Question:
What are some good native shrubs for my landscape?Answer:
These shrubs are found east of the Rocky Mountains in North America and Canada. They are hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 4 or 5. Those native to within Iowa's boundaries are noted with an asterisk (*).
- serviceberry (Amelanchier)*
- indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa)*
- bearberry (Arctostaphyloos uva-ursi)
- red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)
- black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
- common sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
- buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)*
- fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus)
- summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia)
- American hazelnut (Corylus americana)*
- beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)*
- sweet fern (Comptonia peregrina)
- pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)*
- silky dogwood (Cornus amomum)*
- gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa)*
- redosier dogwood (Cornus sericea)*
- bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)*
- eastern Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus)*
- dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii)
- common witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)*
- smooth hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)
- oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
- shrubby St. John's wort (Hypericum prolificum)
- winterberry (Ilex verticillata)*
- Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)
- common juniper (Juniperus communis)
- Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum)
- Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana)*
- spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
- northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
- ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)*
- shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)*
- hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata)*
- smooth sumac (Rhus glabra)*
- staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina)*
- meadow rose (Rosa blanda)*
- Carolina rose (Rosa carolina)*
- elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)*
- pussy willow (Salix discolor)*
- buffaloberry (Sheperdia argentea)*
- meadowsweet (Spirea alba)*
- bladdernut (Staphylea trifolia)*
- snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)*
- coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculata)*
- Canadian yew (Taxus canadensis)*
- arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
- witherod (Viburnum cassinoides)
- arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum)*
- nannyberry (Viburnum lentago)*
- American cranberrybush viburnum (Viburnum opulus var. americanum, syn. Viburnum trilobum)*
- backhaw Viburnum (Viburnum prunifolium)*
- prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)*
Last updated on
March 9, 2026