Native plants · Alabama

Native plants of Colbert County

269 plant species are recorded as native to Alabama in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Colbert County by USDA PLANTS. 149 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Colbert County, Alabama

Native species: 269 Typical Alabama county: 253 (median of 66 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 149 Typical Alabama county: 146
Share by type (all 269 native species): Percent of the 269 native species in each growth type

Tree 30% (82)
Shrub 8% (21)
Wildflower (forb) 32% (87)
Grass or grass-like 11% (29)
Vine 8% (21)
Fern 11% (29)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (32%), followed by trees (30%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zones 7b to 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 149

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Colbert County, Alabama
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6b
American beech Fagus grandifolia	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 12b
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens	Vine	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
American holly Ilex opaca	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
American water plantain Alisma subcordatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
American wisteria Wisteria frutescens	Vine	50 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
bald cypress Taxodium distichum	Tree	130 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
bigleaf snowbell Styrax grandifolius	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 4b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
black oak Quercus velutina	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica	Tree	95 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
Bush's sedge Carex bushii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 4b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
chestnut oak Quercus montana	Tree	73 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
climbing rose Rosa setigera	Vine	16 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana	Tree	33 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7b
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
common maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris	Fern	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana	Tree	55 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	36 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
cupseed Calycocarpum lyonii	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis	Tree	105 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea	Shrub	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
hazel alder Alnus serrulata	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
Kentucky yellowwood Cladrastis kentukea	Tree	40 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
loblolly pine Pinus taeda	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6b
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa	Tree	85 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
muscadine Vitis rotundifolia	Vine	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
peppervine Nekemias arborea	Vine	1 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
quill sedge Carex tenera	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red buckeye Aesculus pavia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
red maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
river birch Betula nigra	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox	Vine	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
scarlet oak Quercus coccinea	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
silky willow Salix sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
silver maple Acer saccharinum	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
slender spikerush Eleocharis tenuis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
southern red oak Quercus falcata	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
southern sugar maple Acer floridanum	Tree	50 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
sugar maple Acer saccharum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
thicket sedge Carex abscondita	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
thinfruit sedge Carex flaccosperma	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
valdivia duckweed Lemna valdiviana	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
waterpod Hydrolea quadrivalvis	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
white oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
white prairie clover Dalea candida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
willow oak Quercus phellos	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
winged elm Ulmus alata	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
woodland bluegrass Poa sylvestris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 120

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

Adam's needle Yucca filamentosa
Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
Alabama supplejack Berchemia scandens
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
Appalachian bristle fern Trichomanes boschianum
arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
black highbush blueberry Vaccinium fuscatum
blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
cedarglade St. Johnswort Hypericum frondosum
celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
chaffweed Anagallis minima
chinquapin Castanea pumila
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
creeping burhead Echinodorus cordifolius
creeping eryngo Eryngium prostratum
creeping lespedeza Lespedeza repens
crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
crossvine Bignonia capreolata
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Elliott's fanpetals Sida elliottii
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fescue sedge Carex festucacea
fire pink Silene virginica
floating mannagrass Glyceria septentrionalis
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
golden zizia Zizia aurea
great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
hairy alumroot Heuchera villosa
hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
heartleaf plantain Plantago cordata
herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
hogwort Croton capitatus
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
kidneyshape sedge Carex reniformis
largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
limestone adderstongue Ophioglossum engelmannii
littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
narrowleaf gumweed Grindelia lanceolata
narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
rock clubmoss Huperzia porophila
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
roundseed St. Johnswort Hypericum sphaerocarpum
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
star tickseed Coreopsis pubescens
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
woolly ragwort Packera tomentosa
yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens

Compared with Alabama

The typical county is the median of the 66 Alabama counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Colbert County and Alabama
Measure	Colbert County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	269	253	1,758
Garden-ready natives	149	146	605
Tree	82	—	195
Shrub	21	—	81
Wildflower (forb)	87	—	923
Grass or grass-like	29	—	413
Vine	21	—	76
Fern	29	—	70

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Colbert County.

Franklin County, AL 127 garden-ready
Lawrence County, AL 223 garden-ready
Tishomingo County, MS 232 garden-ready

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope: Colbert County (county FIPS 01033), Alabama. 269 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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