Gardening Garden Design Nature Lovers' Gardening 16 Native Year-Round Interest Plants for A Constantly Beautiful Garden By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the digital garden editor at Better Homes & Gardens. Before moving to Des Moines, Iowa, for this position in 2019, she spent 14 years serving as an editor for The American Gardener magazine, published by the American Horticultural Society in Virginia. She holds a B.S. in horticulture from Iowa State University and an M.P.S. in plant pathology from Cornell. Viveka loves getting people excited about the botanical world and feels happiest with dirt under her nails. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on September 16, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Cynthia Haynes Cultivate plantings that look lovely through every season. Incorporate ultra-hardy natives that keep interest running high from spring through winter to fashion perennially pleasing landscapes. Here is a look at 16 noteworthy natives worth considering for your yard and gardens. 01 of 16 Chokeberry Denny Schrock The deciduous shrub bears pinkish-white flowers in early spring and glossy green leaves, which turn bright red in autumn. Dense clusters of glossy, vivid red fruits ripen in late summer and persist well into winter. 'Brilliantissima' is a more-compact variety that produces lots of big, shiny fruit and high-gloss foliage that flames to flamboyant red in autumn. Name: Aronia arbutifolia Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; average well-drained soil Size: 6-10 feet high; 3-6 feet wide Zones: 4-9 Native Range: Eastern North America 02 of 16 River Birch Denny Schrock The river birch is a tree for all seasons and a variety of moist planting sites. The medium-sized tree sports a rounded canopy of long diamond-shaped leaves (which turn yellow in fall) and catkinlike flowers. The trunks, which boast exfoliating reddish-brown bark atop lighter inner bark, offer fascinating texture every month of the year. If you're short on growing space, try the cultivar 'Little King' (Fox Valley), a dwarf form that grows between 15 and 20 feet tall. 'Heritage' varieties sport cinnamon, salmon, and brown bark that peels off in expansive sheets. It's the peeling bark that makes this a standout tree for winter. Name: Betula nigra Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moist acidic soil, but tolerates other soils Size: 40-70 feet tall; 40-60 feet wide Zones: 4-9 Native Range: Eastern United States 03 of 16 Eastern Redbud Denny Schrock Redbud tree branches produce bright pinkish-purple flowers in early spring, weeks before leaves appear. Reddish-purple seedpods follow, as do pretty heart-shaped leaves that shift to yellow in autumn; horizontal branches create a striking silhouette that pops against snowy vistas. Try 'White Water' if you like trees with variegated green-and-white leaves. 'Covey' sports a weeping form with a surprising silhouette that takes center stage in the winter. Name: Cercis canadensis Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; medium-moist, well-drained soil Size: 20-30 feet tall; 25-35 feet wide Zones: 4-8 Native Range: North and Central America 04 of 16 Washington Hawthorn Denny Schrock The rapidly growing shade tree produces white flowers in spring and forms a compact rounded crown of dark green leaves that turn scarlet in autumn. Red berries persist through winter to feed overwintering birds and provide punches of color up high in the landscape. Suitable for use as an ornamental tree in yards and curbsides, the Washington hawthorn also can be pruned as a hedge. Name: Crataegus phaenopyrum Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil Size: 25-30 feet high and wide Zones: 3-8 Native Range: Southeastern United States 05 of 16 Pussy Willow Kritsada Panichgul This multistem shrub makes its big (and trademark) statement in late winter when it produces silky catkins. Male pussy willow shrubs generate showier silvery gray catkins; female shrubs bear smaller underwhelming greenish catkins. Blue-green leaves follow in spring and turn greenish-yellow in the fall. Plant pussy willows in moist sites where other plants might not grow. Name: Salix discolor Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; average to wet soil Size: 6-15 feet tall; 4-12 feet wide Zones: 4-8 Native Range: North America 06 of 16 Easy Ways to Add Native Interest Plants to Your Landscape Learn how to incorporate natives into your existing landscape plans. 07 of 16 American Elderberry Denny Schrock This good-looking deciduous shrub bears flat butterfly-attracting 4-inch clusters of fragrant white flowers for a month in early summer; large clusters of edible dark purple to black berries add appeal in fall and winter. Want to harvest the berries for pie- or jam-making? Plant 'Adams' and a pollinator variety, such as 'John's', for a bounteous fruit crop. Name: Sambucus canadensis Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; medium to wet well-drained soil Zones: 3-9 Size: 5-12 feet high and wide Native Range: Eastern North America 08 of 16 Beautyberry Peter Krumhardt Long weeping arched branches with coarse light-green leaves bear dense clusters of lavender flowers from June through August. Ornamental clusters of purple berries that circle the branches follow in fall and persist into winter. Consider massing the tall shrubs; it is thought plants produce more berries when grown in groups. Name: Callicarpa americana Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist clay or sandy soil amended with organic matter Size: 3-6 feet high and wide Zones: 6-10 Native Range: Southeastern United States. 