Southern Native Plants For Year Round Interest

Choosing regional natives to plant in the landscape is one way to ensure gardening success. These native beauties will do more than simply thrive in the hot, humid summers and moderate winters of the Southeast. Each selection has wonderful aesthetic characteristics to recommend it for year round appeal.

River birch is a tough-as-nails specimen tree that is widely used for its multi-stemmed habit and light green, airy foliage. It grows well in a wide variety of locations from business parks to residential settings.

The papery, peeling bark of river birch is perhaps its most distinguishing characteristic. It appears in shades of copper, salmon, orange and pink on trunks and branches. The effect is increased when viewed against an evergreen screen.

Bald cypress is unique in that it is a conifer, yet it is not evergreen. Its medium green needles take on a golden hue before turning copper and shedding in fall. In winter, the red, vertically-peeling bark of the trunk is particularly striking.