If you’ve heard people say native plants are ugly, don’t believe them. No matter where you live, you can find native trees that benefit wildlife and add beautiful flowers to your landscape.
Not only do native trees offer food for hungry pollinators, birds, and mammals, but they also are well-suited to grow in the regions they originated in. By choosing trees native to your area, you can enjoy beautiful foliage without providing much care.
If you’re not sure which flowering trees are native to your area of the United States, don’t worry! I’ll cover 21 flowering trees that provide food and habitat for wildlife.
Big-Fruit Hawthorn
Native to the eastern U.S., this hawthorn has thorny stems, pear-like flowers, and red-orange fruits.
 | botanical name Crataegus macrosperma |
|---|---|
 | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
 | height 15–25 feet |
 | hardiness zones 4–9 |
Also known as the large-seeded hawthorn, this flowering tree is native to the eastern United States from Maine to Georgia. It grows in various soil types in areas including mixed hardwood forests, open hilltops, and rocky slopes. If you take a closer look at the plant’s stems, you’ll see they’re covered with long, thin thorns.
The trees produce clusters of small, white, five-petaled flowers in the early spring. These flowers closely resemble pear and plum flowers, which makes sense since all of these plants are members of the rose family.
Like some pear trees, the big-fruit hawthorn flowers exude an unpleasant fragrance, which makes them better suited to landscape beds farther from your home. However, the smell is useful for the tree to attract the midges that serve as pollinators. The flowers eventually give way to red or orange fruits.
Black Cherry
With gray bark and green leaves, black cherry attracts pollinators, provides wildlife food, and yields valuable wood for human use.
| | botanical name Prunus serotina |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full Sun |
| | height 60–80 feet |
| | hardiness zones 2–8 |
A tall, deciduous tree native to much of the eastern United States, the black cherry brings beauty to landscapes with gray bark, green leaves, and elongated clusters of small white flowers. Its growth form varies depending on the habitat: those in dense forests grow tall and upright, while trees in open gardens develop a more open shape.
The flower clusters appear in spring shortly after the green leaves emerge and attract pollinators, including bees and flies. The flowers give way to small, dark red or black fruits that are bitter to humans but great food for songbirds, deer, and small mammals. Along with offering nectar and fruit to wildlife, the black cherry also serves as a host plant for numerous moths and butterflies. Some of these include the eastern tiger swallowtail, viceroy, and red-spotted purple.
Black cherry trees produce valuable reddish-brown wood with straight grain. Humans use black cherry to create everything from cabinets to toys to paneling.
Carolina Silverbell
This silverbell attracts pollinators, supports butterflies, and offers winter interest.
| | botanical name Halesia carolina |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full Sun to partial shade |
| | height 30–40 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4–8 |
If you live in the Southern Appalachians, the Carolina silverbell is a great choice for a native flowering tree. The trees thrive in areas around the Great Smoky Mountains, where they grow in rich, moist woods. Garden plants require supplemental irrigation during periods of drought.
As its common name suggests, the tree produces clusters of bell-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink. These flowers attract hummingbirds as well as numerous bees and butterflies. The flowers fade in the summer when the trees produce two-inch-long fruits with flared wings. Although the fruits don’t provide much value to wildlife, they remain on the trees and provide winter interest.
The Carolina silverbell is a host plant to caterpillars of the eastern tiger swallowtail, mourning cloak, eastern comma, and other butterflies.
Chickasaw Plum
This plum, native to the Mid-Atlantic and South, produces tart, edible fruit, benefiting wildlife.
| | botanical name Prunus angustifolia |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full Sun to partial shade |
| | height 4–15 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5–8 |
Few native trees display beautiful flowers and produce delicious, edible fruit. But the Chickasaw plum is one of them. Named after the indigenous people who cultivated them, these trees grow well in the Mid-Atlantic, South, and southern parts of the Midwest. Although the Chickasaw plum is considered a tree, it sometimes grows as a large, scraggly shrub.
The trees produce clusters of white flowers in the spring, and small green fruits appear in the summer. The plums grow half an inch to an inch in diameter and are red when ripe. Although they’re edible, they’re quite tart. Therefore, people often use them to make jams, jellies, and sauces.
In areas with well-draining soils and full sun, the trees can form dense thickets that offer protection to wildlife. Birds and mammals feed on the fruits, and insects feed on the flowers and foliage.
