Native plants · Kentucky
Native plants of Clay County
347 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Clay County by USDA PLANTS. 148 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Clay County, Kentucky
- Native species
- 347 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 148 Typical Kentucky county: 190
- Share by type (all 347 native species)
-
Percent of the 347 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by trees (20%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 chestnut Castanea dentata | Tree | 115 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American eelgrass Vallisneria americana | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | 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 plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American water-willow Justicia americana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bigleaf snowbell Styrax grandifolius | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 4b |
| bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 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 |
| 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 |
| blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| bursting-heart Euonymus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| butternut Juglans cinerea | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| drooping sedge Carex prasina | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 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 |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| Georgia bulrush Scirpus georgianus | Grass or grass-like | 4.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| giant cane Arundinaria gigantea | Shrub | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | 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 |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| hazel alder Alnus serrulata | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| little barley Hordeum pusillum | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| 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 Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 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 |
| Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra | Tree | 68 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pignut hickory Carya glabra | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pitch pine Pinus rigida | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| river birch Betula nigra | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus | Shrub | 8.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| scarlet oak Quercus coccinea | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shallow sedge Carex lurida | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| shortleaf pine Pinus echinata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum | Shrub | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| silky dogwood Cornus amomum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 azalea Rhododendron arborescens | Shrub | 18 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| sweet birch Betula lenta | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Virginia 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 pine Pinus virginiana | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 sweetwilliam Phlox maculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 199
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.
- Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
- Allegheny Mountain buttercup Ranunculus allegheniensis
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- American beakgrain Diarrhena americana
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American cancer-root Conopholis americana
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American senna Senna hebecarpa
- American spikenard Aralia racemosa
- Appalachian barren strawberry Waldsteinia fragarioides
- Appalachian quillwort Isoetes engelmannii
- autumn coralroot Corallorhiza odontorhiza
- azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
- beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
- bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
- beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
- Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
- bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
- brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
- Canada lily Lilium canadense
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- Carolina bugbane Trautvetteria caroliniensis
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- Cleland's evening primrose Oenothera clelandii
- clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common dittany Cunila origanoides
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- cornel-leaf whitetop Doellingeria infirma
- creeping lespedeza Lespedeza repens
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
- dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- eastern star sedge Carex radiata
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- fall phlox Phlox paniculata
- fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
- fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
- fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
- fire pink Silene virginica
- forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
- globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
- goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- greater poverty rush Juncus anthelatus
- greater tickseed Coreopsis major
- green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- halberdleaf yellow violet Viola hastata
- heartleaf hedgenettle Stachys cordata
- hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
- lanceleaf wild licorice Galium lanceolatum
- large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
- largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
- limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
- lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- longspur violet Viola rostrata
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- Miami mist Phacelia purshii
- moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
- mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
- nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
- Nottoway Valley brome Bromus nottowayanus
- oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
- partridgeberry Mitchella repens
- pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
- pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
- plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
- pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
- poorjoe Diodia teres
- poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
- purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
- purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
- red trillium Trillium erectum
- ribbed sedge Carex virescens
- richweed Collinsonia canadensis
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- rosy sedge Carex rosea
- rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma
- Schreber's aster Eurybia schreberi
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
- showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
- showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
- shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
- sicklepod Arabis canadensis
- silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
- silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
- slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
- sweet white violet Viola blanda
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
- thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
- thinleaf late purple aster Symphyotrichum phlogifolium
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
- vasevine Clematis viorna
- veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- white bear sedge Carex albursina
- white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
- white turtlehead Chelone glabra
- white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
- whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
- whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
- woodland flax Linum virginianum
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
- yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
- yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
Also listed as native and introduced here 1
PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.
- 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 | Clay County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 347 | 426 | 1,719 |
| Garden-ready natives | 148 | 190 | 568 |
| Tree | 71 | — | 181 |
| Shrub | 22 | — | 73 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 165 | — | 931 |
| Grass or grass-like | 53 | — | 376 |
| Vine | 23 | — | 85 |
| Fern | 13 | — | 73 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Clay County.
- Bell County, KY 285 garden-ready
- Jackson County, KY 260 garden-ready
- Laurel County, KY 304 garden-ready
- Leslie County, KY 134 garden-ready
- Owsley County, KY 115 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
- Clay County (county FIPS 21051), Kentucky. 347 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