Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Dougherty County

256 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Dougherty County by USDA PLANTS. 126 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Dougherty County, Georgia

Native species: 256 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 126 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 256 native species): Percent of the 256 native species in each growth type

Tree 20% (51)
Shrub 3% (8)
Wildflower (forb) 43% (111)
Grass or grass-like 27% (69)
Vine 5% (13)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (43%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (27%).

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 8b to 9a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 126

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

Garden-ready native plants of Dougherty County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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 snowbell Styrax americanus	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5b
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
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
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
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
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa	Wildflower (forb)	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus	Grass or grass-like	6.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
butterweed Packera glabella	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
coastal doghobble Leucothoe axillaris	Shrub	6.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 7b
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 blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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 rush Juncus effusus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	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
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
cupseed Calycocarpum lyonii	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
cylinder jointtail grass Coelorachis cylindrica	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa	Shrub	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
dwarf palmetto Sabal minor	Tree	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
field paspalum Paspalum laeve	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
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
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	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
inkberry Ilex glabra	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
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
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	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 pine Pinus taeda	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6b
longleaf pine Pinus palustris	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
longspike tridens Tridens strictus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
Mississippi buttercup Ranunculus laxicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens	Shrub	14 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
narrowleaf evening primrose Oenothera fruticosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7b
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
northern spiderlily Hymenocallis occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	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
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
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
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
poorland flatsedge Cyperus compressus	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
ravenfoot sedge Carex crus-corvi	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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
redbay Persea borbonia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
shoreline sedge Carex hyalinolepis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
slender little bluestem Schizachyrium tenerum	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
small-leaf arrowwood Viburnum obovatum	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 7b
southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
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
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp chestnut oak Quercus michauxii	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp rose Rosa palustris	Shrub	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
swamp titi Cyrilla racemiflora	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 6b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
Virginia iris Iris virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
water hickory Carya aquatica	Tree	85 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
water locust Gleditsia aquatica	Tree	40 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 10a
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
water tupelo Nyssa aquatica	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
white ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
willow oak Quercus phellos	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
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

Other native species recorded here 130

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 supplejack Berchemia scandens
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
annual fimbry Fimbristylis annua
aquatic milkweed Asclepias perennis
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
bearded skeletongrass Gymnopogon ambiguus
bigtop lovegrass Eragrostis hirsuta
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
broadwing sedge Carex alata
browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
bulltongue arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
chinquapin Castanea pumila
clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
creeping St. Johnswort Hypericum adpressum
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
dwarf sundew Drosera brevifolia
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern silver aster Symphyotrichum concolor
Elliott's bluestem Andropogon gyrans
Elliott's rush Juncus elliottii
erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
fewflower milkweed Asclepias lanceolata
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
fringed nutrush Scleria ciliata
giant sedge Carex gigantea
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
goldenclub Orontium aquaticum
grassleaf lettuce Lactuca graminifolia
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
Hall's bulrush Schoenoplectiella hallii
harvestbells Gentiana saponaria
heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
lakecress Neobeckia aquatica
Leggett's pinweed Lechea pulchella
man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
meadow garlic Allium canadense
narrow plumegrass Saccharum baldwinii
narrowleaf bluecurls Trichostema setaceum
narrowleaf lespedeza Lespedeza angustifolia
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
Pickering's dawnflower Stylisma pickeringii
pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
pink fuzzybean Strophostyles umbellata
poorjoe Diodia teres
potato dwarfdandelion Krigia dandelion
procession flower Polygala incarnata
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rough flatsedge Cyperus retrofractus
roughfruit scaleseed Spermolepis divaricata
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
scaly blazing star Liatris squarrosa
seaside threeawn Aristida tuberculosa
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
Small's yelloweyed grass Xyris smalliana
smallflower thoroughwort Eupatorium semiserratum
smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
swamp leather flower Clematis crispa
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
Texas vervain Verbena halei
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
vasevine Clematis viorna
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
white colicroot Aletris farinosa
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white wild indigo Baptisia alba
wild Job's tears Onosmodium virginianum
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
woolly ragwort Packera tomentosa
yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

Compared with Georgia

The typical county is the median of the 159 Georgia 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, Dougherty County and Georgia
Measure	Dougherty County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	256	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	126	58	608
Tree	51	—	202
Shrub	8	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	111	—	908
Grass or grass-like	69	—	403
Vine	13	—	78
Fern	4	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Dougherty County.

Baker County, GA 109 garden-ready
Lee County, GA 83 garden-ready
Mitchell County, GA 54 garden-ready
Terrell County, GA 31 garden-ready
Worth County, GA 102 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: Dougherty County (county FIPS 13095), Georgia. 256 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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