Our native animals and plants evolved over thousands of years into a integrated system of food producers and food consumers. Planting native shrubs will help this natural relationship carry on. Choose which sorts of plants to use based on the type of soil you have available.
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Native Shrubs for Plantings as Wildlife Food
Table of Contents
Dry acidic soils
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Synonym |
Light Preference |
|
Tall Shadbush |
Amelanchier arborea |
Light shade |
|
|
Smooth Shadbush |
Amelanchier laevis |
Light shade |
|
|
Running Shadbush |
Amelanchier spicata |
Amelanchier stolonifera |
Sun |
| Bearberry | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | Sun | |
| Black Chokeberry | Aronia melanocarpa | Sun to light shade | |
| Red or Purple Chokeberry | Aronia arbutifolia | Sun to light shade | |
| Flowering Dogwood | Benthamidia florida | Cornus florida | Light to moderate shade |
| White Dogwood | Swida racemosa | Cornus foemina or racemosa | Sun |
| American Hazelnut | Corylus americana | Shade to sun | |
| Beaked Hazelnut | Corylus cornuta | Shade to sun | |
| Hawthorns (native) | Crataegus spp. | Light shade to sun | |
| Black Huckleberry | Gaylussacia baccata | Sun to shade | |
| Dangleberry | Gaylussacia frondosa | Light to moderate shade | |
| Inkberry | Ilex glabra | Sun to light shade | |
| American Holly | Ilex opaca | Light to moderate shade | |
| Fly Honeysuckle | Lonicera canadensis | Shade | |
| Limber Honeysuckle | Lonicera dioica | Light shade | |
| Bayberry | Myrica pensylvanica | Sun | |
| Beach Plum | Prunus maritima | Sun | |
| Horse Plum | Prunus nigra | Sun, light shade | |
| Fire or Pin Cherry | Prunus pensylvanica | Sun | |
| Choke Cherry | Prunus virginiana var. virginiana | Sun, light shade | |
| Scrub Oak | Quercus ilicifolia | Sun | |
| Dwarf Chinkapin Oak | Quercus prinoides | Sun | |
| Winged Sumac | Rhus copallinum var. latifolia | Sun | |
| Smooth Sumac | Rhus glabra | Sun | |
| Pasture Rose | Rosa carolina | Sun | |
| Virginia Rose | Rosa virginiana | Sun | |
| Allegheny Blackberry | Rubus allegheniensis | Sun | |
| Wild Raspberry | Rubus idaeus var. strigosus | Sun | |
| Black Raspberry | Rubus occidentalis | Sun, light shade | |
| Sawbrier | Smilax glauca var. leurophylla | Sun, light shade | |
| Catbrier | Smilax rotundifolia | Sun, light shade | |
| American Mountain-ash | Sorbus americana | Sun, light shade | |
| Eastern Yew | Taxus canadensis | Shade | |
| Low Sweet Blueberry | Vaccinium angustifolium | Sun | |
| Velvetleaf Blueberry | Vaccinium myrtilloides | Light to moderate shade | |
| Deerberry | Vaccinium stamineum | Light shade | |
| Woodland Sweet Blueberry | Vaccinium pallidum | Vaccinium vacillans | Light to moderate shade |
| Maple-leaf Viburnum | Viburnum acerifolium | Shade | |
| Wild Raisin | Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides | Light shade | |
| Southern Arrowwood | Viburnum dentatum var. venosum | Sun to light shade | |
| Summer Grape | Vitis aestivalis | Sun, light shade | |
| Fox Grape | Vitis labrusca | Sun |
Dry alkaline soils
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Synonym |
Light Preference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tall Shadbush | Amelanchier arborea | Light shade | |
| Alternate-leaved or Pagoda Dogwood | Cornus alternifolia | Light shade | |
| Gray Dogwood | Swida racemosa | Cornus foemina or racemosa | Sun |
| Roundleaf Dogwood | Swida rugosa | Cornus rugosa | Light shade, talus slopes |
| Beaked Hazelnut | Corylus cornuta | Shade to sun | |
| Hawthorns (native) | Crataegus spp. | Light shade to sun | |
