This easy going shrub is semi-evergreen and its attractive leaves turn reddish during the fall. Its waxy yellow-green fruits are bird magnets and have been used traditionally to make candles.
Buttonbush is a shrub that is found on the edges of local ponds, swamps, and lakes. Its unique 'button-like' flower structure lends to its namesake, and the subsequent 'nutlets' can persist through the winter. An important source of food for ducks and other waterfowl in addition to being a good pollinator attracter.
Black chokeberry is an adaptable shrub native with hardiness and wide tolerance to a variety of soil conditions, but prefers wet soils. The bitter fruit is a food source for birds and other wildlife, and used to make jams, jellies, syrup, tea, juice and wines. In autumn, leaves change to vibrant reds, oranges and purples.
A tall, fast growing shrub that has long catkins and toothed leaves. Males have drooping catkins while females have upright catkins. Can be found on the shores of rivers, lakes, and swamps. Its fruit resembles a woody cone. Also known as Smooth Alder.
Among the most highly attractive of our native shrubs. An evergreen, many-stemmed, thicket-forming shrub or sometimes a small tree. It has beautiful, large, pink flower clusters. The leaves are leathery, and glossy, and change from light-green to dark-green to purple throughout the year.
An evergreen shrub with small, deep pink, saucer-shaped flowers in dense showy clusters. Stems trail on the ground, fostering the growth of stands. Grows in acidic soils. The glossy, leathery leaves are blue-green and turn reddish-green to purple in fall. Slow-growing. Dead-heading encourages better blooms in the following years.
Inhabits sand dunes, sandy road shoulders, dry fields, disturbed sites and wet meadows, with neutral soil pH. Tolerates urban pollution. The leaves change from light-green to dark-green to purple throughout the year. Grows in an attractive clump. Provides seed, nesting, and shelter for ground nesters and birds of prey.
A highly ornamental bunchgrass with fine-textured foliage that forms dense mounds with slender blue-green stems. It becomes striking mahogany-red in the fall with white, shining seed tufts. Drought tolerant, it performs best in full sun. Also, is a host plant to several butterfly species (skippers) including the common wood nymph.
A large, deciduous shrub or small tree whose leaves turn reddish-purple in the fall. A winged leaf axis distinguishes this sumac from other species. Makes good ornamental plantings and hedges because of the brilliant red fall foliage. Around 300 bird species include sumac fruit in their diet.
