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Native plants · Mississippi

Native plants of Covington County

239 plant species are recorded as native to Mississippi in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Covington County by USDA PLANTS. 115 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

Covington County, Mississippi

Native species
239 Typical Mississippi county: 241 (median of 82 counties)
Garden-ready natives
115 Typical Mississippi county: 116
Share by type (all 239 native species)
Percent of the 239 native species in each growth type
Tree 22% (52)
Shrub 6% (15)
Wildflower (forb) 47% (113)
Grass or grass-like 17% (41)
Vine 5% (13)
Fern 2% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (47%), followed by trees (22%).

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 zone 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 115

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

Garden-ready native plants of Covington County, Mississippi
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6b
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American holly Ilex opaca Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Appalachian blazing star Liatris squarrulosa Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
bog rush Juncus biflorus Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus Grass or grass-like 6.3 ft Sun High Zone 5a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia Tree 12 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli Tree 30 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
comfortroot Hibiscus aculeatus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 8b
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum Shrub 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
Elliott's blueberry Vaccinium elliottii Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
field paspalum Paspalum laeve Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
forked rush Juncus dichotomus Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8b
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
Gulf Sebastian-bush Ditrysinia fruticosa Shrub 12 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium Grass or grass-like 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
inkberry Ilex glabra Shrub 8 ft Sun High Zone 6a
lanceleaf greenbrier Smilax smallii Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
large gallberry Ilex coriacea Tree 12 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
loblolly pine Pinus taeda Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 6b
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina Shrub 9 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5a
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa Tree 85 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens Shrub 14 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
muscadine Vitis rotundifolia Vine 30 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 12a
parsley hawthorn Crataegus marshallii Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
possumhaw Viburnum nudum Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Shrub 5 ft Sun High Zone 5b
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
river birch Betula nigra Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
southern red oak Quercus falcata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
spruce pine Pinus glabra Tree 90 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
summer grape Vitis aestivalis Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
swamp chestnut oak Quercus michauxii Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
swamp cottonwood Populus heterophylla Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp titi Cyrilla racemiflora Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 6b
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana Tree 60 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 9a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
thinfruit sedge Carex flaccosperma Grass or grass-like 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 8a
velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
water oak Quercus nigra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
white edge sedge Carex debilis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
winged elm Ulmus alata Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
winged sumac Rhus copallinum Tree 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
yaupon Ilex vomitoria Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a

Other native species recorded here 124

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 wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
  • Atlantic poison oak Toxicodendron pubescens
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
  • bearded skeletongrass Gymnopogon ambiguus
  • bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla
  • birdfoot violet Viola pedata
  • black highbush blueberry Vaccinium fuscatum
  • blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
  • Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • chinquapin Castanea pumila
  • coastal plain panicgrass Dichanthelium longiligulatum
  • coastal plain sedge Carex crebriflora
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • downy danthonia Danthonia sericea
  • downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
  • eastern silver aster Symphyotrichum concolor
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • false aloe Manfreda virginica
  • fescue sedge Carex festucacea
  • Florida yellow flax Linum floridanum
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
  • goldenclub Orontium aquaticum
  • greater tickseed Coreopsis major
  • greenvein lady's tresses Spiranthes praecox
  • hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
  • hairy clustervine Jacquemontia tamnifolia
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
  • hairy umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
  • herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • leathery rush Juncus coriaceus
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • Maryland milkwort Polygala mariana
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
  • narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
  • narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
  • nodding beaksedge Rhynchospora inexpansa
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
  • queendevil Hieracium gronovii
  • redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
  • rough Mexican clover Richardia scabra
  • roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
  • roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
  • Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
  • sand hickory Carya pallida
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
  • sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
  • slender rose gentian Sabatia campanulata
  • slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
  • slender yelloweyed grass Xyris torta
  • smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
  • smallflower thoroughwort Eupatorium semiserratum
  • smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
  • southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spindleroot Ludwigia hirtella
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • starry rosinweed Silphium asteriscus
  • Texas star Sabatia campestris
  • Texas vervain Verbena halei
  • thymeleaf pinweed Lechea minor
  • trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
  • tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
  • twining snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa
  • Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
  • Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
  • Virginia bunchflower Veratrum virginicum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
  • wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
  • whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
  • white colicroot Aletris farinosa
  • white thoroughwort Eupatorium album
  • wild yam Dioscorea villosa
  • woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
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.

  • annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia

Compared with Mississippi

The typical county is the median of the 82 Mississippi 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, Covington County and Mississippi
MeasureCovington CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 239 241 1,473
Garden-ready natives 115 116 528
Tree 52 — 164
Shrub 15 — 63
Wildflower (forb) 113 — 770
Grass or grass-like 41 — 358
Vine 13 — 72
Fern 5 — 46

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Covington 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
Covington County (county FIPS 28031), Mississippi. 239 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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