Native plants · New York

Native plants of Sullivan County

547 plant species are recorded as native to New York in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Sullivan County by USDA PLANTS. 231 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Sullivan County, New York

Native species: 547 Typical New York county: 699 (median of 62 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 231 Typical New York county: 299
Share by type (all 547 native species): Percent of the 547 native species in each growth type

Tree 9% (51)
Shrub 6% (35)
Wildflower (forb) 45% (244)
Grass or grass-like 30% (164)
Vine 1% (8)
Fern 8% (45)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (30%).

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 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 231

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

Garden-ready native plants of Sullivan County, New York
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American beech Fagus grandifolia	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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 elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
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 water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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
Bailey's sedge Carex baileyi	Grass or grass-like	2.1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
balsam fir Abies balsamea	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera	Tree	80 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 9b
black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica	Tree	95 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
bog laurel Kalmia polifolia	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
bunchberry dogwood Cornus canadensis	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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 yew Taxus canadensis	Shrub	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian rush Juncus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
cattail sedge Carex typhina	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
chestnut oak Quercus montana	Tree	73 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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 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 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 spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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
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
deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
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
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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 hemlock Tsuga canadensis	Tree	105 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 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
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
Gray's sedge Carex grayi	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
great laurel Rhododendron maximum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greater straw sedge Carex normalis	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
green arrow arum Peltandra virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens	Grass or grass-like	5.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
horseflyweed Baptisia tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
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
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
knotted rush Juncus nodosus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
longhair sedge Carex comosa	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina	Shrub	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
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 laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
mud sedge Carex limosa	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
nannyberry Viburnum lentago	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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
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
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 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
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
northern St. Johnswort Hypericum boreale	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
pitch pine Pinus rigida	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
possumhaw Viburnum nudum	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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
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 chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia	Shrub	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
red pine Pinus resinosa	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
red spruce Picea rubens	Tree	110 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
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
sandcherry Prunus pumila	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
silky willow Salix sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum	Grass or grass-like	1.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
spiked muhly Muhlenbergia glomerata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
star sedge Carex echinata	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum	Fern	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp azalea Rhododendron viscosum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
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
sweet birch Betula lenta	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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 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
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
threeseeded sedge Carex trisperma	Grass or grass-like	1.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
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
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
white ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
white edge sedge Carex debilis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
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
woodland muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
woodland rush Juncus subcaudatus	Grass or grass-like	2.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6b
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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 316

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.

