Native plants · Kentucky

Native plants of Simpson County

162 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Simpson County by USDA PLANTS. 86 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

Simpson County, Kentucky

Native species: 162 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 86 Typical Kentucky county: 190
Share by type (all 162 native species): Percent of the 162 native species in each growth type

Tree 35% (57)
Shrub 3% (5)
Wildflower (forb) 46% (74)
Grass or grass-like 7% (12)
Vine 4% (7)
Fern 4% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (46%), followed by trees (35%).

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 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 86

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

Garden-ready native plants of Simpson County, Kentucky
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American beech Fagus grandifolia	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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 water plantain Alisma subcordatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 oak Quercus velutina	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
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
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
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides	Tree	9.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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 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
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
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 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
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
pin oak Quercus palustris	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
purplehead sneezeweed Helenium flexuosum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum	Shrub	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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 red oak Quercus falcata	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
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
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 76

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 false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canadian summer bluet Houstonia canadensis
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
chinquapin Castanea pumila
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
creeping eryngo Eryngium prostratum
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
false aloe Manfreda virginica
false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
forkleaf toothwort Cardamine dissecta
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
hairy angelica Angelica venenosa
hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
hyssopleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium hyssopifolium
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
limestone adderstongue Ophioglossum engelmannii
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
rosepink Sabatia angularis
rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
sand hickory Carya pallida
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
stolonbearing hawthorn Crataegus iracunda
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
wholeleaf rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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.

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, Simpson County and Kentucky
Measure	Simpson County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	162	426	1,719
Garden-ready natives	86	190	568
Tree	57	—	181
Shrub	5	—	73
Wildflower (forb)	74	—	931
Grass or grass-like	12	—	376
Vine	7	—	85
Fern	7	—	73

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Simpson County.

Allen County, KY 112 garden-ready
Logan County, KY 153 garden-ready
Warren County, KY 290 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: Simpson County (county FIPS 21213), Kentucky. 162 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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