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Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Thomas County

195 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Thomas County by USDA PLANTS. 98 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Thomas County, Georgia

Native species
195 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives
98 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 195 native species)
Percent of the 195 native species in each growth type
Tree 17% (33)
Shrub 7% (14)
Wildflower (forb) 45% (87)
Grass or grass-like 18% (35)
Vine 7% (13)
Fern 7% (13)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (18%).

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

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 98

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

Garden-ready native plants of Thomas County, Georgia
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
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
bald cypress Taxodium distichum Tree 130 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
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
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
Carolina ash Fraxinus caroliniana Tree 39 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7b
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
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
coastal doghobble Leucothoe axillaris Shrub 6.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 7b
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana Tree 33 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7b
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
coppery St. Johnswort Hypericum denticulatum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7b
coral greenbrier Smilax walteri Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
dwarf huckleberry Gaylussacia dumosa Shrub 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
eggleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium ovale Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
fetterbush lyonia Lyonia lucida Shrub 6.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7b
field paspalum Paspalum laeve Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
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
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 8a
hairy chaffhead Carphephorus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 8a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum Shrub 12 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
inkberry Ilex glabra Shrub 8 ft Sun High Zone 6a
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
lanceleaf greenbrier Smilax smallii Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina Shrub 9 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens Shrub 14 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 7b
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 12a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
peelbark St. Johnswort Hypericum fasciculatum Shrub 5 ft Sun — Zone 7b
peppervine Nekemias arborea Vine 1 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
pignut hickory Carya glabra Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
planertree Planera aquatica Tree 50 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
possumhaw Viburnum nudum Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie willow Salix humilis Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High 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
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
red buckeye Aesculus pavia Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Shrub 5 ft Sun High Zone 5b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
running oak Quercus pumila Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 8b
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
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 arrowwood Viburnum dentatum Tree 8 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5a
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
spruce pine Pinus glabra Tree 90 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp titi Cyrilla racemiflora Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 6b
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
turkey oak Quercus laevis Tree 40 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 8a
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
Virginia iris Iris virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 97

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 cancer-root Conopholis americana
  • angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
  • annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia
  • Appalachian clubmoss Huperzia appalachiana
  • arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
  • azure blue sage Salvia azurea
  • beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
  • beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
  • bearded skeletongrass Gymnopogon ambiguus
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • bog yelloweyed grass Xyris difformis
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
  • Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
  • Carolina sedge Carex caroliniana
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
  • climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
  • coastal false asphodel Triantha racemosa
  • combleaf mermaidweed Proserpinaca pectinata
  • common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
  • creeping eryngo Eryngium prostratum
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
  • devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
  • eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
  • eastern milkpea Galactia regularis
  • eastern purple bladderwort Utricularia purpurea
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • Elliott's bluestem Andropogon gyrans
  • Florida mudmidget Wolffiella gladiata
  • Florida yellow flax Linum floridanum
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • flypoison Amianthium muscitoxicum
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • hairy clustervine Jacquemontia tamnifolia
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • Harvey's beaksedge Rhynchospora harveyi
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • hyssopleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium hyssopifolium
  • lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
  • lesser snakeroot Ageratina aromatica
  • marsh rose gentian Sabatia dodecandra
  • Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
  • parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
  • piedmont staggerbush Lyonia mariana
  • pink sundew Drosera capillaris
  • queendevil Hieracium gronovii
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • Ravenel's rosette grass Dichanthelium ravenelii
  • Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
  • rough Mexican clover Richardia scabra
  • roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • shaggy crabgrass Digitaria villosa
  • sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • slender plantain Plantago heterophylla
  • slender rose gentian Sabatia campanulata
  • smallflower thoroughwort Eupatorium semiserratum
  • smooth elephantsfoot Elephantopus nudatus
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • threadleaf evening primrose Oenothera linifolia
  • tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
  • twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
  • Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
  • weak rush Juncus debilis
  • white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
  • white wild indigo Baptisia alba
  • Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
  • yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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.

  • Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides

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, Thomas County and Georgia
MeasureThomas CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 195 129 1,750
Garden-ready natives 98 58 608
Tree 33 — 202
Shrub 14 — 91
Wildflower (forb) 87 — 908
Grass or grass-like 35 — 403
Vine 13 — 78
Fern 13 — 68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Thomas County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Thomas County (county FIPS 13275), Georgia. 195 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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