This is a "starter" list of native plants for Kentucky and Tennessee. It is intended for residential or commercial landscapers who want to create attractive and varied native landscapes.
Kentucky and Tennessee Trees
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Soil Moisture
Heights
Comments
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
F
W- D
50-75'
Buds and young twigs are red; Great fall color
Downy Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea
F
A-D
15-25'
Yellow - orange, red fall color, white flowers (Apr)
River Birch
Betula nigra
F
W-A
40-70'
Yellow fall color
Hickory
Carya spp.
F
A-D
50-80'
Rich gold fall color; Nuts eaten by mammals and birds
Redbud
Cercis canadensis
F
A-D
20-30'
April cluster of rosy pink flowers line branches and trunk
Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
F
A
40-60'
Flowers after 12-18 years, fragrant and white
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
F-P
A-D
20-30'
White or pink flowers Apr-May
American Beech
Fagus grandifolia
F-P
A
85+'
Nut in fall attacts birds, mammals, humans
American Holly
Ilex opaca
F-P
A-D
20-40'
To insure fruit, 1 male neededper 2-3 females
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
F
A-D
40-50'
Offers nesting and cover to birds
Sweetgum
Liquidamb. styraciflua
F
W-A
60-85'
Brilliant scarlet-red to red-purple fall cover
Tulip Tree, Tulip Poplar
Liriodendron tulipifera
F
A
70-90'
Large tulip-like flowers are yellow- green-orange May-Jun
Blackgum
Nyssa sylvatica
F
A-D
30-60"
Scarlet red autumn color
American Hophornbeam
Ostrya virginiana
F
A
25-40'
Fall foliage is pale yellow
Oak
Quercus spp.
F
Var.
35-80'
Human, birds, mammals, butterflies enjoy oaks
Carolina Buckthorn
Rhamnus caroliniana
P-S
A-D
20'
Yellow-green flowers in May; berries eaten by birds
Rusty Black. Viburnum
Viburnum rufidulum
F-S
A-D
20-25'
Creamy white clusters of flowers in May
Kentucky and Tennessee Shrubs
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Soil Moisture
Heights
Comments
Red Chokeberry
Aronia arbutifolia
F
W-A
6-11'
Red berries on shrub eaten by mammals and birds
Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
F
A
3-6'
Lav-pink flowers, purple berries; yellow color (fall)
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americana
F-P
D
3'
Short spikes of tiny white flowers in June
Buttonbush
Cephalanth. occidentalis
F-P
W-A
5-12'
Spherical white blossom heads
Sweet Pepperbush
Clethra alnifolia
F
W-A
5-10'
Sm. white fragrant flowers in Aug; yellow-orange (fall)
Strawberry Bush
Euonymus americanus
P-S
A
4-6'
Purplish flowers (May); red seed pods attract birds
Wild Hydrangea
Hydrang. arborescens
P-S
A
3-6'
Clusters of greenish-white flowers Jun-Jul
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifoia
P-S
A
3-6'
Reddish-orange to purplish-brown color in Autumn
Shrubby St. Johns Wort
Hypericum prolificum
F
A-D
1-4'
Bright yellow flowers
Possumhaw Holly
Ilex decidua
P-S
W-A
12-20'
Red berries eaten late in season by birds
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
F
W-A
6-12'
Red berries feed birds through cold season
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
P-S
W-A
4-10'
Fragrant white flowers; leaves red to purple in Autumn
Spicebush
Lindera bezoin
P-S
A
6-12'
Tiny yellow flowers (fragrant); berries for birds
Ninebark
Physocarp. opulifolius
P-S
W-D
5-10'
Yellow fall color; berries for birds; white flowers
Piedmont Azalea
Rhododend. canescens
P-S
A
6-15'
Fragrant white to pink flowers Apr-May
Pinxterbloom Azalea
Rhod. periclymenoides
P-S
W-D
4-6'
Large clusters of pink to purple frag. flowers Apr-May
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
F
D
2-6'
Bright scarlet, orange, purple fall color; Aromatic
Carolina Rose
Rosa carolina
F
W-D
3-4'
Yellow-orange-red fall color, pink flowers May-Jul
American Bladdernut
Staphylea trifolia
P-S
W-A
8-14'
Drooping racemes of green-white bell-like flowers (May)
Farkleberry
Vaccinium arboreum
P-S
D
20'
Twisted branches; Crimson fall color; Black. berries
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
P-S
W-A
6-12'
Flowers May-Jun; Small blue-black berries in fall
Kentucky and Tennessee Perennials - Sun
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Soil Moisture
Heights
Comments
Bluestar
Am. tabernaemontana
F-P
A
3'
Small pale blue flowers in May; butterflies
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
F
D
1-2'
Clusters of brilliant orange flowers Jun-Aug
Aster
Aster spp.
