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Lindera benzoin

Spicebush is a deciduous shrub, which grows with a rounded form. The fragrant white-yellow-green flower clusters bloom in March. Use Spicebush as a shrub border, in naturalized areas, or along woodland edges around your yard.

Eubotrys racemosa

Sweetbells is a deciduous shrub, which suckers (grows shoots from the base) to form colonies. Its white, fragrant, bell-shaped flowers bloom May-June. The leaves turn red in the fall. This shrub prefers moist, acidic soil. Use Sweetbells in borders and foundations, or for stabilizing slopes.

Leiophyllum buxifolium

Sandmyrtle is a small evergreen shrub with dense, smooth, leathery-textured foliage. Rosy buds open to white flowers tipped with pink, May-June. This shrub prefers moist, sandy soil, and does not tolerate drought. Use it in woodland gardens and for naturalizing.

Kalmia latifolia

Mountain Laurel is a broadleaf evergreen shrub. Cup-shaped, white to pink flowers with darker pink to purple markings cover the shrub in late spring. It is a host plant for larvae (caterpillars) of the Laurel sphinx moth (Sphinx kalmiae). Use in groups in shrub borders, shade gardens, or woodland areas; mixes well with Rhododendrons and Azaleas.

Kalmia angustifolia

Sheep Laurel is a flowering evergreen shrub with leathery, blue-green leaves. Clusters of small, rose-pink, saucer-shaped flowers bloom in late June. This shrub prefers a moist, acidic, organic soil, but will also grow in dry, sandy soil. Use it in a shrub border or woodland garden. Plant parts are toxic if ingested.

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 montana

Mountain Holly is a deciduous holly, which grows well at high elevations. Its spineless leaves are larger than other holly species’ leaves. Mountain Holly usually grows as a shrub, but can reach 30-40 feet. Its tiny, greenish-white flowers bloom in the spring. Since it is dioecious (separate male and female plants), a male must be in the area to pollinate the female flowers for fruit production. Its red, berry-like fruits ripen in fall and persist only for a short time. Use Mountain Holly on slopes and in woodland gardens. This holly may be difficult to find commercially. Tell your local garden center or nursery about your interest in this plant.

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.