Alabama Azalea
Rhododendron alabamenseShrubZones 6–94–6 ft
White flowers with a lemon-yellow blotch and a lemon scent in April and May, on what may be the most fragrant of the wild azaleas.
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Alabama Croton
Croton alabamensisShrubZones 6–85–10 ft
One of the rarest shrubs in the country, its apple-scented leaves silver beneath and its oldest leaves pumpkin orange in fall.
Alabama Snow-wreath
Neviusia alabamensisShrubZones 4–83–10 ft
A rare southern shrub whose arching stems carry puffs of white flowers with no petals in spring, for a shady border or woodland edge.
Alderleaf Buckthorn
Rhamnus alnifoliaShrubZones 3–72–5 ft
A low native buckthorn of fens, swamps and wet thickets, with alder-like leaves and black fruit for birds, at home in cold, limy wetlands.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americanaShrubZones 6–103–6 ft
Glossy violet berries ring every stem in fall and feed mockingbirds and thrushes into winter. A fast, easy native shrub for sun or light shade.
American Fly Honeysuckle
Lonicera canadensisShrubZones 3–73–6 ft
A native woodland honeysuckle of moist northern and mountain forests, with yellow flowers in pairs and twin red berries for birds.
American Hazelnut
Corylus americanaShrubZones 4–98–12 ft
Sweet native filberts in late summer on a dense, easy hedgerow shrub.
American Snowbell
Styrax americanusShrubZones 6–106–15 ft
Fragrant white bells with swept-back petals cover a slender native shrub in spring, for wet woods, pond edges and shady, acid ground.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatumShrubZones 2–85–10 ft
Blue-black berries nearly half fat by dry weight ripen from August for robins, bluebirds and catbirds, after flat white flower heads in May for the bees.
Bartram's Serviceberry
Amelanchier bartramianaShrubZones 2–72–8 ft
The most northern of the eastern serviceberries, a low shrub of cool bogs and mountain woods with white flowers and pear-shaped purple fruit.
Beach Plum
Prunus maritimaShrubZones 3–84–8 ft
The dune plum of the Atlantic coast: salt-proof, drought-proof and covered in white bloom each May.
Beaked Hazelnut
Corylus cornutaShrubZones 3–84–10 ft
A small, suckering native hazel of northern and mountain woods, whose tasty nuts ripen inside bristly husks drawn out into a long beak.
Bear Huckleberry
Gaylussacia ursinaShrubZones 7–81–5 ft
A colony-forming huckleberry of southern Appalachian oak and pine woods, with greenish bells in May, glossy black berries and fall color.
Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpaShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
White spring flowers, glossy black antioxidant-rich berries and some of the best red fall color of any shrub.
Black Elderberry
Sambucus canadensisShrubZones 3–96–12 ft
Broad white flower plates in June, purple-black berries in August, and a magnet for dozens of bird species.
Black Huckleberry
Gaylussacia baccataShrubZones 3–71–3 ft
A low, colony-forming shrub of dry acid woods with sweet, seedy black berries and crimson fall leaves.
Blackhaw Viburnum
Viburnum prunifoliumShrubZones 3–912–15 ft
A tough, tree-like viburnum with white spring flowers, purple-red fall color and sweet blue fruit.
Bladdernut
Staphylea trifoliaShrubZones 4–88–15 ft
Drooping white bell flowers in May and papery inflated seed pods that rattle in the fall wind.
Blue Ridge St. John's-wort
Hypericum buckleyiShrubZones 5–81–2 ft
A low mat of small leaves and inch-wide golden flowers for a sunny rock garden, from the high peaks of the southern Blue Ridge.
Bog Spicebush
Lindera subcoriaceaShrubZones 8–96–13 ft
A rare spicebush of southern seepage bogs, with thick leaves, pale yellow flowers before the leaves and bright red fruit on female plants.
Bottlebrush Buckeye
Aesculus parvifloraShrubZones 4–98–12 ft
A shade shrub that spreads into a broad mound and lifts white flower spikes up to a foot long in early summer, when few other shrubs bloom.
Box Huckleberry
Gaylussacia brachyceraShrubZones 5–81–2 ft
A foot-high evergreen ground cover with glossy leaves, pink-white bells in May and sweet blue berries, from a shrub whose wild patches live for centuries.
Bracted Arrowwood
Viburnum bracteatumShrubZones 6–86–10 ft
A rare arrowwood of southern limestone bluffs, with flat clusters of white flowers in spring and oval blue-black fruit for birds.
Bristly Locust (Rose Locust)
Robinia hispidaShrubZones 5–83–8 ft
Rose-pink wisteria-like flowers in May on a suckering, nitrogen-fixing shrub for dry banks.
