Rockdale County Planning and Development
Approved Plant List
A. Canopy Trees
Common Name Botanical Name
Red Maple Acer rubrum
Sugar MapleAcer saccharum
River birch Betulanigra
Hickories Caryaovata, C. tomentosa, C. Ovalis
Black WalnutJuglansnigra
Sugarberry Celtislaevigata
American YellowoodCladrastiskentukea
Persimmon Diospyrosvirginiana
American Beech Fagus grandifolia
SweetgumLiquidambar styraciflua
Tulip Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera
Southern MagnoliaMagnolia grandiflora
Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica
Bald CypressTaxodiumdistichum
Eastern Red CedarJuniperusvirginiana
Loblolly PinePinustaeda
Short Leaf PinePinusechinata
Longleaf PinePinuspalustris
Virginia PinePinusvirginiana
Sycamore Platanusoccidentalis
White Oak Quercusalba
Scarlet OakQ. coccinea
Southern Red OakQ. falcata
Northern Red OakQ. rubra
Laurel OakQ.hemisphaerica
Overcup OakQ. lyrata
Post OakQ.stellata
Swamp Chestnut OakQ. michauxii
Chesnut OakQ. prinus
Shumard Oak Q. shumardii
Water Oak Q. nigra
Willow Oak Q. phellos
Black Willow Salix nigra
Slippery Elm Ulmusrubra
BasswoodTilia Americana
B. Understory Trees
Common Name Botanical Name
Southern Sugar MapleAcer barbatum
Serviceberry Amelanchiercanadensis
PawpawAsiminatriloba
Ironwood Carpinuscaroliniana
Eastern RedbudCerciscanadensis
Flowering Dogwood Cornusflorida
Cockspur Hawthorn Craetagus crus-galli
Parsley Hawthorn Craetagusmarshalii
Green Hawthorn Craetagusviridis
Carolina SilverbellHalesiacarolina
American Holly Ilex opaca
Big-leaf Magnolia Magnoliamacrophylla
Umbrella Magnolia Magnoliatripetala
HophornbeamOstryavirginiana
Sourwood Oxydendrumarboreum
Georgia OakQuercusgeorgiana
SassafrasSassafras albidum
CrabappleMalusangustifolia
C. Shrubs
Common Name Botanical Name
Buckeye Aesculussylvatica, A.parviflora, A. pavia
Tag Alder Alnusserrulata
Red Chokeberry Aroniaarbutifolia
Sweet shrub Calycanthusfloridus
American Beautyberry Callicarpaamericana
Buttonbush Cephalanthusoccidentalis
Sweet Pepperbush Clethraalnifolia
Silky DogwoodCornusamonum
American Strawberry Bush Euonymus americanus
WitchhazelHamamelisvirginiana
Wild Hydrangea Hydrangeaarborescens
OakleafHygrangeaHydrangea quercifolia
PossumhawIlex decidua
Winterberry I. verticillata
Itea, Virginia SweetspireIteavirginica
Spice Bush Lindera benzoin
American Devilwood Osmanthusamericanus
Chickasaw and Hog Plum Prunusangustifolia, P. umbellata
Wild Plum P. americana
Piedmont Azalea Rhododendron canescens,
Oconee Azalea Rhododendron flammeum
Smooth or Winged Sumac Rhusglabra, R. copallinum
ElderberrySambucuscanadensis
Maple-leaf Viburnum Viburnumacerifolium
Swamphaw Viburnum Viburnumnudum, V. cassinoides
ArrowwoodViburnum dentatum
Blackhaw Viburnum Viburnumprunifolium
HazelnutCorylus Americana
Wax MyrtleMyricacerifera
NineBarkPhysocarpusopulifolius
MayhawCrataegusaestivalis
Devil’s WalkingstickAralia spinosa
Buckwheat TreeCliftoniamonophylla
Littlehip HawthorneCrataegusspathulata
Strawberry BushEuonymus americanus
Drooping LeucothoeLeucothoefontanesiana
Hoptree\Wafer-AshPteleatrifoliata
American BladdernutStaphyleatrifolia
American Snowbell Styraxamericanus
Sparkleberry Vacciniumarboretum
Yellow-Root Xanthorhizasimplicissima
D. Ground layer Plants Common Name Botanical Name
Ferns
Southern Lady Fern Athyriumfilix-femina
Sensitive fern Onocleasensibilis
Cinnamon fern Osmundacinnamomea
Royal fernOsmundaregalis
Christmas fern Polystichumacrostichoides
Southern Chain fern Woodwardiaaereolata
Swamp FernThelypterispalustris
Flowering Perennials
Swamp MilkweedAsclepiasincarnata
ButterflyweedAsclepiastuberosa
New England Aster Aster novae-angliae
TurtleheadCheloneglabra
Lanceleaved Coreopsis Coreopsislanceolata
Bleeding heart Dicentraeximia
Hardy ageratum Eupatorium coelestinum
Joe-Pye Weed Eupatorium fistulosum
Wild Geranium Geraniummaculatum
Narrow-leaved sunflower Helianthus angustifolius
Hibiscus (not shrub althea) Hibiscus coccineus, H. moscheutus
GayfeatherLiatrisspicata, L. aspera
Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalis
Great Lobelia Lobeliasiphilitica
Partridgeberry Mitchellarepens
Evening Primrose Oenotheraspeciosa, O. fruticosa
Obedient Plant Physostegiavirginiana
Solomon's Seal Polygonatumbiflorum
Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckiahirta
Cutleaf Coneflower Rudbeckialacinata
False Solomon's SealSmilacinaracemosa
Goldenrod Solidago spp.
Stoke's Aster Stokesialaevis
Foamflower Tiarellacordifolia
Spiderwort Tradescantiavirginiana
Ironweed Vernonianoveboracensis
Yellow-rootXanthorhizasimplicissima
E. Emergents for Wetland/Bog Areas
(Not Applicable for most Buffer Re-vegetation)
Common Name Botanical Name
Blue-flag Iris Irisvirginica, I.versicolor
Soft Rush or native rushes Juncuseffusus
Arror Arum Peltandravirginica
Pickerelweed Pontederiacordata
Arrowhead-Duck Potato Sagittarialatifolia
LizardtailSaururuscernuus
Bulrush Scirpusvalidus
Fire Flag Thaliadealbata
F. Grasses and Grass-like Plants (from seed, plug, or pot)
Common Name Botanical Name
Autumn bentgrassAgrostisperennans
BroomsedgeAndropogonvirginicus
River cane Arundinaria gigantean
Tussock sedge Carexstricta
River oats Chasmanthiumlatifolium
Wood oats Chasmanthiumsessiliflorum
Virginia wildryeElymusvirginicus
Leathery rush Juncuscoriaceus
Soft rush Juncuseffusus
Path rush Juncus tenuis
Beaked panic grass Panicumanceps
Red-Topped Panic Grass Panicumrigidulum
SwitchgrassPanicumvirgatum
Indian grass Sorgastrumnutans
Purple top Tridensflavus
Eastern GammagrassTripsacumdactyloides
G. Invasive Plant list
(Species that shall not be used)
Common NameBotanical Name
Tree-of-heaven Ailanthus altissima (P. Mill.)
Devil’s Horsewhip/ Chaff flower Achyranthesaspera
Mimosa AlbiziajulibrissinDurazz.
Alligator weed Alternantheraphiloxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.
Porcelain berry Ampelopsis Brevipedunculata
Oriental bittersweet CelastrusorbiculatusThunb.
Chinese yam Dioscoreaoppositifolia
Water hyacinthEichhorniacrassipes
Thorny olive ElaeagnuspungensThunb.
Autumn-olive ElaeagnusumbellataThunb.
Ground IvyGlechomahederacea
Japanese hops Humulusjaponicus
English ivyHedera helix
HydrillaHydrillaverticillata (L. f.)
Shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza bicolor Turcz.
SericealespedezaLespedezacuneata (Dum.-Cours.)
Chinese privet LigustrumsinenseLour.
Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Thunb.
Herder Amur honeysuckle Loniceramaackii (Rupr.)
Japanese climbing fern Lygodiumjaponicum (Thunb. ex Murr.)
Nepalese browntopMicrostegiumvimineum (Trin.)
Marsh dayflower Murdanniakeisak (Hassk.)Hand.-Maz.
Heavenly bambooNandinadomestica
Bradford (Callery) PearPyruscalleryana‘Bradford’
Princesstree Paulownia Tomentosa (Thunb.)Sieb.Zucc. exSteud.
Golden bambooPhyllostachysaurea Carr. ex A.& C. Rivière
Japanese knotweed PolygonumcuspidatumSieboldZucc.
KudzuPuerariamontana var. lobata (Lour.) Merr.
Multiflora rose Rosa multifloraThunb. exMurr.
Small Chinese tallowtreeTriadicasebifera (L.)
Big periwinkle Vinca major L.
Common periwinkle Vinca minor L.
Chinese wisteria Wisteriasinensis (Sims) DC.
Updated 5/2016p.1