Oklahoma weather is no joke. Hot summers, strong winds, dry spells, and sudden downpours—your landscape has to survive all of it. That’s why native plants are the go-to choice for smart gardeners around here.
At OAK Outdoors, we design landscapes across OKC, Norman, Edmond, and nearby towns. And when someone says, “I want something that looks good without dying every summer,” we start with native plants. They're tough, beautiful, and support birds, bees, and butterflies.
Here are our favorite native and well-adapted plants we actually use in our projects—and why they work so well in Oklahoma gardens.
One of the most recognizable native flowers. These bold purple-pink blooms attract bees, butterflies, and birds. They stand up straight in the heat and look just as good in city beds as they do on large-acre properties.
A burst of bright yellow that lasts all summer. This Oklahoma classic is one of the most reliable native perennials—great for borders, beds, and pollinator gardens.
This native grass changes with the seasons—blue-green in summer and coppery-bronze in fall. Adds texture, motion, and winter interest.
Bright orange flowers + tough-as-nails attitude. This native perennial is a must for any Oklahoma garden focused on wildlife and low water needs.
Instead of planting Maximilian Sunflower, we prefer this hardy native salvia for structure and color. Spikes of deep blue or violet-purple flowers bloom for months, and the plants hold up through heat, wind, and neglect.
These plants aren’t just pretty—they’re tough. Most of them can:
We include at least a few of these on almost every landscape design project we install. Whether it’s a full backyard build or just freshening up some flower beds, native plants bring lasting value.
We worked with a client in Newcastle who was tired of replacing half their plants every year. They had tried hydrangeas, roses, even tropicals—nothing made it.
We redid their front beds with a mix of Butterfly Milkweed, Little Bluestem, and Purple Coneflower. One year later? They hadn’t lost a single plant. It looked better than ever—and butterflies were everywhere.
