Blue Whale Trees

Tree finder

Find the right native tree or shrub for your site by filtering on USDA hardiness zone, mature size, sun, soil moisture and what you want from each species. The list narrows as you set each filter. Every result is a tree or shrub we grow from seed, so anything it shows can be requested now and ordered once it is priced.

Must have

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Results

188 of our 364 trees and shrubs match

Best fits first: those that list your soil outright, then those that only tolerate it.

Still a long list. or set a height limit.

Showy flowers

Alabama Azalea

Rhododendron alabamense
ShrubZones 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.

RareFall color

Alabama Croton

Croton alabamensis
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Alabama Snow-wreath

Neviusia alabamensis
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleDrought tolerant

Allegheny Chinquapin

Castanea pumila
Small treeZones 5–910–25 ft

A shrubby native cousin of the American chestnut, Allegheny chinquapin ripens one sweet nut per small bur and bears within a few years of planting.

RareEdible

Allegheny Plum

Prunus alleghaniensis
ShrubZones 4–83–20 ft

A rare thicket plum of the Appalachians, with white flowers that fade to pink and small dark purple plums under a blue bloom.

Drought tolerantEdible

American Beautyberry

Callicarpa americana
ShrubZones 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.

RareEdible

American Chestnut

Castanea dentata
Small treeZones 4–815–30 ft

Once a dominant tree of the eastern forests, with sweet nuts for people and wildlife, now held to sprouts by a blight that kills its stems but not its roots.

Showy flowersEdible

American Plum

Prunus americana
Small treeZones 3–815–25 ft

A thicket-forming wild plum for dry banks and wet ground alike, with fragrant white spring bloom and tart red-yellow fruit for jelly and wildlife.

Fall colorShowy flowers

American Smoketree

Cotinus obovatus
Small treeZones 4–820–30 ft

Perhaps the best fall color of any native tree, on a small, drought-proof limestone specialist.

RareDrought tolerant

Arkansas Oak

Quercus arkansana
Medium treeZones 5–920–60 ft

A rare red oak of the Gulf Coastal Plain, a slender tree with broad, round-tipped leaves, and one that Florida lists as threatened.

Showy flowersFall color

Arrowwood Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum
ShrubZones 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.

Tolerates wet soilFall color

Bald Cypress

Taxodium distichum
Large treeZones 4–1050–80 ft

The swamp conifer that also thrives on dry lawns, with feathery foliage that turns rust-orange in fall.

Showy flowersEdible

Beach Plum

Prunus maritima
ShrubZones 3–84–8 ft

The dune plum of the Atlantic coast: salt-proof, drought-proof and covered in white bloom each May.

EdibleDrought tolerant

Beaked Hazelnut

Corylus cornuta
ShrubZones 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.

RareFall color

Bear Huckleberry

Gaylussacia ursina
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Bigleaf Witch Hazel

Hamamelis ovalis
ShrubZones 5–88–16 ft

Wine-red, scarlet or rose flowers from late December into February, on a colony-forming witch hazel with the largest leaves of any, first described in 2006.

EdibleShowy flowers

Black Cherry

Prunus serotina
Large treeZones 2–950–80 ft

The largest native cherry, a fast-growing tree with drooping spikes of white flowers in spring and black cherries in summer for birds, bears and jelly.

Showy flowersEdible

Black Chokeberry

Aronia melanocarpa
ShrubZones 3–83–6 ft

White spring flowers, glossy black antioxidant-rich berries and some of the best red fall color of any shrub.

RareEdible

Black Hickory

Carya texana
Medium treeZones 5–930–80 ft

A hickory of dry, rocky hills, with near-black, deeply furrowed bark, rusty-scaled buds and small, sweet nuts.

EdibleFall color

Black Huckleberry

Gaylussacia baccata
ShrubZones 3–71–3 ft

A low, colony-forming shrub of dry acid woods with sweet, seedy black berries and crimson fall leaves.

Honey treeShowy flowers

Black Locust

Robinia pseudoacacia
Large treeZones 4–840–70 ft

Fragrant white flower clusters in May, the source of the lightest and most prized honey in the East.

Fall color

Black Maple

Acer nigrum
Large treeZones 3–860–75 ft

A sugar maple for warmer, drier ground, with a dense rounded crown, nearly black furrowed bark and sap that boils down to syrup.

