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Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Boyd County

204 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Boyd County by USDA PLANTS. 121 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Boyd County, Kentucky

Native species
204 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives
121 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 204 native species)
Percent of the 204 native species in each growth type
Tree 35% (72)
Shrub 4% (9)
Wildflower (forb) 29% (59)
Grass or grass-like 15% (30)
Vine 7% (14)
Fern 10% (20)

Trees make up the largest share of the native list (35%), followed by wildflowers (29%).

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 6b to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 121

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

Garden-ready native plants of Boyd County, Kentucky
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American basswood Tilia americana Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens Vine 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American chestnut Castanea dentata Tree 115 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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 holly Ilex opaca Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
black oak Quercus velutina Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
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 broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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
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
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
butternut Juglans cinerea Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
chestnut oak Quercus montana Tree 73 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Fern 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli Tree 30 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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 white pine Pinus strobus Tree 150 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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
golden ragwort Packera aurea Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
greater straw sedge Carex normalis Grass or grass-like 5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata Vine 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
lopsided rush Juncus secundus Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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 laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
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
pitch pine Pinus rigida Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
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 wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
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
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
river birch Betula nigra Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
rough avens Geum laciniatum Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox Vine 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
scarlet oak Quercus coccinea Tree 70 ft Sun 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
shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
silver maple Acer saccharinum Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 2b
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low 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
swamp rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
sweet birch Betula lenta Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides Grass or grass-like 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
troublesome sedge Carex molesta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana Tree 70 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
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
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b

Other native species recorded here 83

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 alumroot Heuchera americana
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
  • azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
  • bigfruit hawthorn Crataegus macrosperma
  • blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
  • bulbous woodrush Luzula bulbosa
  • Canadian burnet Sanguisorba canadensis
  • Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
  • common dittany Cunila origanoides
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • Copenhagen hawthorn Crataegus intricata
  • Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
  • dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
  • dwarf hawthorn Crataegus uniflora
  • eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • fox grape Vitis labrusca
  • glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
  • goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
  • Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
  • longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
  • low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
  • moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • parasol sedge Carex umbellata
  • pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • queendevil Hieracium gronovii
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
  • rock clubmoss Huperzia porophila
  • sand violet Viola affinis
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • shaved sedge Carex tonsa
  • showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
  • showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
  • silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
  • slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
  • slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
  • spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
  • stolonbearing hawthorn Crataegus iracunda
  • trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • Virginia fanpetals Sida hermaphrodita
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
  • waxyfruit hawthorn Crataegus pruinosa
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

Compared with Kentucky

The typical county is the median of the 120 Kentucky 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, Boyd County and Kentucky
MeasureBoyd CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 204 426 1,719
Garden-ready natives 121 190 568
Tree 72 — 181
Shrub 9 — 73
Wildflower (forb) 59 — 931
Grass or grass-like 30 — 376
Vine 14 — 85
Fern 20 — 73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Boyd 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
Boyd County (county FIPS 21019), Kentucky. 204 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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