Native plants · Georgia
Native plants of Spalding County
256 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Spalding County by USDA PLANTS. 118 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Spalding County, Georgia
- Native species
- 256 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 118 Typical Georgia county: 58
- Share by type (all 256 native species)
-
Percent of the 256 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (20%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 118
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 basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American beautyberry Callicarpa americana | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 6b |
| American beech Fagus grandifolia | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| American chestnut Castanea dentata | Tree | 115 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American cupscale Sacciolepis striata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5b |
| American elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| American hazelnut Corylus americana | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American holly Ilex opaca | Tree | 40 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | 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 |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 9a |
| bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bursting-heart Euonymus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| butterweed Packera glabella | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 10b |
| Carolina rose Rosa carolina | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| cat greenbrier Smilax glauca | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| climbing hempvine Mikania scandens | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common rush Juncus effusus | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| green arrow arum Peltandra virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| groundnut Apios americana | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8a |
| hazel alder Alnus serrulata | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala | Tree | 52 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa | Tree | 85 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| northern spiderlily Hymenocallis occidentalis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 7a |
| panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 6a |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| pickerelweed Pontederia cordata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| pignut hickory Carya glabra | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| possumhaw Viburnum nudum | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| possumhaw Ilex decidua | Tree | 33 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| post oak Quercus stellata | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica | Grass or grass-like | 1.8 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5b |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| red buckeye Aesculus pavia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5b |
| red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 68 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| scarlet oak Quercus coccinea | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| shallow sedge Carex lurida | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| silky dogwood Cornus amomum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| slender spikerush Eleocharis tenuis | Grass or grass-like | 2.9 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| southern red oak Quercus falcata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6a |
| St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| stiff dogwood Cornus foemina | Tree | 16 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 doghobble Eubotrys racemosus | Shrub | 13 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 5.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| sweetbay Magnolia virginiana | Tree | 60 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 9a |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6b |
| trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 4.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| wax myrtle Morella cerifera | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | High | Zone 7a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| willow oak Quercus phellos | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| winged elm Ulmus alata | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| winged sumac Rhus copallinum | Tree | 8 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea | Vine | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 138
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.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American black nightshade Solanum americanum
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
- arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
- Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
- Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
- beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
- beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
- bigtop lovegrass Eragrostis hirsuta
- birdfoot violet Viola pedata
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- bristly locust Robinia hispida
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
- Carolina clover Trifolium carolinianum
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- Carolina poplar Populus ×canadensis
- chinquapin Castanea pumila
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
- clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
- clustered mountainmint Pycnanthemum muticum
- combleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pectinata
- common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- cornel-leaf whitetop Doellingeria infirma
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil Desmodium glabellum
- downy danthonia Danthonia sericea
- downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
- dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
- early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
- eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- Engelmann's arrowhead Sagittaria engelmanniana
- erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fire pink Silene virginica
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flypoison Amianthium muscitoxicum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
- greater tickseed Coreopsis major
- green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
- hairy forked nailwort Paronychia fastigiata
- hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
- hairy umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
- handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
- helmet flower Scutellaria integrifolia
- Illinois pinweed Lechea racemulosa
- juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
- largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
- lesser snakeroot Ageratina aromatica
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
- lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
- longbract wild indigo Baptisia bracteata
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
- Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
- Mitchell's sedge Carex mitchelliana
- mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
- narrowleaf bluecurls Trichostema setaceum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
- nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- pink fuzzybean Strophostyles umbellata
- prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
- reflexed flatsedge Cyperus refractus
- rosepink Sabatia angularis
- roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
- Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- silver plumegrass Saccharum alopecuroides
- singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
- slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
- slim amaranth Amaranthus hybridus
- smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
- smooth small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium marilandicum
- smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
- smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
- sneezeweed Helenium amarum
- southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
- sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
- spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
- starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
- stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
- striped gentian Gentiana villosa
- swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
- thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
- trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
- twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
- twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
- velvetleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium viridiflorum
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
- whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
- yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
Also listed as native and introduced here 2
PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.
- hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
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 | Spalding County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 256 | 129 | 1,750 |
| Garden-ready natives | 118 | 58 | 608 |
| Tree | 43 | — | 202 |
| Shrub | 15 | — | 91 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 125 | — | 908 |
| Grass or grass-like | 51 | — | 403 |
| Vine | 16 | — | 78 |
| Fern | 6 | — | 68 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Spalding County.
- Fayette County, GA 13 garden-ready
- Henry County, GA 18 garden-ready
- Lamar County, GA 17 garden-ready
- Pike County, GA 49 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
- Spalding County (county FIPS 13255), Georgia. 256 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