River Bank Grape

Woody vine growing to 50 feet. White blooms in late spring followed by purple sweet-sour berries from late summer to fall. Adaptable to many sites and soil conditions and can be found growing in woodland edges and openings, sand dunes, thickets, powerline clearings, and areas along rivers, lakes, and ditches. Full sun to light shade. Moist to slightly dry conditions.

Zones 2-9

Highbush Cranberry

Grows to 12 feet with similar spread.  A fast growing, suckering, upright shrub.  Clusters of showy, white flowers in late spring followed by bright red berries that persist into winter. Yellow-red fall color. Found in low woods and moist thickets. Good for birds. Full to partial sun. Moist to wet soil.

Zones 2-6

Northern Arrowwood

Grows 10 to 15 feet in clumps and thickets.  White flowers late spring followed by blue fruit and red fall color. Found in swamps, thickets, upland and floodplain woodlands. Good for birds.  Sun to partial sun. Moist soil.

Zones 4-9

Witherod or Wild Rasin

Grows 6 to 10 feet with a similar spread.  A slender, upright shrub with glossy, green leaves. White flowers in late spring followed by whitish fruit that turn a multitude of colors before becoming blue-black in fall. Red fall foliage. Found in damp clearings, swamps and moist thickets. Good for birds. Sun to shade. Moist to wet soil but tolerates drier conditions.

Zones 3-9

Nannyberry

Grows to 20 feet. Versatile shrub with white flower clusters in June followed by black fruit and good fall color. Found along roads, edges of woods, swamp margins and in thickets. Good for birds. Sun to partial shade. Moist to dry soil.

Zones 3-7

Highbush Blueberry

Grows from 3 to 10 feet with similar spread. Ornamental, upright shrub with white flowers in spring followed by edible blue fruits. Bright red fall color. Found in acidic lowlands, along lakes and in rocky woods. Excellent for birds and wildlife. Sun to shade. Wet to moderately dry acid, sandy, peaty soil.

Zones 3-8

Lowbush Blueberry

Grows to 2 feet and spreads by rhizomes to slowly form colonies. Small, glossy leaves turn bright red in fall. White flowers in spring followed by edible, blue fruit in late summer. Berries attract birds and mammals. Sturdy and adaptable groundcover. Full sun to partial shade. Well-drained, moist to dry soil.

Zones 3-7

Steeplebush

Grows 2 to 5 feet with similar spread. Pink blooms mid to late summer. Back of the leaves are fuzzy (tomentosum). Found in wet meadows, pond edges, swamps and seeps. Full to partial sun.  Moist to moderately dry soil.

Zones 3-8

Meadow Sweet

Grows 3-6 feet with similar spread. White to light pink blooms early to midsummer. Excellent for naturalizing and hedgerows. Great nectar plant for insects. Sun to partial shade. Wet to dry soil.

Zones 3-8

Yellow Indian Grass

Tall, bunching, sod-forming  grass reaching 3 to 8 feet with blue-green blades and a large, plume-like, golden-brown seed head. Fall color is deep orange to purple. Adaptable to occasional flooding and repeated burning. Favored by livestock. Full to partial sun.  Slightly moist to dry soil.

Zones 3-9