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Juglans nigra

Black Walnut is a large deciduous tree with fragrant leaves and furrowed bark. It produces round, edible nuts in the fall; nuts can be messy when they fall to the ground. Black Walnut is the preferred host of luna and regal moths. Its roots produce chemicals called juglones, which deter growth of certain other plants; avoid planting it near fruit trees, flower beds, and vegetable gardens. Black Walnut wood is highly prized for furniture. Use it as a shade tree.

Juglans cinerea

Butternut is a medium-large, deciduous tree similar to Black Walnut, but it is usually a smaller, more cold-tolerant tree. This tree has sweet, edible, oval-shaped nuts. The roots produce chemicals called juglones, which are toxic to certain other plants; avoid planting it near fruit trees, flower beds, and vegetable gardens. Butternut is susceptible to canker, a fungal disease that is devastating this species in the wild. Use it as a shade tree.

Itea virginica

Sweetspire has long tassels of fragrant, small white flowers, which bloom in early summer. Its leaves turn attractive shades of red to purple in the fall. Use in mass plantings in shrub borders or woodland gardens. Good plant for wet locations, such as rain gardens, or along edges of ponds or other water features.

Ilex verticillata

Common Winterberry is a deciduous holly with very showy, bright red, berry-like fruits from late fall through winter. Tiny, greenish-white flowers blooming June-July are a nectar source for honeybees and butterflies. The long-lasting berries provide winter food for birds. Use in shrub borders and hedges. Common Winterberry is a good choice for wet sites, such as rain gardens and along ponds or streams.

Ilex laevigata

Smooth Winterberry, a close relative of Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata), is a deciduous holly with spineless leaves. Its white to cream flowers bloom May-July. Its red, berry-like fruits add color to the yard from September-February and provide winter food for birds. Its leaves turn yellow before dropping in the fall. Use this bird-friendly species in shrub borders and hedges. Good choice for wet sites, such as rain gardens and along ponds or streams.

Ilex glabra

Inkberry is an evergreen holly with spineless leaves. Tiny, greenish-white flowers bloom in the spring, followed by black berry-like fruits in late fall and winter. The flowers are a source of nectar for bees, producing the flavorful Gallberry honey.

Ilex cornuta

Chinese Holly is a dense, rounded evergreen shrub. Its small, white, fragrant flowers bloom in May. Since it is dioecious (separate male and female plants), a male must be in the area to pollinate the female flowers for fruit production. Plant in a location protected from cold winter winds. Use Chinese Holly as a specimen or foundation plant, or plant in groups for a hedge or privacy screen.

Iberis sempervirens

Candytuft is a low-growing, mounding semi-evergreen perennial with shiny, dark green leaves. Small, white, cloud-like flowers cover the plant March-May. Use it to edge walkways, or as a cascading plant over walls in rock gardens.

Hydrangea anomala ssp. Petiolaris

Climbing Hydrangea is a woody deciduous vine with root-like holdfasts for climbing. White, fragrant flowers in clusters blooming late June to early July are good for cutting and drying. Attractive exfoliating (peeling), reddish-brown bark of the mature vine provides winter interest. Use it as a flowering cover or screen on brick walls, arbors, and trees. It can be slow to develop at first, but will grow quickly once the roots are established.

Heuchera americana

Coral Bells is an excellent foliage plant with deep-green leaves turning to purple, red, and yellow in the fall. Clusters of tiny, greenish-white, delicate flowers on slender stalks rising above the leaves bloom in late spring to early summer. Use it as an edging plant, or plant in masses as a groundcover. Good choice for shade gardens.