Native plants · Tennessee
Native plants of Jefferson County
228 plant species are recorded as native to Tennessee in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Jefferson County by USDA PLANTS. 95 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
Jefferson County, Tennessee
- Native species
- 228 Typical Tennessee county: 450 (median of 95 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 95 Typical Tennessee county: 182
- Share by type (all 228 native species)
-
Percent of the 228 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by trees (19%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 95
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 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 plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| Appalachian blazing star Liatris squarrulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium | Tree | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blackjack oak Quercus marilandica | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 |
| Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 4b |
| Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus | Grass or grass-like | 1.7 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| cattail sedge Carex typhina | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| climbing rose Rosa setigera | Vine | 16 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common rush Juncus effusus | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | 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 |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5b |
| deerberry Vaccinium stamineum | Shrub | 16 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum | Tree | 28 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| green arrow arum Peltandra virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis | Wildflower (forb) | 8 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 6a |
| heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata | Vine | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Kentucky yellowwood Cladrastis kentukea | Tree | 40 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| limestone bittercress Cardamine douglassii | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| maleberry Lyonia ligustrina | Shrub | 9 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 5a |
| mountain maple Acer spicatum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| 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 |
| Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra | Tree | 68 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 12a |
| pitch pine Pinus rigida | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| prairie willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum | Wildflower (forb) | 8.1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 68 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum | Shrub | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum | Tree | 8 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 5a |
| spring avens Geum vernum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| stiff dogwood Cornus foemina | Tree | 16 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 loosestrife Decodon verticillatus | Shrub | 8 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| Table Mountain pine Pinus pungens | Tree | 50 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5b |
| teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides | Grass or grass-like | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| upright sedge Carex stricta | Grass or grass-like | 4.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| valley redstem Ammannia coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Virginia pine Pinus virginiana | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| winged elm Ulmus alata | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| woodland bluegrass Poa sylvestris | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 133
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.
- American alumroot Heuchera americana
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
- Appalachian barren strawberry Waldsteinia fragarioides
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
- bent sedge Carex styloflexa
- birdfoot violet Viola pedata
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
- blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
- chinquapin Castanea pumila
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- combleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pectinata
- common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
- dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
- dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
- dwarf violet iris Iris verna
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
- early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
- eastern bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana
- eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
- fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
- field pansy Viola bicolor
- fire pink Silene virginica
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
- hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
- halberdleaf yellow violet Viola hastata
- helmet flower Scutellaria integrifolia
- honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
- Kral's sedge Carex kraliana
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- log fern Dryopteris celsa
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
- marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
- Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- mountain silverbell Halesia tetraptera
- narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
- narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
- Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
- pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
- Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
- pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
- pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
- pitcher's stitchwort Minuartia patula
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- prostrate blue violet Viola walteri
- puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
- reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
- Reznicek's sedge Carex reznicekii
- rosy sedge Carex rosea
- rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- shaggy hedgehyssop Gratiola pilosa
- shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
- singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slender waternymph Najas gracillima
- small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
- smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
- smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
- soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
- southern crab apple Malus angustifolia
- southern mountainmint Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- starved panicgrass Dichanthelium depauperatum
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- sweet white violet Viola blanda
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tinted woodland spurge Euphorbia commutata
- toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
- whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
- whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
- wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
- wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
- woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
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.
- common reedPhragmites australis
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
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 | Jefferson County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 228 | 450 | 1,844 |
| Garden-ready natives | 95 | 182 | 606 |
| Tree | 44 | — | 189 |
| Shrub | 12 | — | 88 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 120 | — | 988 |
| Grass or grass-like | 30 | — | 420 |
| Vine | 9 | — | 81 |
| Fern | 13 | — | 78 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Jefferson County.
- Cocke County, TN 173 garden-ready
- Hamblen County, TN 53 garden-ready
- Knox County, TN 328 garden-ready
- Sevier County, TN 303 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
- Jefferson County (county FIPS 47089), Tennessee. 228 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