Native plants · Tennessee

Native plants of Pickett County

258 plant species are recorded as native to Tennessee in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pickett County by USDA PLANTS. 87 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Pickett County, Tennessee

Native species: 258 Typical Tennessee county: 450 (median of 95 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 87 Typical Tennessee county: 182
Share by type (all 258 native species): Percent of the 258 native species in each growth type

Tree 14% (37)
Shrub 9% (22)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (127)
Grass or grass-like 13% (33)
Vine 3% (8)
Fern 12% (31)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by trees (14%).

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 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 87

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pickett County, Tennessee
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia	Tree	25 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 chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
arborvitae Thuja occidentalis	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
black maple Acer nigrum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
bushy St. Johnswort Hypericum densiflorum	Shrub	6.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 8a
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canada yew Taxus canadensis	Shrub	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana	Tree	33 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris	Fern	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
common sweetleaf Symplocos tinctoria	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
cupseed Calycocarpum lyonii	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
deerberry Vaccinium stamineum	Shrub	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
drooping sedge Carex prasina	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis	Tree	105 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
great laurel Rhododendron maximum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina	Shrub	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
melic mannagrass Glyceria melicaria	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens	Shrub	14 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis	Fern	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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
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
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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 maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
silky dogwood Cornus amomum	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
sweet birch Betula lenta	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
twisted sedge Carex torta	Grass or grass-like	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
white edge sedge Carex debilis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
winged elm Ulmus alata	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 171

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
Allegheny hawkweed Hieracium paniculatum
alpine violet Viola labradorica
American alumroot Heuchera americana
American cancer-root Conopholis americana
American climbing fern Lygodium palmatum
annual marsh elder Iva annua
Appalachian shoestring fern Vittaria appalachiana
Appalachian stitchwort Minuartia glabra
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
autumn coralroot Corallorhiza odontorhiza
azure bluet Houstonia caerulea
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
bigleaf magnolia Magnolia macrophylla
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
Canadian summer bluet Houstonia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
cankerweed Prenanthes serpentaria
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
chinquapin Castanea pumila
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
deeproot clubmoss Lycopodium tristachyum
devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
downy danthonia Danthonia sericea
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern featherbells Stenanthium gramineum
eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
forkleaf toothwort Cardamine dissecta
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
hairy pagoda-plant Blephilia hirsuta
hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
highland doghobble Leucothoe fontanesiana
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
Illinois pinweed Lechea racemulosa
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
James' sedge Carex jamesii
largeleaf grass of Parnassus Parnassia grandifolia
leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
littleflower alumroot Heuchera parviflora
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
longspur violet Viola rostrata
lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
matting rosette grass Dichanthelium meridionale
meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
Miami mist Phacelia purshii
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
mountain woodsorrel Oxalis montana
narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
narrowleaf whitetop aster Sericocarpus linifolius
Nuttall's ticktrefoil Desmodium nuttallii
oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
Pennsylvania clubmoss Lycopodium hickeyi
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
ribbed sedge Carex virescens
robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
rock clubmoss Huperzia porophila
rosepink Sabatia angularis
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
roundleaf yellow violet Viola rotundifolia
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
sand hickory Carya pallida
scentless mock orange Philadelphus inodorus
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
shrubby lespedeza Lespedeza frutescens
small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
southern blue monkshood Aconitum uncinatum
southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
starved panicgrass Dichanthelium depauperatum
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
Swan's sedge Carex swanii
sweet white violet Viola blanda
swollen bladderwort Utricularia inflata
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
tuberous stoneseed Lithospermum tuberosum
Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
wavyleaf aster Symphyotrichum undulatum
white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
white colicroot Aletris farinosa
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
woollysheath threeawn Aristida lanosa
yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
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, Pickett County and Tennessee
Measure	Pickett County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	258	450	1,844
Garden-ready natives	87	182	606
Tree	37	—	189
Shrub	22	—	88
Wildflower (forb)	127	—	988
Grass or grass-like	33	—	420
Vine	8	—	81
Fern	31	—	78

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pickett County.

Clinton County, KY 203 garden-ready
Fentress County, TN 234 garden-ready
Overton County, TN 183 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: Pickett County (county FIPS 47137), Tennessee. 258 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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