Earth Tones Native Plant Nursery & Landscapes

Trees, Shrubs & Vines

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Botanical Name Common Name Class Description
Alnus rugosa Speckled Alder Shrub A streamside pioneer that can grow in pure sand or in standing water. This plant can take nitrogen out of the atmosphere. Great for restorations and new plantings. 6 to 12 feet tall. Sun to part shade.
Amelanchier canadensis Shadblow Shrub One of the very earliest to bloom in the spring. Gets loaded down with delicate, white blossoms. A small tree that grows 18 to 20 feet tall. Smooth gray bark. Can handle sun, part shade and moist to dry soils. The berries in summer are edible (if you can get them before the birds!)
Amelanchier stolonifera Ground-running Amelanchier Shrub This shad is found in dry, rocky places and is only 1 to 4 feet tall. It too has white flowers in spring and great fruit to eat. Sun to part shade, moist to dry soils.
Andromeda glaucophylla Marsh Andromeda Shrub A lovely bog plant, with bright green foliage that looks like rosemary. 1 to 2 feet high, 2 to 3 feet wide, leaves are very stiff, with a leathery texture and a deep, dark green color with orange-brown hairs beneath. Flowers are white to pink urns in May. Needs peaty, sandy, constantly moist soil. Full sun to partial shade. Good for ponds and bog gardens.
Andromeda polifolia Bog Rosemary Shrub One of these amazing, small evergreens is spreading out along the edge of our wonderful bog. The foliage is a misty blue-green, and is textured like rosemary. Flowers are white to pink bells in late spring. 1 to 2 feet tall with a mounding habit. Likes peaty, sandy, constantly moist soil that is cool. Full sun to partial shade. Good for ponds and bog gardens.
Aralia spinosa Devil’s Walking Stick Shrub This surprising plant is wonderful in your landscaping, if you can deal with its rapid spread. With a big area, you will soon have a thick, verdant patch 6 to 15 foot tall and 4 to 10 foot wide. The spiky foliage is arranged in tidy rows in large compound leaves. White, smoky flowers put on a good display in late summer. Blooms are often late enough to combine with the orange and purple fall color. Watch out for the prehistoric, heavy spines when handling. Sun to part shade and average to wet soil.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Bearberry Shrub Very reliable! An evergreen groundcover with low, arching stems. Only reaches 3 to 8 inches high and 2 to 4 feet wide. Small, rounded leaves. Small, white, bell-shaped flowers come out in spring and develop into red fruits in fall. From fall through winter the leaves stay a deep red. Full to part sun. Can handle seriously poor soil, and bad conditions.
Aronia arbutifolia Red Chokeberry Shrub Something for every season. Loads of white flowers early spring. Red berries develop in late summer and fall. Bright, vivid, red foliage in fall. Birds love the berries. Handles moist to dry conditions and full sun. Nice columnar shape.
Aronia melanocarpa Black Chokeberry Shrub A favorite for fall color. A shrub that lives in wetlands, thickets and dunes. It reaches to 15 feet. White flowers bloom at the ends of the branches in spring. Later in the season, black berries that attract the birds emerge. Likes lots of sun and wet to dry soil. Bright reddish purple foliage in fall.
Cephalanthus occidentalis Button Bush Shrub This is an attractive, wetland shrub with interesting round, spiky, white, summer flowers. Found in ponds and stream banks in full sun to light shade. Likes average to wet soils. Grows to 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. Great for butterflies!
Chamaedaphne calyculata Leather Leaf Shrub A small, evergreen shrub, with foliage of a lovely, matte, sea-green. Grows to only 2 to 5 feet tall and spreads to 2 to 3 feet. Flowers are pinkish white urns that hang down under the branches in a row in April through May. Will develop pink berries in late summer. Good for wet, boggy areas, and can handle highly acidic soils. Average to wet, acidic soils and sun to part sun.
Clethra alnifolia Summersweet Shrub A sweet shrub native to swamps and moist woods. Enjoys moist soils, and full sun to partial shade. Plumes of off-white flowers come out in summer. Grows to 4 to 8 feet tall and wide. Will sucker and form broad colonies. Attracts butterflies.
