FERNS Nthern maidenhair fern Adiantum pedatum Don’t remove plants from the wild. Ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron Taking wild plants devastates native plant Native Plant Recommendations Lady fern Athyrium felix-femina Common name Scientific name type light water Common name Scientific name type light water Hay-scented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula populations and often the plants removed do Marginal wood fern Dryopteris marginalis Sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis not survive in backyards. Cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana small tree (up to 25 feet) low shrub (under 4 feet) Royal fern Osmunda regalis Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea D       New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus D       New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis *Devils-walking stick Aralia spinosa D       Sweetfern Comptonia peregrina D       Netted chain fern Woodwardia areolata Basics About Using Native Plants Paw paw Asimina triloba D       Wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens D       Maximize your success by matching the right plants American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana D       Shrubby St. John’s wort Hypericum prolificum D       with the right site conditions. Do your homework before Chinquapin Castanea pumila D       Drooping leucothoe Leucothoe fontanesiana E       GRASSES AND SEDGES Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis D       Carolina rose Rosa carolina D       Swamp rose Rosa palustris D Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii planting: Fringe tree Chionanthus virginicus D             Broomsedge Andropogon virginicus Assess the available light, moisture, and soil pH at Pagoda dogwood Cornus alternifolia D       Cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon E       River cane Arundinaria gigantea Flowering dogwood Cornus florida D       Lowbush blueberry Vaccinium pallidum D       Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica Maple-leaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium D       Plantain-leaved sedge Carex plantaginea your planting site. Washington hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum D       River oats Chasmanthium latifolium Have your soil tested to learn the pH and if the soil Persimmon Diospyros virginiana D       Oat grass Danthonia compressa Wild Bleeding Heart Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina D       Bottle brush grass Elymus hystrix needs to be improved. Common witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana D       Switch-grass Panicum virgatum Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium American holly Ilex opaca E       mid-size shrub (4 feet to 10 feet) Choose native plants that match your site conditions. Indian grass Sorghastrum nutans GROUND COVERS Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana E       Eastern gamma grass Tripsacum dactyloides Use this list as a guide. Red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia D       Umbrella tree Magnolia tripetala D       Black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa D Pussy’s toes Antennaria plantaginifolia Hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana D             Wild ginger Asarum canadense Remember, landscaping with native plants is art imitating Sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus D       MOSAIC FOR FULL SUN Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum D       Green-and-gold Chrysogonum virginianum Cinnamonbark Clethra acuminata D       Butterfly-milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Lobed tickseed Coreopsis auriculata nature. For ideas, look to nearby natural areas to observe Hop tree Ptelea trifoliata D       Silky dogwood Cornus amomum D       New England aster Aster novae angliae Wild strawberry Fragaria virginiana how native plants occur naturally. American plum Prunus americana D       Rigid whitetop aster Symphyotrichum retroflexum Wintergreen Gaultheria procumbens Hazelnut Corylus americana D       Little brown jugs Hexastylis arifolia Pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica D       Sthrn bush-honeysuckle Diervilla sessilifolia D Hairy coreopsis Coreopsis pubescens *Common sassafras Sassafras albidum D             Joe-Pye weed Eupatorium fistulosum Dwarf crested iris Iris cristata Hearts-a-bustin Euonymus americanus D       Dense blazing star Liatris spicata Partridge berry Mitchella repens Blackhaw viburnum Viburnum rufidulum D       The Invasive Plant Dilemma Large fothergilla Fothergilla major D       Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis Allegheny spurge Pachysandra procumbens Scarlet bee balm Monarda didyma Fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida A very small number of nonnative plants have become Dense St. John's wort Hypericum densiflorum D       Hairy phlox Phlox amoena Common winterberry Ilex verticillata D Wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata highly invasive and destructive. These are plants that       Blackeyed susan Rudbeckia hirta Wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica D       Creeping phlox Phlox stolonifera Mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia E Narrowleaved silkgrass Pityopis graminifolia have been accidentally or deliberately introduced by large tree (over 25 feet)       Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides Spicebush Lindera benzoin D     people. The natural controls, such as disease and insects, Red maple Acer rubrum D       Oconee bells Shortia galacifolia Sweet azalea Rhododendron aborescens D      Blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum Sugar maple Acer saccharum D        that normally kept these plants “in check” in their home- Flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum D       Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia Yellow buckeye Aesculus flava D       Yellow-root Xanthorhiza simplicissima Yellow birch Betula allegheniensis Carolina rhododendron Rhododendron carolinianum