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Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Florida

Native plants of Union County

235 plant species are recorded as native to Florida in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Union County by USDA PLANTS. 110 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

Union County, Florida

Native species
235 Typical Florida county: 385 (median of 67 counties)
Garden-ready natives
110 Typical Florida county: 170
Share by type (all 235 native species)
Percent of the 235 native species in each growth type
Tree 18% (42)
Shrub 6% (15)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (112)
Grass or grass-like 18% (42)
Vine 7% (17)
Fern 3% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by trees (18%).

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 9a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 110

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

Garden-ready native plants of Union County, Florida
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6b
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 snowbell Styrax americanus Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5b
bald cypress Taxodium distichum Tree 130 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
bedstraw St. Johnswort Hypericum galioides Shrub 2.5 ft Sun High Zone 7a
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina ash Fraxinus caroliniana Tree 39 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7b
Carolina redroot Lachnanthes caroliana Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 8b
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Fern 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana Tree 33 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
coral greenbrier Smilax walteri Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
dahoon Ilex cassine Tree 26 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
dense blazing star Liatris spicata Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum subulatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
fetterbush lyonia Lyonia lucida Shrub 6.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
forked rush Juncus dichotomus Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8b
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
Gulf Sebastian-bush Ditrysinia fruticosa Shrub 12 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
hairy chaffhead Carphephorus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 8a
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
inkberry Ilex glabra Shrub 8 ft Sun High Zone 6a
large gallberry Ilex coriacea Tree 12 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
laurel greenbrier Smilax laurifolia Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
lesser creeping rush Juncus repens Grass or grass-like 6.8 ft Sun High Zone 8b
live oak Quercus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8a
loblolly bay Gordonia lasianthus Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant High 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
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
may hawthorn Crataegus aestivalis Tree 26 ft Sun High Zone 6b
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
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 7b
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 12a
overcup oak Quercus lyrata Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
peelbark St. Johnswort Hypericum fasciculatum Shrub 5 ft Sun — Zone 7b
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 5a
pignut hickory Carya glabra Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
planertree Planera aquatica Tree 50 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pond cypress Taxodium ascendens Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
pond pine Pinus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
poorland flatsedge Cyperus compressus Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
possumhaw Viburnum nudum Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Shrub 5 ft Sun High Zone 5b
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
roundpod St. Johnswort Hypericum cistifolium Shrub 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
saw palmetto Serenoa repens Tree 7 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
slash pine Pinus elliottii Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
small-leaf arrowwood Viburnum obovatum Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 7b
smallfruit beggarticks Bidens mitis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides Vine — Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 9b
spruce pine Pinus glabra Tree 90 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus Shrub 13 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius Wildflower (forb) 5.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
swamp titi Cyrilla racemiflora Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 6b
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
tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
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
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
woolly rosette grass Dichanthelium scabriusculum Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a

Other native species recorded here 125

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 bluehearts Buchnera americana
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • annual phlox Phlox drummondii
  • aquatic milkweed Asclepias perennis
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
  • beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
  • bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • chaffweed Anagallis minima
  • clasping water horehound Lycopus amplectens
  • climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
  • clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
  • combleaf mermaidweed Proserpinaca pectinata
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
  • cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
  • creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • Dillenius' ticktrefoil Desmodium glabellum
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • drumheads Polygala cruciata
  • dwarf umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
  • eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • Elliott's rush Juncus elliottii
  • erect centella Centella erecta
  • erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
  • fewflower beaksedge Rhynchospora rariflora
  • fewflower milkweed Asclepias lanceolata
  • flattened pipewort Eriocaulon compressum
  • Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
  • Florida yellow flax Linum floridanum
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
  • grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
  • greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
  • hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
  • helmet flower Scutellaria integrifolia
  • hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
  • herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
  • hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • justiceweed Eupatorium leucolepis
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
  • leathery rush Juncus coriaceus
  • Leggett's pinweed Lechea pulchella
  • little duckweed Lemna obscura
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
  • maidencane Panicum hemitomon
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • Maryland milkwort Polygala mariana
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
  • pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
  • pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
  • pink bogbutton Sclerolepis uniflora
  • pink sundew Drosera capillaris
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
  • queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
  • queendevil Hieracium gronovii
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • romerillo Bidens alba
  • rose of Plymouth Sabatia stellaris
  • rough boneset Eupatorium pilosum
  • roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
  • shortleaf spikesedge Kyllinga brevifolia
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
  • slender rose gentian Sabatia campanulata
  • smallfruit agrimony Agrimonia microcarpa
  • smallfruit spikerush Eleocharis microcarpa
  • smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
  • smooth elephantsfoot Elephantopus nudatus
  • snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • snowy orchid Platanthera nivea
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • stiff yellow flax Linum medium
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • tenlobe false foxglove Agalinis obtusifolia
  • Texas vervain Verbena halei
  • three-lobe violet Viola triloba
  • tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
  • Virginia marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
  • yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
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.

  • annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
  • Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides

Compared with Florida

The typical county is the median of the 67 Florida 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, Union County and Florida
MeasureUnion CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 235 385 1,282
Garden-ready natives 110 170 493
Tree 42 — 166
Shrub 15 — 59
Wildflower (forb) 112 — 648
Grass or grass-like 42 — 315
Vine 17 — 65
Fern 7 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Union 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
Union County (county FIPS 12125), Florida. 235 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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