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Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Shelby County

167 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Shelby County by USDA PLANTS. 94 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Shelby County, Kentucky

Native species
167 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives
94 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 167 native species)
Percent of the 167 native species in each growth type
Tree 31% (51)
Shrub 1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 44% (73)
Grass or grass-like 15% (25)
Vine 6% (10)
Fern 4% (6)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (44%), followed by trees (31%).

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 94

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

Garden-ready native plants of Shelby 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 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 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 wisteria Wisteria frutescens Vine 50 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
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 walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium Tree 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica Tree 25 ft Sun Low 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
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
bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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 violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
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
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
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
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
Georgia bulrush Scirpus georgianus Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
golden ragwort Packera aurea Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
moss phlox Phlox subulata Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
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
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
quill sedge Carex tenera Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
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
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
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
troublesome sedge Carex molesta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
winged elm Ulmus alata Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 73

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
  • bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
  • blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
  • browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
  • Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
  • early blue violet Viola ×palmata
  • eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
  • 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
  • fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
  • fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
  • longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • Miami mist Phacelia purshii
  • northern watermeal Wolffia borealis
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • purplerocket Iodanthus pinnatifidus
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
  • Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
  • slender waternymph Najas gracillima
  • smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
  • star chickweed Stellaria pubera
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis

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, Shelby County and Kentucky
MeasureShelby CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 167 426 1,719
Garden-ready natives 94 190 568
Tree 51 — 181
Shrub 2 — 73
Wildflower (forb) 73 — 931
Grass or grass-like 25 — 376
Vine 10 — 85
Fern 6 — 73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Shelby 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
Shelby County (county FIPS 21211), Kentucky. 167 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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