Native plants · New York

Native plants of Wayne County

499 plant species are recorded as native to New York in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wayne County by USDA PLANTS. 216 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

Wayne County, New York

Native species: 499 Typical New York county: 699 (median of 62 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 216 Typical New York county: 299
Share by type (all 499 native species): Percent of the 499 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (33)
Shrub 5% (26)
Wildflower (forb) 44% (218)
Grass or grass-like 33% (165)
Vine 3% (16)
Fern 8% (41)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (44%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (33%).

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 216

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wayne County, New York
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
American beachgrass Ammophila breviligulata	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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 lotus Nelumbo lutea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	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 water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American water-willow Justicia americana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
annual wildrice Zizania aquatica	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
arctic brome Bromus kalmii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
beach pea Lathyrus japonicus	Vine	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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 chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 9b
black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica	Tree	95 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
blue huckleberry Gaylussacia frondosa	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
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
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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
Canada germander Teucrium canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Canada yew Taxus canadensis	Shrub	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Canadian rush Juncus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3.2 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
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
climbing rose Rosa setigera	Vine	16 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
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 cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
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
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
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 spikerush Eleocharis parvula	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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 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
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
fringed sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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's sedge Carex grayi	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	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 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
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy sedge Carex lacustris	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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
hobblebush Viburnum lantanoides	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
jointleaf rush Juncus articulatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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
lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
little green sedge Carex viridula	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Maryland senna Senna marilandica	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
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
narrowleaf water plantain Alisma gramineum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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 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
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
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	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
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
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
pussy willow Salix discolor	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
roundleaf goldenrod Solidago patula	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
scarlet oak Quercus coccinea	Tree	70 ft	Sun	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
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
silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
slender bulrush Schoenoplectus heterochaetus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia	Wildflower (forb)	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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 waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
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
star sedge Carex echinata	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	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
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
swamp loosestrife Decodon verticillatus	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
sweet birch Betula lenta	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
sweetgale Myrica gale	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
sweetgrass Hierochloe odorata	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	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
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
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
white oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
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
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 7a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
woodland muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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

Other native species recorded here 283

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
alpine bulrush Trichophorum alpinum
amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American milletgrass Milium effusum
American searocket Cakile edentula
American senna Senna hebecarpa
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
bog bluegrass Poa paludigena
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
bog willow Salix pedicellaris
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bright green spikerush Eleocharis olivacea
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
broadwing sedge Carex alata
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada lily Lilium canadense
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
Carey's sedge Carex careyana
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
claspingleaf pondweed Potamogeton perfoliatus
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
Clinton's woodfern Dryopteris clintoniana
coastal sedge Carex exilis
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
creeping sedge Carex chordorrhiza
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
cypress-like sedge Carex pseudocyperus
downy willowherb Epilobium strictum
downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
dragon's mouth Arethusa bulbosa
drooping woodland sedge Carex arctata
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf red blackberry Rubus pubescens
dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
elk sedge Carex garberi
elliptic spikerush Eleocharis elliptica
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
fewflower sedge Carex pauciflora
fewflower spikerush Eleocharis quinqueflora
fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
green false hellebore Veratrum viride
green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
hairystem gooseberry Ribes hirtellum
halberdleaf tearthumb Polygonum arifolium
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
James' sedge Carex jamesii
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
lakecress Neobeckia aquatica
large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
little grapefern Botrychium simplex
liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
matricary grapefern Botrychium matricariifolium
matted spikerush Eleocharis intermedia
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
naked miterwort Mitella nuda
nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
northern bog bedstraw Galium labradoricum
northern bog sedge Carex gynocrates
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
northern watermeal Wolffia borealis
oldpasture bluegrass Poa saltuensis
painted trillium Trillium undulatum
pale sedge Carex pallescens
Paradox cinquefoil Potentilla paradoxa
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pink fuzzybean Strophostyles umbellata
plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
prairie sedge Carex prairea
prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
ramp Allium tricoccum
rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris
red hickory Carya ovalis
red trillium Trillium erectum
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
rigid sedge Carex tetanica
Robert geranium Geranium robertianum
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
scarlet beebalm Monarda didyma
Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
Schweinitz's sedge Carex schweinitzii
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
seaside sandmat Chamaesyce polygonifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
sessileleaf bellwort Uvularia sessilifolia
sheep laurel Kalmia angustifolia
shining lady's tresses Spiranthes lucida
shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
slim amaranth Amaranthus hybridus
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
Smith's bulrush Schoenoplectiella smithii
smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
smooth rose Rosa blanda
smooth sawgrass Cladium mariscoides
smooth small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium marilandicum
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
southern twayblade Listera australis
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spiny naiad Najas marina
spoonleaf sundew Drosera intermedia
spotted pondweed Potamogeton pulcher
spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stout smartweed Polygonum robustius
striped cream violet Viola striata
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
swaying bulrush Schoenoplectus subterminalis
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
threeleaf false lily of the valley Maianthemum trifolium
threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
toothed whitetop aster Sericocarpus asteroides
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
Tuckerman's sedge Carex tuckermanii
tussock cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum
twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
twistedstalk Streptopus lanceolatus
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
twoleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
umbrella flatsedge Cyperus diandrus
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
watershield Brasenia schreberi
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white fringed orchid Platanthera blephariglottis
white goldenrod Solidago bicolor
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
witchgrass Panicum capillare
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woodfern Dryopteris ×triploidea
woolly sedge Carex pellita
woollyfruit sedge Carex lasiocarpa
yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
yellow nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes ochroleuca
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
hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

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, Wayne County and New York
Measure	Wayne County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	499	699	1,886
Garden-ready natives	216	299	655
Tree	33	—	171
Shrub	26	—	120
Wildflower (forb)	218	—	970
Grass or grass-like	165	—	472
Vine	16	—	56
Fern	41	—	97

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wayne County.

Cayuga County, NY 265 garden-ready
Monroe County, NY 390 garden-ready
Ontario County, NY 293 garden-ready
Seneca County, NY 156 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: Wayne County (county FIPS 36117), New York. 499 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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