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Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Washington

Native plants of King County

440 plant species are recorded as native to Washington in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in King County by USDA PLANTS. 279 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 7 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

King County, Washington

Native species
440 Typical Washington county: 300 (median of 39 counties)
Garden-ready natives
279 Typical Washington county: 219
Share by type (all 440 native species)
Percent of the 440 native species in each growth type
Tree 11% (48)
Shrub 10% (44)
Wildflower (forb) 51% (223)
Grass or grass-like 21% (94)
Vine 2% (7)
Fern 5% (24)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (51%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 zones 8a to 9a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 279

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

Garden-ready native plants of King County, Washington
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
Alaska brome Bromus sitchensis Grass or grass-like 5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
Alaska cedar Callitropsis nootkatensis Tree 75 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
Alaska oniongrass Melica subulata Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
alpine laurel Kalmia microphylla Shrub 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
alpine leafybract aster Symphyotrichum foliaceum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
American alpine speedwell Veronica wormskjoldii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
American bistort Polygonum bistortoides Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
American dunegrass Leymus mollis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
American eelgrass Vallisneria americana Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 4a
American speedwell Veronica americana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
arctic sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularis Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Barclay's willow Salix barclayi Tree 15 ft Sun High Zone 3a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
beaked sedge Carex rostrata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
bearded fescue Festuca subulata Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigflower agoseris Agoseris grandiflora Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
bigleaf maple Acer macrophyllum Tree 60 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
bitter cherry Prunus emarginata Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black hawthorn Crataegus douglasii Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blue wildrye Elymus glaucus Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
bog birch Betula pumila Shrub 20 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broadleaf lupine Lupinus latifolius Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
California blackberry Rubus ursinus Shrub 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
California brome Bromus carinatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
California false hellebore Veratrum californicum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
California huckleberry Vaccinium ovatum Shrub 8 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 8a
California oatgrass Danthonia californica Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
California poppy Eschscholzia californica Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
Cascade azalea Rhododendron albiflorum Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
Cascade barberry Mahonia nervosa Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
Cascara buckthorn Frangula purshiana Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
chamisso sedge Carex pachystachya Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
clasping arnica Arnica amplexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
cluster rose Rosa pisocarpa Shrub 3 ft Sun — Zone 5a
Columbia brome Bromus vulgaris Grass or grass-like 1 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
Columbian sedge Carex aperta Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 5b
common beargrass Xerophyllum tenax Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common juniper Juniperus communis Tree 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
copperbush Elliottia pyroliflora Shrub 5 ft — — Zone 5a
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
cows clover Trifolium wormskioldii Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
creeping barberry Mahonia repens Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
curvepod yellowcress Rorippa curvisiliqua Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
darkthroat shootingstar Dodecatheon pulchellum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Davis' knotweed Polygonum davisiae Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
deer fern Blechnum spicant Fern 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana Grass or grass-like 3.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
diamondleaf willow Salix planifolia Tree 8 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
Douglas aster Symphyotrichum subspicatum Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 6b
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Tree 200 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
dwarf bilberry Vaccinium cespitosum Shrub 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
dwarf rose Rosa gymnocarpa Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
elephanthead lousewort Pedicularis groenlandica Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Engelmann spruce Picea engelmannii Tree 120 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata Grass or grass-like 5.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
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
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
fringed grass of Parnassus Parnassia fimbriata Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
Geyer willow Salix geyeriana Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
giant mountain aster Canadanthus modestus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
grand fir Abies grandis Tree 150 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green alder Alnus viridis Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 1a
Greene's mountain ash Sorbus scopulina Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
grouse whortleberry Vaccinium scoparium Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
harsh Indian paintbrush Castilleja hispida Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Henderson's sedge Carex hendersonii Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
hollyleaved barberry Mahonia aquifolium Shrub 8 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Idaho blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium idahoense Wildflower (forb) 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Indian plum Oemleria cerasiformis Tree 5 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 10a
jointleaf rush Juncus articulatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Shrub 6 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
lanceleaf grapefern Botrychium lanceolatum Fern 11 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
leafy pea Lathyrus polyphyllus Vine 2.7 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7b
lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 3a
lesser panicled sedge Carex diandra Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii Shrub 12 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
little green sedge Carex viridula Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
little western bittercress Cardamine oligosperma Wildflower (forb) 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
livid sedge Carex livida Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta Tree 99 ft Sun Medium Zone 1a
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
longstalk starwort Stellaria longipes Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Lyngbye's sedge Carex lyngbyei Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun — Zone 2a
MacKenzie's willow Salix prolixa Tree 45 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
maiden blue eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Mertens' rush Juncus mertensianus Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Mertens' sedge Carex mertensii Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
