Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Gwinnett County

137 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Gwinnett County by USDA PLANTS. 54 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Gwinnett County, Georgia

Native species: 137 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 54 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 137 native species): Percent of the 137 native species in each growth type

Tree 23% (32)
Shrub 8% (11)
Wildflower (forb) 42% (58)
Grass or grass-like 11% (15)
Vine 3% (4)
Fern 12% (17)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (42%), followed by trees (23%).

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

Garden-ready natives 54

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

Garden-ready native plants of Gwinnett County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 4b
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 serviceberry Amelanchier obovalis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	36 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
field horsetail Equisetum arvense	Fern	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea	Shrub	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
great laurel Rhododendron maximum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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 evening primrose Oenothera fruticosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
northern spiderlily Hymenocallis occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica	Tree	65 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 8a
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
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
riverbank wildrye Elymus riparius	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
roundpod St. Johnswort Hypericum cistifolium	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana	Tree	60 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 9a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Washington hawthorn Crataegus phaenopyrum	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
willow oak Quercus phellos	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b

Other native species recorded here 83

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.

birdfoot violet Viola pedata
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
bog yelloweyed grass Xyris difformis
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broadleaf ironweed Vernonia glauca
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
cankerweed Prenanthes serpentaria
Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
early St. Johnswort Hypericum nudiflorum
eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
fewflower beaksedge Rhynchospora rariflora
fewflower nutrush Scleria pauciflora
fire pink Silene virginica
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
hairy umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
Illinois pinweed Lechea racemulosa
lesser snakeroot Ageratina aromatica
littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
poison sumac Toxicodendron vernix
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
shaggy hedgehyssop Gratiola pilosa
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
smallfruit spikerush Eleocharis microcarpa
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
southern jointweed Polygonella americana
southern mountainmint Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides
sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
star tickseed Coreopsis pubescens
starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
threadleaf evening primrose Oenothera linifolia
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
weak rush Juncus debilis
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
woolly ragwort Packera tomentosa
yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
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, Gwinnett County and Georgia
Measure	Gwinnett County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	137	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	54	58	608
Tree	32	—	202
Shrub	11	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	58	—	908
Grass or grass-like	15	—	403
Vine	4	—	78
Fern	17	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Gwinnett County.

Barrow County, GA 27 garden-ready
DeKalb County, GA 112 garden-ready
Forsyth County, GA 84 garden-ready
Fulton County, GA 104 garden-ready
Hall County, GA 143 garden-ready
Jackson County, GA 89 garden-ready
Walton County, GA 60 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: Gwinnett County (county FIPS 13135), Georgia. 137 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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