Comptonia peregrina Sweet Fern Shrub The leaves contain a scented oil prized by the perfume industry and used to treat poison ivy. A low-growing, fern-like plant with woody stems reaching up to 4 feet high and wide. Leaves are glossy green and fern-like. Likes dry, sandy, acidic soils and sun to partial shade. Good on sandy hillsides.
Cornus racemosa Gray Dogwood Shrub The white fruits are beloved by birds. They develop from bunches of small, creamy flowers. The white fruit and flowers contrast well with the red and grey bark. 7 to 10 feet tall and wide. Found on roadsides and thickets.
Cornus sericea Red Twig Dogwood Shrub The bright red stems of this dogwood contrast nicely with the bright, green foliage in summer, and provide interest in winter. This shrub reaches 7 to 9 feet high and spreads to 10 feet. Poofy groups of white flowers on flat-topped cymes in late spring. In mid-summer, white berries develop. Fall leaf color is a purplish-reddish. Soils can be acidic to basic and wet to dry, but needs mulch in very dry conditions. Can form dense, attractive stands in wet areas.
Diervilla lonicera Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle Shrub The light yellow flowers have all the sweet scent of honeysuckle, with none of the invasiness. A small shrub, 2 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 5 feet wide, with yellow summer flowers that gradually fade to red. Likes sun to light shade and average to dry soils. Makes a nice mass planting.
Empetrum ‘Compass Harbor’ Black Crowberry Shrub A very low-growing little shrub, with dark almost black, needle-like, evergreen leaves on slender, wandering stems. Lives in acid peatlands, cold coniferous forests, and acidic rocky slopes. Is widespread across northern boreal forests, north through the arctic islands and is even circumpolar. Small, bell-shaped, white flowers in late spring. Named for the large, shiny, black berries that develop in late summer and persist until eaten by happy wildlife. Only reaches 6 inches tall, and spreads nicely across rocks and walls. Sun to part sun and average to moist, preferably acidic soil. Reminds us of a bonsai.
Hamamelis virginiana Witch Hazel Shrub One of our favorite landscaping shrubs. Blooms with wild, compound, yellow flowers in very late November. The flowers are made even more striking because the foliage has already fallen. They have a wonderful, memorable scent. Will reach to 15 to 30 feet high and 15 to 20 feet wide. Full sun to shade, and can handle a wide pH range. Prefers moister soils and is not happiest in extremely dry sites.
Hydrangea arborescens Smooth Hydrangea Shrub A beautiful, native hydrangea with large, white pom-pom clusters of flowers. Blooms in summer. Reaches 3 to 6 feet tall and spreads by suckers. You get the most flowers if you prune this shrub down to the ground in the fall and allow all new growth to come up in spring. Flowers are more frequent on new growth, and this will also prevent suckering. Part sun to shade and average soil.
Hydrangea quercifolia Oak-leaf Hydrangea Shrub A shrub for all seasons. In spring, the large, oak-shaped leaves emerge. In summer, large, elongated bunches of ivory flowers come out. In fall, the leaves darken to lovely mix of red and bronze. This allows the scaly, peeling, cinnamon brown bark to show through in winter. Does well in part sun to part shade in a protected area. Enjoys rich soils with average moisture.
Ilex glabra Inkberry Shrub An evergreen shrub that makes a terrific landscaping plant. Excellent for foundation plantings, hedges, mass plantings, and as an accent plant. We use it to replace boxwood because it is hardier all around; no insect or major disease problems. It can take heavy pruning. Reaches 6 to 8 feet high and 8 to 10 feet wide. Small, black fruits in late summer. Likes moist to average soil, and can take acid conditions. Sun to shade. There are several good, dwarf cultivars that reach only 3 to 4 feet in height.
Ilex verticillata Winterberry Shrub Named for the bright red, stunning berries that come out in late summer and remain as a striking winter feature. A fine shrub that grows to 5 to 8 feet high and wide. Can develop dense stands in swampy areas. Does well in light to heavy high organic, acidic soils. Full sun to partial shade. Many cultivars are selected for smaller growth habits and heavy berry loads.
