Native plants · Tennessee
Native plants of Smith County
231 plant species are recorded as native to Tennessee in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Smith County by USDA PLANTS. 80 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Smith County, Tennessee
- Native species
- 231 Typical Tennessee county: 450 (median of 95 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 80 Typical Tennessee county: 182
- Share by type (all 231 native species)
-
Percent of the 231 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (55%), followed by trees (19%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 80
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 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 holly Ilex opaca | Tree | 40 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides | Tree | 9.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 4b |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata | Tree | 25 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cupseed Calycocarpum lyonii | Vine | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| giant cane Arundinaria gigantea | Shrub | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| golden ragwort Packera aurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| great laurel Rhododendron maximum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra | Tree | 68 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora | Grass or grass-like | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| post oak Quercus stellata | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| red mulberry Morus rubra | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| rock elm Ulmus thomasii | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| sawtooth blackberry Rubus argutus | Shrub | 8.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa | Tree | 100 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 |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| spring avens Geum vernum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| staghorn sumac Rhus typhina | Tree | 30 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| swamp chestnut oak Quercus michauxii | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| swamp white oak Quercus bicolor | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| white oak Quercus alba | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| woodland bluegrass Poa sylvestris | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| yellow buckeye Aesculus flava | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
| zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 151
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.
- agueweed Gentianella quinquefolia
- Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American columbo Frasera caroliniensis
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
- beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
- blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
- branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- cedarglade St. Johnswort Hypericum frondosum
- celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
- cheerful sunflower Helianthus ×laetiflorus
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
- dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
- downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
- dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
- early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
- eastern greenviolet Hybanthus concolor
- eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- fall phlox Phlox paniculata
- false aloe Manfreda virginica
- fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
- fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
- fewflower ticktrefoil Desmodium pauciflorum
- fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
- fire pink Silene virginica
- forkleaf toothwort Cardamine dissecta
- fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
- Gattinger's panicgrass Panicum gattingeri
- giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
- glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
- goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
- Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
- great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
- great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
- hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
- hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
- hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
- heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
- James' sedge Carex jamesii
- king of the meadow Thalictrum pubescens
- largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
- Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
- lemonyellow false goldenaster Heterotheca camporum
- limestone adderstongue Ophioglossum engelmannii
- longsepal beardtongue Penstemon calycosus
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- Miami mist Phacelia purshii
- navel cornsalad Valerianella umbilicata
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- Philadelphia panicgrass Panicum philadelphicum
- pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
- pitcher's stitchwort Minuartia patula
- prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
- purplerocket Iodanthus pinnatifidus
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
- richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
- rock buttercup Ranunculus micranthus
- rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- satincurls Clematis catesbyana
- Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
- shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
- singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
- slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- smallflower baby blue eyes Nemophila aphylla
- smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
- smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
- softleaf arrowwood Viburnum molle
- southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
- Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
- spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
- Tennessee bladderfern Cystopteris tennesseensis
- threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
- tinted woodland spurge Euphorbia commutata
- twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
- vasevine Clematis viorna
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
- waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
- white bear sedge Carex albursina
- white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
- white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- wild goose plum Prunus munsoniana
- woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
- yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
- zigzag spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera
Also listed as native and introduced here 1
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.
- 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 | Smith County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 231 | 450 | 1,844 |
| Garden-ready natives | 80 | 182 | 606 |
| Tree | 44 | — | 189 |
| Shrub | 6 | — | 88 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 127 | — | 988 |
| Grass or grass-like | 25 | — | 420 |
| Vine | 11 | — | 81 |
| Fern | 18 | — | 78 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Smith County.
- DeKalb County, TN 138 garden-ready
- Jackson County, TN 125 garden-ready
- Macon County, TN 91 garden-ready
- Putnam County, TN 215 garden-ready
- Trousdale County, TN 48 garden-ready
- Wilson County, TN 154 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
- Smith County (county FIPS 47159), Tennessee. 231 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