Native plants of East Asia
These 58 plants belong to East Asia. They were here before the gardens were: they know the weather, live on the rain that falls, and feed the insects and birds that grew up alongside them. Plant a few and your yard starts to fit its place.
Signature plant: Ginkgo (female, for nuts), native here and in no other world region on this list.
Fruit trees (18)
- Apricot · zones 5–8
- Asian pear · zones 5–9
- Asian persimmon · zones 7–10
- Che (Chinese mulberry) · zones 6–9
- Date-plum (Caucasian persimmon) · zones 6–9
- Jujube · zones 6–10
- Kousa dogwood · zones 5–8
- Lapsi (Nepali hog plum) · zones 8–11
- Loquat · zones 8–10
- Manchurian apricot · zones 3–7
- Nectarine · zones 5–8
- Paper mulberry (aute) · zones 6–10
- Peach · zones 5–8
- Siberian apricot · zones 2–7
- Siberian crabapple · zones 2–7
- Ume (Japanese apricot) · zones 6–9
- Ussurian pear · zones 2–7
- Yamamomo (red bayberry) · zones 8–10
Berries and small fruit (3)
- Goji · zones 5–9
- Haskap (honeyberry) · zones 2–7
- Nanking cherry · zones 2–7
Nut trees (6)
- Chestnut · zones 4–8
- Ginkgo (female, for nuts) · zones 4–9
- Heartnut · zones 4–8
- Japanese chestnut · zones 5–9
- Korean pine (pine nut) · zones 3–7
- Yellowhorn · zones 4–8
Vines (3)
- Fuzzy kiwi · zones 7–9
- Hardy kiwi · zones 4–8
- Schisandra · zones 4–7
Tropical and subtropical food plants (4)
- Longan · zones 10–11
- Lychee · zones 10–11
- Nipa palm (golpata) · zones 11–12
- Star anise · zones 8–10
Perennial vegetables, greens and herbs (13)
- Astragalus (huang qi) · zones 5–9
- Crosnes (Chinese artichoke) · zones 5–9
- Gotu kola · zones 8–12
- Japanese pepper (sansho) · zones 6–9
- Lotus (root and seeds) · zones 5–11
- Mitsuba (Japanese parsley) · zones 4–9
- Myoga ginger · zones 7–10
- Sichuan pepper · zones 6–9
- Skirret · zones 5–9
- Tea · zones 7–9
- Timur (Nepal pepper) · zones 7–10
- Udo · zones 4–9
- Wasabi · zones 8–10
Annual vegetables, herbs and grains (9)
- Adzuki bean · zones 4–10
- Bok choy · zones 2–11
- Foxtail millet · zones 3–11
- Komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach) · zones 3–10
- Napa cabbage · zones 4–9
- Rice · zones 6–12
- Soybean · zones 3–11
- Tartary buckwheat (phapar) · zones 2–9
- Yardlong bean · zones 5–12
Native and wild plants (1)
- Camellia (tsubaki) · zones 7–9
Helper plants for soil, wildlife and biomass (1)
- Daikon (tillage radish) · zones 2–11
Open the natives of East Asia in the planner
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All regions · Plants by hardiness zone
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home