Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Gilmer County

189 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Gilmer County by USDA PLANTS. 73 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Gilmer County, Georgia

Native species: 189 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 73 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 189 native species): Percent of the 189 native species in each growth type

Tree 16% (31)
Shrub 7% (13)
Wildflower (forb) 54% (103)
Grass or grass-like 6% (12)
Vine 5% (10)
Fern 11% (20)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by trees (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 zone 7b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 73

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

Garden-ready native plants of Gilmer County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
American holly Ilex opaca	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
black oak Quercus velutina	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
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
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
coastal doghobble Leucothoe axillaris	Shrub	6.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 7b
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana	Vine	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis	Tree	105 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
great laurel Rhododendron maximum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
harvestlice Agrimonia parviflora	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana	Fern	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens	Shrub	14 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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 spicebush Lindera benzoin	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
possumhaw Viburnum nudum	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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 willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
scarlet oak Quercus coccinea	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
small white violet Viola macloskeyi	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
smooth azalea Rhododendron arborescens	Shrub	18 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
southern red oak Quercus falcata	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
sweet birch Betula lenta	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
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
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 116

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.

agueweed Gentianella quinquefolia
Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
American climbing fern Lygodium palmatum
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
black baneberry Actaea racemosa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
Bowman's root Gillenia trifoliata
bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Carolina bugbane Trautvetteria caroliniensis
Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
chinquapin Castanea pumila
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
fire pink Silene virginica
flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
halberdleaf yellow violet Viola hastata
harvestbells Gentiana saponaria
heartleaf foamflower Tiarella cordifolia
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
lesser snakeroot Ageratina aromatica
lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
queendevil Hieracium gronovii
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
ribbed sedge Carex virescens
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
richweed Collinsonia canadensis
robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rosepink Sabatia angularis
roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
sicklepod Arabis canadensis
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
southern mountainmint Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides
sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
star chickweed Stellaria pubera
star tickseed Coreopsis pubescens
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
sweet white violet Viola blanda
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
thickleaf phlox Phlox carolina
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
woodland flax Linum virginianum
yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima

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, Gilmer County and Georgia
Measure	Gilmer County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	189	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	73	58	608
Tree	31	—	202
Shrub	13	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	103	—	908
Grass or grass-like	12	—	403
Vine	10	—	78
Fern	20	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Gilmer County.

Dawson County, GA 81 garden-ready
Fannin County, GA 76 garden-ready
Pickens County, GA 43 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: Gilmer County (county FIPS 13123), Georgia. 189 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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