Native plants · Washington

Native plants of Wahkiakum County

201 plant species are recorded as native to Washington in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wahkiakum County by USDA PLANTS. 146 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Wahkiakum County, Washington

Native species: 201 Typical Washington county: 300 (median of 39 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 146 Typical Washington county: 219
Share by type (all 201 native species): Percent of the 201 native species in each growth type

Tree 13% (27)
Shrub 10% (20)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (98)
Grass or grass-like 18% (36)
Vine 4% (9)
Fern 5% (11)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (18%).

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 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 146

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wahkiakum County, Washington
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	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
awl-leaf lilaea Lilaea scilloides	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
beach pea Lathyrus japonicus	Vine	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
big deervetch Lotus crassifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
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 crowberry Empetrum nigrum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
black hawthorn Crataegus douglasii	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
Brewer's bittercress Cardamine breweri	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
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 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
California blackberry Rubus ursinus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California false hellebore Veratrum californicum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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 barberry Mahonia nervosa	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
Cascara buckthorn Frangula purshiana	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
clasping arnica Arnica amplexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
cluster rose Rosa pisocarpa	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	—	Zone 5a
coastal monkeyflower Mimulus dentatus	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7b
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
cows clover Trifolium wormskioldii	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
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
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
dwarf rose Rosa gymnocarpa	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fernleaf biscuitroot Lomatium dissectum	Wildflower (forb)	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
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
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
grand fir Abies grandis	Tree	150 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	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
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
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
little western bittercress Cardamine oligosperma	Wildflower (forb)	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
Lyngbye's sedge Carex lyngbyei	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 2a
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
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
northwest sandbar willow Salix sessilifolia	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia	Tree	70 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
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 lupine Lupinus lepidus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
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 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
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prickly currant Ribes lacustre	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
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 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
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	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
rose spirea Spiraea douglasii	Shrub	7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
rough bugleweed Lycopus asper	Wildflower (forb)	2.1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	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
Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 1a
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
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
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 hairgrass Deschampsia elongata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
slough sedge Carex obnupta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
smallflowered woodrush Luzula parviflora	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum	Vine	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
toughleaf iris Iris tenax	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
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
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
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile	Fern	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
western columbine Aquilegia formosa	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
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 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 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 clematis Clematis ligusticifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
whitebark raspberry Rubus leucodermis	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 55

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
American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
chaffweed Anagallis minima
chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
dune willow Salix hookeriana
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
European bur-reed Sparganium emersum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
largeleaf sandwort Moehringia macrophylla
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
mountain tarweed Madia glomerata
muskflower Mimulus moschatus
neckweed Veronica peregrina
nodding onion Allium cernuum
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
red baneberry Actaea rubra
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
Scouler's popcornflower Plagiobothrys scouleri
shortseed waterwort Elatine brachysperma
stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
sweetcicely Osmorhiza berteroi
tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
twinflower Linnaea borealis
water pygmyweed Crassula aquatica
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

Also listed as native and introduced here 4

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.

bride's feathersAruncus dioicus
claspleaf twistedstalkStreptopus amplexifolius
common reedPhragmites australis
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, Wahkiakum County and Washington
Measure	Wahkiakum County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	201	300	1,015
Garden-ready natives	146	219	621
Tree	27	—	74
Shrub	20	—	99
Wildflower (forb)	98	—	547
Grass or grass-like	36	—	234
Vine	9	—	16
Fern	11	—	45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wahkiakum County.

Cowlitz County, WA 191 garden-ready
Pacific County, WA 172 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: Wahkiakum County (county FIPS 53069), Washington. 201 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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