Underlined Plants Are Extremely Drought-Tolerant Once Established *Indicates a Plant Native

NC STATE North Carolina Cooperative UNIVERSITY Extension MEDIUM SHRUBS – 4’ to 8’ Tall Recommended for Coastal Southeast Landscapes

Brunswick County Cooperative Extension Ornamental Fact Sheet #6

Underlined plants are extremely drought-tolerant once established *Indicates a plant native to SE USA

Water Height x Use Recommended Spread Ornamental Common Name Botanical Name Zone Varieties (ft.) Characteristics Soil Exposure Small white flowers in Abelia Well Sun to Abelia x grandiflora 1,2,3 4-8 x 4-6 summer and fall, attracts Drained Part Shade butterflies Large, thick leaves. Some Well Part to Japanese Aucuba Aucuba japonica 1,2 5-8 x 4-6 varieties spotted in gold Drained Full Shade Yellow flowers in spring, Wintergreen Well Berberis julianae 1,2,3 6-8 x 6-8 leaves turn bronze to Sun Barberry Drained burgundy in winter Bottlebrush ‘Woodlander’s Unusual red flowers in Well Callistemon rigidus 1,2,3 5-6 x 5-6 Sun Hardy’ spring Drained Red, Pink, White or Rose Japanese 6-12 x Well Light to Camellia japonica 1,2 Many Available flowers in winter and early Camellia 4-8 Drained Part Shade spring Sasanqua 6-10 x Red, White, Pink or Rose Well Light to Camellia sasanqua 1,2 Many Available Camellia 4-8 flowers in fall and winter Drained Part Shade Chamaecyparis Unusual foliage texture, Dwarf Hinoki Well Sun to obtusa ‘Nana 1,2 4-6 x 3-4 often seen in Japanese Cypress Drained Part Shade Gracilis’ Gardens Sun to Mediterranean Fan Beautiful texture, very Well Chamaerops humilis 1,2,3 5-6 x 5-6 Light Palm slow growing Drained Shade Unique textural effect, King Sago Cycas revoluta 4-8 x 6 Well Sun to 1,2 both are slow growing Emporer Sago Cycas taitungensis 4-6 x 10 Drained Part Shade palm like plants Large, glossy lobed leaves Well Part to Fatsia Fatsia japonica 1,2 6-8 x 6-8 give a tropical effect Drained Full Shade

6-10 x Pink and crimson flowers Well Pineapple Guava Feijoa sellowiana 1,2,3 Sun 5-8 in spring, gray foliage Drained Evergreen Shrubs— continued

Water Height x Use Recommended Spread Ornamental Common Name Botanical Name Zone Varieties (ft.) Characteristics Soil Exposure ‘August Extremely fragrant white Sun to Gardenia Well Gardenia 1,2 Beauty’ 4-8 x 4-8 flowers in summer, glossy Light jasminoides Drained ‘Frostproof’ green leaves Shade Sun to Chinese Holly ‘Dwarf Glossy green leaves, red Well Ilex cornuta 1,2,3 5-7 x 6-8 Light Burford’ berries in fall and winter Drained Shade Moist to Sun to Small, dark green leaves, Inkerry Holly* Ilex glabra 1,2,3 ‘Shamrock’ 5-8 x 5-8 Well Light similar to boxwood Drained Shade Fountain like, arching Well Chinese Juniper Juniperus chinensis 2,3 ‘Sea Green’ 4-6 x 6-8 branches, mint green Drained Sun foliage to Xeric ‘Recurvifolium’ Sun to Japanese Privet Ligustrum Tough evergreen shrub, Well 1,2,3 ‘East Bay’ 5-6 x 4-6 Light japonicum dark green glossy foliage Drained ‘Lake Tresca’ Shade Hot pink fringy flowers in Sun to Loropetalum ‘Ruby’ 4-6 x 4-6 Well Loropetalum 1,2 spring, burgundy foliage Light chinense ‘Burgundy’ 6-8 x 6-8 Drained throughout the season Shade Leatherleaf Upright shrub with coarse Well Part to Mahonia Mahonia bealei 1,2,3 6-8 x 3-4 spiny leaves. Very shade Drained Full Shade tolerant Glossy dark green leaves. Small cream colored, Well Sun to Banana Shrub Magnolia figo 1,2,3 6-8 x 6-8 banana scented flowers in Drained Part Shade spring Nandina, Graceful foliage, large Heavenly Well Sun to Nandina domestica 1,2,3 5-8 x 3-4 clusters of red berries in Bamboo Drained Part Shade fall

