• Using the shrubs that grow native to Indiana for some of your landscaping projects makes good sense. These species already have exposure to the growing conditions in the Hoosier State. Indiana shrubs need to exhibit hardiness to withstand some of the weather extremes they encounter. The same shrubs that grow wild throughout this Midwestern state often can fill some of the voids on your property.
  
  

Smooth Sumac

• Only one species of shrub is native to all of the 48 contiguous states -- smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) -- according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Smooth sumac rewards you with color from its fruit and its autumn foliage. The shrub grows to 20 feet and features angled branches that lack any hairs, as some sumacs possess. Smooth sumac's leaves resemble ferns, and the developing red fruit matures on female plants in clusters. The leaves change to red and orange in fall. Smooth sumac is a good choice to cover embankments or to fill in a spot where little else of value grows on your property, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden.
  
  

Arrowwood

• Birds and butterflies find arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) attractive, as its white flowers and subsequent black-blue fruit lure them to this deciduous Indiana native. Arrowwood grows to 10 feet in well-draining habitats. You can use arrowwood to form a hedge or screen. Some landscapers employ arrowwood as a background species for other shrubs and flowers. Arrowood's fall foliage is unpredictable, with some years better than others. The shrub gets its name from Native Americans using the straight stems to construct their arrows.
  
  

Witch Hazel

• Only extreme western and much of southwestern Indiana lacks witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) in the wild. This shrub does have the ability to become a small tree if left alone, but most grow between 10 and 15 feet. Witch hazel gives you excellent fall color, with the bright green leaves turning to shades of yellow. Imagine your surprise in October and November when the leaves fall off and flowers emerge; witch hazel has the distinction of being the "last woody plant to flower," according to the University of Connecticut Plant Database. You can place witch hazel in some shade or in full sun. It grows best in cool, acidic soil.
  
  

Summersweet

• A shrub native to damp wooded areas in the entire East, summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) will grow to 8 feet. The shrub has many stems, and its dark green leaves grow densely on the branches in open locations. Summersweet will have aromatic white flower clusters in the middle of summer. The shrub grows well in damp, acidic ground; avoid planting summersweet in exposed, dry places. Use summersweet for a privacy screen, for a shrub border or in groups to create a mass planting. The shrub will produce offshoots from its roots, allowing it to cover a large area. Cultivars include Creels Calico and September Beauty.