Native plants · Georgia
Native plants of White County
252 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in White County by USDA PLANTS. 89 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
White County, Georgia
- Native species
- 252 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 89 Typical Georgia county: 58
- Share by type (all 252 native species)
-
Percent of the 252 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by trees (14%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 89
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 bur-reed Sparganium americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American wisteria Wisteria frutescens | Vine | 50 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 9b |
| black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black raspberry Rubus occidentalis | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 9a |
| butternut Juglans cinerea | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.7 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| Carolina rose Rosa carolina | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| 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 ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 36 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 5a |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern white pine Pinus strobus | Tree | 150 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| fringed sedge Carex crinita | Grass or grass-like | 5.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| golden ragwort Packera aurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| horseflyweed Baptisia tinctoria | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7b |
| Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| maleberry Lyonia ligustrina | Shrub | 9 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 5a |
| marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Maryland senna Senna marilandica | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5b |
| mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| mountain magnolia Magnolia fraseri | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 6a |
| narrowleaf evening primrose Oenothera fruticosa | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 fescue Festuca subverticillata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum | Fern | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| northern red oak Quercus rubra | Tree | 81 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| northern spicebush Lindera benzoin | Tree | 12 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| 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 |
| pitch pine Pinus rigida | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| possumhaw Viburnum nudum | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| prairie willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 68 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| ridged yellow flax Linum striatum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sassafras Sassafras albidum | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| scarlet oak Quercus coccinea | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| shortleaf pine Pinus echinata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| smooth azalea Rhododendron arborescens | Shrub | 18 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| staghorn sumac Rhus typhina | Tree | 30 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| sweet birch Betula lenta | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| sweet fern Comptonia peregrina | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| Table Mountain pine Pinus pungens | Tree | 50 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5b |
| trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Virginia pine Pinus virginiana | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| wavy hairgrass Deschampsia flexuosa | Grass or grass-like | 2.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| winged sumac Rhus copallinum | Tree | 8 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| yellow buckeye Aesculus flava | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 163
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 hawkweed Hieracium paniculatum
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- American cancer-root Conopholis americana
- American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American spikenard Aralia racemosa
- annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia
- Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
- autumn coralroot Corallorhiza odontorhiza
- birdfoot violet Viola pedata
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- Bowman's root Gillenia trifoliata
- bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
- Carolina lily Lilium michauxii
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- chinquapin Castanea pumila
- clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- creeping phlox Phlox stolonifera
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
- cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil Desmodium glabellum
- downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
- downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
- eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
- eastern featherbells Stenanthium gramineum
- eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
- false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
- fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
- fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis
- fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
- flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
- fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- gall of the earth Prenanthes trifoliolata
- glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
- great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
- hairy alumroot Heuchera villosa
- hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
- hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
- halberdleaf yellow violet Viola hastata
- harvestbells Gentiana saponaria
- heartleaf foamflower Tiarella cordifolia
- highland doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana
- hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
- Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
- intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
- leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
- narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
- narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
- northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
- paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
- pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
- poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
- poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- queendevil Hieracium gronovii
- racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
- rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
- rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
- richweed Collinsonia canadensis
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
- roundleaf yellow violet Viola rotundifolia
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
- showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
- showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
- sicklepod Arabis canadensis
- sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
- silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
- singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
- slender bunchflower Veratrum hybridum
- slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
- slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
- small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
- smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
- Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- sweet white violet Viola blanda
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- thickleaf phlox Phlox carolina
- thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
- thinleaf sunflower Helianthus decapetalus
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- turk's-cap lily Lilium superbum
- vasevine Clematis viorna
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
- Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- western rough goldenrod Solidago radula
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white wild indigo Baptisia alba
- white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- whorled milkwort Polygala ambigua
- whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
- woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
- yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
- zigzag spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera
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.
- climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
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 | White County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 252 | 129 | 1,750 |
| Garden-ready natives | 89 | 58 | 608 |
| Tree | 35 | — | 202 |
| Shrub | 21 | — | 91 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 148 | — | 908 |
| Grass or grass-like | 15 | — | 403 |
| Vine | 11 | — | 78 |
| Fern | 22 | — | 68 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with White County.
- Habersham County, GA 68 garden-ready
- Hall County, GA 143 garden-ready
- Lumpkin County, GA 82 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
- White County (county FIPS 13311), Georgia. 252 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