NATIVE AND HIGHLY ADAPTED TREES, SHRUBS AND PERENNIALS IN CARTERET COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA Researched and compiled by Carteret County Master Gardener Volunteers, Sharon Bailey and Carolyn Hoss, 1999 Revised by Carolyn Hoss and Claire Honodel, 2006 LARGE TREES 50 Feet or More American holly Ilex opaca E, SF-white, YLI AuF Autumn flowerin Bald cypress Taxodium distichum FC, long-lived, W AW Attracts wildlife Laurel oak Quercus laurifolia E, long-lived, stately, AW D Drought toleran Live oak Quercus virginiana E, long-lived, stately, AW E Evergreen Longleaf pine Pinus palustris E, large attractive pinecones F Fragrant Pond cypress Taxodium ascendens FC, long-lived, W FC Fall color Red Maple Acer rubrum FC, SF-red SF Spring Southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora E, late SF-white, F ST Salt tolerant Southern red oak Quercus falcata AW, W SuF Summer Sweet gum Liquidamber styraciflua FC, fruitless var. available W Tolerates wet Sycamore Platanus occidentalis Exfoliating bark WI Winter interest Tulip poplar Liriodendron tulipifera Late SF-yellow YLI Year-long interest Tupelo, Black gum Nyssa sylvatica FC, M, W, used in decoys Water oak Quercus nigra AW This list includes ground covers, vines, ferns, grasses and aquatic plants. One asterisk designates that the plant is native to North Carolina, but not to Carteret County. Two asterisks mean the plant is native to the southeast, but not to North Carolina. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service 303 College Circle, Morehead City, N.C. 28557 Anne Edwards, Horticulture Extension Agent w 252 222 6352 http://carteret.ces.ncsu.edu
MEDIUM TREES 20 to 50 Feet Black cherry Prunus serotina SF-white, AW AW Attracts wildlife Carolina cherry laurel Prunus caroliniana E, SF-white AuF Autumn flowerin Dogwood Cornus florida SF-white, YLI D Drought toleran Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana E, low maintenance E Evergreen Margaretta or Post oak Quercus margaretta AW F Fragrant Pawpaw Asimina triloba SF-maroon, edible fruit FC Fall color Red bay Persea borbonia E, fragrant culinary leaves SF Spring Sassafras Sassafras albidum FC, SF-yellow, culinary ST Salt tolerant Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum FC, SuF-white, YLI SuF Summer Sweet Bay magnolia Magnolia virginiana SF-white, F, semi-evergreen W Tolerates wet WI Winter interest YLI Year-long intere SMALL TREES 10 to 20 Feet Georgia fever tree (rare) Pinckneya bracteata SuF-pink, YLI AW Attracts wildlife ** Loblolly bay Gordonia lasianthus SuF-white, W, F, semievergreen AuF Autumn Persimmon Diospyros virginiana SF-white, edible fruit D Drought tolerant Possum haw Ilex decidua SF-white, AW, WI E Evergreen Red buckeye Aesculus pavia SuF-red F Fragrant Redbud Cercis canadensis FC, FC-deep pink FC Fall color Serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis Early SF-pink, white SF Spring Tea olive Osmanthus americanus E, SF-white, ST, F ST Salt tolerant Titi, Leatherwood Cyrilla racemiflora FC, SuF-white SuF Summer Wax myrtle Myrica cerifera E, fast-growing, AW, leaves W,ST Tolerates wet fragrant Witch hazel Hamamelis virginiana FC, early SF-orange, yellow WI Winter interest Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria E, WI-red berries, SF-white, culinary leaves (tea), dwarf varieties up to 10 ft. YLI Year-long interest
SHRUBS Up to 10 Feet American beauty berry Callicarpa americana FC, SF-white, fuchsia berries AuF Autumn in fall AW Attracts wildlife Bear grass Yucca filamentosa E, SuF-white, ST, AW D Drought tolerant Cabbage palmetto* Sabal palmetto E, ST, wind resistant E Evergreen Carolina allspice Lindera benzoin FC, SF-white, berries, AW, F F Fragrant Coastal, dwarf azalea Rhododendron SF-white, F, W FC Fall color atlanticum Dahoon Ilex cassine E, SF-white, red berries, AW SF Spring Dwarf yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria E, SF-white, red berries, AW, SuF Summer culinary leaves (tea) Fetterbush, leucothoe Leucothoe axillaris E, SF-white, AW ST Salt tolerant Fringe tree, old man s Chionanthus virginicus FC, SF-white W Tolerates wet beard Groundsel tree Baccharis halimifolia E, AF-white WI Winter interest Hearts-a-bustin Euonymus Americana SF-white, attractive fruit, WI YLI Year-long interest High bush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum FC, very early SF-white, AW Hydrangea Hydrangea sp. SuF-white, WI, ST Inkberry holly Ilex glabra E, SF-white, berries, AW Lyonia, fetterbush Lyonia lucida E, SF-pink, AW New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus SF-white, W, AW Red chokeberry Sorbus arbutifolia FC, SF-white/pink, AW, F Smooth sumac* Rhus glabra FC, SuF-white, AW Spanish dagger Yucca aloifolia E, SuF-white, ST, AW St. John s wort Hypericum sp. SuF-yellow Swamp honeysuckle Rhododendron viscosum SF-white, W Swamp rose Rosa palustris SuF-pink, winter red hips, AW, W Sweet pepper bush Clethra alnifolia FC, SF-white, AW, ST Sweet shrub* Calycanthus floridus SF-maroon, F Virginia sweet spire Itea virginica FC, SF-white, AW, F Wax myrtle (myrkle) Myrica cerifera E, ST, AW, leaves fragrant Wild azalea Rhododendron SF & SuF-white/pink, W nudiflorum Winter berry, black alder Ilex verticillata Red berries, AW, W Witch alder Fothergilla gardenii FC, SF-white Zenobia Zenobia pulverulenta SF, SuF-white, W
