NATIVE PLANT SPECIES FOR PLANTING IN DELAWARE PIEDMONT AND
COASTAL PLAIN HABITATS

This list contains plants that would be found in the natural areas of the Delaware piedmont and nearby coastal plain forests.

Dm Grows best in well-drained, open meadows

Wm Grows best in emergent wetlands and open wet meadows

Fw Grows best in forested wetlands

P Grows best in piedmont forests

C Restricted to the coastal plain

If an indicator status is not given, assume the species will grow in both piedmont and coastal plain forests.

SCIENTIFIC NAME COMMON NAME

TREES

Acer rubrum Red Maple

Acer saccharinum Silver Maple

Betula lenta Sweet Birch

Carpinus caroliniana Ironwood

Carya cordiformis Bitternut Hickory

Carya glabra Pignut Hickory

Carya ovalis Sweet Pignut Hickory

Carya ovata Shagbark Hickory

Carya tomentosa Mockernut Hickory

Cornus florida Flowering Dogwood

Diospyros virginiana Persimmon

Fagus grandifolia American Beech

Fraxinus americana White Ash

Fraxinus pennsylvanica Green Ash

Ilex opaca American Holly

Juglans nigra Black Walnut

Dm Juniperus virginiana Eastern Red Cedar

Liquidambar styraciflua Sweetgum

Liriodendron tulipifera Tulip Poplar

CFw Magnolia virginiana Sweetbay Magnolia

Nyssa sylvatica Sourgum/Blackgum

Dm Pinus virginiana Virginia Pine

Platanus occidentalis Sycamore

Prunus serotina Wild Black Cherry

Quercus alba White Oak

Quercus coccinea Scarlet Oak

Quercus falcata Spanish Oak

Quercus palustris Pin Oak

Quercus phellos Willow Oak

Quercus prinus Chestnut Oak

Quercus rubra Red Oak

Quercus velutina Black Oak

Salix nigra Black Willow

Sassafras albidum Sassafras

Ulmus rubra Slippery Elm

SHRUBS/VINES

P Amelanchier arborea Downy Serviceberry

C Amelanchier canadensis Shadbush

Aronia arbutifolia Red Chokeberry

Asimina triloba Pawpaw

Cornus amomum Silky Dogwood

Corylus americana American Hazelnut

Euonymus americanus Strawberry Bush

Gaylussacia baccata Black Huckleberry

Hamamelis virginiana Witch Hazel

Fw Ilex glabra Inkberry Holly

Ilex verticillata Winterberry

Kalmia latifolia Mountain Laurel

Lindera benzoin Spicebush

Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia Creeper

Rhododendron periclymenoides Pinkster Azalea

Rhododendron viscosum Swamp Azalea

Dm Rhus copallina Shining Sumac

Dm Rhus glabra Smooth Sumac

Dm Rhus typhina Staghorn Sumac

Dm Rubus pensylvanicus (frondosus) Pennsylvania Blackberry

Wm Sambucus canadensis Elderberry

Staphylea trifolia Bladdernut

Vaccinium atrococcum Highbush Black Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush Blueberry

Vaccinium stamineum Deerberry

Vaccinium vacillans Low Blueberry

Viburnum acerifolium Maple-leaved Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum Southern Arrowwood

Fw Viburnum nudum Possumhaw Viburnum

Viburnum prunifolium Smooth Blackhaw

BROAD-LEAVED HERBACEOUS PLANTS

P Anemonella thalictroides Rue Anemone

Aralia nudicaulis Wild Sarsaparilla

Arisaema triphyllum Jack-in-the-Pulpit

P Asarum canadense Wild Ginger

Wm Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed

Dm Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed

Dm Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed

P Aster cordifolius Heartleaf Aster

P Aster divaricatus White wood Aster

Wm Aster novae-angliae New England Aster

Wm Aster novae-belgii New York Aster

Wm Aster puniceus Purplestem Aster

Claytonia virginica Spring Beauty

P Dentaria laciniata Cutleaf Toothwort

P Dicentra cucullaria Dutchman's Breeches

Erythronium americanum Trout Lily

Wm Eupatorium fistulosum Joe-Pye Weed

Eupatorium rugosum White Snakeroot

P Geranium maculatum Wild Geranium

Wm Impatiens capensis Orange Jewelweed

Fw Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower

Wm Lobelia siphilitica Great Lobelia

Medeola virginiana Indian Cucumber-root

P Mertensia virginica Bluebells

P Polygonatum biflorum Solomon's-seal

Podophyllum peltatum Mayapple

Polemonium reptans Greek Valerian

Dm Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan

P Sanguinaria canadensis Bloodroot

Smilacina racemosa False Solomon's-seal

P Solidago caesia Blue-stem Goldenrod

Dm Solidago canadensis Canada Goldenrod

Dm Solidago flexicaulis Zigzag Goldenrod

Solidago rugosa Tall Hairy Goldenrod

Fw Symplocarpus foetidus Skunk Cabbage

P Uvularia perfoliata Perfoliate Bellwort

Uvularia sessilifolia Sessile Bellwort

Wm Vernonia noveboracensis New York Ironweed

P Viola pubescens Downy Yellow Violet

P Viola sororia Woolly Blue Violet

FERNS

Athyrium Filix-femina Lady Fern

Athyrium thelypterioides Silvery Spleenwort

P Dryopteris intermedia Intermediate Wood Fern

P Dryopteris marginalis Marginal Wood Fern

Onoclea sensibilis Sensitive Fern

Fw Osmunda cinnamomea Cinnamon Fern

Fw Osmunda regalis Royal Fern

Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas Fern

Thelypteris noveboracensis New York Fern

Fw Thelypteris palustris Marsh Fern

Fw Woodwardia areolata Netted Chain Fern

GRASSES/GRASS-LIKE PLANTS

Dm Carex pensylvanica Pennsylvania Sedge

Wm Carex stricta Tussock Sedge

Carex vulpinoidea Fox Sedge

Chasmanthium latifolium Indian Sea Oats

Wm Elymus virginicus var. virginicus Virginia wild-rye

Dm Eragrostis spectabilis Purple love-grass

Wm Juncus effusus Soft Rush

Panicum virgatum Switchgrass

Dm Schizachyrium scoparium Little Bluestem

Sorghatrum nutans Yellow Indian-grass

AVOID THESE HIGHLY INVASIVE NON-NATIVE PLANTS!

TREES

Acer platanoides Norway maple

Ailanthus altissima Tree-of-heaven

Paulownia tomentosa Princess tree

Pyrus calleryana Callery pear, Bradford pear

SHRUBS/VINES

Akebia quinata Five-leaf

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Porcelain berry

Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry

Berberis vulgaris European barberry

Buddleia davidii Butterfly bush

Celastrus orbiculatus Oriental bittersweet

Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn olive

Euonymus alatus Burning-bush

Hedera helix English ivy

Ligustrum vulgare Privet

Lonicera japonica Japanese honeysuckle

Lonicera morrowii Morrow's honeysuckle

Lonicera tatarica Tatarian honeysuckle

Lonicera mackii Amur Honeysuckle

Pachysandra terminalis Pachysandra

Pueraria lobata Kudzu

Rosa multiflora Multiflora rose

Viburnum plicatum Doublefile viburnum

Vinca minor Periwinkle

HERBACEOUS

Lythrum salicaria Purple loosestrife

Miscanthus sinensis Japanese silver grass

Polygonum cuspidatum Japanese knotweed

Ranunculus ficaria Lesser celandine

For more habitat resources, visit www.DelawareNatureSociety.org and select Backyard Habitat from the Conservation options.