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Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Cecil County

214 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Cecil County by USDA PLANTS. 76 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Cecil County, Maryland

Native species
214 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives
76 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 214 native species)
Percent of the 214 native species in each growth type
Tree 5% (10)
Shrub <1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 42% (90)
Grass or grass-like 47% (100)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern 4% (8)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (47%), followed by wildflowers (42%).

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 7a to 7b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 76

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

Garden-ready native plants of Cecil County, Maryland
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American lotus Nelumbo lutea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
American spongeplant Limnobium spongia Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun High Zone 5a
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
bog willowherb Epilobium leptophyllum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium 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-reed sedge Carex sparganioides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
Bush's sedge Carex bushii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
butternut Juglans cinerea Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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 juniper Juniperus communis Tree 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
crested sedge Carex cristatella Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
cypress swamp sedge Carex joorii Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
drooping sedge Carex prasina Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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 rough sedge Carex scabrata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
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
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
hairy sedge Carex lacustris Grass or grass-like 5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
inland sedge Carex interior Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius Wildflower (forb) — Sun High 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
longhair sedge Carex comosa Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
manyflower flatsedge Cyperus lancastriensis Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 5a
pitch pine Pinus rigida Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
prairie willow Salix humilis Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
pussy willow Salix discolor Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
quill sedge Carex tenera Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Robbins' pondweed Potamogeton robbinsii Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
seaside alder Alnus maritima Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7b
seaside goldenrod Solidago sempervirens Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
shining willow Salix lucida Tree 13 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
silvery sedge Carex canescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
southern bayberry Morella caroliniensis Tree 7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
thicket sedge Carex abscondita Grass or grass-like 8 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Sun Low 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
variable sedge Carex polymorpha Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile Fern 3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
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

Other native species recorded here 138

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 bluehearts Buchnera americana
  • American climbing fern Lygodium palmatum
  • American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
  • American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
  • Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
  • black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
  • Blue Ridge sedge Carex lucorum
  • blue sedge Carex glaucodea
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
  • Brazilian watermeal Wolffia brasiliensis
  • broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
  • broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
  • broadwing sedge Carex alata
  • brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
  • brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
  • bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
  • Bush oak Quercus ×bushii
  • button sedge Carex bullata
  • Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
  • Canadian burnet Sanguisorba canadensis
  • Carolina sedge Carex caroliniana
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
  • clustered fescue Festuca paradoxa
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
  • downy willowherb Epilobium strictum
  • early goldenrod Solidago juncea
  • earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
  • eastern featherbells Stenanthium gramineum
  • eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
  • eastern star sedge Carex radiata
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
  • false Indian plantain Hasteola suaveolens
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fescue sedge Carex festucacea
  • fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
  • fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
  • flat-spiked sedge Carex planispicata
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora recognita
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
  • greater fringed gentian Gentianopsis crinita
  • grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
  • harlequin blueflag Iris versicolor
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
  • hoary frostweed Helianthemum bicknellii
  • hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
  • hyssopleaf hedgenettle Stachys aspera
  • inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
  • James' sedge Carex jamesii
  • kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
  • largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
  • Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
  • lesser marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum tubulosum
  • lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
  • lined sedge Carex striatula
  • little lady's tresses Spiranthes tuberosa
  • lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
  • low rough aster Eurybia radula
  • maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
  • marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
  • Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
  • Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
  • midland sedge Carex mesochorea
  • Muehlenberg's nutrush Scleria muehlenbergii
  • Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
  • northern long sedge Carex folliculata
  • Oklahoma sedge Carex oklahomensis
  • openfield sedge Carex conoidea
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • parasol sedge Carex umbellata
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • pine barren deathcamas Zigadenus leimanthoides
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
  • purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • reflexed flatsedge Cyperus refractus
  • reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
  • Reznicek's sedge Carex reznicekii
  • ribbed sedge Carex virescens
  • Richardson's sedge Carex richardsonii
  • rigid sedge Carex tetanica
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
  • rough flatsedge Cyperus retrofractus
  • sandplain flax Linum intercursum
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sessileleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium sessilifolium
  • sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
  • shaved sedge Carex tonsa
  • shining lady's tresses Spiranthes lucida
  • Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
  • showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
  • singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
  • slender blue iris Iris prismatica
  • slender bunchflower Veratrum hybridum
  • slender waternymph Najas gracillima
  • slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • small waterwort Elatine minima
  • smallfruit agrimony Agrimonia microcarpa
  • smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
  • soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
  • Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
  • stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
  • stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
  • striped gentian Gentiana villosa
  • swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
  • swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
  • Swan's sedge Carex swanii
  • tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
  • veiny skullcap Scutellaria nervosa
  • velvet sedge Carex vestita
  • Virginia fanpetals Sida hermaphrodita
  • Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
  • weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
  • Welsh mudwort Limosella australis
  • western blue virginsbower Clematis occidentalis
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
  • white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
  • Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • 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, Cecil County and Maryland
MeasureCecil CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 214 184 1,872
Garden-ready natives 76 61 635
Tree 10 — 174
Shrub 2 — 112
Wildflower (forb) 90 — 965
Grass or grass-like 100 — 463
Vine 4 — 72
Fern 8 — 86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Cecil 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
Cecil County (county FIPS 24015), Maryland. 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

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