Native plants · Kentucky
Native plants of Trimble County
214 plant species are recorded as native to Kentucky in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Trimble County by USDA PLANTS. 104 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
Trimble County, Kentucky
- Native species
- 214 Typical Kentucky county: 426 (median of 120 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 104 Typical Kentucky county: 190
- Share by type (all 214 native species)
-
Percent of the 214 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by trees (29%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 104
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 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 witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium | Tree | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| butternut Juglans cinerea | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| butterweed Packera glabella | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 10b |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 4b |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 rush Juncus effusus | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 36 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa | Shrub | 15 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| limestone bittercress Cardamine douglassii | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| manyflower flatsedge Cyperus lancastriensis | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| 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 bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pin oak Quercus palustris | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | 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 |
| 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 |
| redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus | Shrub | 8.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| water locust Gleditsia aquatica | Tree | 40 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 10a |
| 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 blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| winged sumac Rhus copallinum | Tree | 8 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| yellow buckeye Aesculus flava | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 110
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.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American cancer-root Conopholis americana
- anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
- bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
- early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fire pink Silene virginica
- fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
- great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
- Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
- hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
- harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
- hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
- mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
- oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
- pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- ramp Allium tricoccum
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- rock buttercup Ranunculus micranthus
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
- Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
- smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
- smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
- squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
- tinted woodland spurge Euphorbia commutata
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
- twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
- upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- weak rush Juncus debilis
- white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
- white bear sedge Carex albursina
- white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
- whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
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.
| Measure | Trimble County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 214 | 426 | 1,719 |
| Garden-ready natives | 104 | 190 | 568 |
| Tree | 62 | — | 181 |
| Shrub | 8 | — | 73 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 105 | — | 931 |
| Grass or grass-like | 21 | — | 376 |
| Vine | 10 | — | 85 |
| Fern | 8 | — | 73 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Trimble County.
- Carroll County, KY 120 garden-ready
- Henry County, KY 188 garden-ready
- Oldham County, KY 259 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
- Trimble County (county FIPS 21223), Kentucky. 214 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