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Native plants · Alabama

Native plants of Etowah County

246 plant species are recorded as native to Alabama in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Etowah County by USDA PLANTS. 136 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Etowah County, Alabama

Native species
246 Typical Alabama county: 253 (median of 66 counties)
Garden-ready natives
136 Typical Alabama county: 146
Share by type (all 246 native species)
Percent of the 246 native species in each growth type
Tree 31% (77)
Shrub 9% (21)
Wildflower (forb) 31% (77)
Grass or grass-like 9% (22)
Vine 9% (21)
Fern 11% (28)

Trees make up the largest share of the native list (31%), followed by wildflowers (31%).

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 zone 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 136

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

Garden-ready native plants of Etowah County, Alabama
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American basswood Tilia americana Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American lotus Nelumbo lutea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
American plum Prunus americana Tree 24 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
American snowbell Styrax americanus Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5b
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 witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black oak Quercus velutina Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
bog rush Juncus biflorus Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 4b
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
cherrybark oak Quercus pagoda Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
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 hoptree Ptelea trifoliata Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
common maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris Fern 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
delta arrowhead Sagittaria platyphylla Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 6a
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa Tree 20 ft Sun High Zone 4b
downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
Elliott's blueberry Vaccinium elliottii Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
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
frost grape Vitis vulpina Vine 83 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens Grass or grass-like 5.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 2a
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata Vine 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
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
lanceleaf greenbrier Smilax smallii Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
loblolly pine Pinus taeda Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 6b
longleaf pine Pinus palustris Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina Shrub 9 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
meadow evening primrose Oenothera pilosella Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala Tree 52 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens Shrub 14 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
muscadine Vitis rotundifolia Vine 30 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
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
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
peppervine Nekemias arborea Vine 1 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus Shrub 8.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
scarlet oak Quercus coccinea Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smooth azalea Rhododendron arborescens Shrub 18 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
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
squarestem spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun High Zone 4b
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
swamp tupelo Nyssa biflora Tree 115 ft Sun High Zone 5b
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana Tree 60 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 9a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
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
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana Tree 70 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Virginia spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
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

Other native species recorded here 110

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.

  • Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
  • Alabama supplejack Berchemia scandens
  • American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
  • Appalachian bristle fern Trichomanes boschianum
  • ashy sunflower Helianthus mollis
  • Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
  • blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
  • blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • Bradley's spleenwort Asplenium bradleyi
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • cedarglade St. Johnswort Hypericum frondosum
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
  • climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • downy danthonia Danthonia sericea
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • early blue violet Viola ×palmata
  • early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
  • early St. Johnswort Hypericum nudiflorum
  • eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
  • eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
  • eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
  • eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fescue sedge Carex festucacea
  • fox grape Vitis labrusca
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • fringed yelloweyed grass Xyris fimbriata
  • greater tickseed Coreopsis major
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
  • Heller's cudweed Pseudognaphalium helleri
  • intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
  • kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
  • littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
  • low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
  • mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
  • navel cornsalad Valerianella umbilicata
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
  • northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
  • sand hickory Carya pallida
  • scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
  • sharpleaf St. Johnswort Hypericum virgatum
  • showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
  • silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
  • smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
  • southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
  • spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
  • spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • star tickseed Coreopsis pubescens
  • starved panicgrass Dichanthelium depauperatum
  • sticky catchfly Silene caroliniana
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
  • Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
  • weak rush Juncus debilis
  • white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
  • white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
  • whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
  • whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
  • yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
  • yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

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, Etowah County and Alabama
MeasureEtowah CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 246 253 1,758
Garden-ready natives 136 146 605
Tree 77 — 195
Shrub 21 — 81
Wildflower (forb) 77 — 923
Grass or grass-like 22 — 413
Vine 21 — 76
Fern 28 — 70

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Etowah County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Etowah County (county FIPS 01055), Alabama. 246 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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