Native Trees and Shrubs

The Northeast is home to a spectacular array native plants. With their bright flowers, textured bark, intense fall foliage and colorful fruits, many natives make excellent garden plants.

In addition to their beauty, native trees and shrubs also offer several other benefits, they're low-maintenance, adaptable, hardy and offer multi-season interest.

• Low maintenance

  Aside from regular watering during their first season, most native plants require little maintenance. In general they're resistant to disease and insects and do not require fertilization or protection in the winter.

• Adaptable

  Because soil types, light conditions and temperatures change so rapidly and vary so much throughout this region, many native trees and shrubs are able to survive in wide range of conditions.

• Hardy

  They are naturally occurring in the local environment so they actually thrive even after the harshest New England winter.

• Year-round interest

  Most offer a combination of flowers, fruit/berries and fall color.

• Good for local ecology

  By planting native plants, you are restoring part of the natural ecology that is slowly being overtaken by the invasive offspring of non-native species of trees and shrubs. Also, they help support the population of native animals, by supplying a food source as well as shelter.

Try these native trees and shrubs

Red Chokeberry

Aronia arbutifolia

A hardy and adaptable shrub with lustrous, almost waxy, dark green leaves that turn a brilliant red in the fall. Tiny white flowers bloom in late spring and abundant clusters of red berries line the stems in fall. Tolerates wet or dry soils. Makes an impressive display when massed.

Carolina Silverbell

Halesia tetraptera

Here's another small ornanmental tree for all seasons. White bell shaped flowers grace the garden in May. The rounded crown of leaves casts a little welcome shade in summer, then add yellow to the bright palette of autumn foliage. The nicely textured bark and open branching habit provide winter interest. Prefers a rich, moist and well drained soil.

Heritage River Birch

Betula nigra 'Heritage'

A superior birch for landscape use. Fast growing an probably the most trouble free. Cream-white exfoliating bark on young stems eventuallu darkens to a salmon-brown as the tree matures, providing excellent winter interest. Large, glossy, dark-green leaves turn golden-yellow in fall. Great tree for wet areas.

Pink Flowering Dogwood

Cornus florida rubra

Spring brings medium sized, pink flowers darker than the 'Stellar Pink' variety. Summer brings red berrries and birds. Fall brings red foliage. Winter brings bare horizontal branches on which snow sits contentedly wating for spring.

Sugar Maple 'Green Mountain'

Acer saccharum 'Green Mountain'

'Green Mountain' matures to a tall shade tree with a fine oval crown. The tree prefers a well-drained, moderately moist soil and requires space in which to grow. Excellent for large lawns, parks and other open spaces.

Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis

This native ornamental is a low branched, round headed tree and makes agreat addition to a lawn or woodland planting. The small purple-pink flowers line the branches in May. In the fall the foliage turns yellow. Prefers moist, deep and well-drained soil.

Serviceberry 'Autumn Brilliance'

Amelanchier x grandiflora "Autumn Brillliance'

'Autumn Brilliance is a hardy, deciduous small tree or large shrub that offers something for every season. White flowers bloom in April and red berries are produced in the summer. With the fall comes brilliant red foliage and the light gray bark and attractive branching habit brin elegance to the winter landscape.

Eastern Red Cedar

Juniperus virginiana

This tough native evergreen can be found growing wild in the most difficult of sites, from rocky uplands to swampy areas and along the coast. Excellent for landscape use as a hedge or a Windbreak. As aspecimen tree it will grow with adense, narrow pyramidal habit and show an attractive reddish-brown bark, exfoliating in long strips.

Mountain Laurel 'Little Linda'

Kalmia latifolia 'Little Linda'

A beautiful, long lasting flower and compact, rounded form. Along with the other little leaf laurels, a great hardy selection for area gardens large and small. Great for a woodland setting or a foundation bed as well. Prefers acidic, cool, moist and well drained soil.

Blueberry 'Patriot'

Vaccinium corymbosum 'Patriot'

A great landscape variety! Multi-season interest includes showy, white spring flowers, orange-red fall foliage, and of course... huge, dark blue sweet summer berries! Prefers moist, acid, organic-rich and well drained soil.

Low Bush Blueberry

Vaccinium agustifolium

This low spreading native plant makes an excellent groundcover that thrives in dry, acidic, sandy soils. Sweet, flavorful blue fruit ripens in mid~summer. Dark green foliage turns red in the fall.

