Native plants · New York

Native plants of Ontario County

669 plant species are recorded as native to New York in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Ontario County by USDA PLANTS. 293 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

Ontario County, New York

Native species: 669 Typical New York county: 699 (median of 62 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 293 Typical New York county: 299
Share by type (all 669 native species): Percent of the 669 native species in each growth type

Tree 11% (72)
Shrub 5% (35)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (330)
Grass or grass-like 24% (162)
Vine 3% (20)
Fern 7% (50)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (24%).

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 6a to 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 293

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

Garden-ready native plants of Ontario County, New York
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American beech Fagus grandifolia	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens	Vine	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American bur-reed Sparganium americanum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
American chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
American eelgrass Vallisneria americana	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
American plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
annual wildrice Zizania aquatica	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
arborvitae Thuja occidentalis	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
bigleaf aster Eurybia macrophylla	Wildflower (forb)	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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 walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
bluebead Clintonia borealis	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
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
bog goldenrod Solidago uliginosa	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
bog willowherb Epilobium leptophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
bottle gentian Gentiana clausa	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa	Wildflower (forb)	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canada germander Teucrium canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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 serviceberry Amelanchier canadensis	Tree	23 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Carolina rose Rosa carolina	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
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 blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
common juniper Juniperus communis	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
crested sedge Carex cristatella	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
crested woodfern Dryopteris cristata	Fern	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana	Vine	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana	Grass or grass-like	3.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
drooping sedge Carex prasina	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
eastern rough sedge Carex scabrata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
eastern straw sedge Carex straminea	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
fineleaf pondweed Stuckenia filiformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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 sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
golden ragwort Packera aurea	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greater straw sedge Carex normalis	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens	Grass or grass-like	5.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2a
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
hairy sedge Carex lacustris	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hairyfruit sedge Carex trichocarpa	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
inland sedge Carex interior	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus	Wildflower (forb)	9.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Shrub	6 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
lesser panicled sedge Carex diandra	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
melic mannagrass Glyceria melicaria	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
mountain maple Acer spicatum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
nannyberry Viburnum lentago	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
necklace sedge Carex projecta	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
nerveless woodland sedge Carex leptonervia	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
New York ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
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
nodding waternymph Najas flexilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
northern bayberry Morella pensylvanica	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
paper birch Betula papyrifera	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
pignut hickory Carya glabra	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum	Wildflower (forb)	8.1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
pussy willow Salix discolor	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
ribbonleaf pondweed Potamogeton epihydrus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 bedstraw Galium asprellum	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
roundleaf goldenrod Solidago patula	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
roundleaf serviceberry Amelanchier sanguinea	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
russet buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 1a
sageleaf willow Salix candida	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
sassafras Sassafras albidum	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria	Tree	45 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
silvery sedge Carex canescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
small white violet Viola macloskeyi	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
smallhead rush Juncus brachycephalus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
smooth beggartick Bidens laevis	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia	Wildflower (forb)	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
softleaf sedge Carex disperma	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
spiked muhly Muhlenbergia glomerata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
spotted joe pye weed Eutrochium maculatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
spring avens Geum vernum	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
stalked bulrush Scirpus pedicellatus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
star duckweed Lemna trisulca	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum	Fern	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
striped maple Acer pensylvanicum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
sugar maple Acer saccharum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
sweetgrass Hierochloe odorata	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
tall hairy agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
tamarack Larix laricina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 1a
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
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa	Grass or grass-like	3.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
twisted sedge Carex torta	Grass or grass-like	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
wavy hairgrass Deschampsia flexuosa	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
whitestem pondweed Potamogeton praelongus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 376

