Native plants · Kentucky
Native plants of Russell County
254 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Russell County by USDA PLANTS. 120 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Russell County, Kentucky
- Native species
- 254 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 120 Typical Kentucky county: 190
- Share by type (all 254 native species)
-
Percent of the 254 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (44%), followed by trees (28%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 120
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 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 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 |
| arborvitae Thuja occidentalis | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bearded beggarticks Bidens aristosa | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 9b |
| 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 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 |
| blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| bristly dewberry Rubus hispidus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bursting-heart Euonymus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| butternut Juglans cinerea | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | 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 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 ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 winterberry Ilex verticillata | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 white pine Pinus strobus | Tree | 150 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| hazel alder Alnus serrulata | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum | Shrub | 12 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium | Grass or grass-like | 4.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| 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 |
| oldfield blackberry Rubus alumnus | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| pecan Carya illinoinensis | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| pitch pine Pinus rigida | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| 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 |
| September elm Ulmus serotina | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| southern red oak Quercus falcata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6a |
| St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| 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 |
| sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| swamp white oak Quercus bicolor | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| thicket sedge Carex abscondita | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 7a |
| threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| toad rush Juncus bufonius | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 water horehound Lycopus virginicus | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| whiteroot rush Juncus brachycarpus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| willow oak Quercus phellos | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| yellow buckeye Aesculus flava | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 134
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 columbo Frasera caroliniensis
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
- azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
- birdfoot violet Viola pedata
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- bog white violet Viola lanceolata
- Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
- bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
- brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
- Canadian summer bluet Houstonia canadensis
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- chinquapin Castanea pumila
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- Cumberland sedge Carex cumberlandensis
- Curtiss' milkwort Polygala curtissii
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
- downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
- downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- drumheads Polygala cruciata
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
- dwarf wakerobin Trillium pusillum
- eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- field thistle Cirsium discolor
- fire pink Silene virginica
- fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
- fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
- fox grape Vitis labrusca
- fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
- giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
- glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
- goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
- great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
- green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
- hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
- hoary mock orange Philadelphus pubescens
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
- lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
- Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- nodding onion Allium cernuum
- oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
- oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
- orange coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
- pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
- parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
- rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
- rosepink Sabatia angularis
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
- scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
- showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
- showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
- silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
- singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
- slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
- spoonleaf sundew Drosera intermedia
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- sweet white violet Viola blanda
- tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- tuberous stoneseed Lithospermum tuberosum
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- velvetleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium viridiflorum
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
- white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
- white colicroot Aletris farinosa
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
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 | Russell County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 254 | 426 | 1,719 |
| Garden-ready natives | 120 | 190 | 568 |
| Tree | 71 | — | 181 |
| Shrub | 21 | — | 73 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 113 | — | 931 |
| Grass or grass-like | 21 | — | 376 |
| Vine | 15 | — | 85 |
| Fern | 13 | — | 73 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Russell County.
- Adair County, KY 211 garden-ready
- Casey County, KY 246 garden-ready
- Clinton County, KY 203 garden-ready
- Pulaski County, KY 306 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
- Russell County (county FIPS 21207), Kentucky. 254 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