Native plants · Illinois

Native plants of Jersey County

617 plant species are recorded as native to Illinois in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Jersey County by USDA PLANTS. 272 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Jersey County, Illinois

Native species
617 Typical Illinois county: 641 (median of 102 counties)
Garden-ready natives
272 Typical Illinois county: 272
Share by type (all 617 native species)
Percent of the 617 native species in each growth type
Tree 13% (82)
Shrub 3% (17)
Wildflower (forb) 60% (373)
Grass or grass-like 16% (97)
Vine 4% (25)
Fern 4% (23)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (60%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (16%).

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 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 272

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

Garden-ready native plants of Jersey County, Illinois
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
American basswood Tilia americana Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens Vine 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
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 hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American lotus Nelumbo lutea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
American plum Prunus americana Tree 24 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana Wildflower (forb) 7.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American water plantain Alisma subcordatum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun High Zone 4a
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
bearded beggarticks Bidens aristosa Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 2b
black ash Fraxinus nigra Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
black maple Acer nigrum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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 walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High 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
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium Tree 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
butternut Juglans cinerea Tree 80 ft Sun Medium 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
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
catchfly grass Leersia lenticularis Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
cattail sedge Carex typhina Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
climbing rose Rosa setigera Vine 16 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana Tree 33 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7b
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli Tree 30 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
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 duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
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
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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
crested sedge Carex cristatella Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 2b
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
eastern swampprivet Forestiera acuminata Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
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
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
frost grape Vitis vulpina Vine 83 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
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
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Gray's sedge Carex grayi Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens Grass or grass-like 5.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 2a
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hairy sedge Carex lacustris Grass or grass-like 5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata Vine 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
horsetail paspalum Paspalum fluitans Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium Grass or grass-like 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
inland rush Juncus interior Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana Fern 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
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
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
lanceleaf loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
leadplant Amorpha canescens Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
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
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Missouri ironweed Vernonia missurica Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Muskingum sedge Carex muskingumensis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
nannyberry Viburnum lentago Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
nodding waternymph Najas flexilis Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
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
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra Tree 68 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
overcup oak Quercus lyrata Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
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
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4a
pecan Carya illinoinensis Tree 120 ft Sun High Zone 5a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
pignut hickory Carya glabra Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica Tree 30 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
pin oak Quercus palustris Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4a
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
prairie crab apple Malus ioensis Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
prairie willow Salix humilis Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purplestem beggarticks Bidens connata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
pussy willow Salix discolor Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
ravenfoot sedge Carex crus-corvi Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
river birch Betula nigra Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 4a
river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
sand lovegrass Eragrostis trichodes Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
shoreline sedge Carex hyalinolepis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
Short's sedge Carex shortiana Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
small beggarticks Bidens discoidea Wildflower (forb) 5.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
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
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides Grass or grass-like 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
water locust Gleditsia aquatica Tree 40 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 10a
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white avens Geum canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
white doll's daisy Boltonia asteroides Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
white prairie clover Dalea candida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
whitegrass Leersia virginica Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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
wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
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 fumewort Corydalis flavula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 345

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
  • amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
  • American alumroot Heuchera americana
  • American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • American bluehearts Buchnera americana
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
  • American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • American spikenard Aralia racemosa
  • annual marsh elder Iva annua
  • arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
  • ashy sunflower Helianthus mollis
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
  • biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • birdfoot violet Viola pedata
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
  • browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
  • bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carolina draba Draba reptans
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
  • Chapman's bluegrass Poa chapmaniana
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
  • Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
  • common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
  • common dittany Cunila origanoides
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • creeping burhead Echinodorus cordifolius
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • Dillenius' ticktrefoil Desmodium glabellum
  • downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
  • downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
  • dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
  • early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
  • early goldenrod Solidago juncea
  • early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
  • eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
  • eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
  • eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
  • eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
  • evening campion Silene nivea
  • fall phlox Phlox paniculata
  • false aloe Manfreda virginica
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • floating primrose-willow Ludwigia peploides
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
  • fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
  • gravelweed Verbesina helianthoides
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great Indian plantain Arnoglossum reniforme
  • Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
  • Great Plains lady's tresses Spiranthes magnicamporum
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • green milkweed Asclepias hirtella
  • grooved flax Linum sulcatum
  • hairy hawkweed Hieracium longipilum
  • hairy pagoda-plant Blephilia hirsuta
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
  • hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
  • hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
  • heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
  • hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
  • hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
  • Illinois ticktrefoil Desmodium illinoense
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
  • inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
  • jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
  • lace grass Eragrostis capillaris
  • lanceleaf buckthorn Rhamnus lanceolata
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • lanceleaf ragweed Ambrosia bidentata
  • largebract ticktrefoil Desmodium cuspidatum
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lemonyellow false goldenaster Heterotheca camporum
  • lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
  • licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
  • limestone adderstongue Ophioglossum engelmannii
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
  • longflower beeblossom Oenothera filiformis
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
  • longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
  • marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
  • mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • Mexican Mosquito Fern Azolla microphylla
  • Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
  • Miami mist Phacelia purshii
  • Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
  • Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
  • mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
  • narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
  • narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
  • narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
  • nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
  • northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
  • Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
  • obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
  • oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
  • oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
  • Ontario blazing star Liatris cylindracea
  • orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
  • pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
  • pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
  • paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • Philadelphia panicgrass Panicum philadelphicum
  • pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
  • pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
  • poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
  • prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
  • prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
  • prairie rosinweed Silphium terebinthinaceum
  • prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
  • purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
  • purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • red hickory Carya ovalis
  • Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
  • robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
  • rock muhly Muhlenbergia sobolifera
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
  • roundseed St. Johnswort Hypericum sphaerocarpum
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • sessileleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium sessilifolium
  • shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
  • Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
  • Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
  • shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
  • showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
  • shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
  • sicklepod Arabis canadensis
  • sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
  • silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
  • silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
  • skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
  • slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
  • slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
  • slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
  • slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
  • slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
  • slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
  • slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • smallflower false foxglove Agalinis paupercula
  • smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
  • smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
  • smooth false buttonweed Spermacoce glabra
  • smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
  • smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
  • smooth small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium marilandicum
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
  • snow trillium Trillium nivale
  • soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
  • soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
  • spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
  • spreading sandmat Chamaesyce humistrata
  • spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
  • spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
  • swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
  • tall blazing star Liatris aspera
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
  • tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
  • tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
  • Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
  • threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
  • violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
  • wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
  • western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
  • western rough goldenrod Solidago radula
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
  • whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
  • wholeleaf rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
  • widowsfrill Silene stellata
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
  • wild yam Dioscorea villosa
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
  • woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
  • yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
  • yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
  • yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
  • zigzag spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera
Also listed as native and introduced here 4

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 Illinois

The typical county is the median of the 102 Illinois 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, Jersey County and Illinois
MeasureJersey CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 617 641 1,909
Garden-ready natives 272 272 652
Tree 82 — 187
Shrub 17 — 96
Wildflower (forb) 373 — 1,015
Grass or grass-like 97 — 444
Vine 25 — 79
Fern 23 — 88

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Jersey 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
Jersey County (county FIPS 17083), Illinois. 617 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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