Baccharis halimifolia
Migrating butterflies and other pollinators nectar on the late summer blooming flowers, and birds eat the seeds.
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Asimina triloba
Pawpaw is a small understory tree or large shrub, which grows to form thickets. It has large, drooping, tropical-like leaves. Its cup-shaped, purple flowers bloom April-May, followed by large, green, edible fruits that taste like a mixture of bananas and pineapples. As the fruit ripens in the fall, it turns a brownish color. The fruit is a food source for birds and small mammals. This plant’s large, green leaves turn yellow in the fall. Pawpaw is a host plant to butterfly larvae (caterpillars), including Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) and Pawpaw sphinx (Dolba hyloeus). Use as shrub border or woodland edge plant, in rain gardens, along the edges of ponds or streams, or as a specimen tree in a shade garden.
Aronia prunifolia
Purple Chokeberry is a wildlife-friendly, multiple-stemmed deciduous shrub. Clusters of white to light pink flowers bloom in April. The leaves turn purplish-red in the fall. Its edible, tart, purple-black berries can be used to make jams or jellies. The berries are a food source for birds and other wildlife. Plant Purple Chokeberry in groups to create native hedges, along the banks of ponds or streams, or in woodland areas around your yard.
Aronia melanocarpa
Black Chokeberry is a wildlife-friendly, multiple-stemmed deciduous shrub, featuring clusters of white flowers which bloom in May. The flowers are followed by blue-black berries. The edible, tart fruit can be used to make jams or jellies, and is a food source for birds and wildlife. Fall foliage is red. Black Chokeberry has a colonial growth habit and may spread through suckers. Plant Black Chokeberry in groups to create native hedges, along the banks of ponds or streams, or in woodland areas around your yard.
Aronia arbutifolia
Red Chokeberry is a wildlife-friendly, multiple-stemmed deciduous shrub, featuring clusters of white to light pink flowers, which bloom in April. The flowers lead to red, showy berries, which persist in the winter; the berries are a source of food for birds in cold weather. The leaves turn bright red in the fall. The reddish-brown, exfoliating bark and the red berries both add winter interest to the yard. Red Chokeberry tolerates a variety of soils, including wet and boggy. It suckers to form colonies, making it a good choice for use as a native shrub border in your yard.
Aralia spinosa
Devil’s Walkingstick is a wildlife-friendly, large deciduous shrub with club-like branches and spiny stems. Its huge, compound leaves can reach 3-4 feet long and wide. Showy, umbrella-shaped clusters of small, white flowers bloom July-August. The flowers provide nectar for bees and butterflies. Clusters of fleshy, black berry-like fruits on bright pink stalks ripen in late August-October; the fruits provide a food source for birds and other wildlife. This shrub spreads by suckering; it is best planted in areas of the yard where it can spread. Use Devil’s Walkingstick in shrub borders, wildlife gardens, or along edges of woodland gardens.
Amelanchier laevis
Allegheny Serviceberry is a wildlife-friendly, large deciduous shrub. Drooping clusters of white flowers bloom before leaves appear, March-April. The flowers are followed by edible, berry-like fruits, which turn purple when ripe. The berries are often used in jams or baked goods. The flowers provide nectar for bees and have special value for native bees. The berries are consumed by a variety of birds and mammals. The leaves turn a beautiful orange-red in the fall. The ornamental bark of mature plants is smooth and gray with longitudinal stripes. This species is very similar to Common Serviceberry; it is distinguished by its smooth, not hairy, leaves and sweeter, juicier berries. Use Allegheny Serviceberry as a specimen, or plant it in masses in shrub borders, wildlife gardens, or along edges of water features.
Amelanchier canadensis
Canadian Serviceberry is a wildlife-friendly, large deciduous shrub. Drooping clusters of slightly fragrant, white flowers bloom before leaves appear, March-April. Its other common name, Shadblow Serviceberry, refers to the fact that the flowers bloom around the same time shad fish return upriver in early spring.
Amelanchier arborea
Common Serviceberry is a wildlife-friendly, large deciduous shrub. Drooping clusters of slightly fragrant, white flowers bloom before the leaves appear, March-April. Its other common name, Shadbush, refers to the fact that the flowers bloom around the same time shad fish return upriver in early spring.
Alnus serrulata
Hazel Alder is a fast-growing, deciduous shrub with a tendency to form thickets. It is monoecious (separate male and female flowers appear on the same plant). The greenish male catkins and reddish female catkins bloom March-April. The female catkins are followed by woody, cone-like structures containing the seeds; the “cones” turn a maroon color in fall and persist into winter. A variety of bird species eat the seeds. Fall foliage is yellow-orange. It prefers moist to wet soils, and is flood-tolerant. It grows naturally along stream banks and swampy areas. Alder is a nitrogen-fixing species, adding nutrients to the soil. For these reasons, Hazel Alder is planted as a pioneer species for revegetating disturbed areas along streams or ponds. It can also be used in mass plantings for erosion control or to restore wetlands.