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Native plants · Tennessee

Native plants of Henderson County

247 plant species are recorded as native to Tennessee in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Henderson County by USDA PLANTS. 106 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Henderson County, Tennessee

Native species
247 Typical Tennessee county: 450 (median of 95 counties)
Garden-ready natives
106 Typical Tennessee county: 182
Share by type (all 247 native species)
Percent of the 247 native species in each growth type
Tree 11% (27)
Shrub 3% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (122)
Grass or grass-like 23% (57)
Vine 8% (20)
Fern 6% (14)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (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 7b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 106

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

Garden-ready native plants of Henderson County, Tennessee
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American chestnut Castanea dentata Tree 115 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
American holly Ilex opaca Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
American snowbell Styrax americanus Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 5b
American wisteria Wisteria frutescens Vine 50 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 9b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
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
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
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
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
cupseed Calycocarpum lyonii Vine 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
disk waterhyssop Bacopa rotundifolia Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 4a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
field paspalum Paspalum laeve Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
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
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green arrow arum Peltandra virginica Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus Wildflower (forb) 9.8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
lanceleaf loosestrife Lysimachia lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens Shrub 14 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 7a
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
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
overcup oak Quercus lyrata Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
peppervine Nekemias arborea Vine 1 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
planertree Planera aquatica Tree 50 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
prairie willow Salix humilis Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
purplehead sneezeweed Helenium flexuosum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
riverbank wildrye Elymus riparius Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
smooth phlox Phlox glaberrima Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
squarestem spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun High Zone 4b
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina Tree 16 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
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 chestnut oak Quercus michauxii Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius Wildflower (forb) 5.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
thinfruit sedge Carex flaccosperma Grass or grass-like 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
water tupelo Nyssa aquatica Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 141

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 buckwheat vine Brunnichia ovata
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • American pillwort Pilularia americana
  • anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
  • arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
  • ashy sunflower Helianthus mollis
  • Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
  • blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
  • bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bog yelloweyed grass Xyris difformis
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian licorice-root Ligusticum canadense
  • Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
  • clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • climbing dogbane Trachelospermum difforme
  • clustered beaksedge Rhynchospora glomerata
  • cream avens Geum virginianum
  • crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
  • cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
  • cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
  • downy carrionflower Smilax pulverulenta
  • downy milkpea Galactia volubilis
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • Elliott's bentgrass Agrostis elliottiana
  • fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
  • fewflower nutrush Scleria pauciflora
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • foxtail clubmoss Lycopodiella alopecuroides
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • giant sedge Carex gigantea
  • globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
  • gravelweed Verbesina helianthoides
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
  • hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
  • hairy umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
  • handsome Harry Rhexia virginica
  • hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
  • hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
  • humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
  • Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • keeled bulrush Isolepis carinata
  • kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
  • Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • leathery rush Juncus coriaceus
  • licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • longbeak arrowhead Sagittaria australis
  • low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
  • low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
  • manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
  • Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
  • mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
  • narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
  • narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
  • partridgeberry Mitchella repens
  • pink fuzzybean Strophostyles umbellata
  • pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
  • purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • Ravenel's rosette grass Dichanthelium ravenelii
  • richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rough flatsedge Cyperus retrofractus
  • roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
  • rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
  • Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
  • sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
  • silver plumegrass Saccharum alopecuroides
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
  • slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
  • slender waternymph Najas gracillima
  • slender yelloweyed grass Xyris torta
  • slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
  • small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
  • small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
  • smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
  • smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
  • smooth white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum racemosum
  • smooth yellow false foxglove Aureolaria flava
  • smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • southern bog clubmoss Lycopodiella appressa
  • sparselobe grapefern Botrychium biternatum
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
  • star tickseed Coreopsis pubescens
  • stiff yellow flax Linum medium
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
  • watershield Brasenia schreberi
  • weakstalk bulrush Schoenoplectiella purshiana
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
  • widowsfrill Silene stellata
  • wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
  • wild yam Dioscorea villosa
  • woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
  • yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima

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.

Native species counts, Henderson County and Tennessee
MeasureHenderson CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 247 450 1,844
Garden-ready natives 106 182 606
Tree 27 — 189
Shrub 7 — 88
Wildflower (forb) 122 — 988
Grass or grass-like 57 — 420
Vine 20 — 81
Fern 14 — 78

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Henderson 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
Henderson County (county FIPS 47077), Tennessee. 247 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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