Broom Crowberry
Corema conradiiShrubZones 5–71–2 ft
A low evergreen heath of sand barrens and rocky summits, with needle-fine leaves and tufts of purple flowers at the shoot tips in spring.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalisShrubZones 4–105–12 ft
A wetland shrub for pond edges and rain gardens, with round white pincushion flowers in summer that draw bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
Canada Buffaloberry
Shepherdia canadensisShrubZones 2–83–8 ft
A slow, thornless northern shrub that fixes its own nitrogen, with silvery, rust-flecked leaves and bitter red berries that bears and birds eat.
Canada Yew
Taxus canadensisShrubZones 2–73–6 ft
A low, sprawling evergreen for deep shade whose branches root as they spread, with bright red, berry-like fruit that birds eat.
Carolina Bog Laurel
Kalmia carolinaShrubZones 5–81–5 ft
Clusters of small pink cups ringed in red in April and May, on a low evergreen laurel of Southern bogs and wet pine savannas.
Catawba Rhododendron
Rhododendron catawbienseShrubZones 4–86–10 ft
Lilac-purple trusses of 15 to 20 flowers open in late spring on an evergreen shrub of Appalachian ridges, parent of the hardy garden rhododendrons.
Catberry
Ilex mucronataShrubZones 3–73–10 ft
A deciduous holly of northern bogs and lakeshores, with red summer berries on thread-like stalks and leaves that feed Columbia silkmoth caterpillars.
Climbing Fetterbush
Pieris phillyreifoliaShrubZones 8–91–3 ft
The only climbing heath in the country, an evergreen that runs up inside cypress bark and hangs white bells from winter into spring.
Climbing Prairie Rose
Rosa setigeraShrubZones 4–83–15 ft
A native rose with long arching canes, rose-pink flowers that fade toward white in early summer, red hips for birds and bright fall leaves.
Clusterspike Indigobush
Amorpha herbaceaShrubZones 7–102–4 ft
A low indigobush of southern sandhills whose clustered white to violet flower spikes feed native bees in early summer.
Coastal Azalea
Rhododendron atlanticumShrubZones 5–82–6 ft
Sweet, musky white flowers flushed pink open on knee-high stems in April and May, on a wild azalea that spreads by runners into drifts.
Creeping Blueberry
Vaccinium crassifoliumShrubZones 6–91–2 ft
An evergreen blueberry that creeps into a mat under a foot or so tall, with pink bells in April, black berries in summer and bronze new growth.
Creeping Juniper
Juniperus horizontalisShrubZones 2–91–2 ft
A slow, mat-forming evergreen of northern dunes, rocky shores and prairie slopes, with blue-green scale leaves that turn purplish in winter.
Cumberland Azalea
Rhododendron cumberlandenseShrubZones 4–83–7 ft
Red to orange flowers in June and July, after the leaves are out, from a low wild azalea of the Cumberland Plateau and nearby mountains.
Cumberland Rosemary
Conradina verticillataShrubZones 5–91–2 ft
A federally threatened mint of Cumberland Plateau river bars, a low evergreen mat with rosemary-scented leaves and lavender-pink spring flowers.
Dangleberry
Gaylussacia frondosaShrubZones 5–92–6 ft
A huckleberry for sandy, acid ground, damp or dry, that spreads into thickets hung with sweet blue berries in summer and turns orange in fall.
Deerberry
Vaccinium stamineumShrubZones 5–95–15 ft
Open white bells with yellow stamens in May, then dangling green to purple berries for grouse, turkeys and bears. The blueberry of dry sandy woods.
Downy Arrowwood
Viburnum rafinesqueanumShrubZones 3–83–10 ft
A small arrowwood for dry, shady woods, with flat white flower clusters in late spring, dark fruit for birds and purplish red fall leaves.
Dwarf Chinquapin Oak
Quercus prinoidesShrubZones 4–86–15 ft
A true shrub oak that starts dropping sweet, low-tannin acorns within a few years of planting.
Dwarf Live Oak
Quercus minimaShrubZones 7–101–3 ft
A knee-high live oak that spreads from underground stems into evergreen patches and can bear acorns just three years from seed.
Dwarf Pawpaw
Asimina parvifloraShrubZones 7–103–12 ft
A pawpaw in miniature for dry southern woods, with maroon spring flowers, small sweet fruit and leaves that feed zebra swallowtail caterpillars.
Dwarf Witch Alder
Fothergilla gardeniiShrubZones 5–82–3 ft
A small shrub of coastal plain bogs with honey-scented white bottlebrush flowers before the leaves in spring, and red, orange and yellow fall color.
Eastern Leatherwood
Dirca palustrisShrubZones 4–93–6 ft
Tiny yellow flowers in the first week of spring, on a rare, slow shade shrub with bark you can tie in knots.
Elliott's Blueberry
Vaccinium elliottiiShrubZones 5–94–10 ft
A wild southern blueberry that hangs white bells on bare twigs before its leaves, ripens sweet black berries by early summer and turns scarlet in fall.
Flag Pawpaw
Asimina obovataShrubZones 8–106–15 ft
A Florida pawpaw of sand ridges and scrub, with large lemon-scented white flowers from late winter and green fruit that people and wildlife eat.
Flame Azalea
Rhododendron calendulaceumShrubZones 5–74–12 ft
Clusters of yellow, orange or scarlet funnels with long stamens in May and June, from one of the showiest shrubs of the southern Appalachians.
Florida Anise
Illicium floridanumShrubZones 6–106–10 ft
A fast-growing evergreen for shade and wet ground, with leaves that smell of anise when crushed and nodding, dark red spring flowers.
Florida Bully
Sideroxylon reclinatumShrubZones 8–105–15 ft
A thorny shrub of floodplain woods and wet pinelands in the Deep South, with tiny white spring flowers and small black berries that birds eat.
Florida Flame Azalea
Rhododendron austrinumShrubZones 6–96–10 ft
Yellow to orange flowers with long stamens in March and April, from a rare wild azalea of the Florida Panhandle.
Florida Leucothoe
Agarista populifoliaShrubZones 5–98–12 ft
A tall evergreen for shady stream banks, with arching stems, red new leaves and fragrant white bells hanging beneath the branches in spring.
Florida Swamp Privet
Forestiera segregataShrubZones 8–105–15 ft
A tough native shrub of southeastern coasts that shrugs off salt wind and drought, with blue-black fruit that ripens early for songbirds.
Four-petal Pawpaw
Asimina tetrameraShrubZones 9–103–15 ft
A rare pawpaw of Florida's coastal sand pine scrub, with nodding flowers that open cream and turn maroon, and fruit that smells of bananas.
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromaticaShrubZones 3–92–6 ft
A low, thicket-forming sumac for dry banks, with lemon-scented leaves, fuzzy red fruit for birds and orange to red fall color.
Golden Heather
Hudsonia ericoidesShrubZones 5–81–2 ft
A low evergreen mat of needle-fine leaves that turns bright yellow with flowers in late spring, on the sand barrens of the Northeast.
Golden St. John's-wort
Hypericum frondosumShrubZones 5–82–10 ft
A rounded shrub of limestone glades with blue-green leaves and golden flowers up to 1.75 inches across, each a brush of stamens, in June and July.
Granite Gooseberry
Ribes curvatumShrubZones 7–92–10 ft
A rare gooseberry of rocky Southern woods, a low spiny shrub whose arching stems root into a patch, with hanging white flowers in spring.
Gray Dogwood
Cornus racemosaShrubZones 4–84–10 ft
White berries on red stalks, about a third fat, feed migrating warblers and sparrows in September. A thicket shrub for dry or wet ground, sun or shade.
Hairy Blueberry
Vaccinium hirsutumShrubZones 7–81–3 ft
A low, colony-forming blueberry of the southern Appalachians, hairy in every part, down to its sweet, fuzzy, blue-black berries.
Hairy Laurel
Kalmia hirsutaShrubZones 8–91–2 ft
A knee-high evergreen laurel of Southern sandhills, bristly in every part, with pink saucers spotted in red from May into July.
Hillside Blueberry
Vaccinium pallidumShrubZones 5–91–3 ft
A low wild blueberry of dry, rocky hillsides that spreads into colonies, with sweet blue berries in summer and scarlet leaves in fall.
Hobblebush
Viburnum lantanoidesShrubZones 3–63–12 ft
A shade shrub of cool northern woods with lacy white flower heads in spring and big heart-shaped leaves that turn bronze-red and purple in fall.
Honeycup
Zenobia pulverulentaShrubZones 6–93–6 ft
Anise-scented white bells, like an oversized lily of the valley, hang in May and June from a rare shrub of southern coastal plain bogs.
Indigobush (False Indigo)
Amorpha fruticosaShrubZones 4–96–12 ft
Purple flower spikes with orange stamens in June, on a nitrogen-fixing shrub for streambanks and hot dry edges.
Inkberry
Ilex glabraShrubZones 4–105–10 ft
An evergreen holly with glossy, spineless leaves for hedges and screens on damp, acid ground, and black berries all winter on female plants.
Leadplant
Amorpha canescensShrubZones 2–81–3 ft
A prairie sub-shrub with silver leaves and purple summer spikes, rooted deep against drought.
Littleleaf Buckbrush
Ceanothus microphyllusShrubZones 8–101–2 ft
A foot-high cousin of New Jersey tea for dry, sandy pinelands of the Deep South, with leaves under half an inch and white flower clusters in spring.
Lloyd's St. John's-wort
Hypericum lloydiiShrubZones 6–91–2 ft
A low, spreading shrub of sandhills and granite outcrops, with fragrant, needle-like leaves and golden flowers from June into September.
Long-stalked Holly
Ilex collinaShrubZones 5–710–13 ft
A rare deciduous holly of high Appalachian streams and bogs, with bright red berries that dangle on stalks up to an inch long.
Maleberry
Lyonia ligustrinaShrubZones 5–96–12 ft
A tough native heath of swamp edge and dry ridge, hung with white bells in June for four rare specialist bees, that almost no nursery grows.
Mapleleaf Viburnum
Viburnum acerifoliumShrubZones 3–83–6 ft
A small viburnum for shade, with maple-shaped leaves that turn pink, magenta and purple in fall and blue-black berries for birds.
Miccosukee Gooseberry
Ribes echinellumShrubZones 7–92–5 ft
A federally threatened gooseberry of rich Southern woods, a low spiny shrub whose leaves drop in summer and return in fall, with spiny berries in spring.
Michaux's Sumac
Rhus michauxiiShrubZones 7–81–3 ft
A rare, low sumac of sandy and rocky open woods in North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, densely hairy all over, with red fruit on female plants.
Minnie-bush
Rhododendron pilosumShrubZones 5–73–6 ft
Small nodding bells of greenish white flushed with red in late spring, on an upright mountain shrub with hairy leaves and shreddy bark.
Mountain Bush-honeysuckle
Diervilla rivularisShrubZones 5–83–6 ft
A rare, colony-forming shrub of southern Appalachian bluffs, with clusters of pale yellow summer flowers, hairy leaves and yellow and red fall color.
Mountain Doghobble
Leucothoe fontanesianaShrubZones 4–83–6 ft
Arching evergreen stems hung with sprays of waxy white bells in spring, from the thicket shrub of southern Appalachian stream banks.
Mountain Fetterbush
Pieris floribundaShrubZones 4–63–6 ft
A compact evergreen of southern Appalachian balds, with upright clusters of fragrant white bells in spring from buds that show all winter.
Mountain Indigobush
Amorpha glabraShrubZones 7–83–6 ft
A smooth-leaved indigobush of Appalachian ridges and slopes, 3 to 6 feet tall, with purple flower spikes and golden anthers in early summer.
Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifoliaShrubZones 4–95–12 ft
Native evergreen with clusters of origami-like pink and white flowers in June and twisted, sculptural trunks.
Mountain Sweetbells
Eubotrys recurvaShrubZones 5–93–12 ft
Arching sprays of white bells on bare red twigs in spring and red leaves in fall, on a deciduous mountain shrub of the southern Appalachians.
Mountain Witch Alder
Fothergilla majorShrubZones 4–86–10 ft
Honey-scented white bottlebrush flowers in April and leaves that turn yellow, orange and red in fall, on a rare shrub of southern mountains.
Nantucket Serviceberry
Amelanchier nantucketensisShrubZones 3–82–6 ft
A rare, low serviceberry of the sandy Atlantic coast that spreads into a colony: white flowers in May and edible blue berries by July.
Netted Pawpaw
Asimina reticulataShrubZones 8–101–5 ft
A low Florida pawpaw of flatwoods and scrub, with fragrant white flowers banded dark purple inside from winter into spring, and edible fruit.
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanusShrubZones 4–82–3 ft
A knee-high shrub for dry, poor ground, with fragrant white flower clusters in June that feed azures, hairstreaks and two bees that use almost nothing else.
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifoliusShrubZones 2–85–10 ft
Peeling bark, white flower balls in June, and a constitution that shrugs off drought, flood and cold.
Northern Bayberry
Morella pensylvanicaShrubZones 3–75–10 ft
Waxy gray berries hold above the snow all winter for yellow-rumped warblers, tree swallows and quail. A salt-tolerant shrub that fixes its own nitrogen.
Oconee Azalea
Rhododendron flammeumShrubZones 6–96–8 ft
Scarlet, orange-red or orange flowers in April and May, among the brightest of all American azaleas, on a heat-tolerant shrub of Georgia and South Carolina.
