PlantLegit

Native plants for North Carolina: trees, shrubs, flowers, shade & privacy

262 plants in our catalog are native to North Carolina (USDA PLANTS) and aren't on North Carolina's official invasive lists. Examples: American basswood, American beech, Adam's needle, Allegheny blackberry, American alumroot, Black-eyed Susan. Sections below cover trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers, shade and privacy.Our catalog started in Virginia, so this is not every North Carolina native. For a full list, see the North Carolina Native Plant Society.

For shade For privacy

Native trees for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
American basswood
Tilia americana		60 ft - 80 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
American beech
Fagus grandifolia		60 ft - 80 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
American holly
Ilex opaca		40 ft - 60 ftsun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
American hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana		20 ft - 30 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
American persimmon
Diospyros virginiana		30 ft - 80 ftsun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
American plum
Prunus americana		15 ft - 25 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis		75 ft - 100 ftfull sunzones 4–9NC State Ext.
Bald cypress
Taxodium distichum		50 ft - 70 ftsun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Black cherry
Prunus serotina		60 ft - 80 ftfull sunzones 2–8NC State Ext.
Black gum
Nyssa sylvatica		40 ft - 70 ftfull sunzones 4–9NC State Ext.
Black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia		50 ft - 50 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Black oak
Quercus velutina		50 ft - 100 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.

Native shrubs for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
Adam's needle
Yucca filamentosa		3 ft - 8 ftsun–part shadezones 4–10NC State Ext.
Allegheny blackberry
Rubus allegheniensis		4 ft - 8 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Allegheny chinkapin
Castanea pumila		15 ft - 30 ftsun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
American elderberry
Sambucus canadensis		5 ft - 12 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
American hazelnut
Corylus americana		9 ft - 12 ftsun to shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
American witch-hazel
Hamamelis virginiana		15 ft - 30 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Arrowwood viburnum
Viburnum dentatum		5 ft - 10 ftsun–part shadezones 2–8NC State Ext.
Black chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa		3 ft - 10 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Black raspberry
Rubus occidentalis		3 ft - 6 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Blackhaw viburnum
Viburnum prunifolium		12 ft - 15 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis		5 ft - 8 ftsun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Canadian serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis		15 ft - 25 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.

Native perennials & wildflowers for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
American alumroot
Heuchera americana		1 ft - 3 ftsun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta		2 ft - 4 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Blue mistflower
Conoclinium coelestinum		1 ft 6 in. - 3 ftsun–part shadezones 5–10NC State Ext.
Blue vervain
Verbena hastata		2 ft - 5 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Blue wood aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium		1 ft - 4 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Blue-eyed grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium		1 ft 6 in. - 2 ftsun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Blue-stem goldenrod
Solidago caesia		1 ft - 4 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Broadleaf cattail
Typha latifolia		5 ft - 10 ftsun–part shadezones 3–10NC State Ext.
Brown-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba		3 ft - 5 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Butterfly weed
Asclepias tuberosa		1 ft - 2 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Cardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis		4 ft - 5 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Clustered mountain mint
Pycnanthemum muticum		3 ft - 4 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.

Native groundcovers for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
Partridgeberry
Mitchella repens		0 ft 1 in. - 0 ft 3 in.part shade–shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Wild ginger
Asarum canadense		0 ft 6 in. - 1 ftpart shade–shadezones 4–6NC State Ext.
Wild strawberry
Fragaria virginiana		0 ft 4 in. - 0 ft 9 in.sun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens		0 ft 4 in. - 0 ft 8 in.part shade–shadezones 3–7NC State Ext.
Woodland stonecrop
Sedum ternatum		0 ft 3 in. - 0 ft 6 in.sun to shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Creeping phlox
Phlox stolonifera		0 ft 6 in. - 1 ftsun to shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Green and gold
Chrysogonum virginianum		0 ft 1 in. - 0 ft 2 in.part shade–shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Moss phlox
Phlox subulata		0 ft 4 in. - 0 ft 6 in.sun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
American cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon		1 ft - 3 ftsun–part shadezones 3–7NC State Ext.
Allegheny spurge
Pachysandra procumbens		0 ft 6 in. - 1 ftpart shade–shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.

Native ferns for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides		1 ft - 3 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Cinnamon fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum		2 ft - 6 ftsun to shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Hay-scented fern
Dennstaedtia punctilobula		1 ft - 2 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Lady fern
Athyrium filix-femina		2 ft - 3 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–7NC State Ext.
Marginal wood fern
Dryopteris marginalis		1 ft 6 in. - 3 ftpart shade–shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Netted chain fern
Woodwardia areolata		1 ft 6 in. - 2 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
New York fern
Thelypteris noveboracensis		1 ft - 2 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Northern maidenhair fern
Adiantum pedatum		1 ft - 3 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Royal fern
Osmunda regalis		5 ft - 6 ftsun–part shadezones 3–10NC State Ext.
Sensitive fern
Onoclea sensibilis		1 ft - 2 ftsun–part shadezones 2–10NC State Ext.

Native grasses for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
Bottlebrush grass
Elymus hystrix		2 ft 6 in. - 3 ftpart shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Broomsedge
Andropogon virginicus		2 ft - 4 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Indiangrass
Sorghastrum nutans		5 ft - 7 ftfull sunzones 4–9NC State Ext.
Little bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium		2 ft - 4 ftfull sunzones 3–9NC State Ext.
Northern sea oats
Chasmanthium latifolium		2 ft - 5 ftpart shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Pink muhly grass
Muhlenbergia capillaris		2 ft - 3 ftfull sunzones 5–9NC State Ext.
Purpletop
Tridens flavus		3 ft - 5 ftsun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum		3 ft - 7 ftsun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Virginia wild rye
Elymus virginicus		2 ft - 5 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Bitter panicgrass
Panicum amarum		3 ft - 4 ftfull sunzones 2–9NC State Ext.
Sea oats
Uniola paniculata		4 ft - 6 ftfull sunzones 7–11NC State Ext.
Prairie dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis		2 ft - 3 ftsun–part shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.

Native sedges for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica		0 ft 1 in. - 0 ft 8 in.sun to shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Woolgrass
Scirpus cyperinus		3 ft - 6 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Plantain-leaf sedge
Carex plantaginea		0 ft 6 in. - 3 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.

Native vines for North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
American bittersweet
Celastrus scandens		20 ft - 25 ftsun–part shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
American wisteria
Wisteria frutescens		15 ft - 40 ftsun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Common greenbrier
Smilax rotundifolia		0 ft 3 in. - 20 ft 6 in.sun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens		10 ft - 20 ftsun–part shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans		1 ft - 150 ftsun–part shadezones 4–10NC State Ext.
Trumpet creeper
Campsis radicans		30 ft - 40 ftsun–part shadezones 4–10NC State Ext.
Virgin's bower
Clematis virginiana		15 ft - 20 ftsun to shadezones 6–8NC State Ext.
Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia		30 ft - 50 ftsun–part shadezones 3–10NC State Ext.
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata		30 ft - 50 ftsun–part shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Dutchman's pipe
Aristolochia macrophylla		15 ft - 40 ftsun–part shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Carolina jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens		10 ft - 20 ftsun–part shadezones 6–10NC State Ext.

Native plants for shade in North Carolina

PlantHeightSunZonesSource
American hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana		20 ft - 30 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Common hackberry
Celtis occidentalis		40 ft - 100 ftsun to shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Eastern hophornbeam
Ostrya virginiana		20 ft - 40 ftsun to shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Hoptree
Ptelea trifoliata		15 ft - 20 ftsun to shadezones 3–9NC State Ext.
Pawpaw
Asimina triloba		15 ft - 30 ftsun to shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Red mulberry
Morus rubra		25 ft - 60 ftsun to shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
Shagbark hickory
Carya ovata		70 ft - 90 ftsun to shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Sweet birch
Betula lenta		60 ft - 70 ftsun to shadezones 3–8NC State Ext.
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum		20 ft - 30 ftsun to shadezones 5–9NC State Ext.
Striped maple
Acer pensylvanicum		15 ft - 35 ftpart shade–shadezones 3–7NC State Ext.
Southern sugar maple
Acer floridanum		20 ft - 60 ftsun to shadezones 6–9NC State Ext.
American hazelnut
Corylus americana		9 ft - 12 ftsun to shadezones 4–9NC State Ext.
New Jersey tea
Ceanothus americanus		2 ft - 3 ftpart shade–shadezones 4–8NC State Ext.
Rosebay rhododendron
Rhododendron maximum		5 ft - 15 ftsun to shadezones 3–7NC State Ext.
Silky dogwood
Cornus amomum		6 ft - 12 ftsun to shadezones 5–8NC State Ext.

Native evergreens for privacy in North Carolina

PlantGrowth rate (NC State)HeightSource
InkberrySlow5 ft - 10 ftNC State Ext.
American hollySlow40 ft - 60 ftNC State Ext.
Yaupon hollyRapid10 ft - 20 ft 6 in.NC State Ext.
Eastern red cedarMedium30 ft - 40 ftNC State Ext.
Mountain laurelnot rated4 ft - 15 ftNC State Ext.
Sweetbay magnoliaRapid10 ft - 35 ftNC State Ext.
Southern wax myrtleRapid20 ft - 25 ftNC State Ext.
Eastern white pineRapid50 ft - 80 ftNC State Ext.
Rosebay rhododendronnot rated5 ft - 15 ftNC State Ext.
ArborvitaeSlow40 ft - 60 ftNC State Ext.

More: fast-growing privacy trees & hedges (native)

Also: invasive & illegal plants in North Carolina · what to plant in November

Sources

  1. USDA NRCS PLANTS Database (native status by state)
  2. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (height, sun, zones, growth rate; linked per plant)
  3. North Carolina Native Plant Society
  4. PlantLegit works cited: official state invasive lists

Checked October 19, 2026. Not legal or professional advice; the official text controls.