Plants that thrive in Nashville, TN
Nashville sits in the Central Basin, where thin alkaline clay over limestone makes it a different growing environment from most of Tennessee. Eastern redbud, oakleaf hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire, little bluestem, aromatic aster, Amsonia, Christmas fern, and coral honeysuckle are the dependable core. The specific trap here is buying acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendron, or pin oak on the assumption that Tennessee soil is acidic, when Middle Tennessee soil often is not.
Nashville growing conditions at a glance
- USDA hardiness zone
- 7b
- Region
- the Middle Tennessee Central Basin
- Rainfall
- about 47 inches a year, with a wet spring and a dry late summer
- Soil
- thin alkaline clay over limestone in much of the Central Basin, the opposite of Tennessee's acidic upland soils
- Hardest condition to design around
- shallow soil over limestone bedrock combined with a spring that floods and an August that goes dry
Small trees and shrubs
Structure suited to alkaline soil over limestone, which rules out several standard nursery choices.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Mature size
- 20 to 30 ft
Caveat: Native, tolerant of alkaline limestone soil, and not a long-lived tree; 25 to 30 years is typical. Plant it as the mid-life layer of a yard, not as the tree your grandchildren sit under.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
- Sun
- Part shade, morning sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Mature size
- 6 to 8 ft, dwarf forms 3 to 4 ft
Caveat: Handles Middle Tennessee's alkaline soil better than bigleaf hydrangea, which sulks and refuses to color. It blooms on old wood, so pruning in spring removes the flowers.
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
- Sun
- Part shade to full sun
- Water
- Moderate, tolerates wet
- Mature size
- 3 to 5 ft, spreading
Caveat: The best answer for a low spot that floods every spring, and it colonizes by suckers. Use it as a mass, not a specimen.
Fragrant Sumac 'Gro-Low'
Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low'
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft tall, 6 to 8 ft wide
Caveat: Excellent on a dry limestone slope where nothing else will hold, and it spreads wider than most planting plans allow for. Give it 6 ft or plan to cut it back.
Grasses and ferns
The layer that handles both a soggy April and a rainless September.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft
Caveat: Native to Middle Tennessee cedar glades and perfectly at home in thin alkaline soil. It flops in rich, irrigated garden beds, so use an upright cultivar if the site is watered.
Northwind Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Mature size
- 4 to 5 ft
Caveat: Stays vertical when other switchgrasses fall over, which is why it is worth paying for the named cultivar. It is late to emerge in spring and needs cutting to the ground in late winter.
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
- Sun
- Part to full shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Mature size
- 1 to 2 ft
Caveat: Evergreen, deer-resistant, and clump-forming rather than spreading. It will not fill a slope on its own, so plant it in drifts.
Perennials for color
Long-season color that tolerates alkaline soil and Middle Tennessee humidity.
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Mature size
- 18 to 30 in
Caveat: One of the last things blooming in October and it flops if it is not sheared back once in early summer. It also spreads slowly by rhizome.
Threadleaf Bluestar
Amsonia hubrichtii
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft tall and wide
Caveat: Excellent gold fall color, and it needs three years to look like the photo. Too much shade makes it lean and open.
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low to moderate
- Mature size
- 2 to 3 ft
Caveat: The plain purple species is far longer lived here than the novelty-colored cultivars, which frequently disappear after a season or two.
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Mature size
- 10 to 15 ft vine
Caveat: The native honeysuckle, and it is the one to plant instead of the invasive Japanese and bush honeysuckles already loose in Middle Tennessee. It needs a structure to climb and a hard prune every few years.
What should you not plant in Nashville?
Skip bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), privet, wintercreeper, and Bradford pear. Bush honeysuckle and privet have already taken over much of Middle Tennessee's woodland understory, and wintercreeper is sold as a groundcover and climbs into trees.
What are the watering rules in Nashville?
Metro Nashville does not impose routine day-of-week watering restrictions, but Metro Water Services regulates stormwater and requires permits for grading and significant impervious surface changes. On a limestone hillside lot, drainage design usually matters more than plant selection.
Water rules and rebate programs change. Confirm the current stage and schedule with your local water provider before relying on it.
Questions
Is Nashville soil acidic or alkaline?
Much of Nashville and the Middle Tennessee Central Basin has alkaline clay over limestone, unlike the acidic soils common in East and West Tennessee. That is why acid-loving plants such as blueberries, rhododendron, and pin oak often struggle here even though they are sold locally. A soil test through UT Extension is the fastest way to confirm your specific lot.
What plants grow well in Nashville?
Eastern redbud, oakleaf hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire, fragrant sumac, little bluestem, Northwind switchgrass, Christmas fern, aromatic aster, Amsonia, purple coneflower, and coral honeysuckle all handle zone 7b winters, humid summers, and thin alkaline soil over limestone.
What grows on a thin, rocky limestone slope in Nashville?
Little bluestem, fragrant sumac 'Gro-Low', and aromatic aster are the most reliable choices for shallow soil over limestone bedrock. All three are native to Middle Tennessee cedar glades, which are effectively the same conditions, and all three prefer not to be irrigated once established.
What invasive plants should I remove from a Nashville yard?
Bush honeysuckle, Chinese and European privet, wintercreeper, and Bradford pear are the four worst offenders in Middle Tennessee. Bush honeysuckle and privet dominate local woodland understories, and wintercreeper is still sold as a groundcover but climbs and damages trees.
Want a plant list matched to your specific yard rather than Nashville in general? See how Dream Landscaper designs against your actual conditions, or skip ahead and get your free concept.
Other city plant guides
11 plants covered. Mature sizes and water needs are typical ranges for the Nashville, Tennessee area and vary with microclimate, soil depth, and care. Nothing here is a substitute for a soil test or local extension advice.