Plants Native to Appalachians

Deciduous Trees

• Eastern Larch, or Larix laricina, is a Northern American tree that grows in the Appalachians. This deciduous conifer tree is 50 to 80 feet in height with a spread of 20 to 30 feet in width. The needle-like, bluish-green foliage changes to yellow in the fall before dropping in the winter. Yellow Buckeye, or Aesculus octandra, from the Sapindaceae plant family, is a 50- to 70-foot tall tree with a spread of 30 to 40 feet. This deciduous tree develops 6-inch long panicles of creamy yellow flowers in the late spring. The foliage of the yellow buckeye has a deep green hue that turns to a yellowish-orange shade in the autumn.

Evergreen Trees

• Red spruce, or Picea rubens, is a slow to moderate growing evergreen tree native to eastern North America. This conifer tree is 60 to 70 feet in height with a broad cone-shaped crown. Red spruce has dark green needles and green- to purple-colored cones that turn a reddish brown with age. American holly, or Ilex opaca, is a medium-sized broad-leafed evergreen tree endemic to the eastern regions of North America. The grey-hued bark of the American holly has bumpy lumps that cover the trunk of the tree. This 30- to 60-foot tall tree has a spread of 18 to 35 feet.

Shrubs

• Mountain Laurel, or Kalmia latifolia, is a rounded shrub indigenous to eastern North America. This broad-leaf evergreen plant has a dense compact to loose open configuration with shiny, dark green foliage. Late spring brings clusters of showy pink flowers that fade to white with maturity. Trailing arbutus, or Epigaea repens, is an evergreen shrub that originates along the east coast of the United States from Massachusetts to Florida. This low-growing shrub is 4 to 6 inches tall with a mat-like formation 2 feet in width. During April, the trailing arbutus flowers with aromatic, small, whitish-pink blossoms.

Flowering Plants

• Bird-foot violet, or Viola pedata, is a 10-inch tall perennial flowering plant that originates from eastern North America. This violet species is an ornamental plant with bi-colored flowers in hues of white, lilac and lavender. The leaves resemble bird's feet in shape and have a dull green tint. Trout lily, or Erythronium americanum, is a flowering plant native to eastern Canada. This herbaceous plant develops from corms and blossoms with bright yellow flowers in the spring. The fleshy leaves of the trout lily are green with spots of purple. This plant enjoys moist, fertile wooded areas and meadows.