Native shrubs and vines are an excellent choice for Nantucket landscapes, naturally suited to our island’s sandy soils, salt spray, and ever-changing coastal weather. These plants offer more than just beauty—they provide critical habitat, food, and nesting sites for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. This guide will help you select the best native shrubs and vines for a thriving, low-maintenance landscape.
Native Nantucket Shrubs and Vines
Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Wet to Moist
- Best Uses: Rain gardens, pond edges, pollinator habitat
Southern Bayberry (Morella caroliniensis)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Hedgerows, dune stabilization, bird-friendly plantings
Beach Plum (Prunus maritima)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Coastal gardens, edible landscaping
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry
- Best Uses: Ground cover, erosion control
Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Average, Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Edible landscaping, wildlife habitat
Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Pollinator gardens, edible ground cover
Virgin’s Bower-Devil’s Darning Needles (Clematis virginiana)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist
- Best Uses: Trellises, natural fences
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Wet
- Best Uses: Rain gardens, wetland restoration
Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Wet to Moist
- Best Uses: Shrub borders, wildlife food source
Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Trellises, ground cover
Black Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Wildlife food source, edible berries
Fox Grape (Vitis labrusca)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Edible fruit, trellis plant
Groundsel Tree- Saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Salt-tolerant hedges, coastal plantings
American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Edible nuts, wildlife habitat
Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Wildlife food source, naturalized plantings
Pine Barren Goldenheather (Hudsonia ericoides)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry
- Best Uses: Sandy soils, erosion control
Inkberry-Gallberry (Ilex glabra)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Foundation plantings, evergreen hedges
Sheep Laurel (Kalmia angustifolia)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Acidic soils, naturalistic plantings
Marsh Elder (Iva frutescens)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Salt-tolerant gardens, marsh restoration
Dwarf Chinkapin Oak (Quercus prinoides)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry
- Best Uses: Wildlife habitat, dry soils
American Holly (Ilex opaca)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Evergreen hedges, bird habitat
Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Wet to Moist
- Best Uses: Winter interest, bird habitat
Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Edible landscaping, ground cover
Blue Dangle Huckleberry-Dangleberry (Gaylussacia frondosa)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Wildlife habitat, native shrub borders
Scrub Oak-Bear Oak (Quercus ilicifolia)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Wildlife support, sandy soils
Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Pollinator gardens, fragrant flowers
Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Wildlife habitat, fragrant flowers
Virginia Rose (Rosa virginiana)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Coastal gardens, pollinator attraction
Common Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Edible berries, small shade tree
Eastern Shadbush- Canadian Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist
- Best Uses: Pollinator gardens, wildlife food source
Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Wildlife habitat, erosion control
Winged Sumac-Shining Sumac (Rhus copallinum)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry to Moist
- Best Uses: Pollinator attraction, native hedges
Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina)
- Light: Full Sun
- Water: Dry
- Best Uses: Ground cover, sandy soils
Arrowwood Viburnum – Southern Arrowood (Viburnum dentatum)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist
- Best Uses: Pollinator gardens, native hedges
Pussy Willow (Salix discolor)
- Light: Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water: Moist to Wet
- Best Uses: Wetlands, wildlife support
Wintergreen- Eastern Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens)
- Light: Part Shade
- Water: Moist
- Best Uses: Ground cover, acidic soils
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