Native Plants for Georgia

This collection, by the University of Georgia Department of Horticulture, presents close to six dozen native trees, shrubs, and woody vines that are available in the nursery trade and are especially suitable for landscape use.


Thumb Species Characteristics

Acer floridanum
Southern Sugar Maple, Florida Maple, Caddo Maple, Rock Maple

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Dry

Acer rubrum
Red Maple, Scarlet Maple, Soft Maple

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Acer saccharum
Sugar Maple, Northern Sugar Maple

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Aesculus parviflora
Bottlebrush Buckeye

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Aesculus pavia
Red Buckeye, Scarlet Buckeye , Firecracker Plant

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub, Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Betula nigra
River Birch, Red Birch, Black Birch, Water Birch

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Bignonia capreolata
Crossvine

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Callicarpa americana
American Beautyberry , French Mulberry

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Calycanthus floridus
Eastern Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice, Sweet Shrub

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Carpinus caroliniana
American Hornbeam, Blue Beech, Water Beech, Musclewood, Ironwood

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Cephalanthus occidentalis
Common Buttonbush, Buttonbush, Button Willow, Honey Bells, Honeybells, Honey Balls, Honeyballs, Button-bush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Cercis canadensis
Eastern Redbud, Redbud

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Chionanthus virginicus
White Fringetree, Fringe Tree, Snowflower Tree, Flowering Ash, Old Man's Beard, Grandfather Graybeard, Grancy Graybeard

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Cladrastis kentukea
Kentucky Yellowwood, Yellowwood, Gopherwood, Virgilia

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Clethra alnifolia
Coastal Pepperbush, Coastal Sweet Pepperbush, Coastal Sweet Pepper, Alderleaf Pepperbush, Alderleaf Clethra, Clethra, Summer Sweet

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Cornus florida
Flowering Dogwood, Virginia Dogwood, Florida Dogwood, White Cornel, Arrowwood, American Boxwood, False Box, St. Peter's Crown, Corona De San Pedro

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Cyrilla racemiflora
Titi, Swamp Titi, Black Titi, White Titi, Red Titi, Leatherwood, Swamp Cyrilla, American Cyrilla, Burnwood Bark, Palo Colorado

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Wet

Euonymus americanus
American Strawberry Bush, Strawberry Bush, Brook Euonymus, Hearts-a-burstin, Bursting Heart, Wahoo

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Fothergilla gardenii
Dwarf Witchalder, Dwarf Witch-alder, Dwarf Fothergilla

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water:

Gelsemium sempervirens
Carolina Jessamine, Yellow Jessamine, Evening Trumpetflower, Poor Man's Rope

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Halesia tetraptera
Mountain Silverbell, Carolina Silverbell, Four-wing Silverbell, Silverbell Tree

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Hydrangea quercifolia
Oakleaf Hydrangea, Oak-leaf Hydrangea

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Shade
Water: Moist

Ilex decidua
Possumhaw, Possumhaw Holly, Deciduous Holly, Meadow Holly, Prairie Holly, Swamp Holly, Welk Holly, Deciduous Yaupon, Bearberry, Winterberry

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Ilex glabra
Inkberry, Gallberry

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Ilex opaca
American Holly, White Holly, Prickly Holly, Evergreen Holly, Christmas Holly, Yule Holly

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Dry

Ilex verticillata
Common Winterberry, Winterberry, Michigan Holly, Black Alder

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist, Dry

Ilex vomitoria
Yaupon, Yaupon Holly, Cassina

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub, Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Illicium floridanum
Florida Anisetree, Florida Anise, Anise Tree, Stinkbush

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Illicium parviflorum
Yellow Anisetree, Small Anisetree, Star Anise

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Itea virginica
Virginia Sweetspire, Tassel-white, Virginia Willow

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Juglans nigra
Black Walnut, Eastern Black Walnut, American Black Walnut

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Juniperus virginiana
Eastern Red Cedar, Eastern Redcedar, Virginia Juniper, Red Juniper, Pencil Cedar, Carolina Cedar, Red Savin

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Dry

Liriodendron tulipifera
Tulip Tree, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Lonicera sempervirens
Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Woodbine

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Magnolia grandiflora
Southern Magnolia, Evergreen Magnolia, Loblolly Magnolia, Great Laurel Magnolia, Big Laurel, Bull Bay

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Dry

Magnolia macrophylla
Bigleaf Magnolia

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Morella cerifera
Wax Myrtle , Southern Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry, Eastern Bayberry, Bayberry, Candleberry, Tallow Shrub

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Wet, Moist

Ostrya virginiana
Eastern Hop-hornbeam, American Hop-hornbeam, Woolly Hop-hornbean, Eastern Ironwood, Roughbark Ironwood, Ironwood, Deerwood, Leverwood

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Oxydendrum arboreum
Sourwood, Sorrel Tree

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Virginia Creeper

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Pinckneya bracteata
Fevertree, Pinckneya, Feverbark, Poinsettia Tree, Georgia Bark

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Pinus taeda
Loblolly Pine, Oldfield Pine, Bull Pine, Rosemary Pine

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Dry

Pinus virginiana
Virginia Pine, Jersey Pine, Scrub Pine

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun
Water: Moist

Platanus occidentalis
American Sycamore, Eastern Sycamore, American Plane Tree, Plane Tree, Buttonwood, Buttonball Tree

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Quercus alba
White Oak, Northern White Oak, Eastern White Oak, Stave Oak, Ridge White Oak, Forked-leaf White Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Quercus coccinea
Scarlet Oak, Red Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun
Water: Moist

Quercus falcata
Southern Red Oak, Bottomland Red Oak, Three-lobed Red Oak, Spanish Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Dry

Quercus nigra
Water Oak, Possum Oak, Duck Oak, Punk Oak, Spotted Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Wet

Quercus phellos
Willow Oak, Swamp Willow Oak, Pin Oak, Peach Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Moist

Quercus shumardii
Shumard Oak, Shumard's Oak, Shumard Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Swamp Red Oak, Spotted Oak

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Quercus virginiana
Coastal Live Oak, Southern Live Oak, Virginia Live Oak, Live Oak, Encino

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Needle Palm, Blue Palmetto

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Sabal minor
Dwarf Palmetto, Bush Palmetto, Palmetto

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Sabal palmetto
Cabbage Palmetto, Cabbage Palm

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water:

Sassafras albidum
Sassafras, White Sassafras, Ague Tree, Cinnamon Wood, Mitten Tree, Saloop, Smelling Stick

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Styrax americanus
American Snowbell, American Snowbells, American Silverbells, Big-leaf Snowbell, Storax

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Wet

Taxodium distichum
Bald Cypress, Baldcypress, Common Bald Cypress, Southern Bald Cypress, Deciduous Cypress, Southern Cypress, Swamp Cypress, Red Cypress, White Cypress, Yellow Cypress, Gulf Cypress, Tidewater Red Cypress

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Sun, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Tsuga canadensis
Eastern Hemlock

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Vaccinium arboreum
Farkleberry, Tree Sparkleberry, Sparkleberry, Winter Huckleberry, Huckleberry

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Tree
Light: Part-shade
Water: Dry

Viburnum acerifolium
Mapleleaf Viburnum, Maple-leaf Viburnum, Maple-leaf Arrowwood, Arrowwood

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist, Dry

Wisteria frutescens
American Wisteria, Texas Wisteria, Kentucky Wisteria

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Light: Sun, Shade, Part-shade
Water: Moist

Xanthorhiza simplicissima
Yellowroot, Shrub Yellowroot

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Light: Shade
Water:

Yucca filamentosa
Adam's Needle

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Light: Sun
Water: Dry