hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana
Native understory tree for shady landscapes and woodland gardens. New leaves emerge reddish-purple, changing to … Continued
browsing: native shrubs
Native plants have evolved over thousands of years alongside native wildlife and therefore offer the most useful habitat. Native plants feed bugs at every stage of life, and bugs are the very foundation for our entire food web.
Our prairie natives require less water, and are adapted to grow in our soil types and temperature extremes, so they do well without requiring extensive resources and chemicals. Native plants help in management of rainwater runoff and maintain healthy soil with their deep root systems.
Native vs Native Cultivar
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
2025 Kansas Native Plant Society Native Plant of the Year! Named because dried leaves were … Continued
buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
This deciduous shrub has an open, rounded habit. Common throughout the midwest, it can most … Continued
summersweet, sweet pepperbush
Clethra alnifolia
A deciduous shrub native to swampy woodlands, wet marshes, and stream banks. Noted for mid … Continued
witch hazel
Hamamelis virginiana
Late winter-blooming, deciduous shrub or small tree native to woodlands, forest margins and stream banks … Continued
oakleaf hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
An upright, multi-stemmed, deciduous shrub that typically grows 4-6′ and produces showy panicles of white … Continued
‘Annabelle’ smooth hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'
Naturally occurring cultivar, native from New York to Florida west to Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and … Continued
deciduous holly
Ilex verticillata
A profusion of striking bright red berries will stop you in your tracks on your … Continued
Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica
‘Little Henry’ is a gorgeous native selection that prefers moist soils and will tolerate wet … Continued
eastern red cedar
Juniperus virginiana
‘Hetzii’ is an eastern red cedar growing 12-15′ high and 10-15′ wide with bluish-green to … Continued
spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Large, multi-stemmed shrubs have aromatic twigs and foliage. Spicebush is an important native plant for … Continued
pagoda dogwood
Cornus alternifolia
An excellent native plant with four-season interest, these beautiful trees have unique horizontal branching and … Continued