E       land do not exist here. This gives these invasive plants an D       Catawba rhododendron Rhododendron catawbiense E Sweet birch Betula lenta       D       Pinxter azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides D advantage, making it easy for them to grow out of control River birch Betula nigra       D       Pinkshell azalea Rhododendron vaseyi E       Bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis D       and take over the habitat of other plants. These invasions *Elderberry Sambucus canadensis D     Pignut hickory Carya glabra D       *Coral berry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus D affect native wildlife and insects, too. The balance and Yellowwood Cladrastis kentukea       D       *Nthrn highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum D       diversity of our mountain environment will decline as American beech Fagus grandifolia D       Deerberry Vaccinium stamineum D       WILDFLOWERS Tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera D       these invasive plants continue to spread. Some of the Hobblebush Viburnum alnifolium D     Doll’s eyes Actaea pachypoda Cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata D       Witherod viburnum Viburnum cassinoides D       Carolina phlox Phlox carolina invasive plants considered most destructive are: Black tupelo Nyssa sylvatica D       Eastern blue star Amsonia tabernaemontana Sycamore Platanus occidentalis D       Thimbleweed Anemone viginiana Red spruce Picea rubens E       Wild columbine Aquilegia canadensis Green dragon Arisaema dracontium Japanese honeysuckle – Lonicera japonica *Black cherry Prunus serotina D       Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum White oak Quercus alba D       large shrub (over 10 feet) Goat’s beard Aruncus dioicus Berberis thunbergii Swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Japanese barberry* – Chestnut oak Quercus montana D       *Tag alder Alnus serrulata D       Northern red oak Quercus rubra D       Butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Japanese spirea – Spiraea japonica Mountain winterberry Ilex montana D       White wood aster Aster divaricatus Post oak Quercus stellata D       Mock orange Philadelphus inodorus D       Late purple aster Aster patens Autumn-olive – Elaegnus umbellata American basswood Tilia americana D       Rosebay rhododendron Rhododendron maximum E       Wild Columbine False goatsbeard Astilbe biternata Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis E       *Smooth sumac Rhus glabra D Wild indigo Baptisia tinctoria       Blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Chinese Silvergrass* – Miscanthus sinensis Carolina hemlock Tsuga caroliniana E       *Silky willow Salix sericea D       Pink turtlehead Chelone lyonii *Arrowwood Viburnum dentatum D       MOSAIC FOR SHADE Black cohosh Cimicifuga racemosa Multiflora rose –Rosa multiflora Coreopsis Coreopsis pubescens Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Bleeding heart Dicentra eximia Tree of heaven – Ailanthus altissima Wild ginger Asarum canadense Shooting star Dodecatheon meadia Trout lily Erythronium americanum Joe-Pye weed Eupatorium fistulosum Sharp-lobed hepatica Hepatica acutiloba Wild geranium Geranium maculatum Princess tree – Paulownia tomentosa LIGHT TYPE vine Alumroot Heuchera americana Resindot sunflower Helianthus resinosus Partridge berry Mitchella repens  = full sun D = deciduous Dutchman’s pipe Aristolochia macrophylla D       Sharp-lobed hepatica Hepatica acutiloba Oriental bittersweet – Celastrus orbiculatus Cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Alumroot Heuchera americana  = part sun E = evergreen Crossvine Bignonia capreolata E       Smooth Solomon’s seal Polygonatum biflorum Jewelweed Impatiens capensis Chinese yam – Dioscorea batatas, D. oppositifolia, K  = shade Trumpet creeper Campsis radicans D       Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides Blazing star Liatris spicata Virgin’s bower Clematis virginiana D       Oconee bells Shortia galacifolia Turks-cap lily Lilium superbum D. bulbifera Climbing hydrangea Decumaria barbara D Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis       Blue lobelia Lobelia puberula SOIL MOISTURE Coral honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens D       Great lobelia Lobelia siphilitica Ligustrum sinense, L. obtusifolium and L. vulgare Butternut Hickory Privet* -  = hydric; wet, plants periodically or often inundated by *Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia D       Fringed loostrife Lysimachia ciliata water Passion flower Passiflora incarnata D       Bishop’s cap Mitella diphylla Fox grape Vitis labrusca D Bee balm Monarda didyma E       Carolina phlox Phlox carolina *Varieties less invasive may be available; talk to your local nursery  = mesic; moist, adequate soil moisture retention year . Fall phlox Phlox paniculata round Solomon’s seal Polygonatum biflorum  = sub-xeric; moist to dry, seasonally moist, periodically Blackeyed susan Rudbeckia hirta Buy nursery-propagated plant material. Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis dry Fire pink Silene virginica The practice of growing native plants from seeds  = xeric; dry & drought resistant, little moisture retention, Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Y Blue Ridge goldenbanner Thermopsis villosa and cuttings protects wild populations. excessively drained New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis * These plants can be vigorous growers and may need more management control. What You Can Do: A Unique Region Celebrate Our Natural Heritage Learn more about native plants. The Southern Appalachians The use of native plants in landscaping is a celebration of Buy nursery propagated plant material. WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA are known worldwide our natural heritage and an awakening of a land ethic first Don’t remove plants from the wild. for their exceptional expressed by Aldo Leopold, the father of wildlife conser- Protect native plants and natural area habitats. variety of plants vation, more than 50 years ago.