Ouachita Indigobush
Amorpha ouachitensisShrubZones 5–83–6 ft
A rare indigobush of the Ouachita Mountains, 3 to 6 feet tall, with slender purple flower spikes up to 8 inches long in late spring.
Ozark Witch Hazel
Hamamelis vernalisShrubZones 3–86–10 ft
Fragrant red, orange or yellow flowers on bare branches from January into March, the first bloom of the year, on a shrub that takes floods.
Piedmont Azalea
Rhododendron canescensShrubZones 5–106–15 ft
Fragrant pink flowers with long, upcurved stamens in early spring, from the most common wild azalea of the Southeast.
Piedmont Rhododendron
Rhododendron minusShrubZones 5–83–10 ft
One of the smaller evergreen rhododendrons, with trusses of pink to white flowers in spring and a heat tolerance few rhododendrons match.
Pinkshell Azalea
Rhododendron vaseyiShrubZones 4–75–15 ft
Wide-open pink flowers on bare spring twigs, from a rare azalea that grows wild only in the mountains of North Carolina.
Pinxterbloom Azalea
Rhododendron periclymenoidesShrubZones 4–93–6 ft
Fragrant pink trumpets open on bare branches in April for bumble bees, hummingbirds and swallowtails. The deciduous wild azalea of Mid-Atlantic woods.
Piratebush
Buckleya distichophyllaShrubZones 6–76–12 ft
A rare shrub of Southern Appalachian slopes that draws on the roots of hemlock and other trees, with leaves in two flat rows and yellow-orange fruit.
Plumleaf Azalea
Rhododendron prunifoliumShrubZones 5–98–12 ft
Orange-red to red azalea flowers in July and August, after most wild azaleas are done, on a rare shrub of Georgia and Alabama ravines.
Pondberry
Lindera melissifoliaShrubZones 7–92–6 ft
A rare, colony-forming spicebush of flooded woods and pond edges, with drooping, root-beer-scented leaves, early yellow flowers and red fruit.
Pondspice
Litsea aestivalisShrubZones 7–910–15 ft
A rare coastal plain shrub of pond and swamp edges, with zigzag twigs, small leathery leaves, yellow flowers before the leaves and red fruit.
Possumhaw
Ilex deciduaShrubZones 5–97–15 ft
A deciduous holly whose orange-red berries line the bare gray branches from September to March, feeding birds late in winter.
Possumhaw Viburnum
Viburnum nudumShrubZones 5–95–12 ft
A glossy-leaved viburnum for wet ground whose berries turn pink, blue and purplish black, often all at once in the same cluster.
Prairie Redroot
Ceanothus herbaceusShrubZones 4–82–3 ft
A knee-high prairie shrub for dry, limy ground, with round clusters of white flowers in spring that feed bees and butterflies, and roots that fix nitrogen.
Pygmy Fringetree
Chionanthus pygmaeusShrubZones 7–103–12 ft
A rare dwarf fringetree from the sand ridges of central Florida, with showy clusters of fragrant white flowers in early spring and inch-long fruit.
Rabbiteye Blueberry
Vaccinium virgatumShrubZones 7–96–15 ft
The tall blueberry of Southern gardens, with white or pink bells in spring and sweet blue berries through summer, tougher in heat and drought than highbush.
Red Chokeberry
Aronia arbutifoliaShrubZones 3–96–12 ft
A tall, suckering shrub of bogs and swamps with white spring flowers, glossy red fruit that hangs into winter and blazing red fall leaves.
Red Elderberry
Sambucus racemosaShrubZones 3–78–12 ft
Cone-shaped white flowers in April and glowing red berries by June, the earliest berry crop for birds.
Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericeaShrubZones 2–76–12 ft
A fast, thicket-forming shrub of wet ground whose young stems turn bright red after the leaves fall and glow against snow all winter.
Rhodora
Rhododendron canadenseShrubZones 4–61–3 ft
Rose-purple, two-lipped azalea flowers on bare twigs in May, lighting up the bogs and wet woods of the Northeast before the leaves.
Rosebay Rhododendron
Rhododendron maximumShrubZones 3–710–15 ft
The great evergreen rhododendron of Appalachian stream valleys, with pink-white trusses in July.
Roughleaf Dogwood
Cornus drummondiiShrubZones 5–86–15 ft
A fast thicket dogwood for dry or wet ground, with creamy flowers in late spring and white berries that dozens of kinds of birds eat.
Roundleaf Dogwood
Cornus rugosaShrubZones 2–83–10 ft
A shade-tolerant northern dogwood with nearly round, wrinkled leaves, flat clusters of white flowers and pale blue berries on red stalks.
