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Native Plants Tolerant to Clay Soils
Name / Latin / Height / Tolerance / Type / Nursery / PictureAmerican hornbeam / Carpinus carolina / tree
20-30’ / Sun to partial shade
Moist tolerant / plug or containers 18” to 5’
containers
1gal, 3gal, 15gal, 20 gal / Environmental Concerns
The Natives /
Sweet gum / Liquidambar styraciflua / tree
100’ / Full sun to filtered shade.
tolerates moist to dry sites / plug or containers
18” to 5”
containers 1gal, 3 gal / Environmental Concerns
The Natives /
Shining sumac / Rhus copallina / tree
20’ / full sun to partial sun
drought tolerant / Mail Order Natives
Shooting Star Nurseries /
Green Ash / Fraxinus pennsylvanica / tree
50-60’ / sun
tolerates wet to dry soil / plugs
plugs and containers
18”-5’ / Joshua Timberlands, Alabama Nurseries and Orchards, Smurfit Stone
Environmental concerns /
Redbud / Cercis canadensis / tree
15’ / full sun to partial shade, tolerant to moist and dry sites / plugs
5 gal, 7 gal / Joshua Timberlands, Smurfit Stone, Alabama Nurseries and Orchards
Blue Creek Nursery /
Overcup Oak / Quercus lyrata / tree
35-40’ / Sun-
tolerate moist soil / plugs
container / Joshua Timberlands, Smurfit Stone, Alabama Nurseries and Orchards
Shooting Star Nursery /
Sugar hackberry / Celtis laevigata / tree
60-80’ / sun
dry to moist soil / plugs
1gal, 3gal / Alabama Nurseries and Orchards
The Natives /
Bald cypress / Taxodium distichum / tree
100+’ / sun
dry to moist soil / plugs
1, 3, 15gal
18”-5ft / Alabama Nurseries and Orchards, Smurfit Stones, Joshua Timberland
The Natives
Environmental Concerns /
River Birch / Betula nigra / tree
60’ / sun to partial shade
moist to dry soils / plugs
containers
18”-5’ / Joshua Timberlands, Alabama Nurseries and Orchards
Environmental concern /
Red Maple / Acer rubrum / tree
40-60’ / sun to shade
range of moisture / plugs
7 gal
1, 3, 15 gal
18”-5’
3 gal / Alabama Nurseries and Orchards, Joshua Timberlands
Blue Creek
The Natives
Environmental Concerns
Tom Dodd /
Possum Haw / Ilex decidua / tree
20-30’ / sun to part shade
dry to moist soil / Mail Order Natives /
Mayhaw / Crataegus aestivalis / tree
20-30’ / full sun to partial shade
Moist to wet soil / plugs
container / Joshua Timberlands, Smurfit Stone
Mail order natives /
Swamp tupelo / Nyssa aquatica / tree
100’ / moist soil to standing water / plugs
containers
8”-5’ / Alabama Nurseries and Orchards
Environmental concerns /
Sweet bay magnolia / Magnolia virginiana / tree
20’ / sun to partial shade
moist to dry soil / 1,3,15 gal
3 gal
plugs / The Natives
Blue Creek
Alabama Nurseries and Orchard /
Bigleaf magnolia / Magnolia macropylla / tree
40’ / sun to part shade
Moist soil / Shooting Star Nursery /
Southern Magnolia / Magnolia grandiflora / tree
60-90’ / sun to part shade
Moist soil
draught tolerate / plugs / Biophillia
Joshua Timberland /
Tulip Poplar / Liriodendron tulipifera / tree
100+ ft / Full sun to part shade
moist soil / plugs / Biophillia
Joshua Timberlands, Smurfit Stone, /
Shumard oak / Querecus schumardii / tree
75 ft / full sun
regular moisture, drought tolerant / plugs / Joshua timberlands, Smurfit Stone, Alabama Nurseries and Orchards /
Loblolly Pine / Pinus taeda / Tree
50-90’ / full sun
wide range of tolerance / plugs / Joshua Timberlands
USDA pine nurseries /
Box Elder / Acer negundo / 30-50’ / tolerant of all moistures, soils and pHs, full sun / plugs to 4ft / Environmental Concerns /
Persimmon / Diospyros virginiana / 30-50’ / Full to part sun, dry to inundated / Plugs
1 or 3 gal / Alabama nurseries and Joshua Timberlands, Smurfit Stone
The Natives /