Chokecherry
The bitter fruit of chokecherry is beneficial for wildlife, but foliage can be toxic to livestock and humans.
| | botanical name Prunus virginiana |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full Sun |
| | height 20–30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 2–6 |
Although chokecherry is a true cherry, you won’t want to snack on this plant’s small, bitter fruits. However, the chokecherry is still worth planting due to the plant’s beautiful flowers and value to wildlife.
Birds and mammals eat the fruits, larger mammals browse tender twigs and foliage, and caterpillars feed on the leaves. It’s important to note that chokecherry foliage and berries can be toxic to livestock and humans if consumed in large amounts.
Chokecherry trees are native to most of the United States except the South and Southeast. They grow as large shrubs or small trees, depending on the light and surrounding environment. No matter their growth form, they produce elongated clusters of small white flowers in the spring, followed by red fruits in the summer.
Cucumber Tree
The cold-hardy cucumber tree, native to the eastern U.S., features tulip-like flowers and red fruits.
| | botanical name Magnolia acuminata |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full Sun to partial shade |
| | height 50–80 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4–8 |
The most cold-hardy member of the Magnolia genus, the cucumber tree, is native to the eastern United States. It grows in the Southeast, among other magnolias, but it will also survive in the Mid-Atlantic and parts of New England.
When spring arrives, the trees produce large yellow flowers that resemble elongated tulips. These flowers give way to elongated green fruits that some people say look like little cucumbers. As the season progresses and the fruits ripen, they turn bright red and develop individual seeds.
Although it can grow well in forests and mixed plantings, people often plant it as a stand-alone shade tree in yards and parks. You can also find dwarf varieties that work well in smaller areas.
Downy Serviceberry
This is a small native tree that offers white flowers, tasty berries, and vibrant fall foliage.
| | botanical name Amelanchier arborea |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 15–25 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4–9 |
The downy serviceberry is a small tree native to the eastern half of the United States. It’s known for filling the landscape with delicate white flowers in the spring and providing humans and wildlife with delicious berries in the late summer and fall.
The dark red or purple berries have a blueberry-like flavor and contain small seeds that taste like almonds. Eating serviceberries is a bit like eating an almond-topped blueberry cobbler!
Due to their small size, downy serviceberry trees can fit well beside suburban houses and liven up urban native gardens, but they also grow well in forest understories. After the fruits fade, you’ll enjoy the trees as their leaves change to shades of gold and crimson.
Eastern Redbud
Eastern redbud, a beautiful native tree, blooms with pink flowers before the heart-shaped leaves emerge.
| | botanical name Cercis canadensis |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 15–30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4–9 |
One of the most beautiful native flowering trees, the eastern redbud becomes covered with pink flowers during springtime. Unlike some trees, the flowers emerge before the leaves, making them extra easy to spot. Shortly after the flowers appear, the trees send out heart-shaped leaves, and the flowers eventually give way to long seed pods resembling peas.
In its native range, you can spot the eastern redbud growing under the partial shade of larger trees. However, it also makes an excellent addition to shade gardens. Just make sure you remember the tree’s short trunk and umbrella-like form often lead to low-hanging branches.
As far as wildlife benefits go, the eastern redbud’s early blooming flowers act as an important pollen and nectar source for pollinators. It’s also a host plant for larvae of the Henry’s elfin butterfly.
Flowering Dogwood
Flowering dogwood, ideal for the eastern U.S., offers year-round interest with flowers, fruits, and foliage.
| | botanical name Cornus florida |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 15–25 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5–9 |
If you live in the eastern U.S. and are looking for a native tree that provides year-round interest, move the flowering dogwood to the top of your list. The medium-sized tree has an open growth habit that allows you to admire the large white and pink flowers in the spring and red fruits in the summer and fall. Once fall arrives, you can watch the green leaves change to deep, fiery red and eventually fall to spotlight the scaly, gray bark.
Flowering dogwood trees grow well in various habitats, including moist, rich woods, shaded, rocky slopes, and dry woodland edges. All of these trees attract birds and small mammals that arrive to feed on the tree’s small fruits.
Franklin Tree
The Franklin tree, a small and stunning addition to southeastern gardens, features umbrella-shaped clusters.
| | botanical name Franklinia alatamaha |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 10–20 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5–8 |
A small tree with multiple or single stems, the Franklin tree is a stunning addition to many Southeastern gardens. Its elongated, glossy, downturned leaves arrange to form umbrella-shaped clusters. In summertime, a camellia-like flower emerges atop each “umbrella” and remains until early fall.
