Native plants · Ohio

Native plants of Paulding County

255 plant species are recorded as native to Ohio in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Paulding County by USDA PLANTS. 148 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

Paulding County, Ohio

Native species
255 Typical Ohio county: 559 (median of 88 counties)
Garden-ready natives
148 Typical Ohio county: 241
Share by type (all 255 native species)
Percent of the 255 native species in each growth type
Tree 23% (58)
Shrub 5% (14)
Wildflower (forb) 51% (131)
Grass or grass-like 11% (29)
Vine 6% (15)
Fern 3% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (51%), followed by trees (23%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zone 6a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 148

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

Garden-ready native plants of Paulding County, Ohio
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
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 bellflower Campanulastrum americanum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens Vine 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American black currant Ribes americanum Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 2b
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 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 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
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 3a
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 2b
black ash Fraxinus nigra Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
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
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
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
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
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 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 milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Fern 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 2b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
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 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
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana Vine 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
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
Georgia bulrush Scirpus georgianus Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana Tree 45 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High 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
limestone bittercress Cardamine douglassii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
Muskingum sedge Carex muskingumensis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
nannyberry Viburnum lentago Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern 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
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra Tree 68 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
pin oak Quercus palustris Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
rough avens Geum laciniatum Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
shagbark hickory Carya ovata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum Shrub 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
silver maple Acer saccharinum Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 2b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
swamp rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
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 knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
white ash Fraxinus americana Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
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
wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 107

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

  • American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
  • biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
  • bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • Davis' sedge Carex davisii
  • dotted hawthorn Crataegus punctata
  • downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
  • eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • fire pink Silene virginica
  • fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • grand redstem Ammannia robusta
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
  • Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
  • hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
  • harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
  • licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
  • lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
  • manyfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia polycarpa
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • mullein foxglove Dasistoma macrophylla
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
  • oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
  • orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • prairie goldenrod Oligoneuron album
  • prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
  • purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
  • purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • richweed Collinsonia canadensis
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
  • slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
  • small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
  • spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
  • striped cream violet Viola striata
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • Swan's sedge Carex swanii
  • tall rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes altissima
  • toadshade Trillium sessile
  • toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • white arrowleaf aster Symphyotrichum urophyllum
  • white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • wideflower phlox Phlox latifolia
  • wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
  • yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 3

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

  • annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
  • common reedPhragmites australis
  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium

Compared with Ohio

The typical county is the median of the 88 Ohio 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, Paulding County and Ohio
MeasurePaulding CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 255 559 1,740
Garden-ready natives 148 241 594
Tree 58 — 160
Shrub 14 — 94
Wildflower (forb) 131 — 939
Grass or grass-like 29 — 400
Vine 15 — 62
Fern 8 — 85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Paulding County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope
Paulding County (county FIPS 39125), Ohio. 255 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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