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Native plants · Indiana

Native plants of Benton County

188 plant species are recorded as native to Indiana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Benton County by USDA PLANTS. 81 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Benton County, Indiana

Native species
188 Typical Indiana county: 494 (median of 92 counties)
Garden-ready natives
81 Typical Indiana county: 211
Share by type (all 188 native species)
Percent of the 188 native species in each growth type
Tree 7% (13)
Shrub 4% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 66% (124)
Grass or grass-like 20% (37)
Vine 3% (5)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (66%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (20%).

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 zones 5b to 6a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 81

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

Garden-ready native plants of Benton County, Indiana
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American basswood Tilia americana Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium Tree 16 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
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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 milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
dense blazing star Liatris spicata Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens Grass or grass-like 5.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 2a
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
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
leadplant Amorpha canescens Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High 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
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata Grass or grass-like 8 ft Sun High 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
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
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Virginia spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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

Other native species recorded here 107

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 alumroot Heuchera americana
  • ashy sunflower Helianthus mollis
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • compassplant Silphium laciniatum
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • devil's bite Liatris scariosa
  • downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
  • downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
  • dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
  • earleaf false foxglove Agalinis auriculata
  • early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
  • eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
  • eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
  • false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
  • hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
  • hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
  • harvestbells Gentiana saponaria
  • heavy sedge Carex gravida
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
  • Illinois ticktrefoil Desmodium illinoense
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
  • Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
  • lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
  • Mead's sedge Carex meadii
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
  • obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
  • Ontario blazing star Liatris cylindracea
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
  • pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
  • prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
  • prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
  • prairie rosinweed Silphium terebinthinaceum
  • prairie violet Viola pedatifida
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
  • rough rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes aspera
  • roundseed St. Johnswort Hypericum sphaerocarpum
  • shortbeak arrowhead Sagittaria brevirostra
  • shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
  • showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
  • skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
  • slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
  • slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
  • slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
  • tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
  • tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
  • Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
  • three-lobe violet Viola triloba
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
  • western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium albidum
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
  • wholeleaf rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
  • willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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.

  • common reedPhragmites australis
  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium

Compared with Indiana

The typical county is the median of the 92 Indiana 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, Benton County and Indiana
MeasureBenton CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 188 494 1,773
Garden-ready natives 81 211 601
Tree 13 — 164
Shrub 7 — 88
Wildflower (forb) 124 — 954
Grass or grass-like 37 — 416
Vine 5 — 74
Fern 2 — 77

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Benton 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
Benton County (county FIPS 18007), Indiana. 188 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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