5 Louisiana Native Plants You’ll See Throughout the State

Vibrant flora covers the Bayou State, but a few native plants stand out above the rest.

By ExploreLouisiana.com Staff

The official Explore Louisiana blogging team.

Purple Louisiana iris flowers in a field.

Purple Louisiana iris typically bloom in April.

From delicate flowers to robust evergreens and cypress trees, a wide variety of plants love Louisiana’s subtropical climate. Here are five native plants you will see across the state.

1. Louisiana Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

This delicate lavender wildflower can be seen all over the state, including at North Toledo Bend State Park. The Louisiana phlox, also called the wild blue phlox despite its often purple appearance, grows well in partially shaded to sunny areas and blooms in the spring. This plant can be commonly seen within rocky areas and on forest floors throughout Louisiana, but it is also commonly used as ground cover around Louisiana homes. The oblong leaves turn a deep burgundy during fall and winter seasons.

2. Hybrid Louisiana Iris (Iris ser hexagonae)

This beautiful annual blooms between March and May and enjoys boggy sites with standing water, like Chemin-a-Haut State Park, as well as bayous and marshes, swamps and riversides. This Louisiana native plant can do well in just about any soil condition but needs to be well-watered if not in a wet region. The iris' hybrid nature lends it a range of colors including white, yellow, pink and blue.

3. Silverbell Tree (Halesia diptera)

Native to the Northshore, this tree blooms white, bell-shaped flowers that dangle from its delicate stems. The silverbell tree can be seen in areas of partial to full shade and along riverbanks or wet swampy areas, and blooms appear in early to mid-spring. Hummingbirds are attracted to the tree’s flowers, so if you’re fast enough, you may be able to spot the bird, as well. Silverbells can grow to 25-30 feet tall at maturity, and the leaves of this beauty turn yellow in fall.

4. Gulf Coast Yucca (Yucca louisianensis)

This grassy native perennial is a staple in the warm climate, commonly found in the Lafayette area. The Gulf Coast yucca is a reliable and tough Louisiana native plant that can withstand the humidity of the Bayou State, thriving in sandy soils, drought and heat. Clumps of this plant produce white flowers that sit on tall spikes each summer. The Gulf Coast yucca can grow up to 8 feet tall and features leaves that mainly grow from the base of the plant.

5. Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)

This stately tree can be found within the swamps of the South. Louisiana's official state tree excels in poorly-drained areas and can be seen within swampy areas like Sam Houston Jones State Park. The bald cypress is a staple in the bayou environment and is a long-lived, slow-growing tree. Most bald cypress trees grow to heights of 120 feet and have a trunk diameter of 3-6 feet. The National Champion bald cypress, the largest tree of any species east of the Sierra Nevada, was crowned in 2017 in the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge near Baton Rouge with a diameter of 17 feet.