Drought tolerantRare

Black Oak

Quercus velutina
Large treeZones 3–950–80 ft

A tough red oak of dry ridges, sand and rocky slopes, with yellow inner bark once used for dye and acorns that feed turkeys and deer.

Showy flowersEdible

Blackhaw Viburnum

Viburnum prunifolium
ShrubZones 3–912–15 ft

A tough, tree-like viburnum with white spring flowers, purple-red fall color and sweet blue fruit.

RareDrought tolerant

Blackjack Oak

Quercus marilandica
Small treeZones 6–920–40 ft

A tough red oak for poor, dry sand and clay, with leathery, bell-shaped leaves and near-black bark broken into blocks like alligator hide.

RareDrought tolerant

Blue Ash

Fraxinus quadrangulata
Large treeZones 4–750–70 ft

The one ash worth planting: square twigs, limestone-loving roots and real tolerance of emerald ash borer.

Drought tolerantFall color

Bluejack Oak

Quercus incana
Small treeZones 6–920–40 ft

A small red oak of southern sandhills with narrow blue-green leaves, gray-felted beneath, that often hang on into winter.

RareDrought tolerant

Bluff Oak

Quercus austrina
Medium treeZones 5–940–60 ft

A southern white oak of river bluffs and bottomland edges that grows into a straight-trunked shade tree, and one most nurseries still do not carry.

RareEvergreen

Box Huckleberry

Gaylussacia brachycera
ShrubZones 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.

RareDrought tolerant

Boynton Oak

Quercus boyntonii
ShrubZones 8–96–20 ft

A critically endangered white oak that stays low and shrubby, spreading from underground stems into colonies on sandstone and deep sand.

RareShowy flowers

Bracted Arrowwood

Viburnum bracteatum
ShrubZones 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.

RareEvergreen

Broom Crowberry

Corema conradii
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerantEdible

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa
Large treeZones 3–860–80 ft

A massive, drought-hardy oak of the prairie edge, with corky bark, a broad crown and the biggest acorns of any native oak in fringed, mossy cups.

RareEdible

Butternut

Juglans cinerea
Medium treeZones 3–740–60 ft

The native white walnut, with sweet, oily nuts and ash-gray bark, now dying across its range from butternut canker.

Drought tolerant

Canada Buffaloberry

Shepherdia canadensis
ShrubZones 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.

RareFall color

Carolina Buckthorn

Frangula caroliniana
ShrubZones 5–910–20 ft

Glossy leaves, red-to-black berries and yellow fall color on a native buckthorn that is nothing like the invasive ones.

EvergreenShowy flowers

Carolina Laurelcherry

Prunus caroliniana
Small treeZones 7–1015–40 ft

A fast native evergreen for screens and hedges, with glossy leaves, fragrant late-winter flowers and black fruit for birds.

Drought tolerantFall color

Cedar Elm

Ulmus crassifolia
Large treeZones 6–950–70 ft

A tough shade tree with the smallest leaves of any native elm, flowers in late summer and clear yellow fall color, for dry or soggy clay.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Chalk Maple

Acer leucoderme
Small treeZones 5–925–30 ft

A small maple with chalky white bark and fall color from yellow to deep red, at home in sun or deep shade and on dry, rocky ground.

Drought tolerantFall color

Chapman Oak

Quercus chapmanii
Small treeZones 7–1010–25 ft

A small white oak of the southern coast with glossy leaves that turn red and yellow into winter, and acorns low in tannin.

Drought tolerant

Chestnut Oak

Quercus montana
Medium treeZones 4–850–70 ft

The white oak of dry, rocky Appalachian ridges, with deeply ridged dark bark, chestnut-like leaves and big, sweet acorns that fall early.

Showy flowersEdible

Chickasaw Plum

Prunus angustifolia
Small treeZones 5–94–20 ft

A thicket-forming wild plum that flowers white in late winter, before its leaves, and ripens tart red or yellow plums for jelly in early summer.

EdibleDrought tolerant

Chinese Chestnut

Castanea mollissima
Medium treeZones 4–840–60 ft

Blight-resistant chestnuts for the home orchard: large sweet nuts on a spreading, drought-tolerant tree.

