Native plants · Georgia
Native plants of Meriwether County
222 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Meriwether County by USDA PLANTS. 92 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Meriwether County, Georgia
- Native species
- 222 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 92 Typical Georgia county: 58
- Share by type (all 222 native species)
-
Percent of the 222 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (43%), followed by trees (18%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 92
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American chestnut Castanea dentata | Tree | 115 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Appalachian blazing star Liatris squarrulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackjack oak Quercus marilandica | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| cat greenbrier Smilax glauca | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| chestnut oak Quercus montana | Tree | 73 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 5a |
| common winterberry Ilex verticillata | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| coral greenbrier Smilax walteri | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 6b |
| crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5b |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa | Shrub | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum | Tree | 28 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| field paspalum Paspalum laeve | Grass or grass-like | 2.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6a |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum | Shrub | 12 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| hop sedge Carex lupulina | Grass or grass-like | 4.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| knotgrass Paspalum distichum | Grass or grass-like | 11 in | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| large gallberry Ilex coriacea | Tree | 12 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 8a |
| late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| laurel greenbrier Smilax laurifolia | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 6b |
| little barley Hordeum pusillum | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| longleaf pine Pinus palustris | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica | Tree | 65 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 8a |
| parsley hawthorn Crataegus marshallii | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sassafras Sassafras albidum | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox | Vine | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus | Shrub | 8.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| southern sugar maple Acer floridanum | Tree | 50 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides | Vine | — | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 9b |
| strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| summer grape Vitis aestivalis | Vine | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| swamp titi Cyrilla racemiflora | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 6b |
| sweetbay Magnolia virginiana | Tree | 60 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 9a |
| trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Vine | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| willow oak Quercus phellos | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 130
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- Adam's needle Yucca filamentosa
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- annual fimbry Fimbristylis annua
- annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia
- Appalachian quillwort Isoetes engelmannii
- Atlantic poison oak Toxicodendron pubescens
- axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
- beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla
- birdfoot violet Viola pedata
- black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
- blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina lily Lilium michauxii
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
- claspingleaf St. Johnswort Hypericum gymnanthum
- combleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pectinata
- common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
- creeping eryngo Eryngium prostratum
- Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
- cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
- downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
- dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
- dwarf hawthorn Crataegus uniflora
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
- eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
- eastern smooth beardtongue Penstemon laevigatus
- eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
- Elliott's bentgrass Agrostis elliottiana
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
- false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- field pansy Viola bicolor
- flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
- flypoison Amianthium muscitoxicum
- fox grape Vitis labrusca
- foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
- fragrant spikesedge Kyllinga odorata
- great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
- hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
- hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
- herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
- hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- keeled bulrush Isolepis carinata
- largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
- largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
- leathery rush Juncus coriaceus
- longbract wild indigo Baptisia bracteata
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
- Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
- Mitchell's sedge Carex mitchelliana
- nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
- narrowleaf bluecurls Trichostema setaceum
- narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
- netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
- northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
- oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
- openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
- poorjoe Diodia teres
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
- Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
- sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
- sand hickory Carya pallida
- scaly blazing star Liatris squarrosa
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
- silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
- slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
- slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
- slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
- smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
- smooth small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium marilandicum
- smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
- smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
- southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- swamp leather flower Clematis crispa
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- thickleaf phlox Phlox carolina
- twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
- Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- warty panicgrass Panicum verrucosum
- white colicroot Aletris farinosa
- white wild indigo Baptisia alba
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woolly ragwort Packera tomentosa
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.
| Measure | Meriwether County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 222 | 129 | 1,750 |
| Garden-ready natives | 92 | 58 | 608 |
| Tree | 41 | — | 202 |
| Shrub | 16 | — | 91 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 96 | — | 908 |
| Grass or grass-like | 40 | — | 403 |
| Vine | 19 | — | 78 |
| Fern | 10 | — | 68 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Meriwether County.
- Coweta County, GA 17 garden-ready
- Harris County, GA 198 garden-ready
- Talbot County, GA 46 garden-ready
- Troup County, GA 33 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
- Meriwether County (county FIPS 13199), Georgia. 222 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