Native plants · Tennessee
Native plants of Giles County
254 plant species are recorded as native to Tennessee in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Giles County by USDA PLANTS. 104 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Giles County, Tennessee
- Native species
- 254 Typical Tennessee county: 450 (median of 95 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 104 Typical Tennessee county: 182
- Share by type (all 254 native species)
-
Percent of the 254 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (51%), followed by trees (15%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 104
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American beautyberry Callicarpa americana | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 6b |
| 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 elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| awlfruit sedge Carex stipata | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| blackgum Nyssa sylvatica | Tree | 95 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium | Tree | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| bog rush Juncus biflorus | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| broom sedge Carex scoparia | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides | Tree | 9.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| bursting-heart Euonymus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| butterweed Packera glabella | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 10b |
| 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 |
| cherrybark oak Quercus pagoda | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6b |
| Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | 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 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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| downy yellow violet Viola pubescens | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa | Shrub | 15 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum | Tree | 28 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Frank's sedge Carex frankii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| giant cane Arundinaria gigantea | Shrub | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens | Grass or grass-like | 3 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 |
| heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata | Vine | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | 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 |
| knotgrass Paspalum distichum | Grass or grass-like | 11 in | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 8a |
| mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis | Fern | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum | Fern | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| northern spicebush Lindera benzoin | Tree | 12 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| northern spiderlily Hymenocallis occidentalis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 7a |
| painted buckeye Aesculus sylvatica | Tree | 65 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 8a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| possumhaw Ilex decidua | Tree | 33 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red buckeye Aesculus pavia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| sassafras Sassafras albidum | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox | Vine | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| shallow sedge Carex lurida | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| shingle oak Quercus imbricaria | Tree | 45 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| silky dogwood Cornus amomum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| spring avens Geum vernum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Vine | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| white edge sedge Carex debilis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 6a |
| whitegrass Leersia virginica | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| willow oak Quercus phellos | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 150
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
- beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
- beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
- bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common woodrush Luzula multiflora
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- cream avens Geum virginianum
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil Desmodium glabellum
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
- early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
- eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
- fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
- field pansy Viola bicolor
- fire pink Silene virginica
- fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
- giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
- giant sedge Carex gigantea
- globe beaksedge Rhynchospora recognita
- globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- great Indian plantain Arnoglossum reniforme
- Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
- hairy alumroot Heuchera villosa
- hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
- hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
- hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
- herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
- hoary mock orange Philadelphus pubescens
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- lanceleaf buckthorn Rhamnus lanceolata
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
- leathery rush Juncus coriaceus
- limestone adderstongue Ophioglossum engelmannii
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
- man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
- Miami mist Phacelia purshii
- navel cornsalad Valerianella umbilicata
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- orange coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
- partridgeberry Mitchella repens
- pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
- pitcher's stitchwort Minuartia patula
- poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
- ramp Allium tricoccum
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- ribbed sedge Carex virescens
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- rock buttercup Ranunculus micranthus
- rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
- satincurls Clematis catesbyana
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
- small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
- smallflower baby blue eyes Nemophila aphylla
- smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
- smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
- smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
- soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
- southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
- spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
- spreading sandwort Arenaria lanuginosa
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
- Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
- tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
- white blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium albidum
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white turtlehead Chelone glabra
- whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
- whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
- whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- woodland flax Linum virginianum
- woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
- yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
- zigzag spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera
Also listed as native and introduced here 2
PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.
- climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
- hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
Compared with Tennessee
The typical county is the median of the 95 Tennessee 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.
| Measure | Giles County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 254 | 450 | 1,844 |
| Garden-ready natives | 104 | 182 | 606 |
| Tree | 37 | — | 189 |
| Shrub | 10 | — | 88 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 130 | — | 988 |
| Grass or grass-like | 36 | — | 420 |
| Vine | 21 | — | 81 |
| Fern | 20 | — | 78 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Giles County.
- Lawrence County, TN 154 garden-ready
- Lincoln County, TN 115 garden-ready
- Marshall County, TN 103 garden-ready
- Maury County, TN 182 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
- Giles County (county FIPS 47055), Tennessee. 254 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