Native plants · New York

Native plants of Broome County

274 plant species are recorded as native to New York in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Broome County by USDA PLANTS. 127 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Broome County, New York

Native species
274 Typical New York county: 699 (median of 62 counties)
Garden-ready natives
127 Typical New York county: 299
Share by type (all 274 native species)
Percent of the 274 native species in each growth type
Tree 11% (31)
Shrub 8% (23)
Wildflower (forb) 45% (124)
Grass or grass-like 19% (52)
Vine 3% (8)
Fern 13% (36)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).

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 5b to 6a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 127

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

Garden-ready native plants of Broome County, New York
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American speedwell Veronica americana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
bigleaf aster Eurybia macrophylla Wildflower (forb) 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 9b
black maple Acer nigrum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bristly dewberry Rubus hispidus Shrub 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
chestnut oak Quercus montana Tree 73 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Fern 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula Shrub 6 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
crested woodfern Dryopteris cristata Fern 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
drooping sedge Carex prasina Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus Tree 150 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
flattened oatgrass Danthonia compressa Grass or grass-like 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata Grass or grass-like 5.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
gray birch Betula populifolia Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
great St. Johnswort Hypericum ascyron Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana Fern 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
melic mannagrass Glyceria melicaria Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
nannyberry Viburnum lentago Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera Shrub 2.4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum Fern 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra Tree 81 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata Shrub 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
quill sedge Carex tenera Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
rattlesnake mannagrass Glyceria canadensis Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
red pine Pinus resinosa Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
riverbank wildrye Elymus riparius Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
rock elm Ulmus thomasii Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
roundleaf dogwood Cornus rugosa Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
silvery sedge Carex canescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum Fern 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
striped maple Acer pensylvanicum Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
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
sweet fern Comptonia peregrina Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
sweetflag Acorus americanus Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
tawny cottongrass Eriophorum virginicum Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile Fern 3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
whitegrass Leersia virginica Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
wild sweetwilliam Phlox maculata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
woodland horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum Fern 11 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 147

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.

  • Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
  • Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
  • allegheny vine Adlumia fungosa
  • American bluehearts Buchnera americana
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American marshpennywort Hydrocotyle americana
  • American spikenard Aralia racemosa
  • American wintergreen Pyrola americana
  • Appalachian quillwort Isoetes engelmannii
  • bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
  • bigfruit hawthorn Crataegus macrosperma
  • black baneberry Actaea racemosa
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • Bowman's root Gillenia trifoliata
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
  • bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
  • Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
  • checkered rattlesnake plantain Goodyera tesselata
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • Clinton's woodfern Dryopteris clintoniana
  • common woodrush Luzula multiflora
  • cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
  • cuckoo flower Cardamine pratensis
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
  • dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
  • earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
  • earth loosestrife Lysimachia terrestris
  • eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
  • fragile rockbrake Cryptogramma stelleri
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • gall of the earth Prenanthes trifoliolata
  • gaywings Polygala paucifolia
  • goldenclub Orontium aquaticum
  • grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
  • greater water dock Rumex orbiculatus
  • green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
  • grooved flax Linum sulcatum
  • hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
  • hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
  • hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
  • harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
  • Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
  • hyssopleaf hedgenettle Stachys hyssopifolia
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
  • intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
  • inundated clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
  • king of the meadow Thalictrum pubescens
  • lace grass Eragrostis capillaris
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • lanceleaf wild licorice Galium lanceolatum
  • leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
  • lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
  • lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
  • lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
  • long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
  • low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
  • matricary grapefern Botrychium matricariifolium
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
  • mountain holly Ilex montana
  • mountain woodfern Dryopteris campyloptera
  • nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
  • narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
  • northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
  • northern shorthusk Brachyelytrum aristosum
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • painted trillium Trillium undulatum
  • pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
  • poison sumac Toxicodendron vernix
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
  • purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
  • rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
  • red baneberry Actaea rubra
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • red trillium Trillium erectum
  • robin runaway Dalibarda repens
  • rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
  • running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
  • sand violet Viola affinis
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
  • shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
  • small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
  • smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
  • smooth sawgrass Cladium mariscoides
  • snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • starflower Trientalis borealis
  • summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • turk's-cap lily Lilium superbum
  • twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
  • upland blackberry Rubus pergratus
  • upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
  • Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
  • Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
  • water arum Calla palustris
  • waterplantain spearwort Ranunculus ambigens
  • watershield Brasenia schreberi
  • waxflower shinleaf Pyrola elliptica
  • western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
  • white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
  • white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
  • white turtlehead Chelone glabra
  • white violet Viola renifolia
  • whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
  • wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
  • yellow nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes ochroleuca
  • yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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
  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium

Compared with New York

The typical county is the median of the 62 New York 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, Broome County and New York
MeasureBroome CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 274 699 1,886
Garden-ready natives 127 299 655
Tree 31 — 171
Shrub 23 — 120
Wildflower (forb) 124 — 970
Grass or grass-like 52 — 472
Vine 8 — 56
Fern 36 — 97

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Broome 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
Broome County (county FIPS 36007), New York. 274 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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