Native plants · Kentucky
Native plants of Breathitt County
367 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Breathitt County by USDA PLANTS. 148 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
Breathitt County, Kentucky
- Native species
- 367 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 148 Typical Kentucky county: 190
- Share by type (all 367 native species)
-
Percent of the 367 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (50%), followed by trees (18%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 148
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 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 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 hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | 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 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 |
| blackgum Nyssa sylvatica | Tree | 95 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| bursting-heart Euonymus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5b |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis | Tree | 105 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 rough sedge Carex scabrata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens | Shrub | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| eastern white pine Pinus strobus | Tree | 150 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| field paspalum Paspalum laeve | Grass or grass-like | 2.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6a |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| giant cane Arundinaria gigantea | Shrub | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| great laurel Rhododendron maximum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| groundnut Apios americana | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| hazel alder Alnus serrulata | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium | Grass or grass-like | 4.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos | Grass or grass-like | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 8a |
| 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 maple Acer spicatum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| narrowleaf evening primrose Oenothera fruticosa | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis | Fern | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pin oak Quercus palustris | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| pitch pine Pinus rigida | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| possumhaw Viburnum nudum | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| ridged yellow flax Linum striatum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| river birch Betula nigra | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sassafras Sassafras albidum | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| scarlet oak Quercus coccinea | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| September elm Ulmus serotina | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| shortleaf pine Pinus echinata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| silky willow Salix sericea | Tree | 12 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | 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 |
| summer grape Vitis aestivalis | Vine | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| sweet birch Betula lenta | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| thicket sedge Carex abscondita | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 7a |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 fringetree Chionanthus virginicus | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 elm Ulmus alata | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| winged sumac Rhus copallinum | Tree | 8 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| woodland muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea | Vine | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 219
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.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- alpine violet Viola labradorica
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- American spikenard Aralia racemosa
- annual marsh elder Iva annua
- Appalachian polypody Polypodium appalachianum
- Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
- beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
- bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
- beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
- bent sedge Carex styloflexa
- bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- Blue Ridge sedge Carex lucorum
- Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
- Bradley's spleenwort Asplenium bradleyi
- bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
- camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
- Canadian summer bluet Houstonia canadensis
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common dittany Cunila origanoides
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
- Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
- Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
- cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
- cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
- downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- fall phlox Phlox paniculata
- fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
- fire pink Silene virginica
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
- fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
- glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
- goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
- Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
- greater tickseed Coreopsis major
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
- hairy alumroot Heuchera villosa
- hairy angelica Angelica venenosa
- hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
- hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
- hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
- hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- heartleaf hedgenettle Stachys cordata
- hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
- Heller's cudweed Pseudognaphalium helleri
- hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
- Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
- Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
- inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
- king of the meadow Thalictrum pubescens
- Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
- largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
- lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- longspur violet Viola rostrata
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
- maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- Miami mist Phacelia purshii
- nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
- narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
- northern panicgrass Dichanthelium boreale
- northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
- oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
- October lady's tresses Spiranthes ovalis
- oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
- pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
- pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- parasol sedge Carex umbellata
- partridgeberry Mitchella repens
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
- poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
- poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- queendevil Hieracium gronovii
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
- red trillium Trillium erectum
- redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
- reflexed flatsedge Cyperus refractus
- richweed Collinsonia canadensis
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- rosepink Sabatia angularis
- rosy sedge Carex rosea
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- sand violet Viola affinis
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
- sicklepod Arabis canadensis
- silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- slimflower muhly Muhlenbergia tenuiflora
- slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
- small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
- Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
- soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
- southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
- southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
- spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- thinleaf sunflower Helianthus decapetalus
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
- vasevine Clematis viorna
- veiny skullcap Scutellaria nervosa
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
- white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
- wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- woodland flax Linum virginianum
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
- yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
- yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
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.
- annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
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.
| Measure | Breathitt County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 367 | 426 | 1,719 |
| Garden-ready natives | 148 | 190 | 568 |
| Tree | 66 | — | 181 |
| Shrub | 20 | — | 73 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 183 | — | 931 |
| Grass or grass-like | 51 | — | 376 |
| Vine | 22 | — | 85 |
| Fern | 25 | — | 73 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Breathitt County.
- Knott County, KY 107 garden-ready
- Lee County, KY 194 garden-ready
- Owsley County, KY 115 garden-ready
- Perry County, KY 148 garden-ready
- Wolfe County, KY 208 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
- Breathitt County (county FIPS 21025), Kentucky. 367 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