Planting Guides
When planting native species it is important to fit the plant to the right conditions. Something like a wild rose will do well on the coast in full sun but would suffer in the full shade of a forest. Doing some research on what you're planting will give you a better idea of how it will grow, and what conditions it prefers.
Wet Areas with Partial Shade
(Wooded stream banks, high areas in swamps, swamps, upper edges of floodplains)
Trees:
- Eastern hemlock
- Striped maple
- Yellow birch
- Red maple (will tolerate standing water)
- Ironwood
- Eastern white cedar (light shade)
Shrubs:
- Wild raisin (will tolerate standing water)
- Common elder (will tolerate some flooding)
- Alternate-leaf dogwood
- Mountain maple
- Mountain holly
- Winterberry
- Beaked hazelnut
Wildflowers & Ferns:
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit
- Blue vervain
- Broad-leaved enchanter's nightshade
Wet Areas in Full Sunlight
(Swamps, floodplains, etc.)
Trees:
- Black spruce
- Eastern white cedar
- Black ash
- American elm
- Red maple
- Eastern larch
- White ash (if not in standing
- Large-tooth aspen
Shrubs:
- Wild raisin
- Red-osier dogwood
- Winterberry
- American or showy mountain ash
- Common elder
- Speckled alder
- Alder buckthorn
- Mountain holly
Wildflowers & Ferns:
- Swamp Milkweed
- Jack in the Pulpit
- Joe-Pye weed
- Tall cord grass
- Blue flag iris
- Blue vervain
Dry Areas with Partial Shade
(Woodlands needing additional diversity)
Trees:
- Eastern hemlock
- Red spruce
- Sugar maple
- American beech
- Red oak (light shade)
- White pine
- Balsam fir
- Striped maple
- Yellow birch
- White ash (light shade)
Shrubs:
- Canada yew
- Beaked Hazelnut
- Wild raisin
- Hobblebush
- American fly honeysuckle
- Alternate-leaf dogwood
- Highbush cranberry
- Witch Hazel
Wildflowers & Ferns:
- Dutchman's breeches
- Hairy sweet Cicely
- Small enchanter's nightshade
- Nodding trillium
- Baneberry
- Herb Robert
- Yellow violet
- American groundnut
Dry Areas in Full Sunlight
(Old fields, upper banks of streams, etc.)
Trees:
- White spruce
- Balsam fir
- White birch
- Grey birch
- White ash
- Balsam poplar
- Butternut
- Jack pine (generally grows poorly)
- Red pine (moderately, in sandy soils)
- Red oak
- Trembling aspen
- Large-tooth aspen
Shrubs:
- Pin cherry
- Choke cherry
- Red-berried elder
- Hawthorn
- American showy or mountain ash
- Speckled alder
- Northern bayberry
- Wild rose
- Highbush cranberry
- Serviceberry
- Common elder
- Staghorn sumac
- Sweetfern
- Mountain (downy) alder
- Wild raisin
Wildflowers & Ferns:
- Coneflower (if sheltered)
- Canada anemone
- Boneset
- Joe-pye weed
- Swamp milkweed
Around Homes and Buildings:
(For wildlife enhancement and Beautification)
Trees:
- White pine
- Eastern white cedar
- Red oak
- Sugar maple
- Striped maple
- Red pine
- White birch
- White ash
- Red maple
Shrubs:
- Mountain holly
- Serviceberry
- Wild raisin
- Alternate-leaf dogwood
- Staghorn sumac
- Common elder
- Beaked hazelnut
- American or showy mountain ash
- Hobblebush (with some shade)
- Highbush cranberry
- Red-osier dogwood
- Hawthorn
- Witch hazel
- Red-berried elder
- Willow
- Northern bayberry
Wildflowers & Ferns:
- Clematis
- Coneflower (if sheltered)
- Swamp milkweed
- Boneset
- Joe-pye weed
- Blue flag iris
- Blue vervain (if somewhat shady)
- Yellow violet
Windbreaks and Hedgerows
(For controlling wind and erosion, as well as reducing heating costs and increasing privacy)
Trees:
- White or black spruce
- Jack pine
- Red maple
- White pine
- Eastern larch
Shrubs:
- Serviceberry
- Red-osier dogwood
- Red-berried elder
- Pin cherry
- Speckled or mountain alder
- Hawthorn
- Wild raisin
- Staghorn sumac
- Common elder
- American or showy mountain ash
- Choke cherry
- Northern bayberry
- Wild rose
- Willow
Coastal
(To reduce wind and erosion)
Trees:
- White spruce
- White birch
Shrubs:
- Wild rose
- Northern bayberry
- Winterberry holly
- Sweet gale (if wet conditions)
- Red-osier dogwood (if wet conditions)
- Serviceberry
- Hawthorn
- Chokeberry
- Choke cherry
- Spirea
- Willow
Wildflowers & Ferns:
- Tall cord grass
- Seaside goldenrod