Runner Oak
Quercus pumilaShrubZones 8–93–6 ft
A shrub oak for the poorest, driest sand, spreading by underground runners into broad, low thickets that feed and shelter wildlife.
Sand Cherry
Prunus pumilaShrubZones 3–61–8 ft
A low, tough shrub of dunes, beaches and sandy prairies, with white spring flowers and purple-black cherries for jam from its second or third year.
Sand Myrtle
Kalmia buxifoliaShrubZones 6–81–3 ft
A low, dense evergreen with tiny glossy leaves that turn bronze in winter, smothered in pink buds and white starry flowers in spring.
Scentless Mock Orange
Philadelphus inodorusShrubZones 5–106–12 ft
A tall, arching southern shrub that covers itself in big white four-petaled flowers in spring, easy in sun or part shade and tolerant of drought.
Scrub Plum
Prunus geniculataShrubZones 9–102–6 ft
A rare, gnarled shrub of Florida scrub with zig-zag, spine-tipped branches, white flowers on bare twigs in winter and small reddish plums in spring.
Shining Indigobush
Amorpha nitensShrubZones 7–93–10 ft
A rare indigobush of southern stream banks and wooded slopes, with glossy leaflets and dark purple spikes lit by orange anthers in spring.
Silky Camellia
Stewartia malacodendronSmall treeZones 6–910–15 ft
White flowers about 3 inches across, with purple stamens and blue anthers, on a rare shrub of southern coastal plain woods.
Silky Dogwood
Cornus amomumShrubZones 4–86–12 ft
Creamy flower clusters in June, porcelain-blue berries in September and purple-red winter stems for wet spots.
Silverleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea radiataShrubZones 3–93–6 ft
White lacecap flowers from May into July over leaves that flash silver in the wind, on a woodland shrub of the southern Blue Ridge.
Slimleaf Pawpaw
Asimina longifoliaShrubZones 8–93–6 ft
A pawpaw of southern sandhills and pine savannas with long, slim leaves, nodding white fragrant flowers in spring and summer, and edible fruit.
Smooth Winterberry
Ilex laevigataShrubZones 5–86–10 ft
A deciduous holly of East Coast swamps with glossy leaves that turn yellow in fall and orange-red berries that feed birds through winter.
Softleaf Arrowwood
Viburnum molleShrubZones 5–76–12 ft
A rare arrowwood of wooded limestone bluffs, with loose, peeling bark on its older stems and flat clusters of white flowers in May and June.
Southern Bush-honeysuckle
Diervilla sessilifoliaShrubZones 4–83–5 ft
A tough, suckering native shrub of southern mountain balds and rocky slopes, with clusters of sulfur-yellow summer flowers for bumble bees.
Southern Pawpaw
Asimina pygmeaShrubZones 8–91–2 ft
A pawpaw only a foot or two tall, of Florida and Georgia flatwoods, with maroon flowers in spring and fruit that gopher tortoises eat.
Spicebush
Lindera benzoinShrubZones 4–96–12 ft
Yellow flowers in March, spicy-scented leaves, red berries for thrushes and the host plant of the spicebush swallowtail.
Squashberry
Viburnum eduleShrubZones 2–82–7 ft
A northern viburnum with lobed leaves that turn brilliant red in fall and sour red fruit for jam, for cool, moist woods and stream banks.
Staggerbush
Lyonia marianaShrubZones 5–92–6 ft
Nodding clusters of white bells up to half an inch long on bare twigs in spring, then bright red leaves in fall, on a sandy-soil shrub.
Strawberry Bush
Euonymus americanusShrubZones 6–94–6 ft
Warty crimson capsules split open in fall to show orange-red seeds, on a slender woodland shrub with square green stems.
Streambank Mock Orange
Philadelphus hirsutusShrubZones 4–103–10 ft
A thin, arching southern shrub of rocky bluffs and stream banks, with white spring flowers and leaves that are white and hairy beneath.
Swamp Azalea
Rhododendron viscosumShrubZones 4–93–8 ft
Sticky, clove-scented white flowers from May to July, one of the last wild azaleas to bloom, on a shrub that takes wet, acid ground.
Swamp Doghobble
Eubotrys racemosaShrubZones 5–94–10 ft
Arching sprays of white bell flowers in May on a deciduous heath shrub for wet, acid ground in sun or part shade.
Sweet Pepperbush (Summersweet)
Clethra alnifoliaShrubZones 4–94–8 ft
Spires of intensely fragrant white flowers in August, when almost nothing else is blooming, and bees know it.
Sweetshrub
Calycanthus floridusShrubZones 4–96–12 ft
A shrub for sun or deep shade whose maroon spring flowers smell of strawberry, pineapple and banana.
