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Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Dorchester County

209 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Dorchester County by USDA PLANTS. 79 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

Dorchester County, Maryland

Native species
209 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives
79 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 209 native species)
Percent of the 209 native species in each growth type
Tree 3% (6)
Shrub 1% (3)
Wildflower (forb) 44% (93)
Grass or grass-like 48% (101)
Vine 2% (5)
Fern <1% (1)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by wildflowers (44%).

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

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

Garden-ready natives 79

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

Garden-ready native plants of Dorchester County, Maryland
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American lotus Nelumbo lutea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoides Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
bearded beggarticks Bidens aristosa Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
bitter panicgrass Panicum amarum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
blister sedge Carex vesicaria Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
bog rush Juncus biflorus Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus Grass or grass-like 6.3 ft Sun High 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
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Carolina redroot Lachnanthes caroliana Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 8b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
coppery St. Johnswort Hypericum denticulatum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7b
cypress swamp sedge Carex joorii Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum subulatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
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
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium 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
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum Shrub 12 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
laurel greenbrier Smilax laurifolia Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
loblolly pine Pinus taeda Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 6b
longhair sedge Carex comosa Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Nuttall's reedgrass Calamagrostis coarctata Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 5a
pine barren goldenrod Solidago fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roundhead rush Juncus validus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
saltmeadow cordgrass Spartina patens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 7a
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
shoreline sedge Carex hyalinolepis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
shortbeard plumegrass Saccharum brevibarbe Grass or grass-like 6.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smallfruit beggarticks Bidens mitis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
southern waxy sedge Carex glaucescens Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius Wildflower (forb) 5.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
sweetscent Pluchea odorata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
thicket sedge Carex abscondita Grass or grass-like 8 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
upright sedge Carex stricta Grass or grass-like 4.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
white edge sedge Carex debilis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wrinkled jointtail grass Coelorachis rugosa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 130

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.

  • amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
  • arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
  • awl-leaf arrowhead Sagittaria subulata
  • beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
  • bent sedge Carex styloflexa
  • black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
  • blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
  • bog yelloweyed grass Xyris difformis
  • Brazilian watermeal Wolffia brasiliensis
  • broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
  • broadwing sedge Carex alata
  • brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
  • brownfruit rush Juncus pelocarpus
  • bunched beaksedge Rhynchospora cephalantha
  • button sedge Carex bullata
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • claspingleaf St. Johnswort Hypericum gymnanthum
  • clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
  • Collins' sedge Carex collinsii
  • combleaf mermaidweed Proserpinaca pectinata
  • creeping St. Johnswort Hypericum adpressum
  • crested yellow orchid Platanthera cristata
  • downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
  • dwarf umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
  • early goldenrod Solidago juncea
  • eastern purple bladderwort Utricularia purpurea
  • eastern showy aster Eurybia spectabilis
  • eastern star sedge Carex radiata
  • Elliott's goldenrod Solidago latissimifolia
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fern flatsedge Cyperus filicinus
  • fewflower milkweed Asclepias lanceolata
  • flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
  • Florida mudmidget Wolffiella gladiata
  • Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
  • fringed yelloweyed grass Xyris fimbriata
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora recognita
  • grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
  • green false hellebore Veratrum viride
  • handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
  • hirsute sedge Carex complanata
  • hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
  • hyssopleaf hedgenettle Stachys aspera
  • hyssopleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium hyssopifolium
  • Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
  • justiceweed Eupatorium leucolepis
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lavender bladderwort Utricularia resupinata
  • lined sedge Carex striatula
  • little floating bladderwort Utricularia radiata
  • little floatingheart Nymphoides cordata
  • Long's sedge Carex longii
  • longbeak beaksedge Rhynchospora scirpoides
  • loosehead beaksedge Rhynchospora chalarocephala
  • Louisiana sedge Carex louisianica
  • lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
  • maidencane Panicum hemitomon
  • maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
  • marsh lady's tresses Spiranthes odorata
  • Mitchell's sedge Carex mitchelliana
  • moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
  • Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
  • narrowfruit horned beaksedge Rhynchospora inundata
  • narrowleaf lespedeza Lespedeza angustifolia
  • netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
  • northern long sedge Carex folliculata
  • Oklahoma sedge Carex oklahomensis
  • pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • pink bogbutton Sclerolepis uniflora
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
  • Reznicek's sedge Carex reznicekii
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • Robbins' spikerush Eleocharis robbinsii
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rough flatsedge Cyperus retrofractus
  • roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
  • running serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera
  • saltmeadow rush Juncus gerardii
  • sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
  • shaved sedge Carex tonsa
  • shining lady's tresses Spiranthes lucida
  • shore quillwort Isoetes riparia
  • Short's hedgehyssop Gratiola viscidula
  • shortbeak beaksedge Rhynchospora nitens
  • showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
  • Skinner's false foxglove Agalinis skinneriana
  • slender blue iris Iris prismatica
  • slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
  • slender Indiangrass Sorghastrum elliottii
  • slender rose gentian Sabatia campanulata
  • slender watermilfoil Myriophyllum tenellum
  • slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
  • small waterwort Elatine minima
  • Small's yelloweyed grass Xyris smalliana
  • smallfruit agrimony Agrimonia microcarpa
  • smallfruit spikerush Eleocharis microcarpa
  • smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
  • southern twayblade Listera australis
  • spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
  • stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
  • sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
  • swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
  • Swan's sedge Carex swanii
  • swaying bulrush Schoenoplectus subterminalis
  • swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
  • tall horned beaksedge Rhynchospora macrostachya
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • three-angle spikerush Eleocharis tricostata
  • trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
  • trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
  • turk's-cap lily Lilium superbum
  • twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
  • velvet sedge Carex vestita
  • velvetleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium viridiflorum
  • Walter's sedge Carex striata
  • weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
  • whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
  • white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • woollysheath threeawn Aristida lanosa
  • 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.

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, Dorchester County and Maryland
MeasureDorchester CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 209 184 1,872
Garden-ready natives 79 61 635
Tree 6 — 174
Shrub 3 — 112
Wildflower (forb) 93 — 965
Grass or grass-like 101 — 463
Vine 5 — 72
Fern 1 — 86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Dorchester 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
Dorchester County (county FIPS 24019), Maryland. 209 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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