Red, white, pink or salmon Well Oleander Several 6-10 x flowers in summer. All Nerium oleander 1,2,3 Drained Sun Available 4-8 parts of this plant are to Xeric poisonous ‘Louisiana Well Pittosporum Small white fragrant Sun to Pittosporum tobira 1,2,3 Compact’ 6-8 x 6-8 Drained flowers in spring Part Shade ‘Variegata’ to Xeric Pyracantha Sun to Firethorn, coccinea 6-10 x Clusters of red or orange Well 1,2,3 Many Available Light Pyracantha Pyracantha 4-8 berries in fall and winter Drained Shade koidzumii Rhapidophyllum 5-10 x Well Sun to Needle Palm 1,2,3 Slow growing, hardy palm hystrix 5-10 Drained Part Shade Azaleas - ‘Formosa’ Large growing, tough Well Light to Southern Indica Rhododendron 1,2 ‘G.G.Gerbing’ 6-8 x 6-8 azaleas with white, Drained Part Shade Varieties ‘George Tabor’ magenta or pink flowers Well Rosemary Rosmarinus Blue flowers in spring, 2,3 3-6 x 3-6 Drained Sun officinalis culinary herb to Xeric

Evergreen Shrubs— continued Water Height x Use Recommended Spread Ornamental Common Name Botanical Name Zone Varieties (ft.) Characteristics Soil Exposure Moist to Sun to Dwarf Palmetto* Sabal minor 1,2,3 4-6 x 4-6 Hardy, shrub like palm Well Part Shade Drained Sandwanka Leathery, dark green Well Viburnum Viburnum 1,2,3 4-8 x 4-8 foliage. White flowers in Drained Sun suspensum spring to Xeric ‘Eve Price’ Dark green foliage, pink Tinus Viburnum, ‘Compactum’ Well Sun to Viburnum tinus 1,2 5-7 x 5-7 flower buds open to white Laurustinus ‘Spring Drained Part Shade in spring Bouquet’ DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

Water Height x Use Recommended Spread Ornamental Common Name Botanical Name Zone Varieties (ft.) Characteristics Soil Exposure White flowers in early ‘ Brilliant’ Moist to Sun to Aronia arbutifolia spring, red berries persist Chokeberry* 1,2,3 6-8 x 6-8 Well Light ‘Brilliantissima’ all winter, excellent fall Drained Shade color White, Purple, Lavender, Rose, or yellow flowers in Sun to Well Butterfly Bush Buddleia davidii 1,2,3 Many Available 4-8 x 4-6 summer. Extremely Light Drained fragrant, attracts lots of Shade butterflies Moist to American Callicarpa Vibrant purple berries in Sun to 1,2,3 4-6 x 4-6 Well Beautyberry* americana fall, attracts songbirds Part Shade Drained Sweetshrub, Moist to Calycanthus ‘Michael Very fragrant maroon Sun to Carolina 1,2,3 6-8 x 6-8 Well floridus Lindsey’ flowers in late spring Part Shade Allspice* Drained Extremely fragrant white Moist to Clethra, Sweet ‘Ruby Spice’ Sun to Clethra alnifolia 1,2,3 4-8 x 3-6 or pink in summer. Yellow Well Pepperbush* ‘Chattanooga’ Part Shade fall color Drained Dwarf Burning Euonymous alatus Well 1,2,3 6-8 x 6-8 Excellent red fall color Sun Bush ‘Compactus’ Drained Large clusters of pink or Bigleaf Hydrangea Many Varieties blue flowers in summer. Well Light to 1,2 4-6 x 4-8 Hydrangea macrophylla Avaliable Flower color will vary Drained Part Shade depending on soil pH Large panicles of white Moist to Oakleaf Hydrangea Sun to 1,2 ‘Alice’ 6-8 x 6-8 flowers in summer, Well Hydrangea* quercifolia Part Shade excellent fall color Drained Moist to Virginia White flower s in spring. Sun to Itea virginiana 1,2,3 ‘Henry’s Garnet’ 4-6 x 4-8 Well Sweetspire, Itea* Excellent fall color Part Shade Drained Deciduous Shrubs—continued