| Fly Honeysuckle | Lonicera canadensis | Shade | |
| Limber Honeysuckle | Lonicera dioica | Light shade | |
| Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus vitacea | Shade to sun | |
| Shrubby Cinquefoil | Dasiphora floribunda | Potentilla fruitcosa or Pentaphylloides floribunda | Sun |
| Choke Cherry | Prunus virginiana | Light shade |
Wet acidic soils
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Synonym | Light Preference |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Speckled Alder |
Alnus rugosa or incana ssp. rugosa |
Sun |
|
|
Common Alder |
Alnus serrulata |
Sun |
|
|
Thicket Shadbush |
Amelanchier canadensis |
Sun, light shade |
|
|
Black Chokeberry |
Aronia melanocarpa |
Sun |
|
| Red or Purple Chokeberry | Aronia arbutifolia | Sun | |
| Silky Dogwood | Svida amomum | Cornus amomum | Sun |
| Dangleberry | Gaylussacia frondosa | Shade | |
| Smooth Winterberry | Ilex laevigata | Shade | |
| Common Winterberry | Ilex verticillata | Sun to light shade | |
| Spicebush | Lindera benzoin | Shade | |
| Mountain Fly-Honeysuckle | Lonicera villosa | Sun, light shade | |
| Sweet Gale | Myrica gale | Shade | |
| Swamp Rose | Rosa palustris | Sun to light shade | |
| Virginia Rose | Rosa virginiana | Sun | |
| Dewberry | Rubus hispidus | Sun to light shade | |
| Dwarf or Running Raspberry | Rubus pubescens | Shade | |
| Common Elderberry | Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis | Sun to light shade | |
| Red-berried Elder | Sambucus racemosa | S. racemosa ssp. pubens | Light to moderate shade, talus slopes |
| Sawbrier | Smilax glauca | Sun to light shade | |
| Catbrier | Smilax rotundifolia | Sun to light shade | |
| Eastern Yew | Taxus canadensis var. canadensis | Shade | |
| Black Highbush Blueberry | Vaccinium atrococcum | Vaccinium fascatum | Sun to shade |
| Smooth Highbush Blueberry | Vaccinium corymbosum | Sun to shade | |
| Cranberry | Vaccinium macrocarpon | Sun | |
| Velvetleaf Blueberry | Vaccinium myrtilloides | Shade | |
| Maple-leaf Viburnum | Viburnum acerifolium | Shade | |
| Hobblebush | Viburnum lantanoides | V. alnifolium | Shade, mesic slopes |
| Wild Raisin | Viburnum cassinoides | Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides | Light shade |
| Sweet Viburnum | Viburnum lentago | Light shade | |
| Smooth or Northern Arrowwood | Viburnum recognitum | Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum | Sun to shade |
| Summer Grape | Vitis aestivalis | Sin to light shade | |
| Riverbank Grape | Vitis riparia | Sun to light shade |
Wet alkaline soils
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
Synonym |
Light Preference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Osier Dogwood | Swida sericea | Cornus stolonifera or sericea | Sun, light shade |
| Silky Dogwood | Swida amomum | Cornus amomum | Sun, light shade |
| Common Winterberry | Ilex verticillata | Sun to light shade | |
| Spicebush | Lindera benzoin | Shade | |
| Mountain Fly-honeysuckle | Lonicera villosa | Sun to light shade | |
| Swamp Rose | Rosa palustris | Sun to light shade | |
| Dwarf or Running Raspberry | Rubus pubescens | Shade | |
| Red-berried Elder | Sambucus racemosa | Sambucus pubens | Light to moderate shade, talus slopes |
| Highbush Blueberry | Vaccinium corymbosum | Vaccinium atrococcum | Sun to shade |
| Sweet Viburnum | Viburnum lentago | Light shade | |
| Smooth or Northern Arrowwood | Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum | Viburnum recognitum | Sun to shade |
| Highbush Cranberry | Viburnum opulus var. trilobum (NOT V. opulus var. opulus) | Viburnum trilobum | Light shade, sun |
| Riverbank Grape | Vitis riparia | Sun to light shade |