Allegheny hawkweed Hieracium paniculatum
Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium americanum
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American marshpennywort Hydrocotyle americana
American milletgrass Milium effusum
American spurred gentian Halenia deflexa
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
American wintergreen Pyrola americana
Appalachian barren strawberry Waldsteinia fragarioides
Appalachian quillwort Isoetes engelmannii
Appalachian stitchwort Minuartia glabra
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
balm-of-Gilead Populus ×jackii
bayonet rush Juncus militaris
bear oak Quercus ilicifolia
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
Bicknell's cranesbill Geranium bicknellii
blackgirdle bulrush Scirpus atrocinctus
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
bluntlobe grapefern Botrychium oneidense
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
bog white violet Viola lanceolata
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
boreal bog sedge Carex magellanica
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
branched bur-reed Sparganium androcladum
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
Canada lily Lilium canadense
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
catberry Ilex mucronata
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cornel-leaf whitetop Doellingeria infirma
cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
cream avens Geum virginianum
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
deeproot clubmoss Lycopodium tristachyum
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
Dortmann's cardinalflower Lobelia dortmanna
downy goldenrod Solidago puberula
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
downy willowherb Epilobium strictum
downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
drooping woodland sedge Carex arctata
dryspike sedge Carex siccata
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
dwarf ginseng Panax trifolius
dwarf red blackberry Rubus pubescens
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
earth loosestrife Lysimachia terrestris
eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
elliptic spikerush Eleocharis elliptica
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
European bur-reed Sparganium emersum
false melic Schizachne purpurascens
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
fernleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pedicularia
fewnerved cottongrass Eriophorum tenellum
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
floating bur-reed Sparganium fluctuans
forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
gall of the earth Prenanthes trifoliolata
Gattinger's panicgrass Panicum gattingeri
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
golden zizia Zizia aurea
goldenclub Orontium aquaticum
Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
greater purple fringed orchid Platanthera grandiflora
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
hairy angelica Angelica venenosa
hairy lettuce Lactuca hirsuta
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
harlequin blueflag Iris versicolor
hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
hornleaf riverweed Podostemum ceratophyllum
Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
inundated clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
king of the meadow Thalictrum pubescens
lace grass Eragrostis capillaris
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
largepod pinweed Lechea intermedia
leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
lesser Canadian St. Johnswort Hypericum canadense
lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longspur violet Viola rostrata
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
matricary grapefern Botrychium matricariifolium
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mountain holly Ilex montana
mountain ricegrass Piptatheropsis pungens
mountain woodfern Dryopteris campyloptera
muskflower Mimulus moschatus
nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
narrowpanicle rush Juncus brevicaudatus
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needletip blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum
nodding sedge Carex gynandra
northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
northern evening primrose Oenothera parviflora
northern long sedge Carex folliculata
northern panicgrass Dichanthelium boreale
northern shorthusk Brachyelytrum aristosum
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
northern wildrice Zizania palustris
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
Oakes' pondweed Potamogeton oakesianus
oldpasture bluegrass Poa saltuensis
oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
painted trillium Trillium undulatum
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
pale sedge Carex pallescens
pale St. Johnswort Hypericum ellipticum
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
pasture thistle Cirsium pumilum
perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
Philadelphia panicgrass Panicum philadelphicum
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
purple chokeberry Aronia ×prunifolia
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
purplestem angelica Angelica atropurpurea
ramp Allium tricoccum
rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
red baneberry Actaea rubra
red hickory Carya ovalis
red trillium Trillium erectum
ribbed sedge Carex virescens
robin runaway Dalibarda repens
rock harlequin Corydalis sempervirens
rock muhly Muhlenbergia sobolifera
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
roundleaf yellow violet Viola rotundifolia
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
sheep laurel Kalmia angustifolia
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
skunk currant Ribes glandulosum
slender looseflower sedge Carex gracilescens
slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
slender waternymph Najas gracillima
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
slimflower muhly Muhlenbergia tenuiflora
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth sawgrass Cladium mariscoides
smooth winterberry Ilex laevigata
smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
snailseed pondweed Potamogeton bicupulatus
spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spoonleaf sundew Drosera intermedia
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
starved panicgrass Dichanthelium depauperatum
stout goldenrod Solidago squarrosa
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
summer sedge Carex aestivalis
swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
swaying bulrush Schoenoplectus subterminalis
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
thinleaf sedge Carex cephaloidea
thinleaf sunflower Helianthus decapetalus
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
toothed flatsedge Cyperus dentatus
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
Tuckerman's pondweed Potamogeton confervoides
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
turk's-cap lily Lilium superbum
tussock cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum
twistedstalk Streptopus lanceolatus
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
water arum Calla palustris
wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
weak rush Juncus debilis
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
whorled wood aster Oclemena acuminata
whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
widowsfrill Silene stellata
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
witchgrass Panicum capillare
wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
woodfern Dryopteris ×boottii
woodfern Dryopteris ×triploidea
woodland bulrush Scirpus expansus
woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata
yellow avens Geum aleppicum
yellow loosestrife Lysimachia ×producta
yellow nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes ochroleuca
yellow screwstem Bartonia virginica
yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

Also listed as native and introduced here 4

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
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, Sullivan County and New York
Measure	Sullivan County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	547	699	1,886
Garden-ready natives	231	299	655
Tree	51	—	171
Shrub	35	—	120
Wildflower (forb)	244	—	970
Grass or grass-like	164	—	472
Vine	8	—	56
Fern	45	—	97

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Sullivan County.

Delaware County, NY 303 garden-ready
Orange County, NY 462 garden-ready
Ulster County, NY 428 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: Sullivan County (county FIPS 36105), New York. 547 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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