Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Queen Anne's County

170 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Queen Anne's County by USDA PLANTS. 86 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Queen Anne's County, Maryland

Native species: 170 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 86 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 170 native species): Percent of the 170 native species in each growth type

Tree 4% (7)
Shrub 2% (4)
Wildflower (forb) 39% (66)
Grass or grass-like 47% (80)
Vine 3% (5)
Fern 5% (8)

Grasses and grass-like plants make up the largest share of the native list (47%), 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 86

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

Garden-ready native plants of Queen Anne's County, Maryland
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American water plantain Alisma subcordatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
blister sedge Carex vesicaria	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
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
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
Canadian rush Juncus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
common reed Phragmites australis	Shrub	13 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
drooping sedge Carex prasina	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
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
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
longhair sedge Carex comosa	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
riverbank grape Vitis riparia	Vine	45 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sea milkwort Glaux maritima	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus	Shrub	13 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
thicket sedge Carex abscondita	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	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
Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
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
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
woodland rush Juncus subcaudatus	Grass or grass-like	2.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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 84

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 featherfoil Hottonia inflata
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
bashful bulrush Trichophorum planifolium
bent sedge Carex styloflexa
black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
button sedge Carex bullata
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
Clinton's woodfern Dryopteris clintoniana
clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
creeping mannagrass Glyceria acutiflora
creeping St. Johnswort Hypericum adpressum
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
denseflower knotweed Polygonum glabrum
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Engelmann's arrowhead Sagittaria engelmanniana
false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fescue sedge Carex festucacea
fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
giant sedge Carex gigantea
glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
hazel dodder Cuscuta coryli
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
hyssopleaf hedgenettle Stachys hyssopifolia
leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
Long's sedge Carex longii
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mudbank crowngrass Paspalum dissectum
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
prune-fruit sedge Carex corrugata
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
sandplain flax Linum intercursum
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
shaved sedge Carex tonsa
singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
tall horned beaksedge Rhynchospora macrostachya
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
velvet sedge Carex vestita
Walter's sedge Carex striata
warty panicgrass Panicum verrucosum
waterplantain spearwort Ranunculus ambigens
weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
weakstalk bulrush Schoenoplectiella purshiana
white colicroot Aletris farinosa
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
white thoroughwort Eupatorium album
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
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, Queen Anne's County and Maryland
Measure	Queen Anne's County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	170	184	1,872
Garden-ready natives	86	61	635
Tree	7	—	174
Shrub	4	—	112
Wildflower (forb)	66	—	965
Grass or grass-like	80	—	463
Vine	5	—	72
Fern	8	—	86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Queen Anne's County.

Caroline County, MD 47 garden-ready
Kent County, MD 47 garden-ready
Talbot County, MD 51 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: Queen Anne's County (county FIPS 24035), Maryland. 170 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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