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Native Shrubs for North Carolina Piedmont Region

About 25 percent of the plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

Native Plants, Native Shrubs, North Carolina Native Plant, North Carolina Native Shrubs, Sun Shrubs, Shade Shrubs, Evergreen Shrubs

North Carolina is divided into three ecological regions: the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Mountains. Each region provides a rich variety of ecological habitats, supporting over 4,000 native plant species.

The Piedmont region is located between the Coastal Plain and the Mountains. The fall line is a major break in geologic structure between Piedmont and the Coastal Plain, resulting in differences in ecosystem patterns and a variety of landscape relief and roughness. It is characterized by gently rolling, well-rounded hills and long low ridges with a few hundred feet of elevation difference between the hills and valleys. Elevations range from 300 to 600 feet above sea level along the border between Piedmont and the Coastal Plain. Elevations gradually rise to about 1,500 feet above sea level at the foot of the Mountains. Piedmont occupies about 45 percent of the area of the state.

The Piedmont region is home to many species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Noted for its short, mild winters and sultry summers, it can also support many non-native species that are beginning to make their way across the landscape. Regrettably, some of these exotic immigrants are invasive and are threatening the native flora and ecology of the state.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it naturally occurs in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants.

  • First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers and pesticides or use less water.
  • Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats.
  • Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Here is a list of North Carolina native shrubs that are well-suited for plantings in the Piedmont Region.

  • Never collect native plants from the wild, as it will deplete natural ecosystems. 
  • When possible, plant species grown straight from local seed sources. These native originals are the best choice, as they co-evolved with specific wildlife, which supports migration, breeding, and other seasonal interdependencies.

Guide Information

Plant Type Shrubs
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States

Recommended Native Shrubs for North Carolina Piedmont Region

Amelanchier stolonifera (Running Serviceberry)
Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry)
Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry)
Calycanthus floridus (Carolina Allspice)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Button Bush)
Clethra acuminata (Cinnamon Clethra)
Cornus alternifolia (Pagoda Dogwood)
Fothergilla major (Mountain Witch Alder)
Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)
Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea)
Hypericum prolificum (Shrubby St. John’s Wort)
Ilex decidua (Possumhaw)
Itea virginica (Virginia Sweetspire)
Lindera benzoin (Spice Bush)
Morella cerifera (Southern Wax Myrtle)
Physocarpus opulifolius (Common Ninebark)
Rhododendron arborescens (Sweet Azalea)
Rhododendron calendulaceum (Flame Azalea)
Rhododendron maximum (Great Laurel)
Rhododendron periclymenoides (Pinxterbloom Azalea)
Rhododendron viscosum (Swamp Azalea)
Sabal minor (Dwarf Palmetto)
Spiraea tomentosa (Steeplebush)
Stewartia malacodendron (Silky Camellia)
Vaccinium arboreum (Sparkleberry)
Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry)
Vaccinium elliottii (Elliott’s Blueberry)
Vaccinium pallidum (Lowbush Blueberry)
Vaccinium stamineum (Deerberry)
Viburnum acerifolium (Mapleleaf Viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (Arrowwood Viburnum)
Viburnum nudum (Withe Rod)
Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw)
Viburnum rufidulum (Southern Blackhaw)
Xanthorhiza simplicissima (Yellow Root)
Yucca filamentosa (Adam’s Needle)

Discover Helpful North Carolina Guides for Further Reading

Native Annuals and Perennials for North Carolina Piedmont Region
Native Trees for North Carolina Piedmont Region
Native Ferns for North Carolina
Native Grasses for North Carolina
Native Groundcovers for North Carolina
Great Pollinator Plants for North Carolina
Monarch Nectar Plants for North Carolina
Invasive Plant Species in North Carolina
Native Vines for North Carolina

Discover more beautiful North Carolina native plants

North Carolina native plants

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Plant Type Shrubs
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South

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