Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Fulton County

279 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Fulton County by USDA PLANTS. 104 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

Fulton County, Georgia

Native species
279 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives
104 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 279 native species)
Percent of the 279 native species in each growth type
Tree 12% (33)
Shrub 6% (18)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (147)
Grass or grass-like 16% (44)
Vine 5% (15)
Fern 8% (22)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (16%).

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 8a to 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 104

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

Garden-ready native plants of Fulton County, Georgia
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 hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
American water-willow Justicia americana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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 willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia Tree 12 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
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
crested woodfern Dryopteris cristata Fern 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
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
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
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
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fringed sedge Carex crinita Grass or grass-like 5.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
great laurel Rhododendron maximum Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana Fern 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus Wildflower (forb) 9.8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
lanceleaf loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
longspike tridens Tridens strictus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina Shrub 9 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun High Zone 8a
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
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
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum Fern 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 12a
painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica Tree 65 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
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
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
southern catalpa Catalpa bignonioides Tree 66 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
summer grape Vitis aestivalis Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana Tree 70 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
willow oak Quercus phellos Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 175

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.

  • Adam's needle Yucca filamentosa
  • Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
  • American black nightshade Solanum americanum
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • annual fimbry Fimbristylis annua
  • annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia
  • Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
  • azure blue sage Salvia azurea
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bent sedge Carex styloflexa
  • black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
  • blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • buffalo clover Trifolium reflexum
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • Canada lily Lilium canadense
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
  • Carolina bugbane Trautvetteria caroliniensis
  • Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
  • Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
  • chinquapin Castanea pumila
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clustered fescue Festuca paradoxa
  • coastal plain blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium fuscatum
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • cutleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum pinnatum
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
  • dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
  • dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
  • dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
  • early blue violet Viola ×palmata
  • early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
  • early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
  • early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
  • early St. Johnswort Hypericum nudiflorum
  • eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
  • eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
  • eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
  • eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
  • fire pink Silene virginica
  • flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
  • hairy clustervine Jacquemontia tamnifolia
  • hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
  • hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
  • hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
  • heartleaf foamflower Tiarella cordifolia
  • Heller's cudweed Pseudognaphalium helleri
  • highland doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana
  • hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
  • hyssopleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium hyssopifolium
  • Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
  • lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
  • longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
  • low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
  • Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
  • mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
  • nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
  • narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
  • needletip blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
  • northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
  • perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
  • pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
  • pink fuzzybean Strophostyles umbellata
  • prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
  • queendevil Hieracium gronovii
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
  • rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
  • redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
  • Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
  • scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
  • sharpscale sedge Carex oxylepis
  • shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
  • shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
  • silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
  • singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
  • slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
  • Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
  • smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
  • smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
  • smooth small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium marilandicum
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
  • southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spreading sandwort Arenaria lanuginosa
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • star chickweed Stellaria pubera
  • starved panicgrass Dichanthelium depauperatum
  • stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
  • strawberry-tomato Physalis grisea
  • striped cream violet Viola striata
  • striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
  • tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
  • tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
  • thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
  • thickleaf phlox Phlox carolina
  • trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
  • twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
  • violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
  • white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
  • wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
  • woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
  • yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
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.

  • climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
  • 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, Fulton County and Georgia
MeasureFulton CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 279 129 1,750
Garden-ready natives 104 58 608
Tree 33 — 202
Shrub 18 — 91
Wildflower (forb) 147 — 908
Grass or grass-like 44 — 403
Vine 15 — 78
Fern 22 — 68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Fulton 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
Fulton County (county FIPS 13121), Georgia. 279 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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