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shrub

Northern bayberry

Morella pensylvanica

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Hardy in zones 3–7, Northern bayberry is a semi-evergreen shrub. Expect 5–10 ft of height and 5–10 ft of spread; our lists space it 7 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with little water once established, and it copes with wet soil. It is grown for its foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. It is native to the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Morella pensylvanica
Plant type
Shrub, semi evergreen
Hardiness zones
3 to 7
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
Water
Low; tolerates wet soil
Soil
Thrives in poor, sandy or salty soil; tolerates wet spots.
Mature size
5–10 ft tall × 5–10 ft wide
Spacing
7 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Medium
Bloom
Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed
Structure, Anchor
Styles
natural, low water
Deer resistance
High: deer rarely eat it
Pets
Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA toxic list; no known toxic compounds.
Native to
Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
Pot size and price
3-gallon pot, typically $30–$50 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
Pruning
Remove suckers and thin in late winter.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Northern bayberry, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Northern bayberry suits.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants