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Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Martin County

155 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Martin County by USDA PLANTS. 77 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

Martin County, Kentucky

Native species
155 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives
77 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 155 native species)
Percent of the 155 native species in each growth type
Tree 29% (45)
Shrub 6% (9)
Wildflower (forb) 32% (50)
Grass or grass-like 14% (21)
Vine 8% (12)
Fern 12% (18)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (32%), followed by trees (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 zone 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 77

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

Garden-ready native plants of Martin 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 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
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 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
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium 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
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 serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis Tree 105 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
graceful sedge Carex gracillima Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
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 lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
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
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
pitch pine Pinus rigida Tree 80 ft 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
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
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
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
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
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
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
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade 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 sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 78

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 beakgrain Diarrhena americana
  • American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
  • black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
  • blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
  • Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
  • dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
  • eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
  • eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
  • fire pink Silene virginica
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
  • hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
  • hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
  • lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
  • longspur violet Viola rostrata
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow zizia Zizia aptera
  • nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • parasol sedge Carex umbellata
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
  • plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
  • rock clubmoss Huperzia porophila
  • rock muhly Muhlenbergia sobolifera
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • shaved sedge Carex tonsa
  • shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
  • silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
  • silver plumegrass Saccharum alopecuroides
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • star chickweed Stellaria pubera
  • striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
  • sweet white violet Viola blanda
  • sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
  • thinleaf sunflower Helianthus decapetalus
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • upland boneset Eupatorium sessilifolium
  • vasevine Clematis viorna
  • violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
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.

  • toothed spurgeEuphorbia dentata

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, Martin County and Kentucky
MeasureMartin CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 155 426 1,719
Garden-ready natives 77 190 568
Tree 45 — 181
Shrub 9 — 73
Wildflower (forb) 50 — 931
Grass or grass-like 21 — 376
Vine 12 — 85
Fern 18 — 73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Martin 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
Martin County (county FIPS 21159), Kentucky. 155 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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