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Sun-Loving Native Shrubs for North Carolina

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

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 shrubs that are well-suited for plantings in sunny gardens.

  • 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
Exposure Full Sun
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States

Recommended Sun-Loving Native Shrubs for North Carolina

Amelanchier stolonifera (Running Serviceberry)
Aronia arbutifolia (Red Chokeberry)
Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry)
Callicarpa americana (American Beautyberry)
Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Button Bush)
Comptonia peregrina (Sweet Fern)
Fothergilla gardenii (Dwarf Fothergilla)
Hibiscus moscheutos (Hardy Hibiscus)
Hypericum densiflorum (Bushy St. John’s Wort)
Hypericum prolificum (Shrubby St. John’s Wort)
Ilex decidua (Possumhaw)
Morella cerifera (Southern Wax Myrtle)
Philadelphus inodorus (Scentless Mock Orange)
Rhus aromatica (Fragrant Sumac)
Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac)
Robinia hispida (Bristly Locust)
Rosa carolina (Carolina Rose)
Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose)
Rubus odoratus (Flowering Raspberry)
Sambucus canadensis (American Elderberry)
Spiraea alba (White Meadowsweet)
Spiraea tomentosa (Steeplebush)
Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush Blueberry)
Vaccinium macrocarpon (Cranberry)
Vaccinium stamineum (Deerberry)
Viburnum nudum (Withe Rod)
Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw)
Yucca aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet)
Yucca filamentosa (Adam’s Needle)

Discover Helpful North Carolina Guides for Further Reading

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
Exposure Full Sun
Native Plants North Carolina, Southeast, United States
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Middle South Lower South

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