Native plants · Alabama
Native plants of Walker County
239 plant species are recorded as native to Alabama in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Walker County by USDA PLANTS. 132 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Walker County, Alabama
- Native species
- 239 Typical Alabama county: 253 (median of 66 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 132 Typical Alabama county: 146
- Share by type (all 239 native species)
-
Percent of the 239 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (36%), followed by trees (35%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 132
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy 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 elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| 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 wisteria Wisteria frutescens | Vine | 50 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 maple Acer nigrum | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa | Grass or grass-like | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.7 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 36 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 5a |
| common winterberry Ilex verticillata | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5b |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 7a |
| eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis | Tree | 105 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| hazel alder Alnus serrulata | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| loblolly pine Pinus taeda | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 6b |
| longleaf pine Pinus palustris | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Nuttall oak Quercus texana | Tree | 110 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| parsley hawthorn Crataegus marshallii | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| possumhaw Viburnum nudum | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| possumhaw Ilex decidua | Tree | 33 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| post oak Quercus stellata | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| purplehead sneezeweed Helenium flexuosum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 phlox Phlox glaberrima | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| stiff dogwood Cornus foemina | Tree | 16 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 chestnut oak Quercus michauxii | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus | Shrub | 13 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 5.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| swamp tupelo Nyssa biflora | Tree | 115 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5b |
| sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Vine | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| water oak Quercus nigra | Tree | 90 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 |
| 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 |
| wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea | Vine | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 107
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American bluehearts Buchnera americana
- American buckwheat vine Brunnichia ovata
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- Appalachian bristle fern Trichomanes boschianum
- arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
- azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
- beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
- beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
- bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bristly locust Robinia hispida
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- bulbous woodrush Luzula bulbosa
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- Carolina leaf-flower Phyllanthus caroliniensis
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
- coastal plain sedge Carex crebriflora
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
- eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- Engelmann's spikerush Eleocharis engelmannii
- false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- field pansy Viola bicolor
- forkleaf toothwort Cardamine dissecta
- foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
- fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
- giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
- greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
- green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
- hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
- handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
- harvestbells Gentiana saponaria
- hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
- Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
- large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
- longspur violet Viola rostrata
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
- Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
- pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- prostrate blue violet Viola walteri
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
- roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
- smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia bunchflower Veratrum virginicum
- Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
- whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
- woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
- yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima
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.
| Measure | Walker County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 239 | 253 | 1,758 |
| Garden-ready natives | 132 | 146 | 605 |
| Tree | 84 | — | 195 |
| Shrub | 18 | — | 81 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 86 | — | 923 |
| Grass or grass-like | 13 | — | 413 |
| Vine | 19 | — | 76 |
| Fern | 19 | — | 70 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Walker County.
- Blount County, AL 125 garden-ready
- Cullman County, AL 141 garden-ready
- Fayette County, AL 119 garden-ready
- Jefferson County, AL 134 garden-ready
- Tuscaloosa County, AL 334 garden-ready
- Winston County, AL 135 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
- Walker County (county FIPS 01127), Alabama. 239 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