Skip to content

Top Navigation

Better Homes & Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens
  • Gardening
  • Home Improvement Ideas
  • Cleaning and Organizing
  • Recipes and Cooking
  • Decorating
  • Holidays
  • Rooms
  • Shopping

Profile Menu

Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin

Explore Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens
Better Homes & Gardens
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Only Weed Identification Guide You'll Ever Need: 33 Common Weedy Plants to Watch For

      The Only Weed Identification Guide You'll Ever Need: 33 Common Weedy Plants to Watch For

      Don't let these pesky plants crash your garden party! The first step is to know your enemy. Then you'll know the best way to deal with your weed problem. Read More
    • 6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      6 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Get Organized for Good

      A professional organizer offers advice on how to tidy up your home without feeling overwhelmed. Read More
    • 5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      5 Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients to Add to Your Smoothie for a Healthy Boost

      Anti-inflammatory smoothies do exist! Instead of blending in boatloads of sugar and artificial ingredients, try these smoothies for inflammation that are stoked with ingredients that may help lower your risk for chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, depression, and more. Read More
  • Gardening

    Gardening

    See All Gardening
    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    4 DIY Seed-Starting Pots You Can Make With Items You Already Have

    Upcycle old newspapers, junk mail, and other waste paper to make these easy, eco-friendly containers you can use to sprout new plants for your garden.
    • Flowers
    • Houseplants
    • Plant Encyclopedia
    • Garden Pests
    • Trees, Shrubs & Vines
    • Caring for Your Yard
    • Edible Gardening
    • Garden Design
    • Gardening By Region
    • Landscaping
  • Home Improvement Ideas

    Home Improvement Ideas

    See All Home Improvement Ideas
    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular American House Styles

    What Style Is Your House? The 10 Most Popular American House Styles

    In a world full of so many different house styles, it can be a little challenging just to narrow down your own home's architectural style, let alone edit the list down to your favorite style or understand the distinctions characteristic to each house style. We'll show you the 10 most popular American house styles, including Cape Cod, French Country, Colonial, Victorian, Tudor, Craftsman, Cottage, Mediterranean, ranch-style, and Contemporary.
    • Home Exteriors
    • DIY Home Electrical Tips & Guides
    • Outdoor Structures
    • Home Remodeling
    • Plumbing Installations & Repairs
    • Remodeling Advice & Planning
    • Flooring
    • Lighting
    • Decks
    • Porches
  • Cleaning and Organizing

    Cleaning and Organizing

    See All Cleaning and Organizing
    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    A Whole-House Cleaning Schedule You'll Actually Stick To

    Cleaning your home doesn't have to be a daunting, time-consuming chore. The key to managing household duties quickly and efficiently is to design an easy-to-follow routine that includes all the most important tasks. Follow these step-by-step instructions for creating a customized whole-home cleaning schedule.
    • House Cleaning
    • Laundry & Linens
    • Cleaning Tips
    • Closet Organization
    • Organization Tips
    • Kitchen Storage Organization
  • Recipes and Cooking

    Recipes and Cooking

    See All Recipes and Cooking
    21 Baking Essentials Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 Nice-to-Haves)

    21 Baking Essentials Every Home Cook Needs (Plus 16 Nice-to-Haves)

    Whether you're a beginning baker just starting out or a master chef looking to declutter, we'll help you set up a beginner's baking essentials kit with 21 tools. For anyone who already owns these handy baking tools, this list may finally provide the motivation you need to get rid of that soufflé dish you never use. Building your baking equipment inventory starts here.
    • How to Cook
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Desserts & Baking
    • Fish Recipes
    • Beef Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
    • Lunch
    • Dinner Recipes & Meal Ideas
    • Ethnic Food
  • Decorating

    Decorating

    See All Decorating
    7 Interior Design Trends Everyone Will Be Trying in 2021, According to Experts

    7 Interior Design Trends Everyone Will Be Trying in 2021, According to Experts

    Designers weigh in on the most popular decorating styles, colors, and materials you can look forward to in the coming year.
    • Choosing Color
    • Expert Decorating Advice
    • Fireplace Design Ideas
    • Do It Yourself Magazine
    • Window Treatments
    • Styles & Decor
    • Interior Painting
    • Home Makeovers
    • Small-Space Decorating
    • Traditional Home
  • Holidays

    Holidays

    See All Holidays
    International Women's Day: The Powerful Story Behind This 111-Year-Old Tradition

    International Women's Day: The Powerful Story Behind This 111-Year-Old Tradition

    What began as a small movement, has grown into a global holiday dedicated to celebrating the strong women in our communities.
    • Valentine's Day
    • Mother's Day
    • Easter
    • Father's Day
    • Fourth of July/Memorial Day
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year's
    • Juneteenth
    • Hanukkah
  • Rooms