Toughleaf Dogwood
Cornus asperifoliaShrubZones 7–96–13 ft
A thicket dogwood of the southern Coastal Plain for limy soils, with rough, hairy leaves, white spring flowers and pale blue berries.
Upland Swamp Privet
Forestiera ligustrinaShrubZones 6–96–10 ft
A shrub of the limestone glades and rocky woods of the Southeast, with gray-green leaves, summer flowers and blue-black fruit in early fall.
Virginia Spiraea
Spiraea virginianaShrubZones 6–73–13 ft
A rare Appalachian streambank shrub with arching stems and flat clusters of tiny cream-white flowers in early summer, spreading into thickets.
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginicaShrubZones 5–93–6 ft
Fragrant white flower spikes in June, red and gold fall leaves that hang on into winter, and roots that are happy in wet ground.
White Wicky
Kalmia cuneataShrubZones 8–82–5 ft
Creamy white cups banded in red in early June and scarlet leaves in fall, on the one deciduous cousin of mountain laurel, from Carolina bogs.
Wild Black Currant
Ribes americanumShrubZones 3–73–6 ft
A thornless currant of moist woods and stream banks, with drooping yellow-green flowers in spring, black berries in summer and gold and crimson fall leaves.
Wild Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescensShrubZones 3–93–6 ft
A woodland shrub that blooms on new stems even when cut to the ground each winter, with broad heads of creamy white flowers in early summer.
Winterberry Holly
Ilex verticillataShrubZones 3–96–12 ft
Bare winter branches lined with scarlet berries, on a deciduous holly that loves wet ground.
Woolly Beach Heather
Hudsonia tomentosaShrubZones 2–81–2 ft
A gray, woolly evergreen mat of dunes and sand barrens that covers itself in tiny yellow flowers from May into July.
Woolly Huckleberry
Gaylussacia mosieriShrubZones 8–91–3 ft
A bog huckleberry of the Gulf coast whose twigs, flowers and sweet black berries all bristle with long, glandular hairs.
Woolly Pawpaw
Asimina incanaShrubZones 8–94–6 ft
A Florida and Georgia pawpaw of sandhills and old fields, with soft woolly leaves, creamy white flowers in spring and edible fruit.
Carolina St. John's-wort
Hypericum nitidumShrubZones 8–91–15 ft
A wetland shrub of southern ponds and stream banks that grows into dense thickets of needle-like leaves and small yellow flowers.
Chapman's St. John's-wort
Hypericum chapmaniiShrubZones 8–97–13 ft
A Florida Panhandle shrub that grows like a small tree, with corky, peeling bark, needle-like leaves and yellow summer flowers.
Conjurer's-nut
Nestronia umbellulaShrubZones 7–81–4 ft
A rare low shrub of dry southern oak and pine woods that draws on the roots of the plants around it and spreads into large colonies.
Georgia Indigobush
Amorpha georgianaShrubZones 8–91–3 ft
One of the rarest shrubs of the South, a low indigobush of sandy pinelands whose dark purple spring spikes bristle with orange-tipped stamens.
Lanceleaf Buckthorn
Rhamnus lanceolataShrubZones 5–83–15 ft
A native buckthorn of limestone glades and bluffs, a slender shrub with glossy leaves and small black fruit for birds, and not the invasive kind.
Schwerin's Indigobush
Amorpha schweriniiShrubZones 7–83–10 ft
A bushy indigobush of rocky Piedmont hills, with purple flower spikes bristling with golden stamens from April into June.
Smooth-bark St. John's-wort
Hypericum lissophloeusShrubZones 7–106–10 ft
A Florida Panhandle rarity for pond edges, with silvery bark that peels like a birch's and bright yellow flowers from May until frost.
Narrow the list to 12 or fewer and we can email you when any of them is ready to order.
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Email me when any of these is ready to order
For : one email per plant when it is priced or back in stock, and nothing else. Each carries a code for 10% off the plants in that order, not shipping or tax.
How the matching works
- Zone. A tree or shrub is listed when your zone is inside its hardiness range.
- Mature size. The type the catalog gives each one, as in the shop's size boxes.
- Height limit. Those whose typical mature height tops out at or under the limit, or at 60 ft or more for its last step. The article on small trees for a small yard says how far each goes from a house or a line.
- Sun and soil. What each one is known to tolerate, counting the labels for shade, wet ground and drought.
- Must have. Every trait you tick, all at once.
- Counts. The number beside each box and each choice is how many would remain if you chose it too.
- Best fit first. Trees and shrubs that list your sun and soil outright come before those that only tolerate them. Within that, those with your zone in the middle of their range come before those at its edge.