Promote responsible landscaping practices. Blue Ridge Mountains and animals. This The natural processes from which native species evolve Avoid planting invasive plant species. mountain region Part of the Southern Appalachians represent the cog and wheel of a healthy ecosystem sus- owes its great tained by a complex web of biological diversity. For more information: diversity to the Botanical Gardens at Asheville highly variable 151 WT Weaver Boulevard Using native plants contributes to the health and often the Asheville, NC 28804 climate, restoration of an ecosystem. Landscaping with natives in 828/252/5190 topography, an urban setting helps restore the character of the land and and its unique places fewer demands on resources. Great Smoky Mountains National Park 107 Park Headquarters Road geologic past. Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Native plants have many inherent qualities and adaptive 423/436/1706 traits that makes them aesthetically pleasing, practical, North Carolina Botanical Garden Blue Ridge Mountains and ecologically valuable for landscaping. Conservation Curator Western North Carolina is composed of 23 counties that CB 3375, Totten Center Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3375 lie almost entirely within the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Southern Appalachians. Soils in this region tend to be What Are Native Plants? Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council well drained, loamy, strongly acidic, and low in natural Native species are those that naturally occur in an area; (SE-EPPC) fertility. Site conditions for plants are determined by the they have not been introduced by human action. Native P.O. Box 50556 species have evolved over time with the physical and Nashville, TN 37205 topography, soil pH and depth, elevation, amount of sun- www.se-eppc.org light, and availability of water. biological factors specific to their region, such as climate, soil, rainfall, and interactions with other plants, animals, Southern Appalachian Man and and insects that live in the area. Thus, native species are The Biosphere Cooperative uniquely adapted to the local conditions and wildlife, www.samab.org including important pollinators and migratory birds. Contact your local County Cooperative Extension Service Office JOE PYE WEED artwork by Randy Burroughs Benefits of Native Plants? Useful Websites: Hardy and should withstand regional weather Plants Database, usda.gov/about_plants/html extremes when properly sited and planted. NC Native Plant Society-www.ncwildflower.org/ Promote wise stewardship of the land and the Center for Plant Conservation-www.centerforplant- LANDSCAPING conservation of natural resources. conservation.org Provide food and shelter for native wildlife. Plant Conservation Alliance- www.nps.gov/plants/ WITH These varying site conditions support a mosaic Inspire a ‘sense of place’ and pride in our Going Native (NCSU)-www.ncsu.edu/goingnative of native plant communities such as: mountain communities. NATIVE Dry, south-facing slopes have extremely acidic Prevent future invasive plant introductions. Text, Maps and Plant List by • North Carolina Arboretum soils that support evergreens such as mountain laurel • Great Smoky Mountains • North Carolina State and pines, as well as oaks, huckleberry, National Park University PLANTS blueberries, and hickories. • Southern Appalachian • Western North Carolina Moist, north-facing slopes Native Plants for Wildlife Forest Coalition Tomorrow Using native plants in landscaping helps sustain native • Southern Appalachian support a mixed Man and the Biosphere Other Plant Artwork by evergreen/hardwood butterflies, beneficial insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, Cooperative. • Ron Lance PROMOTES BIODIVERSITY community type and other native species. Spring migrating and nesting • Tennessee Natural frequently dominated birds rely on the insects in our lush forest to give them Areas Program—Natural Printing of brochure made pos- the energy to travel long distances and raise their young. by hemlock, tulip Dogwood Heritage Division sible by Fall migrating birds depend on high-energy fruits from • U.S. Fish and Wildlife • National Fish and and endorses a land ethic that poplar, and maple. Service Wildlife Foundation Species-rich hardwood forests dominate lower slopes flowering dogwood, spice bush, and Virginia creeper. • U.S. Forest Service celebrates our natural heritage and creek drainages. These sheltered sites support a Beech, oak, and hickory trees provide nesting habitat and broad range of flowering understory trees, showy ferns important nuts and acorns for a variety of wildlife. In the Other Co-sponsors and wildflowers, and dense stands of rosebay rhodo- winter, evergreen trees like American holly, white pine, • Botanical Gardens of and hemlocks provide important shelter and food. Asheville dendron.