Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Allegany County

193 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Allegany County by USDA PLANTS. 59 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Allegany County, Maryland

Native species: 193 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 59 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 193 native species): Percent of the 193 native species in each growth type

Tree 5% (9)
Shrub 3% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 38% (73)
Grass or grass-like 40% (77)
Vine 4% (7)
Fern 11% (21)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (40%), followed by wildflowers (38%).

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 zones 6a to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 59

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

Garden-ready native plants of Allegany County, Maryland
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American water-willow Justicia americana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
arborvitae Thuja occidentalis	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	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
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
cattail sedge Carex typhina	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsii	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
crested sedge Carex cristatella	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
drooping sedge Carex prasina	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
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
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
fringed sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Gray's sedge Carex grayi	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greater straw sedge Carex normalis	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana	Fern	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Shrub	6 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
roundleaf dogwood Cornus rugosa	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
roundleaf serviceberry Amelanchier sanguinea	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
shallow sedge Carex lurida	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Short's sedge Carex shortiana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
star duckweed Lemna trisulca	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
twisted sedge Carex torta	Grass or grass-like	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
white edge sedge Carex debilis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6a
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
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

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.

Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
allegheny vine Adlumia fungosa
American fly honeysuckle Lonicera canadensis
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
Appalachian polypody Polypodium appalachianum
Appalachian sedge Carex appalachica
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
bigfruit hawthorn Crataegus macrosperma
black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
blue sedge Carex glaucodea
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
climbing milkvine Matelea obliqua
common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
downy carrionflower Smilax pulverulenta
dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
evening campion Silene nivea
fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
false Indian plantain Hasteola suaveolens
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fescue sedge Carex festucacea
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
hairy goldenrod Solidago hispida
hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
hay sedge Carex argyrantha
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
Houghton's flatsedge Cyperus houghtonii
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
James' sedge Carex jamesii
kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
lined sedge Carex striatula
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
low serviceberry Amelanchier humilis
lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
mountain woodfern Dryopteris campyloptera
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf bluecurls Trichostema setaceum
nodding onion Allium cernuum
nodding sedge Carex gynandra
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
oldpasture bluegrass Poa saltuensis
painted trillium Trillium undulatum
palegreen orchid Platanthera flava
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
Porter's reedgrass Calamagrostis porteri
pretty sedge Carex woodii
prune-fruit sedge Carex corrugata
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
red trillium Trillium erectum
reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
ribbed sedge Carex virescens
richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
rosy sedge Carex rosea
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
running serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera
rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
shaved sedge Carex tonsa
showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stout goldenrod Solidago squarrosa
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
turk's-cap lily Lilium superbum
turkey corn Dicentra eximia
Virginia fanpetals Sida hermaphrodita
Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woolly sedge Carex pellita
yellow nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes ochroleuca
yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens

Compared with Maryland

The typical county is the median of the 24 Maryland 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, Allegany County and Maryland
Measure	Allegany County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	193	184	1,872
Garden-ready natives	59	61	635
Tree	9	—	174
Shrub	6	—	112
Wildflower (forb)	73	—	965
Grass or grass-like	77	—	463
Vine	7	—	72
Fern	21	—	86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Allegany County.

Garrett County, MD 84 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: Allegany County (county FIPS 24001), Maryland. 193 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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