Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_40.gif)
Friday - April 22, 2011
From: Mt Laurel, NJ
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Trees
Title: Small trees for NJ shore
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
Hello! What's a good native shrub or small tree to feature in my front yard in Brigantine, NJ, on the Jersey shore. Sunny site, dry, sandy soil. The yard is very small. I'm trying to design a low maintenance landscape featuring native plants and grasses. I thought of Myrica pennsylvanica but was worried it might get too big. Suggestions? Thanks!ANSWER:
The bayberry, Morella pensylvanica (Northern bayberry) you are thinking of is a good sized plant for your situation and is a real icon of the Atlantic seashore.
In its native habitat it grows in very sandy soil in places close to water where there is ground water for its roots, but it will tolerate a wide range of soil moisture conditions. It responds well to pruning, so you should have no trouble keeping it the size you desire and shaping it like a small mutli-stemmed tree. Keep in mind that it is a dioeceous plant, which means that if you want berries, you need to be sure to purchase a female (and there needs to be a male within the distance a pollinating insect can fly: probably not a problem on the Jersey Shore!)
You can generate lists of small trees or large shrubs that are native to your area by visiting our Native Plant Database and doing a Combination Search. Select: New Jersey/tree or shrub/sunny/dry conditions and size 6-12 ft (and/or 12-36 ft). The plant names on the lists are linked to more detailed information pages about each. If you play with Narrow Your Search by changing the variables (like moisture requirements), you will see your choices expand and contract. You may find one that is more "ornamental" than bayberry. Depending on how far you are from the beach, salt spray may not be an issue.
In that case, you might consider:
Small trees
Amelanchier laevis (Allegheny service-berry)
Sorbus americana (American mountain ash) (be absolutely certain you do not buy the European plant by accident)
Large shrubs
Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo bush)
Clethra alnifolia (Coastal sweet pepperbush)
Viburnum dentatum (Southern arrowwood)
Here are some photos from our image gallery:
More Trees Questions
Looking for copper beach (Fagus sylvatica)
December 05, 2008 - I would like to purchase a copper beech tree to plant in CT as a gift. Where can I find one to purchase?
view the full question and answer
Are hackberries harmful to other trees?
March 25, 2009 - A neighbor warned me that a hackberry tree that naturally sprouted up recently will harm the roots of other trees nearby and that it is such a bad tree we should take it down before it gets too big. I...
view the full question and answer
Bulging trunks on post oak
August 05, 2011 - I have a huge post oak with a codominant trunk that is bulging between the two main trunks. The bulging is causing the trunks to spread apart, so one of the trunks is getting much too close to the ho...
view the full question and answer
Need suggestions for plants for a bird/small wildlife refuge in Wichita Co, TX.
August 26, 2011 - With our continuing drought in North Texas, I'm planning to transform my small backyard into a bird/small wildlife "refuge". What types of native plants and grasses can I plant in dry, hot Wichita ...
view the full question and answer
Privacy screen from Simpsonville SC
May 04, 2013 - My neighbor cut down his part of our shared woods so now we see his whole "outside patio area". What kinds of fast growing shade loving trees and shrubs can we plant on our property line that will c...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |