Group
Common Name
Botanical Name
Light
Conditions
Soil
Conditions
Height /
Diameter
Notes
Deciduous
Tree
Ash, Green
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
sun
moist
60-100 ft./1.5 ft.
Basswood
(White Basswood,
Linden)
Beech, American
Tilia heterophylla
sun
moist
60-100 ft./ 2-3 ft.
prefers moist soils along streams and
floodplains, tolerant of flooding for
extended periods, used for lawn and
shade trees because of its initial rapid
growth and adaptability
prefers moist soils of valleys and
uplands
Fagus grandifolia
sun
moist
80-100 ft./3 ft.
Birch, River
(Red Birch)
Blackhaw
Betula nigra
sun/partial
shade
sun/shade
wet
60-80 ft./1-2 ft.
moist
20 ft./4 in.
Blackhaw, Rusty
Viburnum rufidulum
sun/partial
shade
moist
25 ft./4-5 in.
Buckeye, Painted
Cherry, Black
Aesculus sylvatica
Prunus serotina
sun
moist
80 ft./2 ft.
Cottonwood,
Eastern
(Carolina Poplar)
Dogwood,
Flowering
Populus deltoides
sun/partial
shade
wet
100 ft./5 ft.
Cornus florida
sun/partial
shade
moist/dry
30 ft./8 in.
Dogwood, Silky
Cornus amomum
sun/partial
shade
wet/moist
12 ft.
Viburnum prunifolium
prefers moist soils of uplands and well
drained lowlands, nuts important to
wildlife
prefers wet soils along stream banks,
swamps and floodplains
prefers moist soils of upland slopes or
around margins of swamps,
understory tree
prefers moist lower slopes to drier
uplands, good ornamental, understory
tree
prefers a variety of sites except
extremely dry or wet sites
prefers wet soils along stream banks
and floodplains, extensive root
system, rapid growth
prefers moist or dry soils along
streams, floodplains and lower slopes,
understory tree
prefers moist soils along streams and
floodplains
Group
Common Name
Botanical Name
Light
Conditions
Soil
Conditions
Height /
Diameter
Notes
Deciduous
Tree
Elm, Slippery
(Red Elm)
Hickory, Bitternut
Ulmus rubra
sun
moist
70-80 ft./2-3 in.
Carya cordiformis
sun
moist
60-80 ft./1-2 ft.
Hickory, Pignut
Carya glabra
sun
moist to dry
70-80 ft./
Hickory, Mockernut
Carya tomentosa
sun
dry
90 ft./
Hickory, Shagbark
Carya ovata
sun
moist
70-90 ft./
Hornbeam,
American
(Blue Beech,
Ironwood)
Maple, Ash-leaved
(Boxelder)
Carpinus caroliniana
sun/partial
shade
moist
35 ft./1 ft.
Acer negundo
sun/partial
shade
moist/wet
30-60 ft./2.5 ft.
Maple, Red
Acer rubrum
sun
moist/dry
60-90 ft./3 ft.
Mulberry, Red
Morus rubra
sun
moist
60 ft./2 ft.
Oak, Post
Quercus stellata
sun
dry
30-80 ft./1-2 ft.
prefers moist soils on lower slopes
and in the floodplain, grows rapidly
prefers moist soils in valleys, along
streams and in floodplains, fastest
growing hickory, makes a good shade
tree when planted in moist soils
common on moist to drier upland
sites in association with other oaks
and hickories
most common hickory, prefers drier
soils in upland areas
prefers moist soils along streams,
rivers and in valleys
shade tolerant and prefers moist, rich
soils along streams and ravines,
nutlets eaten by squirrels and song
birds
prefers wet or moist soils along
stream banks and floodplains, shade
tolerant and reproduces prolifically in
open disturbed sites
prefers wet or moist soils along
stream banks and floodplains or drier
upland sites, good ornamental because
of rapid growth and good fall color,
relatively free of insects
prefers moist soils in hardwood
forests as well as drier upland slopes,
fruit important to wildlife
prefers dry woodlands, drought
tolerant well drained soils of uplands
and lowlands
Group
Common Name
Botanical Name
Light
Conditions
Soil
Conditions
Height /
Diameter
Notes
Deciduous
Tree
Oak, Shumard
Quercus shummardii
sun
moist
60-90 ft./2.5 ft.
Oak, S. Red
Quercus falcata
sun
dry
100 ft./3-4 ft.
Oak, Swamp
Chestnut
(Basket Oak)
Oak, Water
Quercus michauxii
sun
moist
60-80 ft./2-3 ft.
prefers moist, well drained soils along
streams and floodplains, currently
underutilized as an ornamental,
striking green leaves and is moderately
fast growing
prefers dry, less fertile soils,
occasionally it occurs in moist
locations
prefers moist, well drained soils along
streams and in floodplains
Quercus nigra
sun
moist/wet
60-100 ft./2.5 ft.
Oak, White
(Stave Oak)
Oak, Willow
Quercus alba
sun/partial
shade
sun
moist/dry
80-100 ft./4-5 ft.
moist
90-100 ft./1-2 ft.
PawPaw
Asimina triloba
sun/partial
shade
moist
25 ft./1-2 ft.
Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
sun/partial
shade
moist/dry
20-70 ft./ 1-2 ft.
