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Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Scott County

200 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Scott County by USDA PLANTS. 108 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Scott County, Kentucky

Native species
200 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives
108 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 200 native species)
Percent of the 200 native species in each growth type
Tree 30% (60)
Shrub 6% (12)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (98)
Grass or grass-like 10% (20)
Vine 5% (9)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by trees (30%).

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 108

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

Garden-ready native plants of Scott 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 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 sycamore Platanus occidentalis Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American water-willow Justicia americana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bald cypress Taxodium distichum Tree 130 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
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
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
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 germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
chestnut oak Quercus montana Tree 73 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli Tree 30 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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 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
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 2b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
Georgia bulrush Scirpus georgianus Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus Wildflower (forb) 9.8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
longbeak buttercup Ranunculus longirostris Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
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
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High 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
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
rock elm Ulmus thomasii Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
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
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis Wildflower (forb) 1 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
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 rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 pine Pinus virginiana Tree 70 ft Sun Low 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
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
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

Other native species recorded here 92

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 bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
  • American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
  • annual marsh elder Iva annua
  • aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
  • Chapman's bluegrass Poa chapmaniana
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
  • common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • Copenhagen hawthorn Crataegus intricata
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • Davis' sedge Carex davisii
  • downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
  • early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
  • early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
  • eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern star sedge Carex radiata
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
  • heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
  • hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
  • honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
  • James' sedge Carex jamesii
  • jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
  • Miami mist Phacelia purshii
  • Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
  • mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
  • narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
  • purplerocket Iodanthus pinnatifidus
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • rock buttercup Ranunculus micranthus
  • roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
  • sandbar lovegrass Eragrostis frankii
  • scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
  • Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
  • silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
  • smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
  • smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
  • soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
  • spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
  • striped cream violet Viola striata
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
  • tinted woodland spurge Euphorbia commutata
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
  • veiny skullcap Scutellaria nervosa
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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, Scott County and Kentucky
MeasureScott CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 200 426 1,719
Garden-ready natives 108 190 568
Tree 60 — 181
Shrub 12 — 73
Wildflower (forb) 98 — 931
Grass or grass-like 20 — 376
Vine 9 — 85
Fern 1 — 73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Scott 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
Scott County (county FIPS 21209), Kentucky. 200 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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