Native plants · North Carolina

Native plants of Perquimans County

228 plant species are recorded as native to North Carolina in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Perquimans County by USDA PLANTS. 109 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Perquimans County, North Carolina

Native species: 228 Typical North Carolina county: 498 (median of 100 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 109 Typical North Carolina county: 208
Share by type (all 228 native species): Percent of the 228 native species in each growth type

Tree 13% (29)
Shrub 6% (14)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (120)
Grass or grass-like 21% (47)
Vine 5% (11)
Fern 3% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 109

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

Garden-ready native plants of Perquimans County, North Carolina
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American bur-reed Sparganium americanum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
American cupscale Sacciolepis striata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
American eelgrass Vallisneria americana	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
American holly Ilex opaca	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
American lotus Nelumbo lutea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
American snowbell Styrax americanus	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5b
arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
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
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Carolina ash Fraxinus caroliniana	Tree	39 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7b
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
coastal doghobble Leucothoe axillaris	Shrub	6.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 7b
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana	Tree	33 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7b
coastal sweetpepperbush Clethra alnifolia	Shrub	16 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
common rush Juncus effusus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	36 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
dwarf azalea Rhododendron atlanticum	Shrub	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
fringed sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea	Shrub	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
giant cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
green arrow arum Peltandra virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
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
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
little barley Hordeum pusillum	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
longhair sedge Carex comosa	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina	Shrub	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
manyflower flatsedge Cyperus lancastriensis	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa	Tree	85 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7b
New York aster Symphyotrichum novi-belgii	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
possumhaw Viburnum nudum	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
red chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
redbay Persea borbonia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	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
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
shoreline sedge Carex hyalinolepis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
small beggarticks Bidens discoidea	Wildflower (forb)	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
smooth beggartick Bidens laevis	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
southern arrowwood Viburnum recognitum	Tree	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
southern waxy sedge Carex glaucescens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp chestnut oak Quercus michauxii	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp doghobble Eubotrys racemosus	Shrub	13 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp loosestrife Decodon verticillatus	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
swamp rose Rosa palustris	Shrub	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
valdivia duckweed Lemna valdiviana	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Virginia iris Iris virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
Virginia sweetspire Itea virginica	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
waterpod Hydrolea quadrivalvis	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 119

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 featherfoil Hottonia inflata
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
awl-leaf arrowhead Sagittaria subulata
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
big carpetgrass Axonopus furcatus
black highbush blueberry Vaccinium fuscatum
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
Brazilian watermeal Wolffia brasiliensis
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
bulltongue arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia
camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
cheerful sunflower Helianthus ×laetiflorus
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
clustered beaksedge Rhynchospora glomerata
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cone-cup spikerush Eleocharis tuberculosa
crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
dwarf violet iris Iris verna
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
floating mannagrass Glyceria septentrionalis
floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
leathery rush Juncus coriaceus
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
marsh mermaidweed Proserpinaca palustris
Maryland milkwort Polygala mariana
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
minute duckweed Lemna perpusilla
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
poorjoe Diodia teres
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
procession flower Polygala incarnata
purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
rosepink Sabatia angularis
roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
sand violet Viola affinis
sanddune sandbur Cenchrus tribuloides
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
slender goldentop Euthamia caroliniana
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
stiff yellow flax Linum medium
swamp leather flower Clematis crispa
tall horned beaksedge Rhynchospora macrostachya
three-lobe violet Viola triloba
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia saltmarsh mallow Kosteletzkya virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
waterplantain spearwort Ranunculus ambigens
wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle prolifera
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
woolly ragwort Packera tomentosa
yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
switchcaneArundinaria tecta

Compared with North Carolina

The typical county is the median of the 100 North Carolina 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, Perquimans County and North Carolina
Measure	Perquimans County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	228	498	1,920
Garden-ready natives	109	208	654
Tree	29	—	198
Shrub	14	—	107
Wildflower (forb)	120	—	996
Grass or grass-like	47	—	453
Vine	11	—	80
Fern	7	—	86

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Perquimans County.

Chowan County, NC 218 garden-ready
Gates County, NC 213 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: Perquimans County (county FIPS 37143), North Carolina. 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

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