Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Putnam County

135 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Putnam County by USDA PLANTS. 49 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Putnam County, Georgia

Native species: 135 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 49 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 135 native species): Percent of the 135 native species in each growth type

Tree 13% (18)
Shrub 6% (8)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (65)
Grass or grass-like 22% (30)
Vine 4% (6)
Fern 6% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).

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 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 49

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

Garden-ready native plants of Putnam County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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
bigleaf snowbell Styrax grandifolius	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 4b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2b
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides	Tree	9.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus	Grass or grass-like	6.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
butterweed Packera glabella	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
fringed sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
shallow sedge Carex lurida	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
southern sugar maple Acer floridanum	Tree	50 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius	Wildflower (forb)	5.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
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

Other native species recorded here 86

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 supplejack Berchemia scandens
American alumroot Heuchera americana
Appalachian quillwort Isoetes engelmannii
arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina clover Trifolium carolinianum
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
crossvine Bignonia capreolata
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Elliott's bentgrass Agrostis elliottiana
Engelmann's arrowhead Sagittaria engelmanniana
fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fewflower nutrush Scleria pauciflora
Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
Heller's cudweed Pseudognaphalium helleri
highland doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana
keeled bulrush Isolepis carinata
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
queendevil Hieracium gronovii
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
starved panicgrass Dichanthelium depauperatum
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
white wild indigo Baptisia alba
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
yankeeweed Eupatorium compositifolium
yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum

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, Putnam County and Georgia
Measure	Putnam County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	135	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	49	58	608
Tree	18	—	202
Shrub	8	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	65	—	908
Grass or grass-like	30	—	403
Vine	6	—	78
Fern	8	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Putnam County.

Baldwin County, GA 39 garden-ready
Jones County, GA 35 garden-ready
Morgan County, GA 215 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: Putnam County (county FIPS 13237), Georgia. 135 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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