Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Magoffin County

201 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Magoffin County by USDA PLANTS. 111 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

Magoffin County, Kentucky

Native species: 201 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 111 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 201 native species): Percent of the 201 native species in each growth type

Tree 27% (55)
Shrub 5% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 40% (80)
Grass or grass-like 16% (32)
Vine 4% (9)
Fern 7% (15)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (40%), followed by trees (27%).

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 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 111

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

Garden-ready native plants of Magoffin County, Kentucky
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy 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 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 plantain Alisma subcordatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 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
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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 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 evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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 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
crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis	Tree	105 ft	Shade-tolerant	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 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
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
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
harvestlice Agrimonia parviflora	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
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
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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
pignut hickory Carya glabra	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pitch pine Pinus rigida	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
silky willow Salix sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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
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
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
squarestem spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	High	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
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
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
wild sweetwilliam Phlox maculata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b

Other native species recorded here 90

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 bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
black baneberry Actaea racemosa
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
common dittany Cunila origanoides
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
crossvine Bignonia capreolata
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
heartleaf hedgenettle Stachys cordata
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
longbeak arrowhead Sagittaria australis
longspur violet Viola rostrata
low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
red trillium Trillium erectum
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rosepink Sabatia angularis
roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
sand violet Viola affinis
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
shortstalk false bindweed Calystegia silvatica
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
sicklepod Arabis canadensis
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium

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.

Native species counts, Magoffin County and Kentucky
Measure	Magoffin County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	201	426	1,719
Garden-ready natives	111	190	568
Tree	55	—	181
Shrub	10	—	73
Wildflower (forb)	80	—	931
Grass or grass-like	32	—	376
Vine	9	—	85
Fern	15	—	73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Magoffin County.

Knott County, KY 107 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: Magoffin County (county FIPS 21153), Kentucky. 201 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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