Native plants · Maryland

Native plants of Worcester County

228 plant species are recorded as native to Maryland in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Worcester County by USDA PLANTS. 78 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

Worcester County, Maryland

Native species: 228 Typical Maryland county: 184 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 78 Typical Maryland county: 61
Share by type (all 228 native species): Percent of the 228 native species in each growth type

Tree 6% (14)
Shrub 2% (5)
Wildflower (forb) 39% (88)
Grass or grass-like 43% (97)
Vine 5% (11)
Fern 6% (13)

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 78

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

Garden-ready native plants of Worcester County, Maryland
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American cupscale Sacciolepis striata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
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
bald cypress Taxodium distichum	Tree	130 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
beach plum Prunus maritima	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
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
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
bushy seaside tansy Borrichia frutescens	Shrub	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
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
catchfly grass Leersia lenticularis	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	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
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common reed Phragmites australis	Shrub	13 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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
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 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 cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
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
hazel alder Alnus serrulata	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
jointed spikesedge Eleocharis equisetoides	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
jointleaf rush Juncus articulatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
laurel greenbrier Smilax laurifolia	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
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
Mississippi buttercup Ranunculus laxicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
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
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
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
quill sedge Carex tenera	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox	Vine	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
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
shortleaf pine Pinus echinata	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
silvery sedge Carex canescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
smallfruit beggarticks Bidens mitis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
southern bayberry Morella caroliniensis	Tree	7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
southern waxy sedge Carex glaucescens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
thicket sedge Carex abscondita	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
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
woolly rosette grass Dichanthelium scabriusculum	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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 150

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 bluehearts Buchnera americana
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
bent sedge Carex styloflexa
big carpetgrass Axonopus furcatus
black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
blackfruit spikerush Eleocharis melanocarpa
blue sedge Carex glaucodea
bog fern Thelypteris simulata
Brazilian watermeal Wolffia brasiliensis
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadwing sedge Carex alata
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
bunched beaksedge Rhynchospora cephalantha
button sedge Carex bullata
camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
Carolina fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
claspingleaf St. Johnswort Hypericum gymnanthum
climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
clustered beaksedge Rhynchospora glomerata
clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
coastal lovegrass Eragrostis refracta
coastal plain blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium fuscatum
Collins' sedge Carex collinsii
crested yellow orchid Platanthera cristata
crossvine Bignonia capreolata
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
darkgreen sedge Carex venusta
devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
downy milkpea Galactia volubilis
drumheads Polygala cruciata
dwarf umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
dwarf violet iris Iris verna
dwarf wakerobin Trillium pusillum
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern silver aster Symphyotrichum concolor
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Elliott's goldenrod Solidago latissimifolia
Engelmann's arrowhead Sagittaria engelmanniana
erect centella Centella erecta
false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
giant sedge Carex gigantea
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora recognita
greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
hoary frostweed Helianthemum bicknellii
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
justiceweed Eupatorium leucolepis
lavender bladderwort Utricularia resupinata
lesser marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum tubulosum
lined sedge Carex striatula
little floatingheart Nymphoides cordata
little lady's tresses Spiranthes tuberosa
log fern Dryopteris celsa
Long's sedge Carex longii
longbeak arrowhead Sagittaria australis
Louisiana sedge Carex louisianica
low nutrush Scleria verticillata
lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
marsh lady's tresses Spiranthes odorata
Mitchell's sedge Carex mitchelliana
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mudbank crowngrass Paspalum dissectum
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf bluecurls Trichostema setaceum
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
nodding beaksedge Rhynchospora inexpansa
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
Oklahoma sedge Carex oklahomensis
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
palegreen orchid Platanthera flava
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pink bogbutton Sclerolepis uniflora
pink sundew Drosera capillaris
procession flower Polygala incarnata
prune-fruit sedge Carex corrugata
purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
red milkweed Asclepias rubra
rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
rough flatsedge Cyperus retrofractus
sandplain flax Linum intercursum
seaside sandplant Honckenya peploides
seaside threeawn Aristida tuberculosa
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
shaggy crabgrass Digitaria villosa
shaved sedge Carex tonsa
shortleaf skeletongrass Gymnopogon brevifolius
showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
slender beaksedge Rhynchospora gracilenta
slender blue iris Iris prismatica
slender clubmoss Lycopodiella caroliniana
slender rose gentian Sabatia campanulata
slender seapurslane Sesuvium maritimum
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
Small's yelloweyed grass Xyris smalliana
smooth ticktrefoil Desmodium laevigatum
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
southern bog clubmoss Lycopodiella appressa
southern cutgrass Leersia hexandra
spindleroot Ludwigia hirtella
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
stiff ticktrefoil Desmodium obtusum
stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
striped bladderwort Utricularia striata
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
threadleaf false foxglove Agalinis setacea
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
turk's-cap lily Lilium superbum
twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
twisted spikerush Eleocharis tortilis
twoleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
velvetleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium viridiflorum
Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
Walter's sedge Carex striata
weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
white fringed orchid Platanthera blephariglottis
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
woollysheath threeawn Aristida lanosa
yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
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, Worcester County and Maryland
Measure	Worcester County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	228	184	1,872
Garden-ready natives	78	61	635
Tree	14	—	174
Shrub	5	—	112
Wildflower (forb)	88	—	965
Grass or grass-like	97	—	463
Vine	11	—	72
Fern	13	—	86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Worcester County.

Somerset County, MD 27 garden-ready
Wicomico County, MD 50 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: Worcester County (county FIPS 24047), Maryland. 228 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.