- Ties. Those that can be ordered now come first, then those with a photo, then the rest by name.
- ZIP code. It sets the zone from the same listing as the ZIP code tool, and the code itself is not kept.
- Compare. Tick Compare on up to four cards, then press Compare side by side for their facts in one table above the list. The trees stay in it while the filters change, and the address carries them, so a copied link opens the table.
- Hedge spacing. On a Hedge or screen list each card gives the spacing its own page sets. A hedge length gives how many to set in one straight row, with one at each end. The article on hedges, screens and windbreaks covers staggered rows.
Common questions
Which native tree is best for my yard?
In the finder's list the best fit comes first: trees and shrubs whose pages list your sun and soil outright, then those that only tolerate them. Within each group, those with your zone in the middle of their range come before those at its edge.
Can the tree finder identify a tree from a leaf or photo?
No: the finder lists native trees and shrubs to plant, matched to your zone, size, sun and soil. To name a tree you found, our articles on what a tree dropped and on telling trees apart in winter can help.
What tree can I plant close to my house?
Set the finder's height limit to the room you have: it matches the top of each species' typical mature height. Our article on small trees for a small yard says how far each one goes from a house.
What trees can I plant under power lines?
Within 15 feet of the wires, the International Society of Arboriculture says a tree should mature at 20 feet or lower. Virginia Cooperative Extension allows trees to 25 feet within 20 feet of the wires, and suggests large shrubs under 15 feet directly under them.
How many trees or shrubs do I need for a hedge?
Divide the hedge's length by the spacing, round down and add one, since a straight row has one at each end: a 40-foot hedge at 4 feet apart takes 11. On its Hedge or screen list, the finder gives each species the spacing its own page sets.
The address carries every choice, so a copied link opens the same list. The page draws that list before any script runs, so a shared link and the page's Markdown copy show the trees and shrubs themselves. These are its keys:
- zone: 2 to 10.
- size: shrub, small-tree, medium-tree or large-tree.
- height: 15, 20, 30, 40 or 60 for a top height at or under that many feet, or 60-plus.
- sun: full, part or shade. moisture: dry, average or wet.
- want: one or more traits joined by commas, such as want=evergreen,screening. The boxes are flowers, fall-color, winter-interest, wildlife, honey, edible, evergreen, rare, early-bearing, screening, nitrogen-fixing, salt, street-tree and erosion-control. The address also takes drought, wet-tolerant and shade.
- hedge: a hedge length in feet, read when screening is wanted. sort: name, height, hardy or fast, or the price orders once prices are set.
- compare: up to four plant page names joined by commas, such as compare=black-gum,pawpaw, for the table side by side.
Each tree's facts come from its own page: its zones, mature height, sun, soil, labels and hedge spacing. The 20 and 40 ft height steps are the International Society of Arboriculture's zones by overhead wires (Avoiding Tree & Utility Conflicts, 2021). Within 15 feet of distribution wires, the species chosen "should have a mature height of 20 feet (6 meters) or lower". From 15 to 50 feet out, it should have "a potential mature height of 40 feet (12 meters) or lower". The planting-site check follows the same zones. The 30 ft step is the small-tree ceiling the growth estimator uses for its generic small tree. Virginia Cooperative Extension draws the low zone wider, to 20 feet from the line, where "trees in the low zone should not exceed 25 feet at maturity" (Selecting and Managing Trees to Avoid Conflicts with Overhead Utility Lines, 2024). Under the line itself it suggests large shrubs with "a mature height of less than 15 feet", the limit's first step. A ZIP code's zone is the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map's ZIP code listing, prepared by the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.
When nothing fits, the site is usually the problem rather than the catalog: tell us the zone, soil, sun and what the tree needs to do, and we will suggest something.
The address carries the tree finder's inputs, so a link opens it filled in, and Copy link on a result writes one: zone (a whole number from 2 to 10), size (shrub, small-tree, medium-tree or large-tree), height (a mature height to stay under: 15, 20, 30, 40 or 60 feet, or 60-plus), sun (full, part or shade), moisture (dry, average or wet), want (one or more of flowers, fall-color, winter-interest, wildlife, honey, edible, evergreen, rare, early-bearing, screening, nitrogen-fixing, salt, street-tree, erosion-control, shade, wet-tolerant or drought, joined by commas), hedge (a hedge or screen length in feet, for a plant count), sort (featured, name, price-asc, price-desc, height, hardy or fast), compare (the slugs of the plants to compare, joined by commas). For example, /tools/tree-finder/?zone=6&size=small-tree&sun=part&moisture=average&want=fall-color.