Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Irwin County

140 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Irwin County by USDA PLANTS. 55 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Irwin County, Georgia

Native species: 140 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 55 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 140 native species): Percent of the 140 native species in each growth type

Tree 11% (16)
Shrub 11% (15)
Wildflower (forb) 56% (79)
Grass or grass-like 14% (20)
Vine 3% (4)
Fern 4% (6)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (14%).

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 55

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

Garden-ready native plants of Irwin County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American snowbell Styrax americanus	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5b
American wisteria Wisteria frutescens	Vine	50 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus	Grass or grass-like	6.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Carolina ash Fraxinus caroliniana	Tree	39 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7b
Carolina redroot Lachnanthes caroliana	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
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
coastal sweetpepperbush Clethra alnifolia	Shrub	16 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
comfortroot Hibiscus aculeatus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
dense blazing star Liatris spicata	Wildflower (forb)	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
dwarf azalea Rhododendron atlanticum	Shrub	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
inkberry Ilex glabra	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
lesser creeping rush Juncus repens	Grass or grass-like	6.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
little barley Hordeum pusillum	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina	Shrub	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens	Shrub	14 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
muscadine Vitis rotundifolia	Vine	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
narrowleaf evening primrose Oenothera fruticosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
Ogeechee tupelo Nyssa ogeche	Tree	50 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6b
pond cypress Taxodium ascendens	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 8a
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
red maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
redbay Persea borbonia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
running oak Quercus pumila	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
saw palmetto Serenoa repens	Tree	7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus	Shrub	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
southern waxy sedge Carex glaucescens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus	Shrub	13 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius	Wildflower (forb)	5.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
swamp titi Cyrilla racemiflora	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 6b
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana	Tree	60 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 9a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
turkey oak Quercus laevis	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
willow oak Quercus phellos	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
woolly rosette grass Dichanthelium scabriusculum	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
wrinkled jointtail grass Coelorachis rugosa	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b

Other native species recorded here 85

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 bluehearts Buchnera americana
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
bog yelloweyed grass Xyris difformis
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
clasping water horehound Lycopus amplectens
coastal false asphodel Triantha racemosa
coastal plain blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium fuscatum
combleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pectinata
common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
drumheads Polygala cruciata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
fewflower milkweed Asclepias lanceolata
fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
Florida yellow flax Linum floridanum
forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
fringed yelloweyed grass Xyris fimbriata
grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
hairy clustervine Jacquemontia tamnifolia
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
little floatingheart Nymphoides cordata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
Nuttall's lobelia Lobelia nuttallii
Nuttall's milkwort Polygala nuttallii
obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
piedmont staggerbush Lyonia mariana
pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
pink sundew Drosera capillaris
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
poorjoe Diodia teres
procession flower Polygala incarnata
queendevil Hieracium gronovii
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
sanddune sandbur Cenchrus tribuloides
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
slender clubmoss Lycopodiella caroliniana
slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
snowy orchid Platanthera nivea
southern jointweed Polygonella americana
spindleroot Ludwigia hirtella
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
white colicroot Aletris farinosa
white fringed orchid Platanthera blephariglottis
white wild indigo Baptisia alba
wild Job's tears Onosmodium 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, Irwin County and Georgia
Measure	Irwin County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	140	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	55	58	608
Tree	16	—	202
Shrub	15	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	79	—	908
Grass or grass-like	20	—	403
Vine	4	—	78
Fern	6	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Irwin County.

Ben Hill County, GA 106 garden-ready
Berrien County, GA 86 garden-ready
Coffee County, GA 56 garden-ready
Tift County, GA 109 garden-ready
Turner County, GA 44 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: Irwin County (county FIPS 13155), Georgia. 140 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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