This is when these trees are at their prime. The previously green leaves transform to bright cold and then deep red, making the white flowers pop.
Since they are native to streambanks and riverbanks, Franklin trees require moist soil to thrive. You can grow them in yards and gardens as long as you provide regular irrigation.
Fringetree
The fringetree, related to olive trees, is a deciduous native with drooping, white-petaled flowers.
| | botanical name Chionanthus virginicus |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 15–30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3–9 |
A member of the same family as olive trees, the fringetree is a deciduous small tree or large shrub native to the Eastern U.S. It gets its common name from its clustered, drooping flowers made up of long, thin, white petals.
These flowers also inspire the names “snow flower tree” and “Grandfather gray beard.” Since the flowers appear with or right before the first leaves, they’re easy to spot in early spring.
Fringetrees grow best in moist, rich, well-draining soil, and they cannot tolerate drought. Since they can grow well in full sun and part shade, you can plant them in an ornamental garden or at a forest edge.
Pacific Crabapple
This tree is native to the western U.S. and thrives in wet soils, producing edible fruits.
| | botanical name Malus fusca |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 20–40 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5–8 |
While many North American native flowering trees call the eastern states home, the Pacific crabapple originated in the West. It grows well in wet soils like those found in temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest, as well as the heavy soils of the Cascade mountains. The trees can even tolerate brackish waters found near the coast.
Although the Pacific crabapple is partially well-suited to its native range, it closely resembles other crabapple species. The trees produce small clusters of white or pink flowers in spring, followed by small apples in summer and fall. Animals, including grouse, songbirds, and bears, eat the small fruits, and large mammals browse the foliage.
Pacific Dogwood
This dogwood, unlike its eastern counterpart, flourishes in the Pacific Northwest, producing unique flowers and fruits.
| | botanical name Cornus nuttallii |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 15–40 feet |
| | hardiness zones 7–9 |
The Pacific dogwood closely resembles the more widespread flowering dogwood, but the two trees thrive in different environments. While the Pacific dogwood is not well-suited to the eastern U.S., it grows well in moist, rich, acidic soils found throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The large trees produce clusters of flowers in early spring. While many people mistake the large white flower parts as petals, these are actually modified leaves called bracts. The small, inconspicuous true flowers are clustered inside the bracts. These flowers turn into small, red fruits in the fall, providing food for birds and small mammals.
Pagoda Dogwood
Known for its stacked branches pagoda dogwood features white flowers and dark berries that grow well in gardens.
| | botanical name Cornus alternifolia |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 15–25 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3–7 |
While the pagoda dogwood shares a genus with many other dogwoods, the plant’s unique shape helps set it apart from other species. Multiple layers of horizontal branches grow a few feet from each other, creating a stacked appearance that some people say resembles a pagoda.
The pagoda dogwood’s small white flowers appear in clusters and lack the large bracts present in some other dogwood species. These flowers attract a range of pollinators, including butterflies, bees, moths, and hoverflies. The flowers drop in the summer and are replaced by small, dark blue berries that attract songbirds and small mammals.
Since the tree can tolerate full sun and partial shade, it works well as a stand-alone garden specimen or near forest edges. No matter where you plant it, you’ll be able to enjoy the flowers, dark fruits, and display of fiery fall foliage.
Red Buckeye
This small native tree boasts unique red flowers that attract pollinators.
| | botanical name Aesculus pavia |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 12–15 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4–8 |
If you’re looking for a small native tree that produces unique flowers, check out the red buckeye. In early spring, the plant sends up tall stems covered with red, tubular flowers. If you look closely, you’ll see all sorts of butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds visiting the flowers to feed. The hard seeds that follow the fruits feed squirrels, chipmunks, and turkeys.
This small tree is native to areas as far north as Illinois and Ohio and as far south as Texas and Florida. Although the trees can tolerate areas that occasionally flood, they won’t grow well during drought.
When fall arrives, don’t expect a bright display. The leaves often drop off the trees with little, if any, color change in the early fall.
Red Maple
These maples bloom early, offering nectar and benefits for wildlife.
| | botanical name Acer rubrum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 40–70 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3–9 |
When people talk about red maples, they often mention the trees’ beautiful fall colors rather than their flowers. But if you pay close attention to your landscape, you’ll see that red maples are some of the first native trees to bloom in the spring. Hungry bees and flies flock to the tiny red blooms to get their fill of sweet spring nectar.
