Water Wise plants
“Water Wise” Planting Guide: Native Trees and Large Shrubs with Low Water Requirements
Once again in 2022, Massachusetts is experiencing severe drought, following the historic droughts of 2000, 2016, and 2020. We can hope these years were anomalies, but climate scientists are predicting more extremes in weather in the near future. All plants suffer from lack of water and extreme heat; however, you can enhance the resilience of your landscaping by selecting trees and shrubs that require less water.
The chart below shows trees and large shrubs which are native to our region (or areas just south of us), which, once established, 1) have low water requirements or 2) have moderate water requirements and are drought tolerant. All are commercially available; some are more attractive than others.
Why plant natives? Native plants have adapted to the climate of the area, making them naturally hardy. Wildlife have evolved with them, using them for food, cover, and shelter. Proper selection and care of native plants can produce a landscape both visually attractive and beneficial to wildlife. We have only included straight species of plants, i.e. the ones that evolved through natural selection. Cultivars, or cultivated varieties of the species, make up the majority of natives sold in nurseries. You can recognize a cultivar by the way the name is written, ending in a name in single quotes, as in Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’. Cultivars are bred for improved pest/disease resistance or aesthetic qualities, such as shorter stature, longer bloom time, or new colors; however, along with the improved traits, breeding may inadvertently diminish some positive trait, such as pollen quality. Planting a cultivar is better than planting a non-native, but use of the straight species likely maximizes ecosystem support.
"Water Wise" Planting Guide: Native Trees and Large Shrubs with Low Water Requirements
Botanical Name |
Common Name |
Notes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
white fir | 100' | sun to p.
shade
|
+ hi | med | Slow growing; silvery blue-green needles; best performance in moist soil, high drought tolerance |
|
Acer negundo | boxelder | 40’ | sun to p.
shade
|
hi | med | Limited ornamental appeal but adaptable to inhospitable conditions |
Aralia spinosa | Devil's walking stick | 20' | p. shade | hi | med | Dense, thicket-forming; tropical looking foliage, impressive flower and fruit, prominent prickles; restrain to prevent rampant spread |
Betula populifolia | gray birch | 35' | sun to
shade
|
med | lo | Typically multi-stemmed clump, good resistance to bronze birch borer; foliage can be damaged by leaf miner |
Carya glabra | pignut hickory | 65' | sun to
shade
|
hi | med | Tall shade tree for large properties; brilliant yellow fall color; deep taproot, drought tolerant once established; very long-lived |
Castanea pumila | chinquapin | 30' | p. shade | med | lo | Tree or thicket-forming shrub; glossy dark green foliage; prickly fruit with edible nuts; resistant to chestnut blight |
Catalpa bignonioides | southern catalpa | 70' | p. shade | med | lo | Shade tree with wide spread; abundant showy flowers, long pods; major litter producers (flowers, leaves, pods) |
Catalpa speciosa | northern catalpa | 50’ | p. shade | med | lo | Showy flowers; major litter producers (flowers, leaves, pods) |
Celtis occidentalis | common
hackberry
|
50' | sun to
shade
|
hi | lo | Nearly indestructible large tree; not particularly attractive |
Celtis tenuifolia | dwarf hackberry | 25' | sun to p.
shade
|
med | med | Range from CT to TX; host to many butterfly species; tolerates dry spells |
Cercis canadensis | eastern redbud | 30' | p. shade to shade | hi | lo | Exceptional small ornamental tree; single or multiple-stemmed; early spring flowers in clusters along stem |
Cladrastis kentukea | yellowwood | 50' | sun to p.
sun
|
med | lo | Low branching tree with broad crown; 3 seasons of interest: white flowers on foot-long clusters, yellow fall leaves, dark bark in winter |
Cornus racemosa | gray dogwood | 6' | sun to
shade
|
med | med | Thicket-forming shrub, slow growing; small white flowers in 2" clusters, showy white fruit on bright red stalks, fall color; use in erosion control; adapts to drier sites |
Cornus rugosa | roundleaf
dogwood
|
10' | p. shade to shade | hi | lo | Shrub with wide branches; small white flowers in 2" clusters; tolerates dry sites |
Cotinus obovatus | American
smoketree
|
25' | sun to p.
sun
|
hi | lo | Native to Southern US, but hardy to zone 3; striking summer "smoke" display from spent flower clusters; excellent fall color |
Crataegus crus-galli | cockspur
hawthorn
|
35' | sun to
shade
|
hi | lo | Small, thicket-forming tree with profuse white flowers, glossy foliage with good fall color; red fruit persists until January; long sharp thorns; var. inermis is thornless |
Crataegus flava | yellowleaf
hawthorn
|
20' | sun to p.
shade
|
hi | lo | Thorny shrub; drought tolerant once established; spotty availablility |
Gleditsia triacanthos | honeylocust | 75' | p. shade | hi | med | Feathery leaves provide filtered shade; fast growing, long-lived; can become a weed problem in pastures; commercial specimens are thornless cultivars |
Gymnocladus dioicous | Kentucky
coffeetree
|
75' | sun | hi | med | Appears somewhat coarse when young, with especially large leaves and stout stems, but ages well; tolerates wide range of conditions |
Ilex opaca | American holly | 50' | sun to p.
shade
|
+ med | med | Slow-growing broadleaf evergreen; bright red poisonous fruit on female plants; tolerates occasional dry periods once established |
Juniperus virginiana | eastern redcedar | 35' | sun to
shade |
+ hi | lo | Evergreen, aromatic tree; foliage varies, tends to brown in winter; fruit consumed by many animals |
Kalmia latifolia | mountain laurel | 10' | p. shade | + hi | lo | Evergreen, thicket-forming shrub; very showy flowers; all parts toxic if ingested |
Myrica pensylvanica | Northern
bayberry
|
8' | sun to p.
shade
|
hi | med | Spreading shrub with many branches; need both male and female plants for berries, which are used for candles, soap |
Ostrya virginiana | hophornbeam | 30' | sun to
shade
|
med | lo | Slow growing, tolerates dry soil; very hard wood once used for sleigh runners |
Oxydendrum
|
sourwood | 30-70' | p. shade | med | lo | All-season ornamental: white flower spikelets, showy yellow fruit capsules, brilliant deep-red fall foliage |
Physocarpus
|
eastern ninebark | 10' | sun to
shade
|
hi | lo | Fast-growing shrub with late spring spirea-like flowers, exfoliating bark, fall color; some cultivars have dark foliage |
Pinus banksiana | jack pine | 50' | sun | + lo | lo | Exceptionally tolerant of barren, dry, acidic conditions in full sun; not very attractive |
Pinus resinosa | red pine | 80' | sun | + lo | lo | Ornamental and shade tree; needles, 2-5" long, in clusters of 2; tolerates dry exposed sites; excellent roadside screen, but no salinity tolerance |
Pinus rigida | pitch pine | 60' | sun | + med | lo | Drooping branches; needles in clusters of 3; adapts to driest sites |
Platanus occidentalis | American
sycamore
|
100' | sun to p.
shade
|
hi | med | Large, very fast growing tree with wide trunk; peeling bark reveals whitened inner bark; pest and disease problems; drops a lot of litter (twigs, large leaves, bark, fruiting balls) |
Prunus maritima | beach plum | 6' | sun | hi | med | Suckering shrub, white flowers, crimson fruit Aug.-Oct.; birds eat fruit |
Ptelea trifoliata | hoptree | 20' | sun to p.
shade
|
med | lo | Attractive small understory tree; all parts aromatic; can tolerate dry conditions |
Quercus falcata | southern red oak | 75' | sun | hi | med | Moderately fast growing, long-living; native to NJ and south |
Quercus illicifolia | bear oak | 20' | sun | hi | lo | Transition species, acorns feed wildlife; available at specialty nurseries |
Quercus macrocarpa | bur oak | 100' | sun to
shade
|
hi | med | Shade tree, slow growing, one of most drought-resistant oaks; golf ball sized acorns |
Quercus marilandica | blackjack oak | 25' | p. shade | hi | lo | Slow growing; will grow in poor soil; rarely used in the landscape; available at specialty nurseries |
Quercus
|
chinkapin oak | 70' | sun to p.
shade
|
hi | med | Attractive, relatively fast growing, relatively free of diseases and pests. |
Rhododendron
|
great laurel | 15' | p. shade | + hi | med | Broadleaf evergreen, one of hardiest and largest of evergreen rhododendrons |
Rhus copallinum | shining sumac | 20' | sun | med | lo | Very ornamental sumac with large, spreading habit, fast-growing, not suited to small areas; important wildlife plant |
Rhus glabra | smooth sumac | 10' | sun to
shade
|
med | lo | Shrub, effective in drifts with brilliant fall color; spreads aggressively by root suckers; rejuvenate by cutting to ground; important wildlife plant |
Sassafras albidum | sassafras | 50' | sun to
shade
|
hi | lo | Beautiful range of fall color; can form thickets from suckering; roots used to make root beer |
References:
Books:
Dirr, Michael A. (2011), Dirr’s Encyclopedia of Trees and Shrubs. Portland: Timber Press.
Leopold, Donald J. (2005), Native Plants of the Northeast. Portland: Timber Press.
Sibley, David Allen (2009), The Sibley Guide to Trees, 2nd Edition. New York, New York: Knopf.
Web sites:
ag.umass.edu
hort.ufl.edu
monroe.cce.cornell.edu
plants.ces.ncsu.edu
pss.uvm.edu
wildflower.org