Ilex verticillata Male Winterberry Shrub Winterberries plants are either male or female. Females need to be pollinated by the males for the wonderful berries to develop. If you put in a winterberry and get a low berry yield, it is likely that you need a male pollinator. Often, however there are enough compatible plants in the woods to provide pollination. These shrubs reach 5 to 8 feet in height and width, and like full sun to partial shade, and acidic soils.
Kalmia angustifolia Sheep Laurel Shrub A tiny, little laurel reaching only 3 feet high and 2 to 4 feet wide. Flowers naturally range from white to a bright, dark red-pink. This small laurel can live in bog-like to sandy soil conditions. The flowers bloom in late spring to summer. It is very hardy!
Kalmia latifolia Mountain Laurel Shrub Connecticut’s state flower. You must see our mass plantings of laurels in flower in May here at the nursery. White to pink flowers like small, hexagonal cups that open from tightly closed, brightly colored buds. An evergreen shrub 7 to 15 feet high and 15 to 30 feet wide. Soils are best if well drained, acidic. Roots should be mulched for best success. Full sun to shade, but best flowering occurs in sunnier locations. This is one native that has received a lot of attention from breeders, so there are many cultivars with different color flowers and various growth habits. We are especially fond of the dwarf ‘Minute’ with a pink ring around the flower.
Ledum groenlandicum Labrador Tea Shrub A tiny relation of rhododendrons that mimics their foliage and growth habit. An evergreen shrub that only gets 2 to 4 feet high and wide. Small, white clusters of flowers with a light scent bloom in spring. Deep green leaves above with rust colored hairs on their undersides. Native to bogs, ponds, and alpine and arctic tundra, and likes sandy, peaty acidic soils, and full sun to partial shade. Great around ponds and bog gardens.
Leucothoe axillaris Leucothoe or Fetterbush Shrub Fills in open shade areas with low, arching stems. 2 to 4 feet high and 4 to 8 feet wide. Bell-shaped flowers in spring. Green, slender leaves that turn reddish-purple in winter. Moist to moderate, acidic soils and partial sun to shade. Creamy white flowers in spring.
Leucothoe fontanesiana Drooping Leucothoe Shrub A low-growing evergreen shrub, 2 to 4 feet high and 4 to 8 feet wide. Green, slender leaves that turn reddish, purple in winter. Moist to moderate, acidic soils and partial sun to shade. Creamy white flowers in spring. Great evergreen for the shade.
Lindera benzoin Spicebush Shrub The spicily scented, yellow flowers of this shrub come out early, early, early in spring, when hardly anything else is blooming. A wonderful understory shrub, 3 to 10 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide, that can take part sun to shade conditions. Average to wet soils. Bright yellow fall color.
Myrica pennsylvanica Northern Bayberry Shrub A shrub accustomed to sand dunes and beaches, that can handle salts from salting and sanding in the winter. Makes a good road screen. Evergreen shrub growing to 5 to 12 feet high and wide. Thrives in poor, sandy soils, and full sun to partial shade. The waxy berries are used for making candles, and they and the crushed leaves are very aromatic.
Potentilla fructicosa alba White Cinquefoil Shrub Covered in white flowers in late spring through summer. Makes a nice mound-shape, filled in by lots of tiny, trefoil leaves. A small shrub, 1 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, that fits well into borders and low-growing perennial plantings. Sun to part sun and wet to dry soils.
Potentilla fruticosa Bush Cinquefoil Shrub Bright yellow, cheerful flowers in late spring through summer. A small shrub 1 to 4 feet high and 2 to 4 feet wide. Blooms June to frost. Can tolerate poor dry soils up to wet conditions. Full sun to partial shade.
Rhododendron canadense Rhodora Shrub Distinctive, gray-green leaves set off bright, rosy purple flowers in April. A small rhododendron, 3 to 4 feet high. Full sun and prefers to be near water in cool acidic soils. Great for swampy areas and bog gardens.