Drought tolerantEdible

Chinquapin Oak

Quercus muehlenbergii
Medium treeZones 3–840–60 ft

The white oak of limestone bluffs and glades, at home in alkaline soil, with glossy chestnut-like leaves and sweet acorns that wildlife and people eat.

EdibleShowy flowers

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana
Small treeZones 2–1020–30 ft

A tough, thicket-forming native cherry with fragrant white flower spikes in spring and dark red to black cherries for jelly, syrup and birds.

Showy flowersFall color

Cinnamon Clethra

Clethra acuminata
ShrubZones 6–78–20 ft

Peeling cinnamon-red bark and drooping spikes of spicy, fragrant white flowers in summer, on a tall shrub of Appalachian mountain slopes.

Showy flowersRare

Clammy Locust

Robinia viscosa
Small treeZones 3–830–40 ft

A rare southern Appalachian locust with clusters of pale rose flowers in spring and sticky glands on its twigs, leaf stalks and pods.

Showy flowersFall color

Climbing Prairie Rose

Rosa setigera
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersTolerates wet soil

Coastal Azalea

Rhododendron atlanticum
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersFall color

Cockspur Hawthorn

Crataegus crus-galli
Small treeZones 3–820–30 ft

A flat-topped native hawthorn with thorns 2 to 3 inches long, white flowers in May and June, and dull red haws that often hang on until January.

Drought tolerantEdible

Common Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis
Large treeZones 3–940–60 ft

Sole host of the hackberry emperor and American snout, with sweet fruit held for waxwings and bluebirds until March. A tough tree for dry or city ground.

RareEvergreen

Creeping Blueberry

Vaccinium crassifolium
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Creeping Juniper

Juniperus horizontalis
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Cumberland Rosemary

Conradina verticillata
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleTolerates wet soil

Dangleberry

Gaylussacia frondosa
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Deerberry

Vaccinium stamineum
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenShowy flowers

Devilwood

Cartrema americana
Small treeZones 5–1015–30 ft

A native evergreen of the olive family for screens in sun or shade, with fragrant spring flowers and, on female trees, dark blue fruit for birds.

Drought tolerantShowy flowers

Downy Arrowwood

Viburnum rafinesqueanum
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersEdible

Downy Hawthorn

Crataegus mollis
Small treeZones 3–820–40 ft

Missouri's state flower, a broad native hawthorn that blooms early in spring, with soft, downy leaves and red haws up to an inch across.

Drought tolerantRare

Dwarf Hackberry

Celtis tenuifolia
Small treeZones 4–915–30 ft

A small, twisting hackberry for dry, rocky ground, with sweet orange fruit for birds and leaves that feed hackberry emperor caterpillars.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Dwarf Live Oak

Quercus minima
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleShowy flowers

Dwarf Pawpaw

Asimina parviflora
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Eastern Red Cedar

Juniperus virginiana
Medium treeZones 2–930–50 ft

A tough evergreen for windbreaks and screens on dry, poor ground, whose frosted blue cones on female trees feed cedar waxwings and other birds all winter.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis
Small treeZones 4–920–30 ft

Magenta flowers on bare branches in early spring, heart-shaped leaves and a graceful spreading crown.

EdibleShowy flowers

Elliott's Blueberry

Vaccinium elliottii
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerantShowy flowers

Farkleberry

Vaccinium arboreum
Small treeZones 6–1010–25 ft

The tree of the blueberry genus, with fragrant white bells in spring, glossy leaves that redden in fall and black berries that hang into winter.

Showy flowersEdible

Flag Pawpaw

Asimina obovata
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowers

Flame Azalea

Rhododendron calendulaceum
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersEdible

Flatwoods Plum

Prunus umbellata
Small treeZones 4–1012–20 ft

A small, single-trunked southern plum that clouds over with white bloom before its leaves, then ripens tart to sweet purple plums for jelly and wildlife.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Florida Maple

Acer floridanum
Medium treeZones 5–920–60 ft

A southern cousin of sugar maple, at home in heat and humidity, with yellow to orange fall color and a rounded crown for shade.

Drought tolerant

Florida Swamp Privet

Forestiera segregata
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Four-petal Pawpaw

Asimina tetramera
ShrubZones 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.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Fragrant Sumac

Rhus aromatica
ShrubZones 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.

