Native plants · Mississippi

Native plants of Oktibbeha County

172 plant species are recorded as native to Mississippi in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Oktibbeha County by USDA PLANTS. 64 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

Oktibbeha County, Mississippi

Native species: 172 Typical Mississippi county: 241 (median of 82 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 64 Typical Mississippi county: 116
Share by type (all 172 native species): Percent of the 172 native species in each growth type

Tree 15% (25)
Shrub 3% (5)
Wildflower (forb) 64% (110)
Grass or grass-like 15% (26)
Vine 3% (6)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (64%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (15%).

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 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 64

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

Garden-ready native plants of Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American beech Fagus grandifolia	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
American water plantain Alisma subcordatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 2b
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Elliott's blueberry Vaccinium elliottii	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
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
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Kentucky yellowwood Cladrastis kentukea	Tree	40 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens	Shrub	14 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
nutmeg hickory Carya myristiciformis	Tree	95 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
pignut hickory Carya glabra	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
September elm Ulmus serotina	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum	Shrub	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
thinfruit sedge Carex flaccosperma	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
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 ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
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

Other native species recorded here 108

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 bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American buckwheat vine Brunnichia ovata
American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
American featherfoil Hottonia inflata
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
annual marsh elder Iva annua
arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
combleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pectinata
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
crested yellow orchid Platanthera cristata
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
earleaf false foxglove Agalinis auriculata
eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
eastern silver aster Symphyotrichum concolor
eastern smooth beardtongue Penstemon laevigatus
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
field pansy Viola bicolor
Florida yellow flax Linum floridanum
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
goldenclub Orontium aquaticum
Great Plains lady's tresses Spiranthes magnicamporum
great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
green milkweed Asclepias hirtella
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
Heller's cudweed Pseudognaphalium helleri
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hyssopleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium hyssopifolium
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
James' sedge Carex jamesii
lakecress Neobeckia aquatica
lanceleaf buckthorn Rhamnus lanceolata
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
low woodland sedge Carex socialis
maroon Carolina milkvine Matelea carolinensis
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
Mead's sedge Carex meadii
mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
neckweed Veronica peregrina
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
October lady's tresses Spiranthes ovalis
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
prostrate blue violet Viola walteri
purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
queendevil Hieracium gronovii
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
rough rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes aspera
roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
roundseed St. Johnswort Hypericum sphaerocarpum
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
soft goldenaster Chrysopsis pilosa
southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
spiked crested coralroot Hexalectris spicata
Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
three-lobe violet Viola triloba
Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
warty panicgrass Panicum verrucosum
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
yankeeweed Eupatorium compositifolium
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
yellowfruit horse-gentian Triosteum angustifolium
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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, Oktibbeha County and Mississippi
Measure	Oktibbeha County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	172	241	1,473
Garden-ready natives	64	116	528
Tree	25	—	164
Shrub	5	—	63
Wildflower (forb)	110	—	770
Grass or grass-like	26	—	358
Vine	6	—	72
Fern	0	—	46

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Oktibbeha County.

Choctaw County, MS 90 garden-ready
Clay County, MS 105 garden-ready
Lowndes County, MS 46 garden-ready
Webster County, MS 96 garden-ready
Winston County, MS 149 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: Oktibbeha County (county FIPS 28105), Mississippi. 172 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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