Native plants · West Virginia
Native plants of Boone County
201 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Boone County by USDA PLANTS. 66 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Boone County, West Virginia
- Native species
- 201 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 66 Typical West Virginia county: 177
- Share by type (all 201 native species)
-
Percent of the 201 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (13%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 66
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 bellflower Campanulastrum americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 12b |
| American bur-reed Sparganium americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American holly Ilex opaca | Tree | 40 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| American pokeweed Phytolacca americana | Wildflower (forb) | 7.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American water-willow Justicia americana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Carolina rose Rosa carolina | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| chestnut oak Quercus montana | Tree | 73 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea | Tree | 36 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | High | 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 hemlock Tsuga canadensis | Tree | 105 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fringed sedge Carex crinita | Grass or grass-like | 5.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| golden ragwort Packera aurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| graceful sedge Carex gracillima | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| great laurel Rhododendron maximum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana | Fern | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| mountain maple Acer spicatum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 7a |
| nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| red maple Acer rubrum | Tree | 68 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sassafras Sassafras albidum | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| southern red oak Quercus falcata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6a |
| spring avens Geum vernum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| threeseeded sedge Carex trisperma | Grass or grass-like | 1.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| wreath goldenrod Solidago caesia | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 135
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.
- Allegheny Mountain buttercup Ranunculus allegheniensis
- American cancer-root Conopholis americana
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
- bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
- beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
- Bowman's root Gillenia trifoliata
- broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
- Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
- common woodrush Luzula multiflora
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- crippled cranefly Tipularia discolor
- crossvine Bignonia capreolata
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- DC dewberry Rubus fecundus
- downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- fall phlox Phlox paniculata
- fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
- field pansy Viola bicolor
- fire pink Silene virginica
- flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
- fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
- great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
- greater tickseed Coreopsis major
- hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
- hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hoary mountainmint Pycnanthemum incanum
- husk tomato Physalis pubescens
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
- largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- longspur violet Viola rostrata
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
- pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
- pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
- Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
- purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- red trillium Trillium erectum
- reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
- robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
- silver plumegrass Saccharum alopecuroides
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
- slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
- small woodland sunflower Helianthus microcephalus
- Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
- smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
- smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
- spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
- sweet white violet Viola blanda
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
- vasevine Clematis viorna
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
- Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- western blue virginsbower Clematis occidentalis
- white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
- white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
- whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
- wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
Compared with West Virginia
The typical county is the median of the 55 West Virginia 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 | Boone County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 201 | 410 | 1,519 |
| Garden-ready natives | 66 | 177 | 528 |
| Tree | 21 | — | 153 |
| Shrub | 9 | — | 98 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 124 | — | 810 |
| Grass or grass-like | 26 | — | 314 |
| Vine | 9 | — | 59 |
| Fern | 12 | — | 85 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Boone County.
- Kanawha County, WV 240 garden-ready
- Lincoln County, WV 45 garden-ready
- Logan County, WV 74 garden-ready
- Raleigh County, WV 277 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
- Boone County (county FIPS 54005), West Virginia. 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