Carolina Ash / Fraxinus caroliniana / 25-50’ / full sun to part sun with moist soil / 1 and 3 gal / The Natives /
Swamp Blackgum / Nyssa biflora / 80’ / full sun, moist soil / 1 and 3 gal
plugs / The Natives, Alabama Nurseries /
Blackgum / Nyssa sylvatica / 40’ / full to part sun, / plugs to 4 ft
plugs / Environmental Concerns, Joshua Timberlands /
Swamp Redbay / Persea palustris / 30’ / shade to part sun, moist to wet soil evergreen / 1 and 3 gal / The Natives /
Sycamore / Platanus occidentalis / 75-90’ / full sun, moist soil, moderately drought and salt tolerant / plugs to 4ft / Environmental concern, /
Laurel Oak / Quercus laurifolia / 60’ / full sun or part shade tolerant to a wide range of moisture / 1, 3, 15 gal
plugs / The Natives, Alabama Nurseries /
Swamp Chestnut Oak / Quercus michauxii / 60-80’ / full sun, moisture tolerant / plugs
plugs to 4ft / Alabama nurseries, Smurfit Stone, Joshua Timbers Environmental Concerns /
Willow oak / Quercus phellos / 60-80’ / Full sun, prefers moist soils / plugs
plugs to 4ft / Joshua Timbers, Smurfit Stone, Alabama Nurseries
Environmental Concerns /
Black Willow / Salix Nigra / Tree
50’ / Full sun / stakes,
plugs to 4 ft / Environmental Concern /
American Elm / Ulmus americana / 60-90’ / Full sun, pH adaptable, salt tolerant, prefers moisture / plugs
1, 3, 15 gal / Alabama Nurseries,
The Natives, /
Red Chokeberry / Aronia arbutifolia / 6-10’ / sun to part shade / 4 gal / Wild Flowers Inc. /
Beautyberry / Callicarpa americana / 6-8’ / broken shade optional, drought tolerant / 3 gal
1, 5 gal
4 gal / Blue Creek Nursery, Garden Delights,
Wild Flowers inc. /
Buttonbush / Cephalanthus occidentalis / 20’ / Full sun, prefers moist soil but can tolerate drought / 18”-4’
1 and 5 gal / Environmental Concerns, Garden Delights /
Summer
sweet / Clethra alnifolia / 5-8’ / full sun to part shade, prefers moisture / 1 and 5 gal
3 gal
18” to 4’ / Garden Delights,
Blue Creek Nursery, Environmental concerns /
Stiff dogwood / Cornus foemina / 5’ / sun to part shade / 1, 3 gal / The Natives /
Swamp Rose / Rosa palustris / 8’ / blooms in June, prefers moist soils / 18” to 4’
Seed / Environmental Concerns, Prairie Moon Nursery /
Elderberry / Sambucus canadensis / 5-12’ / full sun, moist soil, pH adaptable / Plugs / Alabama Nurseries /
Possumhaw / Viburnum nudum / 10-15’ / partial sun / 1 and 5 gallon / Garden Delights /
Strawberry bush / Euonymous americana / shrub 6’ / Full sun to part shade / 0.5-3 gal / Wild flowers inc., Environmental concerns, Shooting star nurseries /
Flowering Dogwood / Cornus florida / tree
15-20’ / partial shade / plugs
1, 3, 15 gal / Joshua Timberlands, Smurfit Stone
The Natives /
Milkweed / Asclepias / herb
2’ / full sun
drought tolerant / qt
qt, gal / Biophillia
Environmental Concerns
Wildflower inc. /
Obedient plant / Physostegia virginiana / herb
2-3’ / part shade, part sun
moist / qt / Wildflowers inc.
Biophillia /
Purple cone flower / Echinacea purpurea / herb 2-4’ / shade-part sun
occasionally moist / qt, gal
bare root, seed / Wildflowers inc.
Mail Order Natives
Prairie Moon Nursery /
Green and gold / Chrysogonum virginianum / herb
6-9” / full to part shade
moist soil / qt / Wildflowers inc,
Shooting Star Nursery /
False Aster / Boltonia asteroides / herb
4’ / full to part sun
dry to moist soil / seed
plant / Prairie Moon Nursery
Shooting Star Nursery /
Golden rod / Solidago sp. / herb
4’ / Full sun / qt
seed, bare root / Wildflowers inc.
Biophillia, Environmental Concerns, Shooting Star Nursery
Prairie Moon Nursery /
Bull Rush / Scirpus / Grass
8’ / Full sun, inundated with water / seed / Prairie Moon Nursery /