Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Early County

224 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Early County by USDA PLANTS. 97 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Early County, Georgia

Native species: 224 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 97 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 224 native species): Percent of the 224 native species in each growth type

Tree 16% (36)
Shrub 8% (17)
Wildflower (forb) 43% (97)
Grass or grass-like 25% (57)
Vine 4% (9)
Fern 4% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (43%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (25%).

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

Garden-ready natives 97

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

Garden-ready native plants of Early County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American snowbell Styrax americanus	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5b
American spongeplant Limnobium spongia	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
bigleaf snowbell Styrax grandifolius	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 4b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2b
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
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides	Tree	9.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Carolina redroot Lachnanthes caroliana	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana	Tree	33 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7b
coastal sweetpepperbush Clethra alnifolia	Shrub	16 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
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 maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris	Fern	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
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
cypress swamp sedge Carex joorii	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
dahoon Ilex cassine	Tree	26 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa	Shrub	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
fetterbush lyonia Lyonia lucida	Shrub	6.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
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 loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
loblolly bay Gordonia lasianthus	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	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
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
peelbark St. Johnswort Hypericum fasciculatum	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	—	Zone 7b
pond cypress Taxodium ascendens	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 8a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
ravenfoot sedge Carex crus-corvi	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus	Shrub	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
shallow sedge Carex lurida	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
small beggarticks Bidens discoidea	Wildflower (forb)	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
southern bayberry Morella caroliniensis	Tree	7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
southern sugar maple Acer floridanum	Tree	50 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
southern waxy sedge Carex glaucescens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides	Vine	—	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 9b
spruce pine Pinus glabra	Tree	90 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
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 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
thicket sedge Carex abscondita	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 8a
valdivia duckweed Lemna valdiviana	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b

Other native species recorded here 127

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 cancer-root Conopholis americana
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
bent sedge Carex styloflexa
bigtop lovegrass Eragrostis hirsuta
blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
Brazilian watermeal Wolffia brasiliensis
bunched beaksedge Rhynchospora cephalantha
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
cankerweed Prenanthes serpentaria
Carolina bugbane Trautvetteria caroliniensis
Carolina leaf-flower Phyllanthus caroliniensis
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
Carolina sedge Carex caroliniana
cedarglade St. Johnswort Hypericum frondosum
chaffweed Anagallis minima
Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clustered beaksedge Rhynchospora glomerata
coastal false asphodel Triantha racemosa
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
combleaf mermaidweed Proserpinaca pectinata
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
crested yellow orchid Platanthera cristata
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
dwarf violet iris Iris verna
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
eastern smooth beardtongue Penstemon laevigatus
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
fewflower beaksedge Rhynchospora rariflora
flattened pipewort Eriocaulon compressum
Florida mudmidget Wolffiella gladiata
foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
fringed yelloweyed grass Xyris fimbriata
giant sedge Carex gigantea
grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
harvestbells Gentiana saponaria
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
lesser snakeroot Ageratina aromatica
little floating bladderwort Utricularia radiata
little floatingheart Nymphoides cordata
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
Louisiana sedge Carex louisianica
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
marsh rose gentian Sabatia dodecandra
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow garlic Allium canadense
narrowleaf lespedeza Lespedeza angustifolia
narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
nodding beaksedge Rhynchospora inexpansa
oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
purple spikerush Eleocharis atropurpurea
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
rosepink Sabatia angularis
roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
satincurls Clematis catesbyana
scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sharpscale sedge Carex oxylepis
slender Indiangrass Sorghastrum elliottii
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
slender plantain Plantago heterophylla
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
smallflower thoroughwort Eupatorium semiserratum
smallfruit spikerush Eleocharis microcarpa
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
stiff cowbane Oxypolis rigidior
stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
thymeleaf pinweed Lechea minor
trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
twoleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
Virginia bunchflower Veratrum virginicum
Virginia marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Walter's sedge Carex striata
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white fringed orchid Platanthera blephariglottis
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white wild indigo Baptisia alba
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata

Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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.

climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides

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, Early County and Georgia
Measure	Early County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	224	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	97	58	608
Tree	36	—	202
Shrub	17	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	97	—	908
Grass or grass-like	57	—	403
Vine	9	—	78
Fern	8	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Early County.

Baker County, GA 109 garden-ready
Calhoun County, GA 58 garden-ready
Clay County, GA 58 garden-ready
Miller County, GA 46 garden-ready
Seminole County, GA 69 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: Early County (county FIPS 13099), Georgia. 224 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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