Deciduous Shrubs in Northern Maine

Up to 3 Feet

• Shrubs less than 3 feet tall can be used to edge borders or define walkways in your Northern Maine landscape. Choices include the sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), a deciduous shrub native to the northeastern United States. This 3-foot-tall shub has fragrant foliage and tolerates sandy soil. It's hardy in USDA zones 2 to 6. A Maine native, the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is hardy to zone 2 and grows to 2 feet tall. Its dark-green foliage turns red and bronze in autumn, and it produces sweet, edible fruits in summer. This blueberry shrub needs very acidic soil to thrive in your northern Maine landscape.

3 to 8 Feet

• The red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) grows up to 6 feet tall and is hardy to USDA zone 3. This deciduous shrub grows across much of the United States and has red-purple stems that add contrast and color to the winter landscape. If you've got a moist planting site, the red osier dogwood may tolerate wet soil. The Northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) is hardy to zone 2 and grows to 6 feet tall. This North American native has aromatic leaves and tolerates poor soil conditions

8 to 15 Feet

• For poorly drained sites in your northern Maine landscape, choose the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). This deciduous shrub grows to 12 feet tall and is hardy to USDA zone 3. Its native habitat includes swampy, marshy areas. The highbush blueberry has dense foliage that puts on a colorful show in autumn, just after its sweet, edible berries ripen in late summer. The winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is also hardy to zone 3. This native shrub grows to 10 feet tall and produces bright-red fruit that lasts through winter, attracting wildlife to your yard. The winterberry also tolerates damp sites.

15 Feet and Up

• For privacy screening, shading and living fences, choose shrubs that grow more than 15 feet tall. The nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) attracts wildlife to your northern Maine yard with its fruits. This shrub grows to 15 feet tall and is hardy to USDA zone 2. It has glossy, dark leaves that turn red or purple in fall. The shadblow serviceberry (Amalanchier canadensis) is native to the northeastern United States. This deciduous shrub grows to 20 feet tall and is hardy to zone 3. Its leaves add a splash of golden yellow to the fall landscape, and its edible fruits age from red to black.