Smooth Sumac Rhus glabra Description & Overview Smooth sumac is a Wisconsin native shrub. It’s a vigorous, colonizing shrub with great value to wildlife, and it will thrive in exposed and challenging sites such as roadway embankments where few other plants would survive. Perhaps not for the more refined garden […]

Redosier Dogwood, or Redtwig Dogwood, is a Wisconsin native shrub is known for its striking red stems and clusters of small white flowers. A boon for birds and pollinators, Redosier Dogwood is a must-have in any landscape!

Common Snowberry is a Wisconsin native deciduous shrub with blue-green foliage and dainty light pink clustered flowers in spring and summer.

Common Witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Description & Overview A fall blooming large scale shrub, with native habitat and wildlife value, Common Witchhazel brings year round interest to wooded areas. Fragrant, four (4) crinkly petaled, ribbon-like flowers draw in your interest towards the end of fall. Its unique crooked branched crown is […]

Silky Dogwood Cornus amomum Description & Overview Native to Wisconsin’s streambeds and swamps, Silky Dogwood plays an important role in local ecosystems. A great choice for moist or wet areas. This large-to-medium-sized lowland shrub produces spectacular porcelain-blue fruit clusters in late summer which are a favorite of local wildlife. Silky […]

Sweet Fern Comptonia peregrina Description & Overview Sweet Fern, despite its name is not actually a fern (or a perennial). Sweet Fern is a Wisconsin native shrub with aromatically pleasing foliage, especially when its leaves are crushed; this poses a great investment for wildlife and landscape use. Great for slopes […]

Common Ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Description & Overview Common Ninebark is a tough, Wisconsin native shrub. Does it look a little wild? Yes, yes it does. Is it for everyone? Nope. But if you are looking for a shrub that can handle the bitter cold, many soil types, and even the […]

Dwarf Bushhoneysuckle is a compact, spreading Wisconsin native shrub with small yellow flowers in midsummer and great fall colors. A pollinator magnet, it's a great addition to any landscape.

St. John’s Wort Hypericum kalmianum Description & Overview St. John’s Wort is a handsome dense, rounded shrub with charming blue-green foliage. Abundant bright yellow flowers bloom in summer. The stems and seedheads appear varnished in winter adding a unique texture to the landscape. May also be known as Kalm’s St. […]

Buttonbush is a Wisconsin native shrub known for its white, globular ping pong-like flowers, ability to attract wildlife, and being a great native shrub for wet soils.

American Black Currant is a Wisconsin native understory, thornless shrub with showy yellow flowers that bloom from May to June. Edible berries high in antioxidants follow, with foliage turning a beautiful crimson-gold in autumn.

Bush Cinquefoil is a cheery Wisconsin native shrub that explodes with shiny, bright yellow flowers in June, blooming continuously through September. This prolonged flowering period supports many pollinators including bees and butterflies, making it a great choice for native gardens.

Common Winterberry is a Wisconsin native deciduous holly found in moist areas and most noted for its abundant bright red berries. Persisting through winter, songbirds and mammals rely on the fruit to help carry them through to spring.

American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis Description & Overview American Elderberry is a large, sprawling, Wisconsin native shrub with bright green leaves, white clusters of fragrant flowers, and juicy, edible black fruits. Elderberry blooms at a time of year when little else is. This native species can tolerate low, wet areas that […]

Eastern Wahoo is a Wisconsin native shrub with maroon to dark purple flowers in late spring. Commonly referred to as native burning bush, Eastern Wahoo is a large growing shrub that can eventually obtain small tree status. This plant is most well-known for its showy, four-pointed star-shaped fruit and its brilliant fall color.

Blackhaw Viburnum is a unique Wisconsin native plant that can be either a small tree or a multi-stemmed shrub depending on how it's pruned. Covered in masses of delicate white flowers in May and June, pollinators and butterflies flock to forage for pollen and nectar. In autumn, foliage is awash in bronze-red color with clusters of pinkish-rose fruits that age to a bluish-black.

Missouri Gooseberry is a wonderful Wisconsin native shrub with white, drooping flowers that bloom from April to May. Edible, tart green fruits ripen to blackish-purple from June to September, making excellent preserves and cooking enhancements. Missouri Gooseberry provides many benefits to wildlife including cover, food, nectar, and pollen.

Sweetgale is a delightful Wisconsin native plant at home in moist to wet areas along wetlands, bogs, marshes, streambanks, and low-lying areas. An underused shrub with many benefits, Sweetgale has pink catkins in spring, followed by small, greenish-yellow to brown nutlets that persist into winter. In addition to fixing dinitrogen, Sweetgale provides great coverage and food for birds. To set fruit, one male must be present for every three females is required.

New Jersey Tea Ceanothus americanus Description & Overview An attractive Wisconsin native sub-shrub for our prairies and open savannas. A blanket of white flowers in late June to July, and its attractive, deep green foliage makes this shrub sensational for mass plantings. A lover of full sun and well-drained soil, […]

Running Serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera Description & Overview Running Serviceberry is a low-maintenance and adaptable shrub that’s great for natural areas and native gardens. Fruits are a boon to wildlife and people alike. With its upright spreading habit, showy blooms and vibrant fall color, this is a Wisconsin native that provides […]

Gray Dogwood is a versatile multi-stemmed Wisconsin native shrub with clusters of white flowers in spring followed by lovely bluish-white berries on brilliant red pedicels. Interesting branching and distinct gray stems add winter interest.

Staghorn Sumac Rhus typhina Description & Overview Staghorn sumac is a vigorous, colonizing small tree or large Wisconsin native shrub with great value to wildlife. It will thrive in exposed and challenging sites such as roadway embankments where few other plants would survive. It’s a low-maintenance plant (in natural or […]

Bladdernut Staphylea trifolia Description & Overview Bladdernut is a highly versatile under-used Wisconsin native shrub that is shade-tolerant, thicket-forming, and provides four-season interest. Bell-shaped white flowers hang from the stems in May. Inflated bladder-like seed capsules follow, persisting through fall and winter. The dark green trifoliate leaves turn a soft […]

Meadowsweet Spiraea alba Description & Overview Meadowsweet is a Wisconsin Native shrub that grows to be 2-4′ tall, thrives in full sun and grows well in wet areas like bogs or along edges of streams. Meadowsweet doesn’t have the typical neat shrub-like structure as it grows in colonies and could […]

Western Sand Cherry, a Wisconsin native perennial shrub, explodes with masses of white blossoms in spring, followed by large quantities of edible sweet purple-black fruits. Leaves turn reddish-purple in autumn, bringing color when most other plants begin to fade.

Glossy Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa var. elata Description & Overview Glossy Black Chokeberry is a suckering shrub native to Wisconsin with four-season interest. It has fragrant white flower clusters in Spring, brilliant fall color, and large shiny dark berries that persist throughout winter. It provides habitat and food for wildlife […]

American Filbert (aka American Hazelnut) is a medium-sized Wisconsin native shrub commonly found on the edges and in the understory of woodlands. This beautiful plant not only provides nuts edible for people, but it supports tons of pollinators and wildlife! A great addition to any edible or pollinator-friendly garden.

Coming soon! We’re currently writing the plant profile for Nannyberry Viburnum. Please check back later.

Witherod Viburnum Viburnum cassinoides Description & Overview Witherod viburnum is typically found in wetter conditions such as swamps and marshes, moist fields, and woods. This native North American shrub offers visual interest during all four seasons with white flowers in the spring, beautiful red-orange leaves in the fall, and fruit […]

Beaked Hazelnut is a delightful Wisconsin native shrub, boasting edible nuts that have a slightly sweet and mild flavor. Tiny flowers bloom in spring and are followed by clusters of nuts wrapped in green modified leaves that ripen from late August to September. Beaked Hazelnuts are enjoyable for humans and wildlife alike!

Rafinesque Viburnum is a Wisconsin native understory shrub that features white, flat-topped flower clusters set against dark green, shiny scalloped leaves. In autumn, the foliage turns scarlet red while green fruits turn red and finally blue-black.

Steeplebush is a Wisconsin native perennial full of movement, texture, and color. Gorgeous plumes of deep pink-purplish flowers bloom from the top down from July through September. Steeplebush prefers moist to wet soil and is fantastic along streams, ponds, or rain gardens.

Scarlet Elderberry has incredible panicles of creamy, yellowish-white flowers that bloom from April to June, followed by clusters of intensely red fruit. While berries are poisonous to humans, they are beloved by birds and wildlife. Scarlet Elderberry is a great option for naturalizing areas or within woodland settings where it has room to grow.