RareFall color

Georgia Oak

Quercus georgiana
Small treeZones 5–825–50 ft

A rare red oak from the granite outcrops of Georgia and Alabama, with glossy lobed leaves that turn red in fall and hang on into winter.

RareShowy flowers

Georgia Plume

Elliottia racemosa
Small treeZones 6–910–16 ft

Upright plumes of white flowers in midsummer and bright red leaves in fall, on a rare small tree found wild only in Georgia.

RareEvergreen

Golden Heather

Hudsonia ericoides
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Golden St. John's-wort

Hypericum frondosum
ShrubZones 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.

Fall color

Gray Birch

Betula populifolia
Small treeZones 3–820–40 ft

A fast, small birch with chalky white bark that does not peel, often growing as a clump of slender trunks on poor, sandy ground.

Drought tolerantTolerates wet soil

Gray Dogwood

Cornus racemosa
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersFall color

Green Hawthorn

Crataegus viridis
Small treeZones 4–820–35 ft

A southern bottomland hawthorn, often with few thorns, that bears white flowers in spring and small red fruit that holds on well into winter.

Drought tolerantShowy flowers

Gum Bumelia

Sideroxylon lanuginosum
Small treeZones 5–1015–45 ft

A thorny native tree for dry, rocky ground, with fragrant white flowers in early summer and shiny black fruit that birds eat into winter.

RareEdible

Hairy Blueberry

Vaccinium hirsutum
ShrubZones 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.

RareEvergreen

Hairy Laurel

Kalmia hirsuta
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Harbison's Hawthorn

Crataegus harbisonii
Small treeZones 5–810–26 ft

One of the rarest trees in the United States, a Tennessee hawthorn with white flowers about an inch across in May and orange-red haws in fall.

Drought tolerant

Hercules' Club

Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
Small treeZones 6–1015–40 ft

A spiny little tree of the southern coastal plain, its trunk studded with corky knobs, its leaves able to numb the tongue and feed giant swallowtails.

EdibleFall color

Hillside Blueberry

Vaccinium pallidum
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerant

Hop Hornbeam

Ostrya virginiana
Medium treeZones 3–925–40 ft

A tough, shade-tolerant tree of dry upland woods with shreddy bark and hop-like seed clusters.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Laurel Oak

Quercus hemisphaerica
Medium treeZones 6–1040–60 ft

A fast, nearly evergreen red oak of southern sandhills and stream banks, whose glossy leaves hang on until the new ones open in spring.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens
ShrubZones 2–81–3 ft

A prairie sub-shrub with silver leaves and purple summer spikes, rooted deep against drought.

Drought tolerantEdible

Little Walnut

Juglans microcarpa
Small treeZones 5–920–30 ft

The smallest of the walnuts, a drought-hardy tree of Texas and the southern Plains with fine, narrow leaflets and marble-sized nuts.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Littlehip Hawthorn

Crataegus spathulata
Small treeZones 5–910–26 ft

A slow, small tree prized for its peeling bark of gray, orange, olive and brown, with tiny spoon-shaped leaves, white spring flowers and red haws.

Drought tolerant

Littleleaf Buckbrush

Ceanothus microphyllus
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Live Oak

Quercus virginiana
Large treeZones 7–1040–80 ft

The evergreen oak of the southern coast, with a vast, low crown of sweeping limbs that stands salt spray and hurricanes and can live for centuries.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Longleaf Pine

Pinus palustris
Large treeZones 7–1060–120 ft

The great pine of the southern sandhills, with needles up to 18 inches long and a grass stage that hides it for years, for sun and dry, sandy ground.

Showy flowersTolerates wet soil

Maleberry

Lyonia ligustrina
ShrubZones 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.

RareFall color

Maple-leaf Oak

Quercus acerifolia
Small treeZones 5–920–50 ft

A rare red oak of a few Arkansas mountaintops, with broad leaves shaped like a sugar maple's that turn red in fall.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Mapleleaf Viburnum

Viburnum acerifolium
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersEdible

Mexican Plum

Prunus mexicana
Small treeZones 5–810–35 ft

A single-trunked wild plum that does not sucker, with fragrant white bloom before the leaves and purple plums for eating fresh or for jelly.