Sweet Pepper Bush 'Ruby Spice'

Clethra alnifolia 'Ruby Spice'

Versatile and vigorous, great for summer color and fragrance. This deciduous, upright growing shrub produces fragrant, rich pink flower spikes against attractive, blue-green foliage. Great for seashore, shady and swampy areas as well. Best in moist, acidic soil rich in organic matter.

Bog Andromeda 'Blue Ice'

Andromeda polifolia 'Blue Ice'

An interesting compact, slow growing evergreen shrub with leathery steel blue foliage. Delicate pale pink, bell shaped flowers bloom in May. Good for edging and naturalizing. Prefer a cool, rich, moist and peaty soil.

Chicago Lustre Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum 'Chicago Lustre'

This extremely hardy Viburnum was selected for its attractive, green, glossy foliage. Turns brilliant red in fall. Blue-black berries attract birds. Great for grouping or border areas. Pest and disease resistant.

Cranberry 'Wentworth American'

Viburnum trilobum 'Wentworth'

Fruit of highbush cranberry was used hy English colonists for high Vitamin Ccontent. Nowadays New England gardeners crave the shrub for its decorative lobed leaves and simple flower clusters. Best fruit of any Viburnum. Beat the birds to it.

Potentilla 'Goldfinger'

Potentilla fruticosa 'Goldfinger'

Hardy, compact deciduous shrub. Large, bright yellow buttercup-like flowers. Delicate dark green foliage. Nice as a foreground plant to brighten up ashrub border or foundation bed. Once established, can tolerate poor, dry soils. Prune in early spring to maintain shape and density.

Northern Bayberry

Myrica pennsylvanica

Northern Bayberry grows as an upright, rounded and fairly dense shrub. Very adaptable, it does well in poor, sandy soils and is salt tolerant. Agood plant for shrub borders and massing, mixes well with broadleaf evergreens. Excellent choice for the seaside.

Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac 'Tiger Eyes'

Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger'

Fern-like leaves emerge chartreuse and mature to a rich golden yellow in summer, turning to bright scarlet, orange and yellow in the fall. A striking accent shrub which is drought tolerant and easy to grow. Good for difficult sites.

Witch Hazel 'Arnold Promise'

Hamamelis intermedia 'Arnold Promise'

'Arnold Promise' is a wide, upright slow growing shrub which bears large, fragrant golden yellow, spidery flowers in February and March. It also has nice bright red and yellow fall foliage. Prefers moist, acid and well drained organic soils.

Bailey's Red Twig Dogwood

Cornus sericea 'Baileyi'

This fast growing deciduous shrub bears clusters of white flowers in spring followed by bluish berries. Dense foliage turns purplish-red in the fall. The red twigs are outstanding in the winter landscape against a backdrop of dark needle evergreens. Excellent as a screen and for massing. Very adaptable to a wide range of conditions including wet soils and shady areas.

TRUMPET VINE 'Balboa Sunset'

Campsis radicans 'Balboa Sunset'

This fast growing, Vigorous flowering vine is easy to grow and perfect for a garden archway, or to cover a fence or trailis. Clusters of large, brilliant scarlet, trumpet-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds all summer. Prune in early spring.

Exbury Azalea 'Viscosepalum'

Azalea exbury 'Viscosepalum'

Upright growing, deciduous shrub produces beautiful fragrant yellow-white flowers arranged in a globular cluster. Gorgeous Red-orange fall foliage. Great shrub for the edge of woods or with larger evergreens as a backdrop.

Fothergilla 'Mount Airy'

Fothergilla x 'Mount Airy'

'Mount Airy is a vigorous, uprigt growing deciduous shrub with dark green folliage that turns shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall. Plant fothergilla in well-drained, sandy loam, acidic soil mixed with peat moss. Best flowering and leaf color in full sun. Use as a foundation or bordering shrub, looks nice planted with rhododendrons and azaleas.

Yellow Twig Dogwood 'Silver and Gold'

Cornus sericea 'Silver and Gold'

This hardy, fast growing deciduous shrub has silver edged foliage and creamy white flowers in spring. The bright yellow branches are outstanding in the winter landscape, try pairing them with a red twig variety. Very adaptable to a wide range of conditions including wet soils and shady areas.

Virginia Sweetspire 'Henry's Garnet'

Itea virginiana 'Henry's Garnet'

'Henry's Garnet' is an excellent cultivar with superb, reddish purple fall color and fragrant white flower spikes. This adaptable, native plant is a great choice for naturalizing in a wet area and for midsummer flowers when few shrubs are in bloom. Prefers moist fertile soil.