Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Harford County

180 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Harford County by USDA PLANTS. 60 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Harford County, Maryland

Native species: 180 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 60 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 180 native species): Percent of the 180 native species in each growth type

Tree 3% (5)
Shrub 1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 42% (75)
Grass or grass-like 44% (80)
Vine 1% (2)
Fern 9% (16)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (44%), 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 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 60

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

Garden-ready native plants of Harford County, Maryland
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
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
cattail sedge Carex typhina	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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
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
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 straw sedge Carex straminea	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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
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
great St. Johnswort Hypericum ascyron	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana	Fern	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
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
roundhead rush Juncus validus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
roundleaf goldenrod Solidago patula	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
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
silvery sedge Carex canescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
smallfruit beggarticks Bidens mitis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
troublesome sedge Carex molesta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	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 doll's daisy Boltonia asteroides	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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 120

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
American bluehearts Buchnera americana
American climbing fern Lygodium palmatum
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
bashful bulrush Trichophorum planifolium
bent sedge Carex styloflexa
black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
blue sedge Carex glaucodea
Bradley's spleenwort Asplenium bradleyi
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian burnet Sanguisorba canadensis
claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
Davis' sedge Carex davisii
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
eastern featherbells Stenanthium gramineum
eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris 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
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
flat-spiked sedge Carex planispicata
fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora recognita
glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
hay sedge Carex argyrantha
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
James' sedge Carex jamesii
largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
lesser marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum tubulosum
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
lined sedge Carex striatula
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
longbeak arrowhead Sagittaria australis
Louisiana sedge Carex louisianica
low rough aster Eurybia radula
lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
midland sedge Carex mesochorea
nodding sedge Carex gynandra
nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
red trillium Trillium erectum
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
ribbed sedge Carex virescens
rosy sedge Carex rosea
running serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
slender blue iris Iris prismatica
slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
small waterwort Elatine minima
smartweed dodder Cuscuta polygonorum
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
soft fox sedge Carex conjuncta
spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
tall tickseed Coreopsis tripteris
Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
toothed flatsedge Cyperus dentatus
velvetleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium viridiflorum
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
waterplantain spearwort Ranunculus ambigens
weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
Welsh mudwort Limosella australis
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white colicroot Aletris farinosa
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
woodfern Dryopteris ×boottii
woolly sedge Carex pellita
yellow avens Geum aleppicum
yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
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, Harford County and Maryland
Measure	Harford County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	180	184	1,872
Garden-ready natives	60	61	635
Tree	5	—	174
Shrub	2	—	112
Wildflower (forb)	75	—	965
Grass or grass-like	80	—	463
Vine	2	—	72
Fern	16	—	86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Harford County.

Baltimore County, MD 78 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: Harford County (county FIPS 24025), Maryland. 180 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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