mountain hemlock Tsuga mertensiana Tree 125 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
mountain sedge Carex scopulorum Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
mud sedge Carex limosa Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
nodding waternymph Najas flexilis Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern black currant Ribes hudsonianum Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
northern singlespike sedge Carex scirpoidea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor Shrub 12 ft Sun High Zone 8a
orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia Tree 70 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
Oregon bedstraw Galium oreganum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
Oregon crab apple Malus fusca Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 10a
Oregon white oak Quercus garryana Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
oval-leaf blueberry Vaccinium ovalifolium Shrub 8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Pacific bleeding heart Dicentra formosa Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
Pacific dogwood Cornus nuttallii Tree 50 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8b
Pacific ninebark Physocarpus capitatus Shrub 8 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Pacific rhododendron Rhododendron macrophyllum Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8a
Pacific silver fir Abies amabilis Tree 165 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Pacific yew Taxus brevifolia Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus Grass or grass-like 5.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
paper birch Betula papyrifera Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 1a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
pinemat manzanita Arctostaphylos nevadensis Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata Shrub 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
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
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
prickly currant Ribes lacustre Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
Rainier pleated gentian Gentiana calycosa Wildflower (forb) 7 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 8a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
red alder Alnus rubra Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 5a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 12b
red huckleberry Vaccinium parvifolium Shrub 12 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
redflower currant Ribes sanguineum Shrub 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
redstem ceanothus Ceanothus sanguineus Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
ribbonleaf pondweed Potamogeton epihydrus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Robbins' pondweed Potamogeton robbinsii Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
rock buckwheat Eriogonum sphaerocephalum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Rocky Mountain goldenrod Solidago multiradiata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
rose spirea Spiraea douglasii Shrub 7 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Ross' sedge Carex rossii Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
salal Gaultheria shallon Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
salmonberry Rubus spectabilis Vine 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
sea milkwort Glaux maritima Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun High Zone 4a
seashore bentgrass Agrostis pallens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
shining willow Salix lucida Tree 13 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
shiny chickweed Stellaria nitens Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12a
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Siberian springbeauty Claytonia sibirica Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
sicklekeel lupine Lupinus albicaulis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
silvery sedge Carex canescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis Tree 200 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Sitka willow Salix sitchensis Tree 23 ft Sun High Zone 5b
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun High Zone 3a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
slender hairgrass Deschampsia elongata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
slenderbeak sedge Carex athrostachya Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
slough sedge Carex obnupta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
small camas Camassia quamash Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina Wildflower (forb) 11 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
smallflowered woodrush Luzula parviflora Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
smallwing sedge Carex microptera Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
snowbrush ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus Tree 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
spreading phlox Phlox diffusa Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
squashberry Viburnum edule Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
star duckweed Lemna trisulca Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
star sedge Carex echinata Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum Fern 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
subalpine fleabane Erigeron peregrinus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
subalpine larch Larix lyallii Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 1b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
sweetgale Myrica gale Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swordleaf rush Juncus ensifolius Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
tall trisetum Trisetum canescens Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
tall woolly buckwheat Eriogonum elatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tapertip onion Allium acuminatum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
tarweed fiddleneck Amsinckia lycopsoides Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
thinleaf huckleberry Vaccinium membranaceum Shrub 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum Vine 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
thrift seapink Armeria maritima Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Medium Zone 4b
timber oatgrass Danthonia intermedia Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
tinker's penny Hypericum anagalloides Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
tufted bulrush Trichophorum cespitosum Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
twinberry honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
undergreen willow Salix commutata Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 3b
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 4a
vine maple Acer circinatum Tree 20 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
Virginia glasswort Salicornia depressa Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 8b
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile Fern 3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
water sedge Carex aquatilis Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
western columbine Aquilegia formosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
western fescue Festuca occidentalis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla Tree 170 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
western mountain ash Sorbus sitchensis Tree 15 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
western redcedar Thuja plicata Tree 150 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
western swordfern Polystichum munitum Fern 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
western water hemlock Cicuta douglasii Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun High Zone 4b
western white pine Pinus monticola Tree 200 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
white hawkweed Hieracium albiflorum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
white marsh marigold Caltha leptosepala Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 4a
white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
whitebark raspberry Rubus leucodermis Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 7a
woodrush sedge Carex luzulina Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 161