Rhododendron maximum Rosebay Rhododendron Shrub An evergreen rhodie, with very large, glossy leaves. Flowers are rosy purple, or pink to white in June. 4 to 15 feet high with a lovely, open branch structure. Acidic soils in part shade to shade.
Rhododendron nudiflorum Pinxterbloom Azalea Shrub A deciduous azalea with truly lovely, light pink flowers. This is the one that everyone sees in the woods. Reaches 3 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Likes sun to part shade, and acidic soils.
Rhododendron viscosum Swamp Azalea Shrub A pretty azalea with a rare, lovely scent from the white to pink, summer flowers. An evergreen shrub 1 to 8 feet high and 3 to 8 feet wide, with a loose, open habit. Full to part shade and likes average to wet, acid soils. Can grow in swamps or by ponds.
Rhus aromatica Fragrant Sumac Shrub A sturdy native that forms an attractive shrub reaching 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Found in sunny places with moist to dry, rocky or sandy soils, poor soils are just fine. Leaves are three on a stem, but it should not be confused with poison ivy, this plant is not poisonous! Fall color is the brightest scarlet to burgundy, and females have a red fruiting body in the fall. Great for sandy bank stabilization.
Rhus copalina Shining Sumac Shrub A smaller, less vigorous sumac, with shiny, dark green leaves that turn bright scarlet in fall. 5 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Likes sun to part sun and average to dry soil.
Rhus typhina Staghorn Sumac Shrub A useful shrub for large areas, and great for stabilizing slopes. Large, compound leaves with 13 to 27 leaflets that are bright green in summer and scarlet in fall. Fruits form a dense, hairy pyramid-shaped mass at the tips of the branches that are crimson in late August and colorful into spring. 15 to 25 feet high and 25 and 40 feet wide. A loose, open, spreading shrub. Soil conditions are dry and can be poor. Full sun. Cut-leaf variety available. Nice in open fields good massing plant.
Ribes americana Eastern Black Currant Shrub Delicious edible berries, good for us and wildlife. A shrub 3 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, with a branching habit. Small, white, spring flowers develop into berries in summer. Likes sun to part sun and average to dry soils.
Ribes glandulosum Skunk Currant Shrub Delicious berries for us and wildlife, in spite of the stinky name. Small white flowers in spring develop into a yummy, black-red berries. Reaches 2 to 3 feet. Likes part sun to shade and average to moist soil.
Rosa carolina Carolina Rose Shrub A rose with wonderful, wild-scented flowers. Pink flowers in June. A small shrub that only reaches 3 feet in height and 2 feet wide. Makes a great small accent shrub. Found in dry soils in full sun. Glossy green leaves turning red in autumn.
Rosa palustris Swamp Rose Shrub A rose native to swamps, bogs, and marches. Rosy pink flowers in summer. Forms a nicely rounded, 3 to 5 foot shrub, 3 to 6 feet wide. Wet areas sun to part shade.
Salix discolor Pussy Willow Shrub A native cutie! The fuzzy catkins bloom early in spring with tiny, green flowers. A shrub found in swamps, moist woodlands, wet meadows, rivers, and pond edges. 6 to 12 feet tall. Likes sun to part sun.
Sambucus canadensis Elderberry Shrub Native elderberry loved by wildlife and people. Good for jellies, pies, juice, wines, and birds, with a high vitamin C content. 5 to 12 feet high and wide. White flowers June to July that produce fruit in August to September. Soils can be acidic or basic but best if they are moist. Sun to part sun.
Sambucus canadensis ‘Laciniata’ Cut-leaf Elderberry Shrub A version of the native Elderberry with all the attraction for birds and edible berries AND beautiful, feathery foliage. Nice to mix with the Elderberry species. Produces the same huge flowers, same juicy berries as the regular elderberry, but has leaves that are finer in texture. 6 to 12 feet. Sun to part sun, with moist soil.
