10 Best Native Canopy Trees

Southern Sugar Maple

  • Scientific Name: Amelanchier canadensis
  • Average Height: 15 feet to 25 feet
  • Butterfly Species Attracted: Red-Spotted Purple
  • Notes: Wet soils; multi-trunked
 Southern Sugar Maple with leaf detail

Red Maple

  • Scientific Name: Acer rubrum
  • Average Height: 40 feet to 80 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 30 feet to 50 feet
  • Notes: Red fall color; wet, swampy to dry soils
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun
 Red Maple with leaf detail

River Birch

  • Scientific Name: Betula nigra
  • Average Height: 40 feet to 80 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 40 feet to 60 feet
  • Notes: Prefers moist soil and riverbanks, peeling bark on immature trees
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun
 River Birch with leaf detail

Pignut Hickory

 
  • Scientific Name: Carya glabra
  • Average Height: 60 feet to 100 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 25 feet to 40 feet
  • Notes: Prefers wet, moist or dry soil; produces a nut
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun
 Pignut Hickory with leaf detail

Green Hawthorn

 
  • Scientific Name: Crataegus virdis
  • Average Height: 20 feet to 35 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 20 feet to 35 feet
  • Notes: Prefers swampy wetlands; red fruit; white flowers
  • Sunlight: Full sun
 Green Hawthorn with leaf detail

Tulip Poplar

  • Scientific Name: Liriodendron tulipfera
  • Average Height: 70 feet to 150 feet
  • Mature Limp Spread: 30 feet to 60 feet
  • Notes: Produces yellow flowers; tallest hardwood
  • Sunlight: Partial sun
 Tulip Poplar with leaf detail

American Beech

  • Scientific Name: Fagus grandifolia
  • Average Height: 50 feet to 70 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 40 feet to 80 feet
  • Notes: Shade-tolerant; prefers moist soils; densely branched
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun / Shade
 American Beech with leaf detail

American Persimmon

  • Scientific Name: Diospyros virginiana
  • Average Height: 30 feet to 70 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 20 feet to 35 feet
  • Notes: Prefers dry soils; orange edible fruit
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun
 American Persimmon with leaf detail

Sweet Bay Magnolia

  • Scientific Name: Magnolia virginiana
  • Average Height: 20 feet to 60 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 10 feet to 35 feet
  • Notes: Prefers moist soils; fragrant, creamy flowers; sporadic blooming
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun
 Sweet Bay Magnolia with leaf detail

Basswood

 
  • Scientific Name: Tilia americana
  • Average Height: 60 feet to 100 feet
  • Mature Limb Spread: 30 feet to 60 feet
  • Notes: Prefers moist, well-drained soil; soft wood
  • Sunlight: Full sun / Partial sun
 Basswood with leaf detail

About this page

Silhouette of a canopy tree
  • The top 10 most compatible and popular large canopy (wide shade spread) native trees for the City of Wilmington are listed on this page.
  • This list was developed by the Wilmington Tree Commission in cooperation with the Arbor Day Foundation, the NC State Cooperative Extension.
  • Please contact your local nursery to determine if it has native plants in stock. Not all businesses are able to stock these plants, and some may only be available in certain seasons.
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