Native Plants for Coastal NC Landscapes

Despite its association with wetlands, Bald Cypress is remarkably drought tolerant once established. A 50–70' columnar tree that brings graceful texture to urban and suburban sites. Extremely adaptable.

One of the most urban-adaptable oaks, tolerating heat, air pollution, and compacted soils with ease. Reaches 50–70' with an attractive oval to pyramidal form. Excellent as a street or shade tree.

Distinctive among oaks for its fine, willow-like leaves that create a soft, airy texture. Adaptable to a wide range of soils and tolerant of urban pollution. Works beautifully as a shade or street tree at 40–75'.

An ecological powerhouse and cornerstone of the NC coastal plain. Best planted in groupings. Supports over 1,500 wildlife species and is a major conservation priority. Long-lived and fire-adapted.

One of NC's most adaptable trees, comfortable in wet, dry, sandy, or clay soils. Reaches 40–70' with brilliant fall color. Many cultivars are available to suit specific landscape goals and size constraints.

A quintessential coastal NC tree with large, fragrant white flowers and glossy evergreen foliage. Highly wind tolerant. Compact cultivars like 'Little Gem' and 'Kay Parris' fit tighter spaces beautifully.

A superb shade tree reaching 60–100', with star-shaped leaves that put on a spectacular multi-colored fall display. Resistant to fire, drought, and compaction. Fruitless cultivars available if the seed balls are a concern.

A fast-growing native that soars to 80–100', with distinctive tulip-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees. High wildlife value and beautiful pyramidal form make it an excellent large landscape tree.

One of the best native trees for brilliant scarlet fall color — often the first to turn each autumn. Tolerant of compacted soils, and fruitless cultivars are available. Highly valued by wildlife for its small, dark fruits.

One of NC's most beloved native trees. White bracts in spring, bright red berries for birds in fall, burgundy fall color, and interesting horizontal branch structure in winter. Four full seasons of beauty. Tolerates heat once established.

A small gem reaching 12–30', producing soft, fragrant white flower clusters in spring that give the plant its name. One of the best underused native trees for Southeastern landscapes. Trouble-free and adaptable once established.

A versatile semi-evergreen native with creamy-white, lemon-scented flowers. Reaches 10–30' and tolerates wet conditions — an excellent, underused alternative to the overplanted Crape Myrtle in coastal NC landscapes.

Among the first trees to bloom in spring — clouds of white flowers appear almost before winter is over. The sweet, blueberry-like fruit is prized by birds and people alike. Upright and multi-stemmed at 15–25', it can be trained to a single stem.

Prized for its peeling, cinnamon-colored bark that provides winter interest like no other native tree. Reaches 30–70' and works well in narrow spaces. Good for wet or moist sites, but adaptable to average garden conditions.

A large shrub to small tree reaching 15–25' with spectacular red flower spikes in spring that hummingbirds can't resist. One of the best native plants for attracting early-season hummingbirds as they migrate through.

Enormous wildlife value — the small black fruits are a critical food source for birds. Reaches 15–35' and can be maintained as a formal hedge or allowed to grow as a screening tree. Glossy evergreen foliage year-round.

The largest native fruit tree in North America produces tropical-tasting custard fruits that are beloved by wildlife — and people. Reaches 15–30' and tolerates wet, moist soil. The host plant for Zebra Swallowtail butterflies.

Grown for its electric-purple berry clusters that line arching stems in fall — one of the most visually striking native shrubs we have. Reaching 3–6', it's easy to grow and highly valuable to wildlife. Hard to beat for fall interest.

NC's most versatile native evergreen shrub. Extraordinary tolerance for salt, drought, and a wide range of soils. Female plants produce bright red berries that feed birds through winter. Available in weeping, dwarf, and upright forms.

A summer-blooming gem with intensely fragrant white or pink flower spikes that attract swarms of pollinators in July and August — prime migration season for many butterflies. Thrives in moist to wet soils and part shade. Many cultivars available.

Beautiful in every season — white flowers in spring, edible berries in summer, brilliant scarlet fall color. Prefers acidic soil (pH 5.0). Self-fertile and highly productive. Reaching 6–12', it works well as a shrub border or informal hedge.

A true four-season native: conical white flowers in summer, spectacular orange-red fall foliage, peeling cinnamon bark in winter, and textured oakleaf foliage in spring. Reaching 8–12'. Performs best with some afternoon shade in coastal sites.

A stunning deciduous holly that produces masses of brilliant red berries against bare winter branches — one of the best native shrubs for winter wildlife. Birds flock to it from fall through early spring. Resistant to deer, fire, salt, and wet soil.

White spring flowers, glossy red berries, and blazing fall color make this 6–12' shrub a standout in mass plantings. Tolerates boggy soils and adapts to drier conditions. Seriously underused — one I recommend more often than I see planted.

A graceful shrub with fragrant white flower racemes and exceptional fall color ranging from orange to deep crimson. Tolerates a wide range of soils including wet conditions. 'Henry's Garnet' is the most reliable cultivar for this region.

A fast-growing shrub reaching 5–12' that tolerates a wide range of soil types. Flat-topped white flower clusters in summer give way to dark purple berries loved by birds and used in syrups, jellies, and wine by people.

Unusual burgundy-red flowers with a fruity, wine-like fragrance appear in spring and sporadically through summer. Reaching 6–12', it tolerates brief flooding, is deer resistant, and brings a unique sensory quality to any planting.

A fast-growing, moderately drought tolerant evergreen reaching 15–20'. Large, glossy leaves with an anise fragrance when crushed make this an intriguing addition to a shaded or part-shaded garden. Excellent screening plant.

A trunkless native palm reaching 2–5' that brings a distinctly coastal texture to the landscape. Drought and salt tolerant — well adapted to the rigors of the coast. An easy way to add a tropical feel with a genuinely native plant.

A refined, tidy evergreen shrub that makes an excellent native substitute for Boxwood. Reaches 4–6' with a dense, rounded habit. Cultivars like 'Gem Box' and 'Shamrock' are especially compact and well-suited to formal plantings.

Bottle-brush white flowers in spring with a honey fragrance, followed by some of the best fall color of any native shrub — orange, red, and yellow all at once. Tolerates wet soil, compaction, and drought. A truly underappreciated native.

One of the most reliably performing native perennials anywhere. Reaching 3–4', it's resistant to deer, drought, dry soil, heat, humidity, poor soil, and salt. Seed heads feed goldfinches through winter. Leave them standing — don't deadhead.

A cheerful, tough perennial that blooms prolifically from summer into fall. Reaching 2–3', it's resistant to deer, drought, dry soil, and pollution. The 'Goldsturm' cultivar is particularly compact and long-blooming. A coastal NC workhorse.

Essential for Monarch butterfly conservation — the only host plants their caterpillars can eat. Butterfly Weed (A. tuberosa, orange, dry sites) and Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata, pink, moist sites) are the top two choices for coastal NC.

Unfairly blamed for allergies (that's ragweed), goldenrod is one of the most critical late-season nectar sources for pollinators and migrating Monarchs. Many species to choose from — S. rugosa 'Fireworks' is especially ornamental.

Fall-blooming asters in purple and white are among the final nectar sources of the season — critical for migrating butterflies building fuel reserves. Aromatic, New England, and Smooth Asters all perform well in coastal NC. Plant several species.

A bold, tall perennial with large mauve flower heads that act like butterfly magnets in late summer. Coastal Plain Joe-Pye Weed (E. dubium) is particularly well-suited to our region. Dwarf cultivars are available for smaller spaces.

Shaggy, jewel-toned flowers in red, pink, and lavender that attract hummingbirds, bumblebees, and butterflies. Deer and rabbit resistant. Allow good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew. Multiple species perform well in coastal NC.

The drama queen of native perennials — dinner-plate-sized flowers in pink, red, and white appear all summer on 2–6' plants. Excellent for wet sites and rain gardens. Resistant to heat, humidity, salt, and wet soil. Spectacular and tough.

A long-lived native that develops into a substantial, shrub-like clump 3–4' tall and wide. Blue-purple or white flowers in spring. Resistant to deer, disease, drought, erosion, insect pests, and poor soil. A true set-it-and-forget-it perennial.

A slow-growing but extraordinarily rewarding perennial. Powder-blue flowers in spring are lovely, but the real show comes in fall when the feathery foliage turns brilliant gold. Deer resistant and tolerant of poor soil. Underplanted and underrated.

Airy, dancing white-to-pink flowers on wiry stems that move beautifully in coastal breezes from late spring through fall. Reaching 3–5', it's resistant to deer, drought, and heat — tailor-made for the coastal Southeast.

Bold red-and-gold daisy flowers bloom prolifically from summer into fall on a compact 1–2' plant. Drought, heat, and salt tolerant — well adapted to tough coastal sites. One of the most reliable native sun perennials for SE NC.

Lavender-blue flowers that support a diverse array of native pollinators. Reaching 1–3', it self-seeds gently and naturalizes well at the edge of a garden. A reliable bloomer from late spring through summer in a variety of soils.

Tubular lavender-pink flowers from spring into early summer on upright 2–3' stems. Deer resistant and easy to grow in well-drained soils. An excellent native for the front of a border, particularly valued by native bees and hummingbirds.

Low-spreading clusters of rosy-purple flowers over a very long bloom season. Drought, heat, humidity, and salt tolerant — an excellent groundcover-style perennial for sunny, dry spots in coastal NC gardens. Deer resistant.

Nodding red-and-yellow flowers in spring that are a critical early nectar source for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arriving from their migration. Self-seeds readily in partial shade to create naturalized colonies over time. Deer resistant.

A native groundcover perennial for shade with handsome foliage in a range of burgundy, copper, and green tones depending on cultivar. Deer, drought, and rabbit resistant. Long-lived and relatively low-maintenance once established.

The premier native grass for coastal NC — blue-green in summer, turning coppery-orange in fall and holding color through winter. Resistant to drought, deer, salt, and heat. Works beautifully in containers and mass plantings. Many cultivars available.

A versatile native grass reaching 3–7', with fine-textured foliage and airy seed heads that move beautifully in coastal breezes. Drought, salt spray, deer, erosion, and wet soil tolerant. Cultivars range from blue-leaved to deep burgundy.

Native sedges are among the most ecologically valuable groundcover plants available — supporting a wide range of specialist insects while staying low and tidy. Dozens of species suited to everything from dry shade to wet sun in coastal NC.

NC's state wildflower, producing masses of fragrant yellow blooms in late winter and early spring — a welcome sight after a coastal winter. Reaches 10–20', deer and salt resistant, and tolerates wet soil and short droughts. Note: all parts are toxic if ingested.

Unlike the invasive Japanese honeysuckle, this well-behaved native produces brilliant red-orange tubular flowers that hummingbirds adore. Evergreen, reaching 10–20'. Resistant to compaction, deer, and salt. Blooms heaviest in spring with repeat flushes.

A vigorous evergreen climber to 30–50' with large bicolor orange-red trumpet flowers beloved by hummingbirds. Exceptionally tough — resistant to compaction, drought, heat, and heavy shade. Needs a strong structure with room to grow.

A vigorous native vine with five-lobed leaves that turn scarlet in fall. Berries are eaten by dozens of bird species. Excellent for covering fences, walls, or tree stumps. Self-clinging with adhesive pads and tolerant of sun or shade.

All the gorgeous fragrant lavender flower clusters of Asian wisterias — without the invasive behavior. A well-mannered native vine that blooms reliably in spring and repeat-blooms through summer. Supports native bees. 'Amethyst Falls' is an excellent cultivar.