Shepherdia argentea Silver Buffaloberry Shrub A super tough plant used for site restoration. A wonderful fall display as well, with the foliage turns bright red, and loads of red berries persisting until eaten by wildlife. Likes poor, dry, alkaline soils. Sun to part sun. 6 to 8 feet tall. Tolerant of heat or cold. Gets yellow or red berries that quail like to eat.
Spiraea latifolia Meadowsweet Shrub A landscaping favorite. Large puffs of tiny, fluffy, white flowers in summer. A small shrub 2 to 4 feet tall. Enjoys moist to rocky soils, full sun.
Spiraea tomentosa Steeplebush Shrub A smart, versatile shrub. Stays a compact 2 to 4 feet high. Rose pink flowers in steeple like cluster in summer. Moist soils, for wet meadows or near ponds. Full sun.
Vaccinium ang. ‘Top Hat’ Compact High Bush Shrub A cross between the high bush and low bush blueberry. Great for small areas and patios. You can easily pick the fruit because the shrub stays tight and grows only 3 feet at maximum. Sun, moist, acidic soil.
Vaccinium angustifolium Low Bush Blueberry Shrub A wonderful shrub. You get delicious berries, a low-growing groundcover, and bright fall color all in one. Only 6 to 12 inches tall. Small, white to pink, urn-shaped flowers in April to May. Very sweet berries in summer. Can handle dry, acidic, poor soils. Foliage turns scarlet-crimson in fall. These plants are abundant in Maine-they pick about 60,000 acres of this great fruit.
Vaccinium corymbosum High Bush Blueberry Shrub Tall bushes loaded with delicious blueberries! Grow for your self, enough to share with the birds (or not.) A shrub 6 to 12 feet high and 8 to 12 feet wide. Flowers are white to pink urns in May. Fruit is loved by animals and birds and some reptiles, and persists through July and August. Soils that are acidic, organic, wet to dry. Full sun, but will grow in shade, with less fruit. Great fall color as red as burning bush, but is not invasive and great with ice cream!
Vaccinium vitis-idaea Mountain Cranberry Shrub A low-growing, evergreen shrub that has large, delicious, but tart berries. Fruit is a large cranberry. Eat with sugar. 4 to 8 inches high and 1 foot wide. Flowers are pink blooms in late spring. Cool, moist soils in full sun to part shade. Great bog plant.
Viburnum acerifolium Mapleleaf Viburnum Shrub A viburnum that brings white flowers and black berries into the shade. Foliage is bright to dark green in summer and reddish-purple in fall. Grows to 4 to 8 feet high and 4 feet wide. Flowers are yellowish white, flat-topped cymes in June. Fruit are long, black ovals hanging at the tips of branches into winter. Very Shade Tolerant!
Viburnum alnifolium Hobblebush Shrub A true shade lover that will suffer in too much sun. Early white flowers come out before the leaves in spring. The large, heavily textured leaves are a shade standout. 9 to 12 feet high and spreads by suckering. Leaves are long and dark green and fall color can range rose-gold to pink-purple. Purple drupes come out in September. Excellent for shady, moist areas.
Viburnum dentatum Arrowwood Viburnum Shrub We love the heavily folded leaves. Makes a great background to any planting, sun to part shade. White viburnum flowers turn into chameleon berries that begin green and then change to red and then to dark, dark blue. 6 to 15 feet high and wide, a dense multi-stemmed plant that will colonize. Dark green leaves in summer and glossy red to reddish purple in fall. Can tolerate many well drained and wet soil types. Makes nice hedge or mass planting.
Viburnum lentago Nannyberry Shrub A tough shrub that can tolerate very dry soils. 15 to 25 feet high and wide. Leaf color is a glossy, dark green. The fruit is a bluish, black drupe at the end of branches, September into December. Great winter food for birds. Very tolerant of many soil types. Sun to shade, wet to dry.
Viburnum nudum Naked Witherod Shrub The viburnum with the best berry display in fall. Large berries that turn a variety of colors. A compact, dense shrub with lustrous green leaves turning reddish-purple in fall. Flowers are creamy white from June to July. 5 to 6 feet high and wide. Sun to light shade, wet to dry soil.
