Cape Cod Native Plants for Sale in Eastham

Over thousands of years, native Cape Cod plants have adapted to sandy soil, salt spray, and shifting seasons. Once established, they need little extra water or fertilizer while feeding local birds and pollinators. Start with our core categories below, then come see the rest in person.

These shrubs and groundcovers grow wild across the Cape’s dunes, woodland edges, and roadsides, and they bring that same coastal look to a home garden. If you live near the water or have an exposed, windy spot, they’re a good place to start.

Plants native to the wider New England region add structure, seasonal flowers, and food for wildlife to your plantings. They’re great for filling shady beds, damp corners, and property lines that could use some privacy.

Native trees give your property shade, privacy, and fall color for decades, and they support the birds and insects that rely on them for food and shelter. Ask us how big each tree gets at maturity so you can give it plenty of room to grow.

Gardeners drive in from as far as Falmouth to shop our native plants. Here’s what they find when they get here:

• Every plant is hand-watered. We skip overhead irrigation and check each plant by hand, so we catch problems early.
• A deep native selection. Our natives, perennials, and pollinator plants go well beyond the basics.
• Coastal and conservation know-how. Our sister company, Ponderosa Landscaping, works with Cape Cod conservation commissions, which shapes what we stock.
• Over 40 years of local roots. We’re proud to be the only garden center in Eastham.
• A place worth the stop. Wander among the fountains and plant displays, then say hello to the parrots in our tropical solarium.

Many Lower and Outer Cape towns require native plantings on properties near wetlands, dunes, and shoreline, often from a list approved by the local conservation commission. We’ve specialized in coastal, conservation-friendly plant material for years and know these lists well.

Bring your approved plant list along. We’ll show you what’s on our benches and what we may be able to bring in. If you’d like the planting handled for you, our sister company, Ponderosa Landscaping, offers dune and bank restoration, native planting, and conservation work across Cape Cod.

A little prep before you come in makes it easier to head home with plants that suit your yard. Here’s what we suggest:

1. Take a photo of your space. Note sun exposure, soil type, and how close you are to the water.
2. Bring any plant lists you’re working from, such as a conservation commission list, a designer’s plan, or your own wish list.
3. Stroll the native section. Our staff can help you compare options and put together plants that bloom from spring through fall.
4. Ask about special orders. If a plant isn’t on our benches, a team member can check if we’re able to order it.

Fall is one of the best times to plant. Cool air, warm soil, and autumn rain let roots settle in before winter, so plants are ready to grow in spring. Spring planting works well too, especially for perennials and grasses.

• Spring (April–June): Perennials, grasses, and shrubs; the widest early-season selection
• Summer (July–August): Late-blooming perennials; plants are rooted in and ready to go in the ground
• Fall (September–October): Prime time for native trees and shrubs

We’re right on Route 6 in Eastham, an easy stop on the way to or from the Outer Cape. Come wander the native section and bring your questions about your yard. We’re happy to walk the benches with you.

Ponderosa Garden Center
4850 State Highway, Eastham, MA 02642
Monday–Saturday: 8:00 AM–4:30 PM · Sunday: CLOSED

Availability changes through the season. This list shows native plants we typically carry or have carried in recent years, not current stock. If you’re looking for something specific, just ask our staff.

Trees: Black Tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica) · Red Maple ‘Red Pointe’ (Acer rubrum) · River Birch ‘Heritage’ (Betula nigra) · Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) · American Basswood (Tilia americana) · Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) · Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) · Chokecherry ‘Canada Red’ (Prunus virginiana) · Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)

Shrubs: Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) · Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica) · Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) · Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina) · Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) incl. ‘Sixteen Candles’ and ‘Pink Spire’ · American Holly (Ilex opaca) · Inkberry ‘Shamrock’ (Ilex glabra) · Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) · Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) · Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) · Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) incl. ‘Chippewa’ · Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) · American Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) · American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) incl. ‘Adams’ · Serviceberry ‘Autumn Brilliance’ (Amelanchier × grandiflora) · New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus) · Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) · Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) · Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana) · Dwarf Fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii) · Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) · Hydrangea ‘Pinky Pollen Ring’

Vines: Trumpet Honeysuckle ‘Major Wheeler’ (Lonicera sempervirens) · Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana) · Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla)

Grasses and Sedges: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) ‘Cape Breeze’, ‘Apache Rose’, ‘Ruby Ribbons’ · Little Bluestem ‘Standing Ovation’ (Schizachyrium scoparium) · Big Bluestem ‘Blackhawks’ (Andropogon gerardii) · Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) · Pennsylvania Sedge (Carex pensylvanica) · Purpletop (Tridens flavus)

Perennials: Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) · Swamp Milkweed ‘Ice Ballet’ (Asclepias incarnata) · New England Aster ‘Purple Dome’ (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) · Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) · Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) · Blazing Star (Liatris) · Meadow Rue (Thalictrum) · Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) · Sundrops ‘Fireworks’ (Oenothera fruticosa) · Heuchera ‘Autumn Bride’ (Heuchera villosa) · Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) · Slender Goldentop (Euthamia graminifolia) · Canada Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) · Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) · Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) · Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium) incl. ‘Baby Joe’ · Brown-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) · Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’, Rudbeckia fulgida) · New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis) · Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata) · Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica), blue and white · White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima) · Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) · Indian Pink ‘Little Redhead’ (Spigelia marilandica) · Eastern Bluestar (Amsonia) · Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) · Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia)