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Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Pendleton County

350 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pendleton County by USDA PLANTS. 175 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Pendleton County, Kentucky

Native species
350 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives
175 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 350 native species)
Percent of the 350 native species in each growth type
Tree 21% (73)
Shrub 3% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 52% (181)
Grass or grass-like 17% (60)
Vine 5% (17)
Fern 3% (9)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by trees (21%).

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 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 175

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pendleton 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 bellflower Campanulastrum americanum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
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 hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American water plantain Alisma subcordatum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun 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
bearded beggarticks Bidens aristosa Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
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
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
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
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
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
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
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 4b
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun 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
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana Tree 33 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7b
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 hoptree Ptelea trifoliata Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Shrub 10 ft Sun Low 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
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 2b
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
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
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
eastern rough sedge Carex scabrata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
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
forked rush Juncus dichotomus Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata Grass or grass-like 5.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low 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
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
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 white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata Vine 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium Grass or grass-like 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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
Kentucky yellowwood Cladrastis kentukea Tree 40 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
lanceleaf loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
little barley Hordeum pusillum Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
lopsided rush Juncus secundus Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
Maryland senna Senna marilandica Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala Tree 52 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 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
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra Tree 68 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
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
pignut hickory Carya glabra Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata Grass or grass-like 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High 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 maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
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
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
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
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Short's sedge Carex shortiana Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High 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
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
spring avens Geum vernum Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
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
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High 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
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
troublesome sedge Carex molesta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
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 dayflower Commelina virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
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 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
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 bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
woodland bluegrass Poa sylvestris Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
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 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

Other native species recorded here 175

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 alumroot Heuchera americana
  • American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
  • bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
  • beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
  • black baneberry Actaea racemosa
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • blue sedge Carex glaucodea
  • blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
  • celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
  • dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
  • early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
  • eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
  • eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
  • fall phlox Phlox paniculata
  • false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • flat-spiked sedge Carex planispicata
  • Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
  • great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
  • hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
  • harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
  • Heller's cudweed Pseudognaphalium helleri
  • honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
  • James' sedge Carex jamesii
  • jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
  • lanceleaf buckthorn Rhamnus lanceolata
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
  • largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
  • Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
  • licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
  • longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • meadow zizia Zizia aptera
  • Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
  • Miami mist Phacelia purshii
  • Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
  • mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
  • narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
  • narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
  • New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
  • nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
  • nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
  • northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • pink fuzzybean Strophostyles umbellata
  • pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
  • plain gentian Gentiana alba
  • pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • prairie rosinweed Silphium terebinthinaceum
  • prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
  • purplerocket Iodanthus pinnatifidus
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • richweed Collinsonia canadensis
  • richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
  • River Broom-Rape Orobanche riparia
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
  • Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
  • shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
  • shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
  • silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
  • slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
  • small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
  • smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
  • squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
  • striped cream violet Viola striata
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • Texas sedge Carex texensis
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
  • Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • waxyfruit hawthorn Crataegus pruinosa
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
  • widowsfrill Silene stellata
  • Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
  • yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
  • yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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
  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
  • 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, Pendleton County and Kentucky
MeasurePendleton CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 350 426 1,719
Garden-ready natives 175 190 568
Tree 73 — 181
Shrub 10 — 73
Wildflower (forb) 181 — 931
Grass or grass-like 60 — 376
Vine 17 — 85
Fern 9 — 73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pendleton 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
Pendleton County (county FIPS 21191), Kentucky. 350 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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