Viburnum prunifolium Blackhaw Viburnum Shrub A tall, multi-stemmed shrub or sometimes a round-headed tree. Flowers are small and off-white in flat-topped bunches in May. Develops fruit that are bluish-black in fall and can be turned into jams and jellies. 12 to 15 feet high and 8 to 12 feet wide. Dark green leaves turning purple with a reddish tinge in fall. Can be massed and used for borders, or the single-stemmed variety can be a specimen.
Viburnum trilobum American Cranberry Bush Shrub A unique viburnum with cranberry-colored and flavored berries. The three-lobed, dark green leaves turn yellow-red-purple in the fall. A shrub reaching 8 to 12 feet high and wide. Flowers are creamy white, flat-topped cymes at the ends of branches in May. Fruit can be turned into jams and jellies. Likes well drained, moist soils and sun to partial shade.
Acer pensylvanicum Striped Maple Tree Stripy bark for winter interest. This maple likes well drained soils and is found in woods and along slopes where it is cool and moist. It grows to about 25 feet tall and has green and white striped bark. The leaves are 3 to 8 inches and are in the shape of a goose foot. Fall color is yellow.
Acer rubrum Red Maple Tree A fine maple with brilliant red to orange fall color. A good growth habit, especially where the soil is rich and moist. 40 to 75 feet tall, 20 to 50 feet wide. Good, rounded canopy. Tolerant of pollution.
Acer saccharinum Silver Maple Tree A denizen of floodplains and riverbanks. Interesting, deeply cut, lacey leaves turn orange-yellow in fall. 60 to 70 to feet tall and 30 to 50 feet wide. Sun to part sun, with moist to dry soil.
Acer saccharum Sugar Maple Tree The quintessence of New England fall. One of the most amazing color changes we know. A quality tree in other ways as well, with a open up-curved sweep of branches and a rounded habit. Grows to 60 to 80 feet wide and 25 to 50 feet wide. Sun to part shade and average soil, slightly acidic.
Betula lenta Sweet Birch Tree An important tree in eastern hardwood forests. Brown bark that peels on older trees. A taller birch than some of the others, at 40 to 60 feet tall and 10 to 25 feet wide. Sun to shade, and average to dry soil.
Betula nigra River Birch Tree The bark starts out salmony brown and turns white. Looks great with the yellow fall color. A small, multi-stemmed tree, 20 to 40 feet tall. Prefers acidic, moist, soil along rivers and swampy areas. Can tolerate drier sites if it is mulched and has good soil. Sun to shade. We use this instead of white birch because these trees don’t get the bronze birch borer that destroys the white birch.
Betula papyrifera Paper Birch Tree This medium-sized tree reaches up to 50 to 60 feet tall. It has striking white bark edged with black. Is a pioneer species often coming in after a fire or other disturbances that wipe out the competition. It likes cool, moist acidic soils. Leaves turn yellow in fall. Nice with evergreens as a backdrop.
Carpinus caroliniana Ironwood Tree The rippled, grey bark looks like muscles moving under the skin. 20 to 30 feet high and wide, multi- or single-stemmed growth habit. Leaves are dark green, turning yellow, orange, red, and reddish purple in fall. A shade tolerant tree that can be placed under larger trees, and can handle occasional flooding. Acidic to neutral soils. Nice accent tree.
Carya cordiformis Bitternut Hickory Tree A native of bottomlands and floodplains. One of our tallest trees, reaching up to 130 feet. All hickories are an excellent source of food for wildlife. Moist to wet soil. Sun.
Carya ovata Shagbark Hickory Tree A really unique look! The grey bark peels away in rough, rectangular sections from the trunk of this tall, adaptable tree. Notable in summer and winter. Likes sun to part sun, and moist to dry soil. Will reach 70 to 100 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide.
Cercis canadensis Eastern Redbud Tree The dark, vivid, pink flowers really stand out against the chocolate brown bark. Flowers in March to April. A small, multi-stemmed tree 20 to 30 feet tall and 25 to 35 feet wide. Yellow fall color. Prefers soils acidic to basic and needs to be moist but not wet.
