There are many native trees and shrubs to the state of Tennessee. One of the native trees and shrubs is the Silky Dogwood. It grows best at the water's edge in full and partial sun and can be anywhere from three to eight feet in height. Birds and small mammals are attracted to it. It blooms in the spring and in early summer, it has attractive white flowers with blue flowers in the late summer. The winter produces reddish stems. It has the ability to root from cuttings and is often used in shoreline and stream bank restoration projects.



Another of the native trees and shrubs is the Fragrant Sumac. It requires a dry, upland site for planting and full sun. It grows from eight to twenty feet in height. It is a thicket-forming shrub and is a good plant for controlling erosion on road cuts and other sloping areas with poor dry soils. It blooms in the spring and has yellow flowers and red fruits that remain on the plant during the winter. In the fall, it produces beautiful red foliage.

A third of the native trees and shrubs is the PawPaw. It grows on a moist upland site near the water's edge in partial and full sun. It can grow in height from right to twenty feet. It blooms in the spring and produces the largest edible fruit of any plant native to America, eaten by raccoons and other small mammals. As such, it was cultivated by native American tribes for food. In the fall, it flower becomes yellow in color.

A tree that is one of the native trees and shrubs is the American Beech. It grows on moist upland sites with a shallow root system in partial and full sun. It blooms in the spring and can to over 50 feet in height. It has a golden bronze color in the fall and makes a good nest for small mammals and birds. It produces edible nuts that are eaten by turkeys and other wildlife.

Finally, a tree that is one of the native trees and shrubs is the Sugar Maple. It can grow on moist to dry upland sites in full sun, partial sun and full shade. It maximum height reaches over 50 feet. It is also called the hard or rock maple and its sap is the principle source of maple syrup. Its fall colors are brilliant yellow and orange.

Below is some nice native plant species:

SHADBUSH OR SERVICEBERRY (Amelanchier canadensis)

Height: 6'-20', Spread: 10'. Erect stems, often clumped. Blends well on the edge of woodland or shrub border with evergreen background. Important berry producer during the early summer months. Fruit eaten by bluebirds, cardinals, and tanagers. Foliage is used by browsers.

RED CHOKEBERRY (Aronia arbutifolia)

Height: 6'-10', Spread: 3'-5'. Upright multistemmed shrub, somewhat open and rounded. Adaptable to many soil types . Full sun to half shade. Used in border and mass plantings. Fruit eaten by grouse, chickadees and other songbirds.

SWEET PEPPERBUSH (Clethra alnifolia)

Height: 3'-8', Spread: 4'-6'. Oval, round topped, erect, dense leafy shrub. Transplant into moist, organic soils. Full sun or shade. Excellent for summer flower, shrub border. Good plant for wet areas and heavy shade. Limited wildlife value.

RED-OSIER DOGWOOD (Cornus sericea)

Height: 7'-9', Spread: 10'. Loose, broad spreading, rounded multistemmed shrub. Spreads freely. Adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions. Does well in moist soil. Excellent for mass plantings in large areas. Effective bank cover to hold soils. Cuttings are easily established in early spring: simply prune the new growth, dip the cut end in a rooting hormone, such as ROOTONE, and push cut end into the ground. These shrubs establish themselves readily, and are a valuable wildlife food. High wildlife value for fruit and browse. Used by a wide variety of mammals and songbirds, including cardinals, evening grosbeaks, robins, thrush, vireos and cedar waxwing.

INKBERRY (Ilex glabra)

Height: 6'-8', Spread: 8'-10'. Upright multibranched, rounded shrub. Prefers moist, acid soils. Excellent for foundations, hedges, mass plantings and as accent plant. Berries used by a wide variety of wildlife. "Compacta" cultivar is a dwarf variety and is more readily available.

WINTERBERRY (Ilex verticillata)

Height: 6'-10', Spread: same. Oval, rounded, deciduous shrub holly. Tends to form multistemmed clumps. Does well in light and heavy soils. Prefers moist, organic soils. Excellent for mass plantings and shrub borders. Red fruit is beautiful in winter. A male plant is necessary for fertilization. Used extensively by many songbirds, particularly thrushes, mockingbirds, robins, bluebirds, and thrashers.

VIRGINIA SWEETSPIRE (Itea virginica)

Height: 3'-5', Spread: 6'-8'. Erect shrub with clustered branches. Prefers moist, fertile soils. Full sun or shade. Suited for wet areas. Excellent fall color. Fruit capsules are used by some songbirds.