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
agueweed Gentianella quinquefolia
Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
Allegheny Mountain buttercup Ranunculus allegheniensis
alpine violet Viola labradorica
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American bluehearts Buchnera americana
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
American fly honeysuckle Lonicera canadensis
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American milletgrass Milium effusum
American senna Senna hebecarpa
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American wintergreen Pyrola americana
Appalachian sedge Carex appalachica
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
bashful bulrush Trichophorum planifolium
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
bigfruit hawthorn Crataegus macrosperma
black baneberry Actaea racemosa
blackgirdle bulrush Scirpus atrocinctus
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bog fern Thelypteris simulata
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bristly sarsaparilla Aralia hispida
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
button sedge Carex bullata
buttonbush dodder Cuscuta cephalanthi
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada lily Lilium canadense
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian burnet Sanguisorba canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
catberry Ilex mucronata
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
Clinton's woodfern Dryopteris clintoniana
clubmoss Lycopodium ×habereri
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
cream avens Geum virginianum
cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
creeping mannagrass Glyceria acutiflora
cuckoo flower Cardamine pratensis
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
cypress-like sedge Carex pseudocyperus
deeproot clubmoss Lycopodium tristachyum
dioecious sedge Carex sterilis
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
dotted hawthorn Crataegus punctata
downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
drooping woodland sedge Carex arctata
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf ginseng Panax trifolius
dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
early azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
earth loosestrife Lysimachia terrestris
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
fernleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pedicularia
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
field thistle Cirsium discolor
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
fleshy hawthorn Crataegus succulenta
floating mannagrass Glyceria septentrionalis
fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
gaywings Polygala paucifolia
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
greater fringed gentian Gentianopsis crinita
green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
hairy angelica Angelica venenosa
hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
handsome sedge Carex formosa
harlequin blueflag Iris versicolor
hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
James' sedge Carex jamesii
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
Kalm's hawkweed Hieracium kalmii
king of the meadow Thalictrum pubescens
knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
lakecress Neobeckia aquatica
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
lanceleaf wild licorice Galium lanceolatum
large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
largebract ticktrefoil Desmodium cuspidatum
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
largepod pinweed Lechea intermedia
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
lesser clearweed Pilea fontana
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
limestone calamint Clinopodium arkansanum
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
log fern Dryopteris celsa
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
longspur violet Viola rostrata
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
low nutrush Scleria verticillata
lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
matricary grapefern Botrychium matricariifolium
matted spikerush Eleocharis intermedia
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mountain woodfern Dryopteris campyloptera
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needle beaksedge Rhynchospora capillacea
needletip blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
nodding sedge Carex gynandra
northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
northern bog sedge Carex gynocrates
northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
northern evening primrose Oenothera parviflora
northern shorthusk Brachyelytrum aristosum
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
northern wildrice Zizania palustris
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
Oakes' evening primrose Oenothera oakesiana
obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
oldpasture bluegrass Poa saltuensis
oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
painted trillium Trillium undulatum
pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
pale sedge Carex pallescens
palegreen orchid Platanthera flava
parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
pretty sedge Carex woodii
prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
purplestem angelica Angelica atropurpurea
rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
red baneberry Actaea rubra
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
red hickory Carya ovalis
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
richweed Collinsonia canadensis
rigid sedge Carex tetanica
Robert geranium Geranium robertianum
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
rosy sedge Carex rosea
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
saline saltbush Atriplex subspicata
sandbar lovegrass Eragrostis frankii
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma
scarlet hawthorn Crataegus pedicellata
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
shaved sedge Carex tonsa
shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
sicklepod Arabis canadensis
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
single delight Moneses uniflora
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
slender watermilfoil Myriophyllum tenellum
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
snailseed pondweed Potamogeton bicupulatus
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spiral pondweed Potamogeton spirillus
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stout goldenrod Solidago squarrosa
stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
thinleaf cottonsedge Eriophorum viridicarinatum
thinleaf sunflower Helianthus decapetalus
toothed whitetop aster Sericocarpus asteroides
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
Tuckerman's sedge Carex tuckermanii
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
Vasey's pondweed Potamogeton vaseyi
violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
Virginia marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum
Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
water arum Calla palustris
wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
waxflower shinleaf Pyrola elliptica
waxyfruit hawthorn Crataegus pruinosa
waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
weak stellate sedge Carex seorsa
western blue virginsbower Clematis occidentalis
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
white adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis brachypoda
white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
whorled wood aster Oclemena acuminata
Wiegand's wildrye Elymus wiegandii
wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woodland pinedrops Pterospora andromedea
woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
woolly sedge Carex pellita
wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata
yellow avens Geum aleppicum
yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
yellow loosestrife Lysimachia ×producta
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris
yellow widelip orchid Liparis loeselii
yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens

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.

common reedPhragmites australis
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
wood bluegrassPoa nemoralis

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, Ontario County and New York
Measure	Ontario County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	669	699	1,886
Garden-ready natives	293	299	655
Tree	72	—	171
Shrub	35	—	120
Wildflower (forb)	330	—	970
Grass or grass-like	162	—	472
Vine	20	—	56
Fern	50	—	97

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Ontario County.

Livingston County, NY 204 garden-ready
Monroe County, NY 390 garden-ready
Seneca County, NY 156 garden-ready
Steuben County, NY 179 garden-ready
Wayne County, NY 216 garden-ready
Yates County, NY 209 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: Ontario County (county FIPS 36069), New York. 669 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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