Redbud
(Judas Tree)
Silverbell, Carolina
Cercis canadensis
sun
moist
40 ft./8 in.
Halesia carolina
partial shade
moist
30-50 ft./1 ft.
Quercus phellos
prefers wet or moist soils along
streams, floodplains and swamps,
acorns important to wildlife
prefers rich, well-drained soils
prefers low, wet sites of river
floodplains, bottomlands or richer
upland soils, acorns important to
wildlife
prefers moist sites along floodplains,
can be used for naturalizing along
streams or moist sites, fruit is source
of food for wildlife
prefers moist soils along stream
bottoms to drier upland sites, edible
fruit important to wildlife, can be
planted as an ornamental
prefers moist soils along streams and
bottomlands to drier slopes
prefers moist wooded slopes and
along stream banks
Group
Common Name
Botanical Name
Light
Conditions
Soil
Conditions
Height /
Diameter
Notes
Deciduous
Tree
Sourwood
Oxydendrum arboreum
moist
50 ft./1 ft.
prefers moist soils and also drier sites
Snowbell, Bigleaf
Styrax grandifolius
sun/partial
shade
sun/partial
shade
moist
20 ft./1-2 ft.
prefers moist soils along streams,
valleys, and uplands, good understory
tree that could be used as an
ornamental
Sugarberry
Sycamore
(Planetree)
Celtis laevigata
Platanus occidentalis
sun
wet
60-100 ft./3-5 ft.
Tulip Poplar
(Yellow Poplar)
Liriodendron tulipifera
sun
moist
80-120 ft./3-4 ft.
Tupelo, Black
(Blackgum)
Nyssa sylvatica
sun
moist
50-100 ft./2-3 ft.
Walnut, Black
Juglans nigra
sun
moist
70-100 ft./4 ft.
Willow, Black
(Swamp Willow)
Salix nigra
sun/partial
shade
wet
80-100 ft./2.5 ft.
prefers moist sites along streams and
bottomlands, also tolerates drier
upland sites, grows rapidly and is
planted as a shade tree or ornamental
prefers moist, well drained sites along
streams, river bottoms and lower
upland slopes, intolerant of shade,
should be planted where it has a lot of
space to grow
prefers moist, well drained soils along
streams and dry upland sites,
intolerant of prolonged flooding
prefers rich woods on moist, welldrained soils, other plants may not do
well if planted next to Black Walnut
due to the root production of juglone
prefers stream banks and floodplains,
used for erosion control along streams
due to dense root system
Witch-hazel
Cedar, Eastern Red
Hamamelis virginiana
Juniperus virginiana
sun
moist/dry
40-60 ft./1-2 ft.
Holly, American
Ilex opaca
partial shade
moist/wet
40-70 ft./1-2 ft.
Evergreen
Tree
prefers a wide variety of dry upland
areas as well as moist stream banks
and floodplains, not shade tolerant,
should not be planted next to apple
trees
prefers moist sites and is an
understory species
Group
Common Name
Botanical Name
Light
Conditions
Soil
Conditions
Height /
Diameter
Notes
Evergreen
Tree
Pine, Shortleaf
Pinus echinata
dry
70-100 ft./2-3 ft.
Pine, Virginia
Pinus virginiana
sun/partial
shade
sun
dry
40-70 ft./1-1.5 ft.
Alder, Common
(Hazel Alder, Tag
Alder)
Azalea, Pinxter
Alnus serrulata
sun/partial
shade
wet
20 ft./4 in.
prefers a wide variety of upland soils
including heavy clays of Piedmont
prefers a wide variety of upland areas
and quickly invades abandoned
farmland and burned areas
prefers wet soil along stream banks
Rhododendron
nudiflorum
sun/partial
shade
moist
8 ft./2-3 ft.
Azalea, Swamp
Rhododendron viscosum
moist/dry
8 ft./3 ft.
Buttonbush
(Honey Balls)
Cephalanthus
occidentalis
sun/partial
shade
sun/partial
shade
wet
20 ft./4 in.
Elder, American
(Elderberry)
Sambucus canadensis
sun/partial
shade
moist/wet
16 ft./6 in.
Ironwood
Sparkleberry
Carpinus caroliniana
Vaccinium arboreum
moist/dry
25 ft./6 in.
prefers sandy upland soils
Sweet Shrub
Calycanthus floridus
moist/dry
5 ft./3-5 in.
Viburnum,
Possumhaw
Viburnum nudum
sun/partial
shade
sun/partial
shade
sun/partial
shade
moist/wet
16 ft./4 in.
prefers moist slopes and moist soils
along stream banks
prefers moist soils near streams and
swamps, used as an ornamental on
moist to poorly drained sites, fruit
good source of wildlife food
Deciduous
Shrub
prefers stream banks in deciduous
forests and can be found in low
woodlands
prefers a variety of upland sites and
stream banks
prefers moist sites along streams,
swamps, flloodplains and edges of
ponds, is used as an ornamental in
naturally moist or poorly drained sites
prefers wet soils along stream banks,
drainage areas and bottomlands near
margins of fields and forests
references: Brown and Kirkman “Trees of Georgia and Adjacent States”, Radford, Ashe, Bell “Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas”