Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Charles County

187 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Charles County by USDA PLANTS. 68 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

Charles County, Maryland

Native species: 187 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 68 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 187 native species): Percent of the 187 native species in each growth type

Tree 5% (10)
Shrub 1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 39% (72)
Grass or grass-like 43% (81)
Vine 5% (10)
Fern 6% (12)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (43%), followed by wildflowers (39%).

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 7b to 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 68

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

Garden-ready native plants of Charles County, Maryland
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
American cupscale Sacciolepis striata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
American lotus Nelumbo lutea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
American spongeplant Limnobium spongia	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
American water-willow Justicia americana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
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
coral greenbrier Smilax walteri	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
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 white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
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 cane Arundinaria gigantea	Shrub	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
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
horsetail paspalum Paspalum fluitans	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
loblolly pine Pinus taeda	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6b
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
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7b
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
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
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
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
Short's sedge Carex shortiana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
southern bayberry Morella caroliniensis	Tree	7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
spotted joe pye weed Eutrochium maculatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
white edge sedge Carex debilis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6a
whiteroot rush Juncus brachycarpus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens	Wildflower (forb)	4.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 119

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 climbing fern Lygodium palmatum
American featherfoil Hottonia inflata
angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
bent sedge Carex styloflexa
black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
blue sedge Carex glaucodea
bog fern Thelypteris simulata
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
broadwing sedge Carex alata
camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Carolina sedge Carex caroliniana
Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
clustered fescue Festuca paradoxa
coastal plain blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium fuscatum
Collins' sedge Carex collinsii
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
darkgreen sedge Carex venusta
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
downy milkpea Galactia volubilis
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
dwarf violet iris Iris verna
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
eastern silver aster Symphyotrichum concolor
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Engelmann's arrowhead Sagittaria engelmanniana
false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fescue sedge Carex festucacea
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
giant sedge Carex gigantea
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
James' sedge Carex jamesii
Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
Long's sedge Carex longii
Louisiana sedge Carex louisianica
maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
midland sedge Carex mesochorea
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
Muehlenberg's nutrush Scleria muehlenbergii
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
pale dock Rumex altissimus
palegreen orchid Platanthera flava
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
potato dwarfdandelion Krigia dandelion
procession flower Polygala incarnata
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
reflexed flatsedge Cyperus refractus
richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
rosy sedge Carex rosea
sandplain flax Linum intercursum
scaly blazing star Liatris squarrosa
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
Skinner's false foxglove Agalinis skinneriana
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
smallflower baby blue eyes Nemophila aphylla
smallfruit agrimony Agrimonia microcarpa
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
striped gentian Gentiana villosa
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
tenlobe false foxglove Agalinis obtusifolia
threadleaf false foxglove Agalinis setacea
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
twisted spikerush Eleocharis tortilis
twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
twoleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
veiny skullcap Scutellaria nervosa
weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white fringed orchid Platanthera blephariglottis
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata
yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris
yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens

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.

switchcaneArundinaria tecta

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, Charles County and Maryland
Measure	Charles County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	187	184	1,872
Garden-ready natives	68	61	635
Tree	10	—	174
Shrub	2	—	112
Wildflower (forb)	72	—	965
Grass or grass-like	81	—	463
Vine	10	—	72
Fern	12	—	86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Charles County.

Prince George's County, MD 93 garden-ready
St. Mary's County, MD 42 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: Charles County (county FIPS 24017), Maryland. 187 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.