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Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Gordon County

130 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Gordon County by USDA PLANTS. 65 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Gordon County, Georgia

Native species
130 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives
65 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 130 native species)
Percent of the 130 native species in each growth type
Tree 20% (26)
Shrub 9% (12)
Wildflower (forb) 47% (61)
Grass or grass-like 11% (14)
Vine 5% (6)
Fern 8% (11)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (47%), followed by trees (20%).

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 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 65

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

Garden-ready native plants of Gordon County, Georgia
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American bur-reed Sparganium americanum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
American plum Prunus americana Tree 24 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
American water-willow Justicia americana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
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
buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides Tree 9.8 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
butternut Juglans cinerea Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun 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
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli Tree 30 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
common duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
green arrow arum Peltandra virginica Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
jewelweed Impatiens capensis Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
northern red oak Quercus rubra Tree 81 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica Tree 65 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
purplehead sneezeweed Helenium flexuosum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus Shrub 8.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smallhead rush Juncus brachycephalus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
swamp loosestrife Decodon verticillatus Shrub 8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
swamp rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana Tree 70 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
whitegrass Leersia virginica Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
willow oak Quercus phellos Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 65

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 lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
  • Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
  • American alumroot Heuchera americana
  • American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • birdfoot violet Viola pedata
  • blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
  • Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
  • bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • Copenhagen hawthorn Crataegus intricata
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cutleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum pinnatum
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
  • eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
  • eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • greater tickseed Coreopsis major
  • hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
  • heartleaf plantain Plantago cordata
  • hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
  • helmet flower Scutellaria integrifolia
  • Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
  • narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
  • pitcher's stitchwort Minuartia patula
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • smallflower baby blue eyes Nemophila aphylla
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
  • swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
  • thickleaf phlox Phlox carolina
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
  • violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
  • white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
  • white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
  • woodland flax Linum virginianum
  • yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris

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, Gordon County and Georgia
MeasureGordon CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 130 129 1,750
Garden-ready natives 65 58 608
Tree 26 — 202
Shrub 12 — 91
Wildflower (forb) 61 — 908
Grass or grass-like 14 — 403
Vine 6 — 78
Fern 11 — 68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Gordon 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
Gordon County (county FIPS 13129), Georgia. 130 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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