Rare

Michaux's Sumac

Rhus michauxii
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Minnie-bush

Rhododendron pilosum
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleFall color

Mockernut Hickory

Carya tomentosa
Large treeZones 4–960–80 ft

A squirrel's preferred mast, with citrus-scented leaves, fat furry winter buds and clear gold fall color, on a hickory the trade seldom sells.

Showy flowers

Mountain Indigobush

Amorpha glabra
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenRare

Myrtle Oak

Quercus myrtifolia
Small treeZones 7–1015–40 ft

An evergreen oak of the southern coastal scrub, with small, glossy leaves the year round, that takes dry sand, salt wind and drought.

Showy flowersEdible

Nannyberry

Viburnum lentago
ShrubZones 2–812–18 ft

A big, adaptable viburnum with creamy flowers, edible blue-black fruit and wine-red fall color.

RareShowy flowers

Nantucket Serviceberry

Amelanchier nantucketensis
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersEdible

Netted Pawpaw

Asimina reticulata
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius
ShrubZones 2–85–10 ft

Peeling bark, white flower balls in June, and a constitution that shrugs off drought, flood and cold.

Drought tolerantTolerates wet soil

Northern Bayberry

Morella pensylvanica
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Northern Catalpa

Catalpa speciosa
Large treeZones 4–840–70 ft

Orchid-like white flowers in June, giant heart-shaped leaves and a tolerance for almost any soil.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Northern Pin Oak

Quercus ellipsoidalis
Medium treeZones 3–750–70 ft

The red oak of the Great Lakes sand plains, the most drought tolerant of its group, with deeply cut leaves that turn red in fall.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Northern Red Oak

Quercus rubra
Large treeZones 3–850–75 ft

A fast, long-lived red oak with big, bristle-tipped leaves that turn russet to bright red in fall and acorns that feed turkeys, bears and deer.

Tolerates wet soilFall color

Nuttall Oak

Quercus texana
Large treeZones 5–950–80 ft

A fast bottomland red oak for heavy, wet clay, with acorns that feed ducks, deer and turkeys and leaves that turn deep red late in fall.

Showy flowersRare

Oconee Azalea

Rhododendron flammeum
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Ouachita Indigobush

Amorpha ouachitensis
ShrubZones 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.

Tolerates wet soilDrought tolerant

Overcup Oak

Quercus lyrata
Large treeZones 5–940–60 ft

A bottomland white oak that stands in floodwater for months and then takes a dry summer in stride, with acorns almost swallowed by their cups.

RareEdible

Ozark Chinquapin

Castanea ozarkensis
Small treeZones 5–815–30 ft

The Ozarks' own chestnut, once a tree of 60 feet with sweet nuts for people and wildlife, now rare because chestnut blight kills its stems to the ground.

Drought tolerantFall color

Pignut Hickory

Carya glabra
Large treeZones 4–950–80 ft

The everyday hickory of Appalachian ridges: tight gray bark, pear-shaped nuts that fox and gray squirrels live on through winter and rich gold fall color.

Showy flowersFall color

Pin Cherry

Prunus pensylvanica
Small treeZones 2–715–40 ft

A fast pioneer cherry that springs up after fire, with white spring flowers, shiny red-brown bark and sour red cherries for dozens of birds.

Showy flowers

Pinxterbloom Azalea

Rhododendron periclymenoides
ShrubZones 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.

Rare

Piratebush

Buckleya distichophylla
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Plateau Live Oak

Quercus fusiformis
Small treeZones 5–1020–40 ft

The common live oak of central Texas, green through the winter, with gnarled limbs that spread a great distance from a short trunk.

Tolerates wet soilFall color

Pond Cypress

Taxodium ascendens
Medium treeZones 5–1030–70 ft

A slim cousin of bald cypress whose skyward shoots turn orange-brown in fall, at home in standing water or on a dry lawn.

Tolerates wet soilDrought tolerant

Possumhaw

Ilex decidua
ShrubZones 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.

RareDrought tolerant

Post Oak

Quercus stellata
Medium treeZones 5–935–50 ft

A drought-hardy white oak of dry ridges and the Cross Timbers, with leathery, cross-shaped leaves, that can live 300 years or more.

