Native Deciduous Trees for North Carolina

Why Choose Native Deciduous Trees In North Carolina?

Native Deciduous Trees For North Carolina To Know

• Acer rubrum (Red Maple) – adaptable shade tree with red to orange fall color and early spring flowers that feed pollinators. Suitable for many average to moist soils.
• Acer negundo (Box Elder) – fast growing maple that tolerates tough sites and flooding. Best in naturalized areas rather than tight urban spots.
• Betula nigra (River Birch) – graceful multi trunked tree with peeling bark and yellow fall color. Thrives in moist to wet soils along streams, ponds, and rain gardens.
• Alnus serrulata (Smooth Alder) – multi stemmed nitrogen fixing small tree for wet sites, useful in restoration plantings and naturalized stream edges.
• Amelanchier arborea and Amelanchier laevis (Serviceberries) – small trees with white spring flowers, edible berries, and good fall color. Excellent four season interest for small yards.
• Asimina triloba (Pawpaw) – understory tree with large tropical looking leaves, purple spring flowers, and custard like fruit. Best in rich, moist soils with partial shade.
• Carpinus caroliniana (American Hornbeam) – small to medium understory tree with smooth gray bark and fine textured foliage, ideal for shady residential lots.
• Ostrya virginiana (American Hop Hornbeam) – similar in size to hornbeam with hop like seed clusters and good drought tolerance.
• Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood) – iconic small tree with white or pink spring bracts, red fall foliage, and berries relished by birds. Prefers lightly shaded, well drained, acidic soils.
• Chionanthus virginicus (Fringe Tree) – small tree with clouds of fragrant white fringe like flowers in late spring. Works well at woodland edges or sunny mixed borders.
• Cladrastis kentukea (Yellowwood) – medium sized tree with smooth gray bark and hanging clusters of white flowers, best in well drained soils.
• Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon) – medium tree with fragrant spring flowers, orange fall foliage, and sweet orange fruits that feed wildlife and people.
• Fagus grandifolia (American Beech) – stately long lived tree with smooth gray bark and golden fall leaves that can persist into winter. Best for large properties with rich soil.
• Fraxinus americana and Fraxinus pennsylvanica (White and Green Ash) – once common shade and street trees with good fall color. Emerald ash borer has made new plantings risky in many areas, so consult local experts before planting.
• Gymnocladus dioicus (Kentucky Coffee Tree) – bold, coarse textured tree with large compound leaves and high tolerance for urban conditions once established.
• Hamamelis virginiana (Virginia Witch Hazel) – large shrub or small tree with fragrant yellow flowers in late fall when little else blooms.
• Juglans nigra (Black Walnut) – tall shade tree valued for nuts and wood, best sited away from gardens that might be sensitive to its natural juglone compounds.
• Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum) – upright tree with star shaped leaves that turn red, orange, and purple in fall. Prefers moist, deep soils.
• Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree) – very fast growing, tall tree with tulip like spring flowers and yellow fall color. Needs room for its height and straight trunk.
• Magnolia acuminata, Magnolia macrophylla, and Magnolia tripetala – native magnolias with large leaves and showy flowers, best in protected, moist, acidic soils.
• Malus coronaria (American Crabapple) – small flowering tree with pink blossoms and crabapples that feed birds and pollinators.
• Morus rubra (Red Mulberry) – medium tree with sweet fruits loved by wildlife. Use carefully near patios and cars due to fruit drop.
• Nyssa aquatica (Water Tupelo) and Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum) – tupelos with brilliant fall color and high wildlife value, water tupelo for wet sites and black gum for average to moist soils.
• Populus deltoides (Eastern Cottonwood) – very fast growing tree for large, moist areas like riverbanks, not ideal near buildings due to size and litter.
• Prunus serotina (Black Cherry) – tall native cherry with valuable wildlife fruit and host value for many caterpillars.
• Quercus alba, Q. rubra, Q. coccinea, Q. palustris, Q. phellos, Q. shumardii, Q. stellata – a suite of native oaks providing unmatched wildlife habitat and strong structure. Choose species suited to your soil moisture and space.
• Salix nigra (Black Willow) – fast growing tree for wet soils, excellent in stabilizing streambanks and pond edges.
• Sassafras albidum (Sassafras) – small to medium tree with mitten shaped leaves, fragrant roots, and bright fall color, often forming groves.
• Taxodium distichum (Bald Cypress) – deciduous conifer that thrives in wet soils but also grows on upland sites, with orange brown fall color and unique “knees” in very wet areas.
• Tilia americana (American Basswood) – large shade tree with fragrant clusters of flowers that are magnets for pollinators.
• Ulmus americana and Ulmus alata (American and Winged Elm) – graceful elms for suitable sites, with American elm now best used in disease resistant selections and winged elm valued for its corky twigs.