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Recommended North Carolina Native Trees that Attract Wildlife

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 Deciduous Trees, North Carolina Native Trees, Trees Wildlife, Birds

From the Atlantic Coastal Plain to the Piedmont region, and to the Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina’s landscape is carpeted with a rich array of wildflowers and native plants. It is home to many species of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Noted for its short, mild winters and sultry summers, North Carolina can also support many non-native species which 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 has occurred naturally 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 trees that attract wildlife.

  • 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 Trees
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States
Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Recommended North Carolina Native Trees that Attract Wildlife

Amelanchier arborea, Downy Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, Service-Tree, Sarvis-Tree, Amelanchier Tree, Shrub, Fall color, Shrub with berries
Amelanchier canadensis, Serviceberry, Juneberry, Grape Pear, Shadblow, Shadbush, Shrub, Fall color, Shrub with berries
Amelanchier laevis, Allegheny Serviceberry, Smooth Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shrub, Fall color, Shrub with berries
Cornus florida, Flowering Dogwood, American Box, Blood Twig Dogwood, Common White Dogwood, Eastern Flowering Dogwood, False Box Wood, North American Green Osier, Fall color, Winter color, shrub with berries, Flowering tree, red fruits
Crataegus crus-galli, Cockspur Hawthorn, Cockspur Thorn, Red fruit, red berries, Winter fruits, White flowers,
Crataegus phaenopyrum, Washington Hawthorn, Washington Thorn, Crataegus cordata, Red fruit, red berries, Winter fruits, White flowers,
Diospyros virginiana, American Persimmon, American Date Plum, Possum Wood, Virginian Date Plum, Common Persimmon, Eastern Persimmon, Winter Plum, Jove's Fruit
Ilex opaca, American Holly, White Holly, Prickly Holly, Evergreen Holly, Christmas Holly, Yule Holly, red berries, evergreen shrub, Aquifoliaceae, Berry, holly, Ilex, winter shrub
Ilex vomitoria, Yaupon, Yaupon Holly, Cassina, red berries, evergreen shrub, Aquifoliaceae, Berry, holly, Ilex, winter shrub
Juniperus virginiana, Cedar Oil Tree, Eastern Red Cedar, Pencil Cedar, Red Cedar, Virginia Cedar, Evergreen Shrub, Evergreen Tree
Magnolia grandiflora, Southern Magnolia, Evergreen Magnolia, Loblolly Magnolia, Great Laurel Magnolia, Big Laurel, Bull Bay
Morella cerifera, Wax Myrtle, Southern Wax Myrtle, Southern Bayberry, Eastern Bayberry, Bayberry, Candleberry, Tallow Shrub
Pinus taeda, Loblolly Pine, Oldfield Pine, Bull Pine, Rosemary Pine, Evergreen Tree, Evergreen Shrub, Conifer
Prunus caroliniana, Carolina Cherry-laurel, Cherry-laurel, Laurel Cherry, Carolina Laurel Cherry, Laurocerasus caroliniana, Evergreen Shrub, Evergreen Tree, Fragrant Shrub, Fragrant Tree
Prunus serotina, Black Cherry, Wild Black Cherry, Rum Cherry, Flowering Tree, White flowers, Red Berries
Robinia pseudoacacia,Common Robinia, False Acacia, Bastard Acacia, Black Locust, Fragrant White Locust, Locust, Yellow Locust, White flowers, Fragrant flowers, Fragrant tree
Sassafras albidum, Sassafras, Ague Tree, Sassafras Tree, White Sassafras
Tsuga canadensis, Eastern Hemlock, Common Hemlock, Canada Hemlock, Spruce Hemlock, White Hemlock, Evergreen Shrub, Evergreen Tree

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 Trees
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States
Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Lower South Middle South

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