Growing Native Shrubs
Below you will find a list of native flowering and evergreen shrubs from our plant database. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant for your landscaping. The concept of a shrub can be difficult to define since different people might consider the same plant a groundcover, broadleaf evergreen, bush or tree.
Uses for these native shrubs vary by variety, and may thrive in full sun, partial sun, partial shade or even full shade and flourish in wet soil, average moisture or dry conditions. Specific details are on the individual plant pages.
With the popularity of organic gardening increasing and the focus on sustainability gaining ground, renewed interest in native shrubs is the natural next step. With so many wonderful shrubs to consider, the list is being divided into less well-known varieties that deserve consideration and the more well-known that may not be used as much because they seem so common. But if drought tolerance, heat and cold tolerance, natural resistance to disease and insects and less chemical use are important, familiar and less-flashy may be the way to go.
Recommended unknown native shrubs include: American Cranberry and Arrowwood Viburnums or V. trilobum and V. dentatum; known as Black Alder, Winterberry, Coralberry, Michigan Holly or Ilex verticillata and marvelous cultivars is a first class garden choice for multi-season enjoyment; Bottlebrush Buckeye or Aesculus parviflora; Azaleas (native species not the more well-known hybrids); Alabama (Rhododendron (Azalea) alabamense), Cumberland (R. bakeri), Flame (R. calendulaceum), Florida (R. austrinum) Piedmont or Florida Pinxter (R. canescens), Sweet (R. arborescens); known as Common Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice, Strawberry-shrub, Bubby Blossom, Sweet Bubby or Bettie, Spicebush and Calycanthus floridus is a trouble-free plant with multi-season features; Mountain Laurel or Kalmia latifolia along with superb cultivars; Smooth Hydrangea (H. arborescens) for summer blooms; Summersweet Clethra, Sweet Pepperbush or C. alnifolia also has nice culivars, Vernal Witchhazel or Hamamelis vernalis for its unusual winter flowering, Virginia Sweetspire, Virginia-willow or Itea virginica has fragrant flowers at a time when few plants are in summer bloom.
Familiar native shrubs worth another look are: American Arborvitae or Thuja occidentalis including numerous cultivars; Carolina and Catawba Rhododendrons (R. carolinianum and R. catawbiense) with numerous cultivars of every color are tough and durable when properly grown; Inkberry or Ilex glabra.
