Beneficial, drought tolerant native plants for the Metro DC area - trees and shrubs

The following is a list of native plants which are designated as drought tolerant by local sources. Additional benefits such as value for birds, butterflies, and humans are listed. Please see index to abbreviations at end of list.

Beneficial Native, Drought Tolerant Plants for the Metro DC Area Plants marked with an * were selected as Favorite Native Plants by local experts See code to abbreviations at bottom of list
Scientific Name	Common Name	Type	Light	DT	Bi	Bu	Hu	Fl	Fr
Acer negundo	Box elder	Tree	Su	X	X	X	X	-	-
Acer rubrum	Red maple	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	-	-
Amelanchier canadensis	Shadblow serviceberry	Tree/Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	-	X	X	-
Amelanchier laevis	Smooth serviceberry	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	-	X	X	X
Betula lenta	Cherry birch, Sweet birch	Tree	Sh, PS	X	X	X	X	-	-
*Betula nigra	River birch	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	-	-
*Callicarpa Americana	Beautyberry	Shrub	Sh	X	X	-	-	X	-
Carya alba	Mockernut hickory	Tree	PS-FS	X	X	X	-	-	-
Carya glabra	Pignut hickory	Tree	PS-FS	X	-	-	-	-	-
Carya ovata	Shagbark hickory	Tree	Su-PS	X	-	-	X	-	-
Ceanothus americanus	New Jersey tea, Redroot	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	X	X	X	-
*Cercis canadensis	Redbud	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	X	X	X
Cornus Florida	Flowering Dogwood	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	X	X	X
Diospyros virginiana	Persimmon	Tree	Su-Sh	X	X	X	X	-	-
Fraxinus americana	White ash	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	X	-	-
Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Green ash, Red ash	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	-	-	-
Hamamelis virginiana	Witch hazel	Tree	Su-PS	X	-	-	X	X	X
Ilex glabra	Inkberry	Shrub	PS	X	X	-	-	-	-
Ilex vomitoria	Yaupon holly	Shrub	Su-Sh	X	X	X	X	-	-
Juniperus virginiana	Eastern red cedar	Tree	SU-PS	X	X	-	-	-	X
Liriodendron tulipifera	Tuliptree, Tulip poplar	Tree	SU-PS	X	H	X	X	X	-
*Nyssa sylvatica	Black tupelo, Sourgum	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	-	-
*Oxydendrum arboreum	Sourwood, Sorrel tree	Tree	Su-PS	X	-	-	-	X	-
Pinus echinata	Shortleaf pine	Tree	Su-PS	X	-	-	-	-	-
Pinus strobus	Eastern white pine	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	-	-
Pinus taeda	Loblolly pine	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	-	-	-
Pinus virginiana	Virginia pine	Tree	Su	X	X	X	-	-	-
Prunus serotina	Wild Black cherry, Rum cherry	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	X	X	-
*Quercus alba	White oak	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	-	-	-
*Quercus coccinea	Scarlet oak, Red oak	Tree	Su-PS	X	-	-	-	-	-
Quercus falcata	Southern red oak, Spanish oak	Tree	Su	X	-	-	-	-	-
Quercus palustris	Pin oak	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	-	-	-
Quercus rubra	Northern red oak	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	-	-
Quercus stellata	Post oak	Tree	PS	X	X	X	-	-	-
Rhododendron prinophyllum	Early azalea, Rose azalea	Shrub	Su-FS	X	-	-	-	X	-
Rhus aromatica	Fragrant sumac	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	X	-	X	X
Rhus copallinum	Winged sumac	Shrub	Su	X	X	-	-	-	-
Rhus glabra	Smooth sumac	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	X	X	X	-
Robinia pseudoacacia	Black locust, Honey locust	Tree	Su	X	H	X	-	X	X
Rosa Carolina	Pasture rose	Shrub	Su-Sh	X	X	-	-	X	X
Rubus allegheniensis	Alleghany blackberry	Shrub	Su-Sh	X	X	-	-	X	-
Sambucus canadensis	Common elderberry	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	-	X	X	-
Sassafras albidum	Sassafras	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	X	-	X
Taxodium distichum	Bald cypress	Tree	Su	X	-	-	-	-	-
Tsuga canadensis	Eastern hemlock	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	X	-	-	X
Vaccinium angustifolium	Northern lowbush blueberry	Shrub	Su-Sh	X	X	-	X	-	-
Vaccinium stamineum	Deerberry	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	-	X	-	-
Vaccinium corymbosum	Highbush blueberry	Shrub	Su-Sh	X	X	-	X	X	-
Viburnum dentatum	Southern arrowwood	Shrub	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	X	-
Viburnum rufidulum	Rusty blackhaw	Tree	Su-PS	X	X	-	-	-	-

** Note: this list was created for the Metro DC Lawn and Garden Blog and may not be copied without permission. However, please feel free to link to this page and to subscribe to the blog for future lists.

Light: FS=Full Su, S=Su, Sh=Sh

Su	Full Su: direct sunlight at least six hours a day.
PS	Partial Sh: direct sunlight between three to six hours.
Sh	Sh: less than three hours of direct sunlight a day.

Benefits: W=Wildlife Value; Bi=Attracts birds; Bu=Attracts Butterflies; Hu=Human Value, edible or medicinal; Fr=Fragrant, Fl=Fowers

H in bird column signifies Hummingbirds. Plants which an X in the butterfly column are ofter HOST plants for specific butterfly species.

Sources: Xeriscaping and Conserving Water in the Landscape (PDF) – Maryland Cooperative Extension

Drought Tolerant Plants for the Mid-Atlantic Region (pdf) download from Charlottesville Water

Plant lists from: Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration and Landscaping, Virginia DCR

Most of the plant benefits were obtained from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Org. Native Plant Database