Native plants · Alabama

Native plants of Talladega County

265 plant species are recorded as native to Alabama in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Talladega County by USDA PLANTS. 148 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Talladega County, Alabama

Native species
265 Typical Alabama county: 253 (median of 66 counties)
Garden-ready natives
148 Typical Alabama county: 146
Share by type (all 265 native species)
Percent of the 265 native species in each growth type
Tree 28% (73)
Shrub 10% (26)
Wildflower (forb) 36% (96)
Grass or grass-like 12% (33)
Vine 6% (17)
Fern 8% (20)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (36%), followed by trees (28%).

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 148

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

Garden-ready native plants of Talladega 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 bur-reed Sparganium americanum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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 witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Appalachian blazing star Liatris squarrulosa Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
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 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
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
bushy St. Johnswort Hypericum densiflorum Shrub 6.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 8a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
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
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Fern 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana Tree 33 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
coral greenbrier Smilax walteri Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 6a
cypressknee sedge Carex decomposita Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6a
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa Tree 20 ft Sun High Zone 4b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa Shrub 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
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
Frank's sedge Carex frankii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
fringed sedge Carex crinita Grass or grass-like 5.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
frost grape Vitis vulpina Vine 83 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium Grass or grass-like 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
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
knotgrass Paspalum distichum Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun High Zone 6a
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
loblolly pine Pinus taeda Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 6b
longleaf pine Pinus palustris Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
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 blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica Tree 65 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
parsley hawthorn Crataegus marshallii Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
pond cypress Taxodium ascendens Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
prairie willow Salix humilis Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
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
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
river birch Betula nigra Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sand blackberry Rubus cuneifolius Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
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
shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum Shrub 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
silver maple Acer saccharinum Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 2b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
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
St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus Shrub 13 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp tupelo Nyssa biflora Tree 115 ft Sun High Zone 5b
sweet birch Betula lenta Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
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 sweetspire Itea virginica Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
water tupelo Nyssa aquatica Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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 panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 117

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.

  • American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
  • azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
  • blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
  • blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
  • Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • Bradley's spleenwort Asplenium bradleyi
  • branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • broadwing sedge Carex alata
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • cankerweed Prenanthes serpentaria
  • Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
  • Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
  • cedarglade St. Johnswort Hypericum frondosum
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
  • downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
  • downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
  • dwarf hawthorn Crataegus uniflora
  • dwarf violet iris Iris verna
  • eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • fire pink Silene virginica
  • flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • flypoison Amianthium muscitoxicum
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • giant sedge Carex gigantea
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • hairy angelica Angelica venenosa
  • hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • hirsute sedge Carex complanata
  • hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
  • littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
  • longbeak arrowhead Sagittaria australis
  • longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
  • low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
  • lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • nodding beaksedge Rhynchospora inexpansa
  • northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
  • Nuttall's lobelia Lobelia nuttallii
  • openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
  • reflexed flatsedge Cyperus refractus
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sharpscale sedge Carex oxylepis
  • showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
  • silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
  • slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
  • southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
  • southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • star tickseed Coreopsis pubescens
  • stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
  • striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
  • weak rush Juncus debilis
  • whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
  • white colicroot Aletris farinosa
  • white turtlehead Chelone glabra
  • whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
  • wild yam Dioscorea villosa
  • wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
  • woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
  • woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
  • yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
  • yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima
  • zigzag spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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.

  • annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia

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, Talladega County and Alabama
MeasureTalladega CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 265 253 1,758
Garden-ready natives 148 146 605
Tree 73 — 195
Shrub 26 — 81
Wildflower (forb) 96 — 923
Grass or grass-like 33 — 413
Vine 17 — 76
Fern 20 — 70

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Talladega 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
Talladega County (county FIPS 01121), Alabama. 265 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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