Showy flowersEdible

Prairie Crabapple

Malus ioensis
Small treeZones 2–820–30 ft

The wild crabapple of the Midwest prairies, whose pink buds open to fragrant blossoms in spring before waxy green apples ripen for jelly and wildlife.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Prairie Redroot

Ceanothus herbaceus
ShrubZones 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.

RareShowy flowers

Pygmy Fringetree

Chionanthus pygmaeus
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleShowy flowers

Rabbiteye Blueberry

Vaccinium virgatum
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleFall color

Red Hickory

Carya ovalis
Large treeZones 4–860–100 ft

An upland hickory with sweet nuts, leafstalks often tinged red and gray bark that turns slightly shaggy with age.

EvergreenTolerates wet soil

Redbay

Persea borbonia
Medium treeZones 7–1030–60 ft

A spicy-leaved evergreen of the southern coast, with dark blue fruit for birds, now dying across much of its range from laurel wilt.

Price on requestSee availability: Redbay
Rare

Rock Elm

Ulmus thomasii
Large treeZones 2–970–90 ft

The elm with the hardest, strongest wood, a tall tree of limestone ridges and rich woods with corky-winged branches and seed that wildlife relish.

Drought tolerantTolerates wet soil

Roughleaf Dogwood

Cornus drummondii
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerant

Roundleaf Dogwood

Cornus rugosa
ShrubZones 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.

EdibleShowy flowers

Roundleaf Serviceberry

Amelanchier sanguinea
ShrubZones 2–83–23 ft

A shrub of rocky slopes and sandy woods with nearly round leaves, white spring flowers and sweet dark purple fruit, rare at the edges of its range.

Drought tolerantRare

Runner Oak

Quercus pumila
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersFall color

Rusty Blackhaw

Viburnum rufidulum
Small treeZones 5–910–20 ft

Glossy, leathery leaves that turn deep red in fall, white flower clusters in spring and sweet blue fruit, on a small southern tree.

EdibleDrought tolerant

Sand Cherry

Prunus pumila
ShrubZones 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.

RareEdible

Sand Hickory

Carya pallida
Large treeZones 5–940–100 ft

A hickory of dry, sandy woods and ridges, with silvery scales beneath its leaves and small, sweet nuts.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Sand Pine

Pinus clausa
Small treeZones 7–1025–40 ft

Florida's scrub pine, a leaning, bushy tree that stands salt spray and outgrows other pines on deep, dry sand.

RareDrought tolerant

Sand Post Oak

Quercus margaretta
Small treeZones 6–915–40 ft

A compact post oak of deep coastal-plain sands, built for drought and heat.

EvergreenRare

Sandhill Oak

Quercus inopina
ShrubZones 7–95–16 ft

An evergreen shrub oak found wild only in peninsular Florida, whose leathery leaves stand upright on the stems, their edges rolled under.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Sassafras

Sassafras albidum
Medium treeZones 4–930–60 ft

Mitten leaves, orange fall color and fat-rich blue berries on red stalks that thrushes and flycatchers strip in late summer. Host of the spicebush swallowtail.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Scentless Mock Orange

Philadelphus inodorus
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerantEdible

Scrub Hickory

Carya floridana
Small treeZones 8–1010–30 ft

A small hickory of Florida's dry scrub sand, with sweet, hard-shelled nuts and rusty scales beneath its leaves.

RareDrought tolerant

Scrub Plum

Prunus geniculata
ShrubZones 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.

Rare

September Elm

Ulmus serotina
Large treeZones 4–860–70 ft

A rare southern elm that blooms in September and ripens fringed seed by November, a fast-growing shade tree of limestone bluffs and stream sides.

RareFall color

Shingle Oak

Quercus imbricaria
Medium treeZones 4–840–60 ft

A red oak with long, glossy leaves that have no lobes at all, turning russet in fall and clinging to the branches through winter.

RareShowy flowers

Shining Indigobush

Amorpha nitens
ShrubZones 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.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Shumard Oak

Quercus shumardii
Large treeZones 5–950–80 ft

A big red oak for shade, with deeply cut leaves that turn red early in fall, at home on moist bottomland or on dry, limy ground.

Showy flowersEdible

Slimleaf Pawpaw

Asimina longifolia
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerantShowy flowers

Southern Bush-honeysuckle

Diervilla sessilifolia
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersTolerates wet soil

Southern Catalpa

Catalpa bignonioides
Medium treeZones 5–930–60 ft

Upright clusters of white flowers spotted purple and yellow in May and June, then long bean-like pods, on the fast-growing catalpa native to the Gulf states.

Showy flowersEdible

Southern Pawpaw

Asimina pygmea
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerantRare

Southern Red Oak

Quercus falcata
Large treeZones 6–960–80 ft

A common upland red oak of the South, at home on poor, dry sand or clay, with long-lobed leaves and small acorns for wildlife.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Staghorn Sumac

Rhus typhina
ShrubZones 3–815–25 ft

Fuzzy antler-like branches, fiery orange-red fall color and red fruit cones that feed birds through the winter.

Showy flowersDrought tolerant

Streambank Mock Orange

Philadelphus hirsutus
ShrubZones 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.

Drought tolerantTolerates wet soil

Sugarberry

Celtis laevigata
Large treeZones 5–1050–80 ft

The hackberry of southern bottomlands, a fast shade tree for wet or dry ground, with warty gray bark and sweet fruit that birds eat into winter.

Showy flowersTolerates wet soil

Sweetleaf

Symplocos tinctoria
Small treeZones 7–915–30 ft

A small understory tree with fluffy, fragrant cream flowers on its bare twigs in early spring and leaves with a faintly sweet taste.

EvergreenRare

Table Mountain Pine

Pinus pungens
Small treeZones 5–720–40 ft

A gnarled Appalachian ridge pine that grows like a giant bonsai, its cones armed with hooked spines, for dry, rocky ground in full sun.

Fall colorDrought tolerant

Texas Red Oak

Quercus buckleyi
Medium treeZones 5–1020–50 ft

A red oak of the limestone hills of central Texas and Oklahoma, with fall color from burgundy to scarlet on a tree small enough for a yard.

Drought tolerantShowy flowers

Tough Bully

Sideroxylon tenax
Small treeZones 8–1012–30 ft

A thorny small tree of dunes and scrub with leaves silky gold to copper beneath, fragrant flowers that swarm with pollinators, and fruit for birds.

Drought tolerantFall color

Turkey Oak

Quercus laevis
Small treeZones 7–920–50 ft

The oak of the southern sandhills, with deep-cut leaves shaped like a turkey's foot that turn red in fall and cling into winter.

Drought tolerantRare

Upland Swamp Privet

Forestiera ligustrina
ShrubZones 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.

Showy flowersEvergreen

Walter's Viburnum

Viburnum obovatum
ShrubZones 7–1010–20 ft

A fast, dense southern viburnum with small, glossy leaves and clusters of white flowers that open in late winter.

Showy flowersFall color

Washington Hawthorn

Crataegus phaenopyrum
Small treeZones 4–820–30 ft

White June flowers, glossy red fruit that hangs into winter, and a thorny crown that shelters nesting birds.

Fall colorEdible

White Oak

Quercus alba
Large treeZones 3–950–80 ft

The great white oak of eastern woods, a broad shade tree that can live 600 years, with wine-red fall color and sweet acorns that wildlife seek out.

Drought tolerant

Winged Elm

Ulmus alata
Medium treeZones 6–940–60 ft

A tough, fast-growing southern elm with corky wings along its twigs, for dry rocky ridges, heavy clay and bottomland alike.

Showy flowersEdible

Woolly Pawpaw

Asimina incana
ShrubZones 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.

EvergreenDrought tolerant

Yaupon

Ilex vomitoria
Small treeZones 7–910–25 ft

A native evergreen holly for hedges and screens, with glossy leaves and, on female trees, red berries that birds take in late winter.

Price on requestSee availability: Yaupon
Rare

Conjurer's-nut

Nestronia umbellula
ShrubZones 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.

Rare

Lanceleaf Buckthorn

Rhamnus lanceolata
ShrubZones 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.

RareDrought tolerant

Weeping Hawthorn

Crataegus lacrimata
Small treeZones 8–910–26 ft

A small hawthorn of southern pinewoods and sandy scrub, with strongly weeping branches, tiny bright green leaves and yellow to red haws in summer.

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.

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.