09 of 16 Ninebark Denny Schrock This distinctive upright shrub has it all: lushly colored leaves darken from bright chartreuse to burgundy; pinkish-white, nectar-rich flowers in late spring feed insects; late-season seed heads draw in birds; and noteworthy exfoliating bark easily seen on winter-bare branches and trunks. 'Center Glow' is valued for its varying colored leaves that shift in hue during the growing season. Name: Physocarpus opulifolius Growing Conditions: Full sun to light shade; moist to well-drained soil; tolerates sandy or clay soils Size: 5-8 feet tall; 4-8 wide Zones: 2-7 Native Range: Central and Eastern North America 10 of 16 Fragrant Sumac Denny Schrock This drought-tolerant shrub bears small yellow flowers in spring, followed by shiny leaves that turn fiery in late fall. Vibrant orange and red fruits persist into winter, bringing color to wintry scenes. Use the 'Gro-low' cultivar as a groundcover; it maxes out at 3 feet in height but stretches to 8 feet wide. Name: Rhus aromatica Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; dry to medium- moist well-drained soil Size: 2-6 feet tall; 6-10 feet wide Zones: 3-9 Native Range: Southeastern Canada to Southern and Eastern United States 11 of 16 Oakleaf Hydrangea Ralph Anderson As its name implies, this easy-going shrub sports large leaves resembling an oak tree. Bushy plants produce very showy white panicle flowers that shade pink as summer ends. Leaves shift to bronze, crimson, and purple in autumn. Browning flower heads and cinnamon-hue exfoliating bark draw attention in winter. Try 'Pee Wee', which grows only to 3-4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, in small planting sites. Fond of fetching flowers? Opt for 'Alice' or 'Snow Queen' that bear blooms up to 14 inches long. Name: Hydrangea quercifolia Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; average to medium-moist well-drained, organically rich soil Size: 4-6 feet tall and wide Zones: 5-9 Native Range: Southeastern United States 12 of 16 Little Bluestem Denny Schrock This finely textured drought-tolerant grass has big ornamental appeal. It forms dense clumps of blue-green leaves that flame to reddish-orange in autumn and colorfully energize winter's dreariest days. Feathery silver seed heads appearing in late summer and early fall double the plant's wintertime appeal. 'Blaze' makes a pyrotechnic statement as it turns blazing red in autumn. 'The Blues' cultivar boasts especially deep-blue foliage. Name: Schizachyrium scoparium Growing Conditions: Full sun; average, dry to medium-moist well-drained soil Size: 2-4 feet tall; 1-2 feet high Zones: 3-9 Native Range: Eastern North America 13 of 16 Indian Grass Dan Piassick This upright, clumping blue-green grass is remarkable for its 6-foot stems crowned with feathery brown seed heads that persist through winter. The grass shade changes to orange-yellow in fall. 'Sioux Blue' cultivars sport metallic-blue foliage that shines in natural gardens and prairie plantings. Name: Sorghastrum nutans Growing Conditions: Full sun; average, dry to medium-moist well-drained soil Size: 3-5 feet tall; 1-2 feet wide Zones: 4-9 Native Range: Eastern and Central United States 14 of 16 Christmas Fern Peter Krumhardt Silvery fiddleheads rising from woodland floors in spring unfurl into leathery evergreen fronds forming fountain-like clumps. The plant, which remains green through winter in most areas, was named "Christmas Fern" because early settlers brought the fronds inside as holiday decorations. Plant in woodlands, shady foundations, or on steep slopes to control erosion. Name: Polystichum acrostichoides Growing Conditions: Part to full shade; organically rich dry to medium-moist well-drained soils Size: 1-2 feet tall and wide Zones: 3-9 Native Range: Eastern North America 15 of 16 Eastern Purple Coneflower Kindra Clineff This herbaceous drought-tolerant perennial bears rosy-pink flowers with spiky orange centers in July and August. The plant's sturdy stems with drying seed heads can be left standing to feed overwintering birds and add structure and texture to winter gardens. 'Magnus' produces blooms with petals that are held flat (rather than drooping like the species), which makes this a fine variety for bouquets. If you like your purple coneflowers white, plant white-flowering 'Cygnet White' or 'PowWow White' varieties. Name: Echinacea purpurea Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; average, dry to medium well-drained soil Size: 2-5 feet tall; 18-24 inches wide Zones: 3-8 Native Range: Eastern North America 16 of 16 Rattlesnake Master Cynthia Haynes This architectural plant has a rosette of spiky leaves that resembles a yucca plant and produces bristly silvery blue thistle-type flowers on tall stems. The flower heads turn bronze in fall and can be left standing for winter interest and as a food source for birds. Use this cool-looking plant to add vertical structure and coarse textures to both riotous cottage gardens and formal perennial borders. Name: Eryngium yuccifolium Growing Conditions: Full sun; average, dry to medium well-drained soil Size: 4-5 feet tall; 2-3 inches wide Zones: 3-8 Native Range: United States Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit