8
  • Teasel Dipsacus fullonum – Tall biennial with prickly stems and distinctive cone-shaped flower heads ringed by bands of mauve flowers in summer. Architectural seed heads persist into winter. USDA zones 3–8
  • Vervain Verbena officinalis – Slender wiry perennial with small pale-lilac flowers. Traditional nervine used in European herbalism for centuries. USDA zones 4–8
  • Viper’s bugloss Echium vulgare – Striking biennial with intensely blue funnel-shaped flowers on bristly upright spikes. One of the most productive nectar plants in the British native flora. USDA zones 3–8
  • Water forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides – Spreading perennial pond-margin plant with masses of small sky-blue flowers with yellow eyes in early summer. A reliable native for any wildlife pond. USDA zones 3–8
  • Water mint Mentha aquatica – Aromatic native pond-margin mint with rounded purple-pink flower heads in late summer. One parent of cultivated peppermint. USDA zones 3–9
  • Wayfaring tree Viburnum lantana – Native hedgerow shrub with rounded grey-green leaves, white flat-topped flower clusters in spring and oval fruits that ripen unevenly through red to black. USDA zones 4–8
  • Weld (Dyer’s rocket) Reseda luteola – Tall biennial European native with rosettes of narrow leaves the first year and slim yellow flower spikes to 1.5 m the second. The clearest, most light-fast yellow dye of the medieval European palette. USDA zones 4–8
  • White dead nettle Lamium album – Spreading perennial with nettle-shaped leaves but no sting, bearing whorls of hooded white flowers from earliest spring well into autumn. USDA zones 3–8
  • White water lily Nymphaea alba – Iconic native aquatic perennial with rounded floating leaves and large fragrant white flowers held just above the water surface in summer. USDA zones 4–9
  • Wild carrot (Queen Anne’s lace) Daucus carota – Lacy white-flowered biennial umbellifer of dry meadows and roadsides, with a tiny dark central floret in each flat flower head. Ancestor of the cultivated carrot. USDA zones 3–9
  • Wild clary Salvia verbenaca – Native sage of dry grassland and coastal turf, with short violet-blue flower spikes and crinkled aromatic leaves. Closely related to culinary sage. USDA zones 5–9
  • Wild privet Ligustrum vulgare – Semi-evergreen native hedgerow shrub with fragrant white flower panicles and small black berries. Far better for wildlife than the more commonly planted Japanese privet. USDA zones 4–8
  • Willow — Pussy (Goat willow) Salix caprea – Smaller willow with silver catkins — the "pussy willow" of late winter. Same medicinal salicin content as white willow, on a more garden-friendly plant. USDA zones 4–8
  • Willow — White Salix alba – Large riparian European tree. Bark is the natural source of salicin — the precursor compound that led to the synthesis of aspirin. USDA zones 2–8
  • Wood anemone Anemone nemorosa – Carpet-forming native woodland perennial with starry white flowers (sometimes flushed pink) above deeply cut leaves in mid-spring. An indicator species of ancient British woodland. USDA zones 4–8
  • Wood betony Betonica officinalis – Upright native meadow and woodland-edge perennial with short purple-red flower spikes above a rosette of crinkled leaves. Among the most useful all-round wildlife plants for the British garden. USDA zones 4–8
  • Wych elm Ulmus glabra – Native upland elm with broader leaves and a more open crown than English elm. More tolerant of Dutch elm disease and the easiest elm to establish in northern gardens. USDA zones 4–7
  • Yellow flag iris Iris pseudacorus – Native pond and stream-margin perennial with sword-shaped leaves and tall stems of bright yellow iris flowers in early summer. USDA zones 4–9
  • Yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor – Slender annual semi-parasite of grass roots, with hooded yellow flowers and inflated seed capsules. The single most useful plant for establishing wildflower meadows. USDA zones 3–8

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