Chionanthus virginicus Fringe Tree Tree One of our favorites! One of the most spectacular flowering trees. Loads of long, airy, trumpet-shaped, white flowers hang from all the branches in late spring. Can deal with wet to dry soil. Likes sun to part shade.
Cornus alternifolia Pagoda Dogwood Tree A tree with a graceful, layered growth habit, reminiscent of its eponymous pagoda. Tightly clustered groups of small, white, sweet, musky scented flowers in spring. Sun to light shade and moist to wet soil. Gets 10 to 25 feet high. Fruits go from green to pink to blue in summer. Can suffer from powdery mildew.
Cornus amomum Silky Dogwood Tree Creamy white flowers in spring. Mature fruit is blue. Best when used for naturalized situations and in mass plantings as a hedge. 3 to 10 feet tall, with a width of 3 to 6 feet. Red to purple fall color.
Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood Tree Iconic, four-petaled, early spring flowers. An attractive small tree, 15 to 35 feet with low, spreading branches, often wider than it is tall. Leaves are bronze-green to yellow-green when opening, dark green and smooth in summer, and red to reddish purple in fall. Fruit is a glossy, red, hard berry ripening in September to October that can persist through December. Very important Blue Bird food, but many other birds eat them, as the are high in protein. Well drained, acidic soils with mulch to keep the roots cool. Sun to partial shade. Great branch shape for winter accent !
Corylus americana American Hazelnut Tree A native of woods and clearings, with delicious hazelnuts that are good for you and for the wildlife. The red flowers are quite lovely. Easy to establish. Likes average to dry soil, but not wet conditions. Part sun to shade. Only 5 to 12 feet high and 4 to 8 wide. A good, small, understory tree.
Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar Tree A tall column-shaped evergreen with small, rough, platey needles. Cedar waxwings love the fruit, and chickadees love the cover. 40 to 50 feet high by 8 to 20 feet wide. Can handle very poor, sandy soils with any pH. This plant likes full sun. Great for screens and specimen plantings.
Larix laricina Eastern Larch Tree An unusual deciduous conifer. The light bluish-green needles are soft as feathers. In fall they are decorated with vividly reddish-purple cones. The needles turn golden in fall and drop. Very moist, acidic soils, as it naturally occurs in boggy areas. 40 to 80 feet high and 15 to 30 feet wide. Great fall color.
Nyssa sylvatica Black Gum Tree The glossy leaves are dark green in summer turning a bright, blazing red in the fall. This is a tree for wetter soils. It can reach 80 feet tall and has a spread of 20 to 35 feet. Branches twist and make a nice winter feature.
Ostrya virginiana Hop Hornbeam Tree A small tree found in the understory and along slopes. It grows 20 to 45 feet and is 10 to 20 feet wide. Can handle drier sites. Sun to part shade. Yellow fall color. The buds and catkins are a major food source for grouse.
Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Diablo’ Ninebark Tree Selected for the lovely, plum purple foliage all summer. White flowers in spring to early summer. Caterpillars of the blue azure butterflies love them. A shrub 6 to 12 feet tall. Sun to light shade.
Picea mariana Black Spruce Tree A spruce with short, tight green needles and purple cones with a pyramidal shape. Can tolerate wet areas along ponds, swamps, and bogs. Likes the cold so this can go on the north side of the pond. 30 to 40 feet high. Full sun to partial shade. Good in bog gardens.
Pinus strobus White Pine Tree A soft-needled, aromatic pine. Very fine, long needles. Fast growing, reaching 50 to 80 feet high and 20 to 40 feet wide. Full sun and fertile, moist, well drained soils. Great screen plant or specimen. Needles make a high vitamin-C tea.
Platanus occidentalis Sycamore Tree One of the most recognizable native trees. Grows in bottomlands and river valleys. The grey and white, platey bark is wonderful all year, but especially in the winter. Large leaves turn a light yellow in fall. Very large, at 70 to 100 feet in height and 40 to 60 feet wide. Sun to part sun and average soil.
