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Native plants · Georgia

Native plants of Wilkes County

193 plant species are recorded as native to Georgia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wilkes County by USDA PLANTS. 93 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

Wilkes County, Georgia

Native species
193 Typical Georgia county: 129 (median of 159 counties)
Garden-ready natives
93 Typical Georgia county: 58
Share by type (all 193 native species)
Percent of the 193 native species in each growth type
Tree 17% (32)
Shrub 5% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 52% (100)
Grass or grass-like 19% (37)
Vine 5% (9)
Fern 3% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).

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

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

Garden-ready natives 93

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wilkes County, Georgia
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American snowbell Styrax americanus Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5b
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
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
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
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
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
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
butterweed Packera glabella Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 4b
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Carolina silverbell Halesia carolina Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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 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
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
dwarf palmetto Sabal minor Tree 9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
Frank's sedge Carex frankii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
Georgia bulrush Scirpus georgianus Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium Grass or grass-like 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus Wildflower (forb) 9.8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
jewelweed Impatiens capensis Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
little barley Hordeum pusillum Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
Maryland senna Senna marilandica Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens Shrub 14 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
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
overcup oak Quercus lyrata Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
riverbank wildrye Elymus riparius Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox Vine 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum Tree 8 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5a
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
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus Shrub 13 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium 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
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
water hickory Carya aquatica Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
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
winged sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 100

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.

  • Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
  • American black nightshade Solanum americanum
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
  • bigtop lovegrass Eragrostis hirsuta
  • birdfoot violet Viola pedata
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bulbous woodrush Luzula bulbosa
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • Canada lily Lilium canadense
  • Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
  • Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
  • Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
  • Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
  • Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina sedge Carex caroliniana
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
  • downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
  • dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
  • early blue violet Viola ×palmata
  • early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
  • eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • Elliott's bentgrass Agrostis elliottiana
  • false flowering spurge Euphorbia pubentissima
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fringed nutrush Scleria ciliata
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
  • helmet flower Scutellaria integrifolia
  • herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
  • highland doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • little lady's tresses Spiranthes tuberosa
  • littlehead nutrush Scleria oligantha
  • longbract wild indigo Baptisia bracteata
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • orange coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
  • pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
  • pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
  • potato dwarfdandelion Krigia dandelion
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • prostrate blue violet Viola walteri
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • rough panicgrass Dichanthelium leucothrix
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
  • vasevine Clematis viorna
  • Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
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.

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, Wilkes County and Georgia
MeasureWilkes CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 193 129 1,750
Garden-ready natives 93 58 608
Tree 32 — 202
Shrub 10 — 91
Wildflower (forb) 100 — 908
Grass or grass-like 37 — 403
Vine 9 — 78
Fern 5 — 68

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wilkes 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
Wilkes County (county FIPS 13317), Georgia. 193 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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