Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Taylor County

134 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Taylor County by USDA PLANTS. 52 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Taylor County, Georgia

Native species: 134 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 52 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 134 native species): Percent of the 134 native species in each growth type

Tree 21% (28)
Shrub 13% (17)
Wildflower (forb) 51% (68)
Grass or grass-like 9% (12)
Vine 3% (4)
Fern 4% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (51%), followed by trees (21%).

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 52

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

Garden-ready native plants of Taylor County, Georgia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American snowbell Styrax americanus	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5b
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica	Tree	95 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
bristly dewberry Rubus hispidus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
coastal sweetpepperbush Clethra alnifolia	Shrub	16 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana	Tree	55 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
cucumberleaf sunflower Helianthus debilis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 9b
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
dense blazing star Liatris spicata	Wildflower (forb)	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa	Shrub	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
dwarf witchalder Fothergilla gardenii	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
fetterbush lyonia Lyonia lucida	Shrub	6.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7b
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea	Shrub	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
inkberry Ilex glabra	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
oakleaf hydrangea Hydrangea quercifolia	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
possumhaw Viburnum nudum	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
red buckeye Aesculus pavia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
redbay Persea borbonia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
smallfruit beggarticks Bidens mitis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
southern bayberry Morella caroliniensis	Tree	7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides	Vine	—	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 9b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius	Wildflower (forb)	5.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
turkey oak Quercus laevis	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 8a
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
willow oak Quercus phellos	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 82

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.

Adam's needle Yucca filamentosa
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
Appalachian clubmoss Huperzia appalachiana
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
Canby's bulrush Schoenoplectus etuberculatus
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
coastal plain blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium fuscatum
Collins' sedge Carex collinsii
combleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pectinata
cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
darkgreen sedge Carex venusta
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy danthonia Danthonia sericea
dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
dwarf violet iris Iris verna
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
goldenclub Orontium aquaticum
great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
Maryland milkwort Polygala mariana
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
Pickering's dawnflower Stylisma pickeringii
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
prostrate blue violet Viola walteri
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
rough flatsedge Cyperus retrofractus
rough Mexican clover Richardia scabra
roughfruit scaleseed Spermolepis divaricata
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
southern jointweed Polygonella americana
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
Virginia marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
white wild indigo Baptisia alba
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
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, Taylor County and Georgia
Measure	Taylor County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	134	129	1,750
Garden-ready natives	52	58	608
Tree	28	—	202
Shrub	17	—	91
Wildflower (forb)	68	—	908
Grass or grass-like	12	—	403
Vine	4	—	78
Fern	5	—	68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Taylor County.

Macon County, GA 65 garden-ready
Marion County, GA 20 garden-ready
Schley County, GA 7 garden-ready
Talbot County, GA 46 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: Taylor County (county FIPS 13269), Georgia. 134 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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