P-S
A-D
1-5'
Will grow in low nitrogen soil; Attracts butterflies
Tickseed
Coreopsis spp.
F-P
A-D
Var.
Bright Yellow Flowers
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
F
A-D
3-5'
Purple, long- lasting flowers summer-fall
Joe-Pye-Weed
Eupatorium spp.
F
A
5-9'
Attracts butterflies
Purple-hd. Sneezeweed
Helenium flexuosum
F
A
1-4'
1" flowers; purplish-brown disks
Swamp Sunflower
Helianth. angustifolius
F
W-A
5-7'
3" yellow rayed flowers
Blazing Star
Liatris spp.
F
D
2-5'
Liberally set with purple flowers
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
F-P
A-D
3-4'
Pink-lavender clusters; tubular florets Jun-Jul
White Beard-tongue
Penstemon digitalis
F
A-D
3+'
Pale lavender to white flowers May-Jun
Summer Phlox
Phlox paniculata
F-P
A
2-4'
Magenta, pink, or white flower clusters May-Jun
Silverleaf Mtn. Mint
Pycnanthemum incanum
F
A-D
2-4'
Small purple flowers above whitened upper leaves
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia fulgida
F
A
2-3'
Deep yellow flowers with dark brown disks Jul-Aug
Wrinkle-leaf goldenrod
Solidago rugosa
F
W-D
3-7'
Do well in any well-drained soil
Ironweed
Vernonia gigantea
F
W-A
7'
Large, loose clusters of red-purple flowers
Kentucky and Tennessee Perennials - Shade
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Soil Moisture
Heights
Comments
White Baneberry
Actea pachypoda
P-S
A
1-2.5'
White flowers in spring; poisonous berries Aug-Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
P-S
A-D
1-2.5'
Unique red and yellow flowers attract hummingbirds
Jack-in-the-pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum
P-S
A
12+"
Spathe in Apr-May; red berries late sum-fall
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
P-S
A
4-6"
Dense creeping deciduous ground cover
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
P-S
A
1-2'
Pink-lavender 5-petaled flowers Apr-May
Alumroot
Heuchera americana
P-S
A-D
2'
Light-green foliage with bronzy veining & edges
Crested Iris
Iris cristata
P-S
A-D
4-8"
Pale lavender-blue crested flowers Apr-May
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
P-S
W-A
2-4'
Brilliant red tubular flowers adorn stem Jul-Sep
Wild Blue Phlox
Phlox divaricata
P-S
A
12-18"
Fragrant lavender-blue flowers Apr-May
Jacob's Ladder
Polemonium reptans
P-S
A
12-18"
Terminal clusters of blue bell-shaped flowers in April
Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum
P-S
A
18-30"
Small white-green bells hang from leaf axles
Solomon's Plume
Smilacina racemosa
P-S
A
1-3'
Plume of tiny starry flowers in May
Wreath Goldenrod
Solidago caesia
P-S
A
2-3'
Tiny golden flowers on bluish-cast stem
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
P-S
A
6-12"
Evergreen ground cover; feathery white flowers (Apr)