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.

  • Aleutian maidenhair Adiantum aleuticum
  • alpine pondweed Potamogeton alpinus
  • American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
  • American black nightshade Solanum americanum
  • American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
  • American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
  • Apocynum ×floribundum Apocynum ×floribundum
  • bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
  • beautiful sandwort Minuartia rubella
  • Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
  • Bicknell's cranesbill Geranium bicknellii
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bigleaf lupine Lupinus polyphyllus
  • bitter fleabane Erigeron acris
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
  • bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
  • bog willow Salix pedicellaris
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
  • box knotweed Polygonum buxiforme
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
  • Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • chickenclaws Sarcocornia perennis
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • claspleaf twistedstalk Streptopus amplexifolius
  • coast tarweed Madia sativa
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
  • Crawford's sedge Carex crawfordii
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • Dortmann's cardinalflower Lobelia dortmanna
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • dune willow Salix hookeriana
  • English sundew Drosera anglica
  • erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
  • European bur-reed Sparganium emersum
  • fairy slipper Calypso bulbosa
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fewflower sedge Carex pauciflora
  • flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
  • floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
  • green false hellebore Veratrum viride
  • groundcedar Lycopodium complanatum
  • hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
  • heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hooded coralroot Corallorhiza striata
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
  • Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
  • humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
  • Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
  • Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
  • inundated clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
  • large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • largeleaf sandwort Moehringia macrophylla
  • leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
  • lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
  • liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
  • long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
  • maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
  • marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre
  • marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • marsh violet Viola palustris
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • Mingan moonwort Botrychium minganense
  • mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
  • muskflower Mimulus moschatus
  • narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
  • narrowleaf minerslettuce Montia linearis
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • northern cluster sedge Carex arcta
  • northern green orchid Platanthera aquilonis
  • northern hollyfern Polystichum lonchitis
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • one-cone clubmoss Lycopodium lagopus
  • pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • Paradox cinquefoil Potentilla paradoxa
  • pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • prairie plantain Plantago elongata
  • purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
  • rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris
  • red baneberry Actaea rubra
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
  • running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • saltmeadow rush Juncus gerardii
  • scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
  • Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
  • Scouler's popcornflower Plagiobothrys scouleri
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • seaside sandplant Honckenya peploides
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • single delight Moneses uniflora
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender bog orchid Platanthera stricta
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
  • small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
  • spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
  • summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
  • sweetcicely Osmorhiza berteroi
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
  • threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
  • tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
  • turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
  • twinflower Linnaea borealis
  • twistedstalk Streptopus lanceolatus
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • watershield Brasenia schreberi
  • western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
  • western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
  • western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
  • western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
  • white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • woollyfruit sedge Carex lasiocarpa
  • Wright's cudweed Pseudognaphalium canescens
Also listed as native and introduced here 7

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.

  • annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
  • biennial wormwoodArtemisia biennis
  • bride's feathersAruncus dioicus
  • common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
  • common reedPhragmites australis
  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
  • Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

Compared with Washington

The typical county is the median of the 39 Washington 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, King County and Washington
MeasureKing CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 440 300 1,015
Garden-ready natives 279 219 621
Tree 48 — 74
Shrub 44 — 99
Wildflower (forb) 223 — 547
Grass or grass-like 94 — 234
Vine 7 — 16
Fern 24 — 45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with King 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
King County (county FIPS 53033), Washington. 440 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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