Native plants · Kentucky
Native plants of Nicholas County
234 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Nicholas County by USDA PLANTS. 113 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Nicholas County, Kentucky
- Native species
- 234 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 113 Typical Kentucky county: 190
- Share by type (all 234 native species)
-
Percent of the 234 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by trees (29%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 113
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| 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 elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| climbing rose Rosa setigera | Vine | 16 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| 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 goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata | Tree | 25 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| common persimmon Diospyros virginiana | Tree | 55 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | 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 |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| limestone bittercress Cardamine douglassii | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Maryland senna Senna marilandica | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5b |
| mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa | Tree | 85 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| 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 |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pignut hickory Carya glabra | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| post oak Quercus stellata | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 mulberry Morus rubra | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| sassafras Sassafras albidum | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| shingle oak Quercus imbricaria | Tree | 45 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum | Shrub | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spring avens Geum vernum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 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 |
| 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 |
| Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| whitegrass Leersia virginica | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 121
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.
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
- beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
- blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
- box knotweed Polygonum buxiforme
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
- browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian summer bluet Houstonia canadensis
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- Copenhagen hawthorn Crataegus intricata
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
- Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
- great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
- Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
- hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
- harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
- James' sedge Carex jamesii
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
- largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
- longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- Lowrie's blue wood aster Symphyotrichum lowrieanum
- lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
- oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
- oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
- pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
- pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- plain gentian Gentiana alba
- poorjoe Diodia teres
- prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- red hickory Carya ovalis
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- rock buttercup Ranunculus micranthus
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
- Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
- shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
- slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
- soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
- southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
- southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
- Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
- spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
- spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
- spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
- squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
- Texas sedge Carex texensis
- tinted woodland spurge Euphorbia commutata
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- vasevine Clematis viorna
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
- wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
- waxyfruit hawthorn Crataegus pruinosa
- white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
- white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
- whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
- yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
- yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
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 | Nicholas County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 234 | 426 | 1,719 |
| Garden-ready natives | 113 | 190 | 568 |
| Tree | 68 | — | 181 |
| Shrub | 9 | — | 73 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 122 | — | 931 |
| Grass or grass-like | 16 | — | 376 |
| Vine | 14 | — | 85 |
| Fern | 5 | — | 73 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Nicholas County.
- Bath County, KY 279 garden-ready
- Bourbon County, KY 114 garden-ready
- Fleming County, KY 243 garden-ready
- Harrison County, KY 115 garden-ready
- Robertson County, KY 129 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
- Nicholas County (county FIPS 21181), Kentucky. 234 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