Best Nitrogen-Fixing Plants

Soil-improving legumes and friends that pull nitrogen from the air and feed their neighbors.

Showing the top 30 of 125 matching plants, ranked by nursery availability, then native status. The Plant Finder searches all 125.

1. 
   alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanusZone 2+ · part shade · 15 ft · native
2. 
   alpine sweetvetch Hedysarum alpinumZone 1+ · full sun · 2 ft · native
3. 
   American wisteria Wisteria frutescensZone 6+ · shade · 50 ft · native
4. 
   antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentataZone 2+ · part shade · 6 ft · native
5. 
   black locust Robinia pseudoacaciaZone 3+ · full sun · 60 ft · native
6. 
   bladderpod spiderflower Cleome isomerisZone 7+ · full sun · 5 ft · native
7. 
   bristly locust Robinia hispidaZone 4+ · full sun · 7 ft · native
8. 
   cabbagebark tree Andira inermisZone 10+ · full sun · 90 ft · native
9. 
   California wax myrtle Morella californicaZone 9+ · full sun · 33 ft · native
10. 
    Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensisZone 3+ · full sun · 0.5 ft · native
11. 
    curl-leaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifoliusZone 2+ · part shade · 20 ft · native
12. 
    desert bitterbrush Purshia glandulosaZone 5+ · full sun · 5 ft · native
13. 
    eightpetal mountain-avens Dryas octopetalaZone 1+ · part shade · 0.3 ft · native
14. 
    false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosaZone 3+ · full sun · 15 ft · native
15. 
    gray alder Alnus incanaZone 3+ · part shade · 25 ft · native
16. 
    groundnut Apios americanaZone 4+ · shade · 1 ft · native
17. 
    hazel alder Alnus serrulataZone 4+ · full sun · 30 ft · native
18. 
    Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensisZone 5+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
19. 
    koa Acacia koaZone 10+ · full sun · 110 ft · native
20. 
    leadplant Amorpha canescensZone 3+ · shade · 4 ft · native
21. 
    mamani Sophora chrysophyllaZone 9+ · part shade · 40 ft · native
22. 
    Maryland senna Senna marilandicaZone 5+ · part shade · 6.6 ft · native
23. 
    mescal bean Sophora secundifloraZone 7+ · full sun · 15 ft · native
24. 
    mountain alder Alnus viridisZone 1+ · part shade · 10 ft · native
25. 
    New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanusZone 4+ · shade · 3 ft · native
26. 
    New Mexico locust Robinia neomexicanaZone 4+ · full sun · 25 ft · native
27. 
    Nootka lupine Lupinus nootkatensisZone 3+ · part shade · 2 ft · native
28. 
    northern bayberry Morella pensylvanicaZone 4+ · full sun · 7 ft · native
29. 
    northern catalpa Catalpa speciosaZone 3+ · full sun · 60 ft · native
30. 
    Oahu riverhemp Sesbania tomentosaZone 12+ · part shade · 2 ft · native

Every plant here is drawn from the USDA PLANTS database; the traits behind this list are quoted from it, not estimated. See data & sources.

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