Proven Winners® ColorChoice®
NATIVE SHRUBS
An introduction to using native shrubs in your landscape or garden
Whether you're redoing your entire landscape or looking to add a new shrub or two to spruce things up, including a few native shrub varieties is an easy way to not only narrow down the options, but to make your planting a little more eco-friendly.
Birds, butterflies, bumblebees, and other pollinating insects tend to be adapted to using native plant species for food and shelter, so from their perspective, your landscape more closely resembles what they're used to seeing. Attracting and supporting these animals is not only fascinating and rewarding, it also helps support their dwindling populations.
It's a common misconception that native plants will automatically look wild or unkempt. In fact, many North American native species have long been popular as landscape plants, like potentilla, ninebark, and 'Annabelle' hydrangea. In fact, your landscape may already include native shrubs and you don't even know it!
North America is a big place with a widely varied climate, so what it means for a shrub to be native is, naturally, relative. However, by using the USDA hardiness zone system, you'll be able to narrow the selection of Proven Winners ColorChoice native shrub varieties just to those that will thrive where you live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are native shrubs, and why should I use them in my landscape?
Native shrubs are woody plants that occur naturally in North America. They may be found in forests, prairies, wooded areas, alongside bodies of water, in deserts, or on mountains. They can be big, small, or anywhere in between. When you choose native plants, you’re planting something that has evolved alongside native wildlife, thus offering them a reliable option for food, shelter, or reproduction. Planting native shrubs isn’t the only part of making your environment more friendly to pollinators and wildlife, but it’s an easy step you can take that benefits you and your home as much as them.
Will native shrubs look wild or weedy in my landscape?
No. We select the native species in our line specifically to work better in home landscapes than their wilder cousins. This means selecting for a tidier habit, shorter stature, and stronger stems, as well as for eye-catching flowers and foliage.
Is it true that native plants are lower maintenance than non-native plants?
Not necessarily. For the best-looking landscape or garden, all plants will need a bit of maintenance, whether that means neatening in the early spring or providing supplemental water during hot, dry periods. The bottom line is that for lowest maintenance, you need to pick plants that will thrive in the light levels and soil and moisture conditions of your yard, and that’s equally true of native and non-native plants.
When is the best time to plant native shrubs?
In cold climates, you can plant in spring or fall, up until about mid-October. In warm climates, fall and spring are also good options, though you can plant much later into fall. Either way, you want your new plant to have at least six weeks in the ground before any kind of challenging weather sets in, whether that challenge is heat or cold.
Can I mix native and non-native plants in my landscape? Will it cause harm?
Yes, you can absolutely mix them together and it won’t harm insects or birds. In fact, this strategy was the first step for many on their journey to become native plant gardeners. But every journey starts with a single step, so even small actions can have a big impact over time. Don’t be afraid to start with just one.
Are native shrubs deer or rabbit resistant?
It depends. There certainly are several species of native shrubs that are deer resistant, and several that are not. We include an indicator of deer resistance here on our website, as well as on our plant tags that you’ll see when you shop for our plants at your local garden center.
How can your plants be native when they're grown in nurseries?
This is a good question, and one that a lot of people ask. Short of taking a plant out of the wild, all native plants will have been cultivated – selected for a specific quality the plant exhibited, and grown by a professional grower. Proven Winners ColorChoice native shrubs are the same species of shrubs that grow in North America, but they have been selected or developed to exhibit certain desirable qualities. For example, Arctic Fire red-twig dogwood is a smaller, better-heaved version of our native red-twig dogwood. Invincibelle Lace hydrangea is similar to our native Hydrangea arborescens that you’ll find throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains, but its sterile florets have a petty blush pink color. None of the Proven Winners native shrubs have been selected for double flowers, a modification that can obscure the pollen and nectar-bearing portions of the plant and make it difficult or impossible for insects to feed on them.
I heard that selections of native shrubs like yours aren't as beneficial to wildlife as wild types. Is that true?
As in the question above, with our native plants, we aim to make them more friendly to residential landscaping – not less friendly to insects. While we do offer some varieties that have different colored flowers than those in the wild, their pollen and nectar-bearing portions are still accessible to passing visitors.
Can I use native shrubs the same way as I do other plants, for example, for a privacy hedge?
Yes! There is so much diversity in North American native species that you’re sure to find something that will work for any landscaping goal. For example, arborvitae, one of the most popular plants for privacy hedges, is actually a North American native. If you want a cutting garden, smooth hydrangeas and ninebarks have long been stand-bys for home gardeners and florists alike.
Are native shrubs drought tolerant?
As with the question about deer and rabbit resistance, the answer to this is that it depends. There certainly are several species of native shrubs that will easily tolerate drought conditions once they are established. However, we also offer a number of native species that naturally occur in wet areas so need moist soil, like winterberry holly, buttonbush, or summersweet.
What about pruning native shrubs?
Pruning native shrubs is at your discretion. You may want to prune something like, say, Gem Box inkberry holly, for a formal look, or let it go. You may want to prune the Incrediball smooth hydrangeas so that they develop sturdier stems. You will find information on pruning your Proven Winners ColorChoice native shrubs on their tags as well as on this website.
Our favorite resources for learning more about native plants
Learning about gardening and landscaping with native plants is a journey. There are so many interesting things to discover and observe! To help you along the way, we recommend these resources:
- The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center plant search is one of the best places to learn where various plant species occur natively; it also covers helpful information like the value to wildlife each species offers and the conditions each prefers.
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers lots of information and inspiration on how planting native species contributes to beneficial insect conservation.
- Your state’s cooperative extension service is useful for all sorts of gardening and landscaping advice, and many also create valuable materials for including plants that are native to your state.
Native plant selection tips
- The two primary factors to consider in choosing native plants are your USDA hardiness zone and how much light the spot where you want to plant them gets. Full sun is 6+ hours of bright sun each day, part sun/part shade is 4-6 hours of bright sun or filtered light all day, and shade is fewer than 4 hours of sun each day.
- Always let your taste be your guide! Pick plants that work for your site because you love the color, or flower shape, or perhaps because they complement the color of your home.
- If you are doing a larger planting, select a mix of evergreens, foliage shrubs, and flowering shrubs to ensure a dynamic, interesting display all year round.
- A landscape is made up of several design elements; you can read more about them in our Gardening Simplified Landscape Guide.
