Connecticut Native Shrubs for Beautiful Landscapes

by Jessica Lubell-Brand

UConn Dept. Plant Science and Landscape Architecture College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Several native shrubs are readily available in the nursery trade and are already widely used by landscape professionals. Below is a list of native shrubs, some of which are readily available, and others which may be harder to find. All of the plants on this list are native to Connecticut; however, this is not a complete list of all Connecticut native shrubs. This list contains proven landscape performers as well as species that have landscape potential. Research evaluating the landscape adaptability of native shrubs is underway at the University of Connecticut. Contact: Jessica.Lubell@uconn.edu

Readily available

Latin name (Common name)

Clethra alnifolia (summersweet)

Cornus sericea (redtwig dogwood)

Ilex glabra (inkberry holly)

Ilex verticillata (winterberry holly)

Potentilla fruticosa (bush cinquefoil)

Rhus aromatica (fragrant sumac)

Vaccinium angustifolium (lowbush blueberry)

Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry)

Viburnum dentatum (arrowood viburnum)

 

Somewhat available

Latin name (Common name)

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (bearberry)

Aronia arbutifolia (red chokeberry)

Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry)

Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel)

Morella pensylvanica (northern bayberry)

Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)

Viburnum trilobum (American cranberrybush)

 

Harder to find

Latin name (Common name)

Amelanchier stolonifera (running serviceberry)

Baccharis halimifolia (eastern baccharis)

Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey tea)

Cephalanthus occidentalis (common buttonbush)

Comptonia peregrina (sweet fern)

Cornus amomum (silky dogwood)

Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood)

Cornus rugosa (round leaf dogwood)

Corylus americana (American filbert)

Betula pumila (bog birch)

Corylus cornuta (beaked filbert)

Diervilla lonicera (northern bush honeysuckle)

Gaylussacia baccata (black huckleberry)

Hamamelis virginiana (common witch hazel)

Juniperus communis (common juniper)

Eubotrys racemosa (sweetbells)

Lindera benzoin (spicebush)

Lonicera canadensis (American fly honeysuckle)

Myrica gale (sweetgale)

Nemopanthus mucronata (mountain holly)

Prunus maritima (beach plum)

Rhamnus alnifolia (alder buckthorn)

Rhododendron maximum (rosebay)

Rhododendron periclymenoides (pinxter bloom azalea)

Rhododendron prinophyllum (mountain azalea)

Rhododendron viscosum (swamp azalea)

Rhus copallina (shining sumac)

Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)

Rosa carolina (pasture rose)

Rosa palustris (swamp rose)

Rosa virginiana (Virginia rose)

Sambucus canadensis (elderberry)

Sambucus pubens (racemosa) (red elderberry)

Spiraea alba var. latifolia (white meadowsweet)

Spiraea tomentosa (steeplebush)

Taxus canadensis (American yew)

Vaccinium staminium (deerberry)

Viburnum acerifolium (mapleleaf viburnum)

Viburnum cassinoides (witherod viburnum)

Viburnum lantanoides (hobblebush)

Viburnum lentago (nannyberry)

Viburnum rafinesquianum (downy arrowwood)