• Shrubs should possess characteristics such as fall color, interesting foliage, fruit to attract wildlife and/or flowers to make themselves usable as a landscaping plant. In Oklahoma, certain native shrubs are up to this task. They grow in various locales across the state and can handle the rigors that the Oklahoma climate can dish out.
  
  

Lead-Plant

• Lead-plant (Amorpha canescens) grows throughout most of Oklahoma with the exception of the Panhandle and much of the eastern sections. Lead-plant grows to 4 feet and produces leaves resembling ferns and bluish-purple flowers. Lead-plant is not at all tolerant of the shade, requiring plenty of sun. Use it as a ground cover, placing it in areas where other plants refuse to grow. You can trim back the upper growth every three years to cause the plant to rejuvenate, notes Oklahoma State University.
  
  

Dawrf Chinkapin Oak

• The open woods, forest borders and roadsides of Oklahoma are where the dwarf chinkapin oak (Quercus prinoides) grows. Native from the middle of the state eastward to states including New Jersey and Tennessee, the dwarf chinkapin oak grows only to 9 feet, according to Oklahoma University. The shrub has many uses, since it does not require any pruning and can thrive anywhere possessing solid drainage. Use this shrub for mass plantings or plant them in rows to create effective privacy screens. It does well in full sunshine, which highlights its shiny green warm-weather foliage and fall colors of reds, yellows and oranges.
  
  

Chickasaw Plum

• Sometimes a Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) may attain tree size, but usually it is a shrub in the range of from 6 to 12 feet tall. Chickasaw plum in Oklahoma grows in much of the western portion of the Sooner State, often forming thickets. Chickasaw plum has ornamental value, as its handsome flowers bloom in March. The plums are tart, according to Floridata, ripening to a red shade and edible for humans and animals alike. Use Chickasaw plum to form screens or hedges. The shrub takes well to extensive pruning. Plant it in any type of soil except for one high in alkaline content.
  
  

Buttonbush

• A large shrub capable of growing to12 feet, buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a staple of wet areas in the eastern two-thirds of Oklahoma. Buttonbush is deciduous and tends to try to take over a wet location if allowed to. Buttonbush features aromatic white flowers with projecting styles coming out of them, a facet the Missouri Botanical Garden notes makes them resemble pincushions. The flowers eventually turn into solid fruits shaped like balls. Buttonbush will appeal to butterflies and is useful near ponds or in low damp areas of your property.