Water Height x Use Recommended Spread Ornamental Common Name Botanical Name Zone Varieties (ft.) Characteristics Soil Exposure Bright yellow flowers in Well Light to Japanese Kerria Kerria japonica 1,2 4-6 x 4-6 springs, green stems in Drained Full Shade winter Double Reeves Spirea cantoniensis Abundant white flowers in Well Spirea 1,2,3 4-6 x 4-6 Sun ‘Lanceata’ early spring Drained

Vanhoutte Spirea 6-8 x Abundant white flowers in Well Spirea x vanhouttei 1,2,3 Sun 8-10 early spring Drained White flowers in spring Moist to Possumhaw followed by pink and blue Sun to Viburnum nudum 1,2 ‘Winterthur’ 6-8 x 6-8 Well Viburnum* berries in fall. Good fall Part Shade Drained color Viburnum x ‘Mohawk’ Red buds open to pink Well Sun to burkwoodii 1,2 6-8 x 6-8 Viburnum blossoms, very fragrant Drained Part Shade ‘Mohawk’ Cherry pink flowers in Sun to ‘Wine and Well Weigela Weigela florida 1,2 4-6 x 4-6 spring, purple foliage all Light Roses’ Drained season Shade

Exposure Exposure refers to the amount of sunlight a site receives as follows: o Full sun indicates a site that receives at least 8hrs of direct sun each day. o Light Shade indicates a site that is shaded less than half of the day by a light high shade such as that cast by pine trees. o Part Shade indicates a site that is shaded for half the day by a dense shade such as that cast by buildings or shade trees. o Full Shade indicates a site that is in shade all day.

Soil Soil refers to soil condition at the site as follows: o Wet indicates a site that stays moist most of the time and receives periodic flooding. o Moist indicates a site that is moist most of the time with brief (less than 12hrs) periods of standing water. o Well Drained indicates a site where water drains from the surface and rarely stands. o Xeric indicates a site that is extremely dry and sandy with very little ability to hold water.

Water Use Zones Water Use Zones indicate the water needs of various plants and correspond to the following NCCE publications: Water Wise Use in Landscaping o http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ag508_1.html How to Plan and Design a Water Wise Use Landscape o http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/bae/programs/extension/publicat/wqwm/ag508_2.html Native Plants* A plant native to SE USA implies a plant endemic to the Southeastern portion of the United States, from Virginia to Eastern Texas.

Drought Tolerant Plants Extremely drought tolerant plants are marked with an underline. When planted in their preferred soil type, these plants are able to withstand extended periods of drought, 4-6 weeks, without supplemental irrigation once established. Most trees and shrubs take two to three seasons to become fully established. Perennials, grasses and groundcovers usually require one to two seasons to become established.

Recommended Varieties For many plants, recommended varieties are given. These are selections of that plant that either perform better in our area or are more suitable to landscape use than the plain species. Plant varieties, also known as cultivars, are listed enclosed in single quotes.

Mature Size Mature sizes of all plants are given as height x width, though many may take several years to reach these dimensions. Mature size can vary depending on growing conditions.

Prerepared by: Charlotte Glen, Horticulture Agent North Carolina Cooperative Extension – Pender County Center

Distributed in furtherance of the acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30,1914. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.