Prunus maritima Beach Plum Tree An attractive, small tree native to dunes and beaches. Only 4 to 10 feet high, with a rounded shape. White flowers in May, developing into delicious fruits that are purple-yellow and sometimes crimson. They ripen in August. Great for jams and jellies. Great salt tolerance. Sandy rocky soils, with full sun.
Quercus alba White Oak Tree An oak of true grandeur! This beauty can reach 80 feet tall and 40 feet wide. It likes to grow in bottomlands and on slopes and upland forests. The acorns are great food for all, we can make flour out of them! The wood is strong and somewhat rot resistant. It looks good by itself in a field or in the forest. You can’t go wrong with this tree. Reddish-brown fall color.
Quercus bicolor Swamp White Oak Tree This tree looks like the white oak with its gray bark but the leaves are large, shiny and elongated. Can grow in swamps and floodplains. It can reach more than 80 feet tall and 40 feet wide but grows very slowly due to the wet soils. Sun to part sun.
Quercus palustris Pin Oak Tree Acorns are more petite than other oaks, but there are so many that they feed lots of wildlife for the winter. The lack of a tap root makes this oak easy to transplant. 50 to 80 feet in height, and 25 to 30 feet in width. Sun to part sun. Average to dry soil. Red to burgundy fall color.
Quercus rubrum Northern Red Oak Tree A fast growing oak with an open, attractive structure. 60 to 80 feet tall and 30 to 45 feet wide. Leaves with 7 to 9 lobes. Sun to part sun, and average soil. Dark red fall color. The processed acorns were a major food source for American Indians.
Sassafrass albidium Sassafras Tree A unique and lovely native tree. The leaves are all different, looking like loads of odd-sized mittens. Makes black berries in fall that feed many birds. Rises to 30 to 60 feet with 12 to 25 feet in width. Used in tea and soda. Sun to part sun and moist to dry.
Thuja occidentalis ‘Nigra’ Dark American Arborvitae Tree A tall, stately evergreen with dark, dark foliage. Planted as a specimen it makes a tall, 20 to 30 feet tall and 5 to 20 feet wide column. Planted together can make a great screen or tall hedge. Sun to part shade and average to dry soil
Tilia americana American Basswood Tree This medium-sized tree likes the moist woods and is found growing in mixed forests. Shade is fine for this one. It can reach 80 feet and is best in large areas. Flowers are used to make a fragrant tea.
Clematis virginiana Virgin’s Bower Vine A vigorous native clematis with clouds of white, four-petaled clematis flowers. Will climb up trees or over an arbor. 10 to 15 feet. Sun to part shade. Likes moist soil with cool feet.
Lonicera sempervirens Trumpet Honeysuckle Vine A fantastic vine with brilliant flowers. Loaded with tubular, red and yellow flowers. Much more well-behaved than the non-native honeysuckle. This vine likes average garden soils. Handles some shade to full sun. The hummingbirds love it! 4 to 15 feet, depending on support structure.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia Creeper Vine One of the best for holding a bare slope together. Fast-growing and tolerant of all sorts of conditions. Great fall color. 3 to 5 dark green leaflets that turn purple to crimson in the fall, with bluish-black berries September to October. 30 to 40 feet. Great food source for the birds.
Rubus flagellaris Dew Berry Vine A vine with a blackberry-like fruit. Usually grows along the ground as a groundcover 3 to 6 inches tall. Small, white flowers in spring. Sun to part sun, and average soil.
Vitis labrusca ‘Valiant’ Fox Grape Vine A cultivar of the native fox grape with a slightly sweeter taste. Great for eating, for us and the birds. Can be made into delicious jams and jellies. This grape likes moist but well drained soils and can be found in open woods, roadsides and thickets. Fruits from September through October. Fruits and leaves are both edible. 20 to 30 feet long.
Vitis riparia River Bank Grape Vine This vine is found in thickets and along rivers roadsides. Fruit ripens August to September. Fruits and leaves are edible. Great for birds. This vine is found along rivers, thickets, and roadsides. Fruit is there August to September Fruits and leaves are edible. 15 to 20 feet long.

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