These trees are among the most widespread and common native trees in most of the central and eastern United States. You can find them in various habitats ranging from moist, rich woods to damp swamps to dry park slopes.
Along with offering pollen and nectar to pollinators, the red maple also provides lots of other benefits to wildlife. Ecologist and entomologist Doug Tallamy recommends including red maples in your landscape since they provide nest sides and shelter for birds as well as food sources for hundreds of caterpillars, including the larvae of the imperial moth, cecropia silkmoth, and rosy maple moth.
Shadblow Serviceberry
This serviceberry, native to eastern North America, blooms in spring, offering edible fruits and habitat.
| | botanical name Amelanchier canadensis |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 25–30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4–8 |
Also known as shadbush or Canadian serviceberry, the shadblow serviceberry is a small flowering tree often found in forest understories. It’s native to areas in eastern North America, where it blooms in the spring around the time when fish known as shad begin their journey inland to spawn.
This serviceberry produces clusters of small white flowers and then small, round fruits. The fruits are edible to humans and also beloved by songbirds, grouse, and small mammals. Caterpillars, including the larvae of the viceroy and tiger swallowtail, feed on this plant’s leaves.
Sourwood
Also called lily of the valley tree, sourwood thrives in acidic soil, boasting fragrant flowers.
| | botanical name Oxydendrum arboreum |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
| | height 20–30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5–9 |
Also known as the lily of the valley tree or sorrel tree, sourwood is a small tree in the same family as blueberries and rhododendrons. Like most members of the Ericaceae family, it prefers rich and acidic soil often found in pine forests. It’s native to much of the eastern and southern United States.
Sourwood is a beautiful tree with shiny, elongated leaves that are green throughout spring and summer and turn bright red in the fall. However, the summertime flowers are the real star. The trees form long stems that are covered with small, cream, bell-shaped flowers. Not only are the flowers beautiful, but they also fill the air with a wonderful fragrance.
Southern Magnolia
The largest native magnolia, southern magnolia features evergreen leaves, fragrant flowers, and red seeds.
| | botanical name Magnolia grandiflora |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 60–80 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6–10 |
The largest and perhaps most impressive native magnolia, the southern magnolia is native to the Southeast United States. Its large, waxy leaves remain evergreen, making it a wonderful addition to the garden year-round.
Each spring, large white flowers appear, filling the air with a sweet, floral fragrance. Each flower blooms for only one day, but new blooms continue to appear into the summer.
Later in the summer, cone-like fruits appear and eventually burst open to reveal bright red seeds that feed birds and small mammals. These trees prefer dappled shade in southern climates but can tolerate more sun in cooler areas.
Staghorn Sumac
This sumac thrives in various soils, making it ideal for erosion control.
| | botanical name Rhus typhina |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 8–25 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3–9 |
One of the great things about staghorn sumac is its ability to tolerate a wide range of soils. It will happily grow in rocky, dry, and nutrient-poor soil, making it a great choice for erosion control. This ability to grow where other plants won’t means you’ll often see staghorn sumac growing alongside roads and in deserted lots.
The tree has alternately arranged, elongated leaves and produces clusters of small white or light green flowers in the late spring and early summer. While these flowers are pretty, the subsequent fruits are even more notable. Individual red fruits are small and round, but they’re arranged in tall clusters that resemble staghorns. The fruit provides food to turkeys, quail, and pheasants throughout the winter, and the red spikes add interest to drab winter landscapes.
Sweetbay Magnolia
Laurel magnolia thrives in moist soil, featuring shiny leaves and white flowers with red fruits.
| | botanical name Magnolia virginiana |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 10–40 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5–10 |
Also known as the laurel magnolia or swap magnolia, this flowering tree is native to much of the eastern United States. It grows well in moist and wet soil, meaning it’s a great choice for damp areas or the sides of ponds and streams.
The tree’s height depends on the growing zone; plants grow taller in the South and remain smaller in cooler areas. Regardless of the plant’s height, you’ll be able to enjoy its shiny, large green leaves. Depending on where you live, you’ll spot beautiful white flowers in the late spring or early summer. These flowers eventually drop, and clusters of bright red fruits appear.
Final Thoughts
Planting a native flowering tree on your property won’t only add beauty, but it will also provide food and shelter for wildlife. Since native trees are well-suited to survive in their original range, you can enjoy these trees for years into the future.