PERENNIALS Black eyed susan Rudbeckia spp. SuF-yellow, AW AuF Autumn flowerin Blanket flower Gaillardia pulchella SuF-red/yellow, sun AW Attracts wildlife Blazing Star Liatris spicata AuF-lavendar, AW D Drought toleran Blue star* Amsonia SuF-blue, sun, W E Evergreen tabernaemontana Butterfly weed, swamp Asclepias tuberose Late SF-orange, AW F Fragrant milkweed Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis, SuF AuF-red/blue, W FC Fall color L. puberula Carolina wild pink, Silene caroliniana/ S. SF SuF-reds, pinks SF Spring Carolina fire pink virginica Columbine* Aquilegia canadensis SF-red/yellow, partial ST Salt tolerant shade Common yarrow Achillea millefolium SF-white/pink, D, sun SuF Summer Coreopsis Coreopsis spp. SuF-yellow, AW, sun W Tolerates wet Dotted horsemint Mondarda punctata SuF AuF-pinks, purples, WI Winter interest AW False blue indigo* Baptisia australis SF-blue YLI Year-long intere Hardy ageratum Eupatorium coelestinum AuF-blue/purple, AW Joe Pye weed Eupatorium fistulousum AuF-pink, A, W Native hibiscus** Hibiscus coccineus SuF AuF-red, AW, W Partridge pea Cassia fasciculata SuF-yellow Phlox Phlox spp. SF SuF-white/blue/pink, AW Prickly pear cactus Opuntia compressa, O. SuF-yellow (compressa) drummondii Purple cone flower* Echinacea purpurea SuF-purple, W, sun Sand myrtle Leiophyllum buxifolium SF-white,/pink, D Seashore mallow, Kosteletskya virginica SuF-pink, W Marsh mallow Seaside goldenrod Solidago sempervirens SuF-yellow, AW, W Spiderwort, dayflower Tradescantia spp. SF SuF, pink, blue, white Sunflower Helianthus augustifolius, SuF-yellow, W H. atrororubens Swamp mallow Hibiscus moscheutos SuF AuF-pink, white, W, Trilisia Trilisia paniculata AuF-lavender, AW, W Turtlehead* Chelone glabra SuF-white/rose Zephyr lily, rain lily Zephyrantles atamasco SF-- AuF-white, pink; blooms after rains
GROUND COVERS Green and gold* Chrysogonum SF-gold AW Attracts wildlife virginianum Moss pink Pholox nivalis SF-pink D Drought toleran Partridge berry Mitchella repens Early SF-white, red berries, SF Summer AW, W, shade Pink wood sorrel Oxalis violacea, O. SF-pink W Tolerates wet dellenii Pixie moss Pyxidanthera barbulata SF-white, D Violet Viola spp. SF-white or purple Wild ginger Hexastylis arifolia/virginica SF-maroon/brown, shade VINES Butterfly pea Clitoria mariana SuF-blue, lavender AuF Autumn flowerin Coral honeysuckle Lonicera semperviren E, blooms all year-red, AW AW Attracts wildlife Leatherflower Clematis crispa*, C. AuF-white, W E Evergreen virona Muscadine grape Vitus rotundifolia AW, edible fruit, ST F Fragrant Native wisteria Wisteria frutescens SF-purple FC Fall color Passionflower, May pop Passiflora incarnata SuF-purple, edible fruit, AW SF Spring Summer grape, pigeon grape Vitus aestivalis AW, edible fruit SuF Summer Trumpet vine, cow-itch vine Campsis radicans SuF-pink/orange, AW Virgin s bower Clematis virginiana AuF-white Virginia creeper Parthenocissus FC quinquefolia Yellow jessamine Gelsemium sempervirens E, early SF-yellow, F
FERNS Bracken Pteridium aquiline Shade E Evergreen Chain Woodwardia virginica Shade, W W Tolerates wet Christmas Polystichum Shade, E acrostichoides Cinnamon Osmunda cinnamonea Shade Marsh Thelypteris palustris Shade, W Royal Osmunda regalis Shade, W Southern shield Dryopteris ludoviciana Shade, W GRASSES Purple muhly Muhlenbergia W, D, beautiful pinkish D Drought toleran capillaries*, M. plumes in fall W Tolerates wet expansa, M. schreberi Sea Oats Uniola paniculata Beautiful seed heads, grows on dunes, protected White-topped sedge Dichromena latifolia W, unusual white bracts AQUATIC PLANTS Cattail Typhus latifolia Brown seed head, W SF Spring Duck potato, arrowhead Sagittaria falcata SuF-white, W SuF Summer Golden club Orontium aquaticum SF-yellow; in bogs, stream W Tolerates wet edges Lizard s tail Saururus cernuous SuF-white, W Marsh milkweed Asclepias lanceolata SuF-pink, W Pickerelweed Pontederia cordata SF SuF-blue, shallow waters Swamp spider lily Hymenocallis SuF-white, W crassifolia Vernal iris Iris verna Early SF-purple Waterlily Nymphaea odorata SuF-white/pink; in ponds, pools, streams Yellow pond lily Nuphar luteum SuF-yellow; located in ponds, swamps, streams