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Rhus copallinum

Winged Sumac features yellowish-green flowers blooming July-August. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Both male and female plants are needed to produce fruit. Flowers provide nectar for native bees. Fertilized female flowers lead to large clusters of edible, sour, red berries which ripen in August. The berries provide a valuable food source for birds. Fall foliage is a rich red, crimson, and scarlet. Winged Sumac provides habitat for birds, bees, and wildlife. Use Winged Sumac in dry rocky places, coastal gardens, along stream banks, in naturalistic plantings, and in large areas of your yard. It will spread to form colonies.

Rhus aromatica

Fragrant Sumac features yellow flowers, which bloom March-April. It is monoecious; male and female flowers appear separately on the same plant. Female flowers produce berries, which are eaten by birds. Leaves and twigs are aromatic when bruised. Fall foliage is orange to red to reddish-purple. Branches will root themselves where they touch the ground. Fragrant Sumac is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops). Use Fragrant Sumac in mass plantings, foundations, borders, and for stabilizing slopes.

Rhododendron viscosum

Swamp Azalea’s fragrant clusters of white to pale-pink flowers with extended stamens bloom mid-May-July. The flowers have a clove-like scent, and the nectar is attractive to bumblebees. Swamp Azalea leafs-out before blooming. Its native New Jersey habitat includes swamps and bogs, so it prefers a moist substrate in a partly shady area in your yard. Swamp Azalea is flood-tolerant, but is intolerant of juglones (chemical in the roots of Black Walnut). Use Swamp Azalea in rain gardens, woodland gardens, shade gardens, and massed in shrub borders. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.

Rhododendron periclymenoides

Pinxterbloom Azalea, or Pink Azalea, features fragrant clusters of cotton-candy pink to white flowers, which bloom in April to early May, before leaves emerge. The nectar is a valued food source for bumblebees. Plant it in well-drained soil — it does not tolerate “wet feet,” and poor drainage leads to root-rot. Pink Azalea spreads by stolon (a horizontal plant stem or runner that takes root at points along its length to form new plants). Use it in shrub borders, foundation plantings, shade gardens, natural areas, or as a hedge. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.

Rhododendron catawbiense

Catawba Rhododendron is a broadleaf evergreen shrub. Large clusters of lilac to purple to rose flowers bloom April-June, providing a valued food source for bumblebees. Use Catawba Rhododendron in shrub borders, foundation plantings, and natural areas around your yard. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.

Rhododendron atlanticum

Dwarf Azalea is a low-growing, colony-forming shrub. Long-stalked clusters of fragrant white-pink flowers bloom April-May and provide a valued food source for bumblebees. Use Dwarf Azalea in shrub borders, foundation plantings, and natural areas of your yard. As with many Azaleas and Rhododendrons, all parts of this plant are poisonous.

Quercus montana

Chestnut Oak is a medium-large, deciduous tree of the white oak group. It has oblong, toothed leaves, which turn orange-yellow or yellow-brown in fall. The acorns provide food for birds and wildlife. Oaks are host to numerous beneficial insects, which in turn provide food for birds. It provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use Chestnut Oak as a street tree or shade tree, and in parks or natural areas.

Quercus imbricaria

Shingle Oak is a medium-sized, deciduous tree of the red oak group. It grows in conical form with a rounded canopy. It accepts pruning well and can also be used as a shrub. It is monoecious; greenish-yellow flowers bloom on separate male and female catkins in April as leaves emerge. The acorns ripen every second year, and provide food for birds and wildlife. Fall foliage is variable, sometimes yellow-brown to red-brown. Browned leaves persist on branches into winter and can help serve as a windbreak and provide winter shelter for beneficial insects. Oaks are host to numerous insects throughout the year, which in turn provide food for birds. Shingle Oak also provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use it as a street tree or shade tree for your yard, neighborhood park, or in natural areas. It may be pruned to use as a hedge or privacy screen.

Quercus coccinea

Scarlet Oak is a large deciduous tree with a round, open canopy. It is monoecious; separate male and female catkins appear on the same tree April-May. Its scarlet-red leaf color develops in mid-November. Acorns provide food for birds and wildlife. Oaks are host to numerous insects, which in turn provide food for birds. Scarlet Oak provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use Scarlet Oak as a street tree or shade tree for your large yard, park, or natural area.

Quercus alba

White Oak is a large, wildlife-friendly, deciduous tree of the white oak group. Mature White Oak trees are wide and spreading. It is monoecious; greenish-yellow flowers bloom on separate male and female catkins in April. It tolerates occasional flooding and drought, and has medium-high wind resistance. Acorns provide a valuable food source for birds and wildlife. White Oaks are host to numerous, inconspicuous insects, which in turn provide food for birds. It is a host plant for butterfly and moth larvae (caterpillars), including Edwards Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii). White Oak provides nesting space, cover, and shelter for wildlife. Use White Oak as a shade tree for your large yard, neighborhood park, or naturalized area. It can be used as a street tree, but needs room to spread.