Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Frederick County

213 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Frederick County by USDA PLANTS. 61 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

Frederick County, Maryland

Native species
213 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives
61 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 213 native species)
Percent of the 213 native species in each growth type
Tree 4% (9)
Shrub 1% (3)
Wildflower (forb) 45% (95)
Grass or grass-like 31% (67)
Vine 3% (7)
Fern 15% (32)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (31%).

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 61

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

Garden-ready native plants of Frederick County, Maryland
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
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
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
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
drooping sedge Carex prasina Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis Tree 105 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
eastern rough sedge Carex scabrata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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 brome Bromus ciliatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
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
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
nerveless woodland sedge Carex leptonervia Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum Fern 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
pitch pine Pinus rigida Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
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
roundleaf dogwood Cornus rugosa Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
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
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
Table Mountain pine Pinus pungens Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
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
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
white edge sedge Carex debilis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6a
woodland horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum Fern 11 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
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 152

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
  • Appalachian stitchwort Minuartia glabra
  • autumn coralroot Corallorhiza odontorhiza
  • bashful bulrush Trichophorum planifolium
  • bent sedge Carex styloflexa
  • blue sedge Carex glaucodea
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • bluntlobe grapefern Botrychium oneidense
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
  • broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
  • brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
  • brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
  • Canada lily Lilium canadense
  • Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
  • Canadian burnet Sanguisorba canadensis
  • climbing milkvine Matelea obliqua
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • creeping mannagrass Glyceria acutiflora
  • crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • Davis' sedge Carex davisii
  • dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
  • downy carrionflower Smilax pulverulenta
  • downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
  • earleaf false foxglove Agalinis auriculata
  • early goldenrod Solidago juncea
  • eastern featherbells Stenanthium gramineum
  • eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
  • eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
  • eastern star sedge Carex radiata
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
  • Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
  • false Indian plantain Hasteola suaveolens
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
  • flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
  • flypoison Amianthium muscitoxicum
  • fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
  • goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
  • greater purple fringed orchid Platanthera grandiflora
  • green false hellebore Veratrum viride
  • green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
  • hairy goldenrod Solidago hispida
  • hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
  • hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
  • hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
  • hay sedge Carex argyrantha
  • hirsute sedge Carex complanata
  • Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
  • inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
  • intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
  • inundated clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
  • large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
  • largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
  • Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
  • lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
  • lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
  • lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
  • lined sedge Carex striatula
  • little floatingheart Nymphoides cordata
  • lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
  • log fern Dryopteris celsa
  • longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
  • longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
  • low rough aster Eurybia radula
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • midland sedge Carex mesochorea
  • moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
  • mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
  • mountain woodfern Dryopteris campyloptera
  • Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
  • nodding sedge Carex gynandra
  • northern long sedge Carex folliculata
  • northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
  • northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
  • openfield sedge Carex conoidea
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • palegreen orchid Platanthera flava
  • parasol sedge Carex umbellata
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
  • potato dwarfdandelion Krigia dandelion
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
  • purple giant hyssop Agastache scrophulariifolia
  • purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
  • queen of the prairie Filipendula rubra
  • red turtlehead Chelone obliqua
  • reflexed flatsedge Cyperus refractus
  • ribbed sedge Carex virescens
  • rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • running serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera
  • sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
  • sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
  • shaved sedge Carex tonsa
  • Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
  • showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
  • showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
  • Shriver's purple fringed orchid Platanthera ×shriveri
  • skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
  • slender bunchflower Veratrum hybridum
  • slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
  • slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
  • small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
  • smallfruit agrimony Agrimonia microcarpa
  • Smith's bulrush Schoenoplectiella smithii
  • smooth rock skullcap Scutellaria saxatilis
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
  • soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
  • spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stout goldenrod Solidago squarrosa
  • summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
  • Swan's sedge Carex swanii
  • Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
  • threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
  • veiny skullcap Scutellaria nervosa
  • Virginia fanpetals Sida hermaphrodita
  • walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
  • wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
  • western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
  • whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
  • white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
  • whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
  • whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
  • wild yam Dioscorea villosa
  • Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
  • yellow nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes ochroleuca
  • yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris
  • yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
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.

  • Robert geraniumGeranium robertianum

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, Frederick County and Maryland
MeasureFrederick CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 213 184 1,872
Garden-ready natives 61 61 635
Tree 9 — 174
Shrub 3 — 112
Wildflower (forb) 95 — 965
Grass or grass-like 67 — 463
Vine 7 — 72
Fern 32 — 86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Frederick 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
Frederick County (county FIPS 24021), Maryland. 213 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.