    Rooms

    See All Rooms
    Living Room Furniture Layout Ideas

    Living Room Furniture Layout Ideas

    Get tips for arranging living room furniture in a way that creates a comfortable and welcoming environment and makes the most of your space.
    • Bedroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Bathroom Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Kitchen Decorating and Design Ideas
    • Living Room Decorating and Design
    • Dining Room
    • Home Office
    • Kid's Rooms
    • Baby Nursery
  • Shopping

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Join Now

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
My Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • My Profile
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletter
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Help
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • BH&G Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. BHG.com
  2. Gardening
  3. Garden Design
  4. Nature Lovers' Gardening
  5. Natives with Year-Round Interest

Natives with Year-Round Interest

Viveka Neveln Headshot
By Viveka Neveln February 19, 2016
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin FB
Rattlesnake Master Eryngium-Sea holly
Credit: Cynthia Haynes
Cultivate plantings that look lovely through every season. Incorporate ultrahardy natives that keep interest running high from spring through winter to fashion perennially pleasing landscapes. Here is a look at 15 noteworthy natives worth considering for your yard and gardens.
Start Slideshow

1 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chokeberry

red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Brilliantissima
Credit: 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

1 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

River Birch

River Birch Betula nigra
Credit: Denny Schrock

It's the peeling bark that makes this a standout tree for winter. Still, the river birch is a tree for all seasons and a variety of moist planting sites; the medium-size tree sports a rounded canopy of long diamond-shape leaves (which turn yellow in fall) and catkinlike flowers. The trunks, which boast exfoliating reddish-brown bark atop lighter inner bark, supply tantalizing 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, brown bark that peels off in expansive sheets.

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

2 of 16

3 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Eastern Redbud

Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis
Credit: 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-shape 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 that supplies an surprising silhouette that takes center stage in winter months.

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

3 of 16

Advertisement

4 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Washington Hawthorn

Washington Hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum
Credit: Denny Schrock

The rapidly growing shade tree produces white flowers in spring and forms a compact rounded crown of dark green leaves that shade to 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

4 of 16

5 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Pussy Willow

Pussy Willow
Credit: 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 yellowish 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

5 of 16

6 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Easy Ways to Add Natives to Your Landscape

Learn how to incorporate natives into your existing landscape plans.

6 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

American Elderberry

American Elderberry Sambucus nigra
Credit: 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 bounteously fruitful 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

  • Find the top natives for your region.

7 of 16

8 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Beautyberry

American Beautyberry
Credit: 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.

8 of 16

9 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Ninebark

Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius
Credit: 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

9 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Fragrant Sumac

Fragrant Sumac
Credit: Denny Schrock

A drought-tolerant shrub that bears small yellow flowers in spring followed by shiny leaves that turn fiery in late fall. Vibrant orange and red fruits persist into winter to bring 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

10 of 16

11 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Oakleaf Hydrangea
Credit: Ralph Anderson

Like its name implies, this easy-going shrub sports large leaves that resemble those of an oak tree. Bushy plants produces very showy white panicle flowers that shade to 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

11 of 16

12 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Little Bluestem

standing ovation little bluestem in garden
Credit: 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, which appear 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

12 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Indian Grass

Indian Grass
Credit: 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

13 of 16

14 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Christmas Fern

Christmas Fern
Credit: Peter Krumhardt

Silvery fiddleheads rising from woodland floors in spring unfurl into leathery evergreen fronds that form fountainlike 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, along shady foundations, or atop 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

14 of 16

15 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Eastern Purple Coneflower

Eastern Purple Coneflower
Credit: 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

15 of 16

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 16

Save Pin FB
Tweet Email Send Text Message

Rattlesnake Master

Rattlesnake Master Eryngium-Sea holly
Credit: 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

16 of 16

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Viveka Neveln

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 16 Chokeberry
    2 of 16 River Birch
    3 of 16 Eastern Redbud
    4 of 16 Washington Hawthorn
    5 of 16 Pussy Willow
    6 of 16 Easy Ways to Add Natives to Your Landscape
    7 of 16 American Elderberry
    8 of 16 Beautyberry
    9 of 16 Ninebark
    10 of 16 Fragrant Sumac
    11 of 16 Oakleaf Hydrangea
    12 of 16 Little Bluestem
    13 of 16 Indian Grass
    14 of 16 Christmas Fern
    15 of 16 Eastern Purple Coneflower
    16 of 16 Rattlesnake Master

    Share & More

    Tweet Email Send Text Message
    • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Logo Products at Walmart
    • Better Homes & Gardens BHG Real Estate Real Estate Services
    Better Homes & Gardens

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Better Homes & Gardens
    • Help
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    Sign Up
    MeredithBH&G is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Better Homes & Gardens. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.bhg.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Natives with Year-Round Interest
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.