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Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Owsley County

202 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Owsley County by USDA PLANTS. 115 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

Owsley County, Kentucky

Native species
202 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives
115 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 202 native species)
Percent of the 202 native species in each growth type
Tree 35% (70)
Shrub 10% (20)
Wildflower (forb) 24% (49)
Grass or grass-like 15% (30)
Vine 7% (15)
Fern 9% (18)

Trees make up the largest share of the native list (35%), followed by wildflowers (24%).

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 zones 6b to 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 115

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

Garden-ready native plants of Owsley County, Kentucky
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
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 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
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
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
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
Canada yew Taxus canadensis Shrub 5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
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
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia Tree 12 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High 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
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common winterberry Ilex verticillata Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
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 rough sedge Carex scabrata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus Tree 150 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
flattened oatgrass Danthonia compressa Grass or grass-like 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
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
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
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
pignut hickory Carya glabra Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
pin oak Quercus palustris Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4a
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
pitch pine Pinus rigida Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
prairie willow Salix humilis Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
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
sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus Shrub 8.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
scarlet oak Quercus coccinea Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
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
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
southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum Tree 8 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5a
southern red oak Quercus falcata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low 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
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
thicket sedge Carex abscondita Grass or grass-like 8 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
twisted sedge Carex torta Grass or grass-like 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium 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 spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
winged elm Ulmus alata Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
winged sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low 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

Other native species recorded here 87

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.

  • alpine violet Viola labradorica
  • American alumroot Heuchera americana
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • Appalachian quillwort Isoetes engelmannii
  • bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • Canada lily Lilium canadense
  • Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
  • chinquapin Castanea pumila
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
  • cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • dwarf violet iris Iris verna
  • early azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum
  • early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
  • eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
  • eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern star sedge Carex radiata
  • eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fescue sedge Carex festucacea
  • fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
  • flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
  • glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
  • great Indian plantain Arnoglossum reniforme
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
  • hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
  • halberdleaf tearthumb Polygonum arifolium
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • James' sedge Carex jamesii
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
  • longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
  • longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • Miami mist Phacelia purshii
  • New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
  • nodding sedge Carex gynandra
  • northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
  • pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
  • perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
  • pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • red trillium Trillium erectum
  • rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
  • roundleaf yellow violet Viola rotundifolia
  • Schreber's aster Eurybia schreberi
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
  • showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
  • silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
  • slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • stolonbearing hawthorn Crataegus iracunda
  • striped cream violet Viola striata
  • striped gentian Gentiana villosa
  • swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
  • Swan's sedge Carex swanii
  • thinleaf late purple aster Symphyotrichum phlogifolium
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
  • vasevine Clematis viorna
  • veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
  • waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
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.

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, Owsley County and Kentucky
MeasureOwsley CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 202 426 1,719
Garden-ready natives 115 190 568
Tree 70 — 181
Shrub 20 — 73
Wildflower (forb) 49 — 931
Grass or grass-like 30 — 376
Vine 15 — 85
Fern 18 — 73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Owsley 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
Owsley County (county FIPS 21189), Kentucky. 202 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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