Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Structure year-round and flowers in season — a native shrub, white spring lace flowers and 10–20 ft wide, and it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
- Home
- By state
- Pennsylvania
- Flowering shrubs
Pennsylvania · Zones 5–7
Native Flowering Shrubs in Pennsylvania
Native shrubs that flower for pollinators, fruit for birds, and give the garden its year-round backbone and structure. Every species here is genuinely native to Pennsylvania and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Pennsylvania's humid continental climate across Appalachian ridge-and-valley & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Arrowwood Viburnum. Shrubs are the bones of a garden — they hold their shape through winter, screen what you would rather not see, and pack flowers, berries, and fall color into a single long-lived plant. Give them room to reach full size rather than shearing them into boxes, plant in fall for the best root establishment, and choose species suited to your light and moisture so they thrive on near-zero care.
The plants
14 native species for Pennsylvania
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A four-season shrub — bloom, fruit, and winter form — reaching 6–10 ft and happy in clay and loam soil, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Flowers, then berries for the birds, on a long-lived native shrub, good through zone 9 and for clay and loam ground — it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Structure year-round and flowers in season — a native shrub, reaching 5–10 ft and 5–8 ft wide; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
A woody native that holds its shape through winter and flowers in season, for loam ground and 4–8 ft wide, and it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A shrub that gives the border its bones, hardy in zones 3–9 and white domes flowers, and it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A flowering native shrub for the garden's backbone, pink (then purple fruit) flowers and 4–7 ft tall — it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Flowers, then berries for the birds, on a long-lived native shrub, 5–10 ft wide and white to pink flowers — it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry to wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Structure year-round and flowers in season — a native shrub, reaching 2–3.5 ft and frothy white flowers, flowering as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Shrub-scale presence for screening and structure, with seasonal bloom — cold-hardy to zone 3 and 6–12 ft tall, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Inkberry Holly
Ilex glabra
Shrub-scale presence for screening and structure, with seasonal bloom — reaching 4–8 ft and for sand, clay, and loam ground, flowering as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Shrub-scale presence for screening and structure, with seasonal bloom — happy in clay and loam soil and spreading 6–10 ft; it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
A four-season shrub — bloom, fruit, and winter form — 6–12 ft wide and 6–12 ft tall; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A woody native that holds its shape through winter and flowers in season, reaching 2–6 ft and spreading 5–10 ft, flowering as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Sourcing
Where to find these in Pennsylvania
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.