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Native plants · West Virginia

Native plants of Clay County

170 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Clay County by USDA PLANTS. 82 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Clay County, West Virginia

Native species
170 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
Garden-ready natives
82 Typical West Virginia county: 177
Share by type (all 170 native species)
Percent of the 170 native species in each growth type
Tree 24% (41)
Shrub 4% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 55% (94)
Grass or grass-like 6% (11)
Vine 5% (9)
Fern 5% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (55%), followed by trees (24%).

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 6b to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 82

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

Garden-ready native plants of Clay County, West Virginia
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
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 chestnut Castanea dentata Tree 115 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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 sycamore Platanus occidentalis Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
bigleaf aster Eurybia macrophylla Wildflower (forb) 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black maple Acer nigrum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
black oak Quercus velutina Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium Tree 16 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
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
crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana Vine 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis Tree 105 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
frost grape Vitis vulpina Vine 83 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade 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
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
jewelweed Impatiens capensis Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia Tree 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a
New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis Fern 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa Tree 60 ft Sun Low 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
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
pawpaw Asimina triloba Tree 25 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
river birch Betula nigra Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 4a
rough avens Geum laciniatum Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
shallow sedge Carex lurida Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
silky willow Salix sericea Tree 12 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
sweet birch Betula lenta Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera Tree 120 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
white avens Geum canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 88

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.

  • Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
  • American alumroot Heuchera americana
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American spikenard Aralia racemosa
  • beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
  • Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
  • Bowman's root Gillenia trifoliata
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
  • brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
  • Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
  • Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
  • common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
  • common dittany Cunila origanoides
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • crossvine Bignonia capreolata
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
  • dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
  • early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
  • elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
  • fall phlox Phlox paniculata
  • fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fire pink Silene virginica
  • flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • greater tickseed Coreopsis major
  • green and gold Chrysogonum virginianum
  • hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
  • hoary mountainmint Pycnanthemum incanum
  • hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • king of the meadow Thalictrum pubescens
  • lace grass Eragrostis capillaris
  • lanceleaf wild licorice Galium lanceolatum
  • leafy bulrush Scirpus polyphyllus
  • marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
  • pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
  • Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
  • red trillium Trillium erectum
  • rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
  • rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • singlehead pussytoes Antennaria solitaria
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
  • spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • sweet white violet Viola blanda
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whorled milkwort Polygala ambigua
  • whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
  • yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
  • yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
  • yellowroot Xanthorhiza simplicissima
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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
  • climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
  • Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

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.

Native species counts, Clay County and West Virginia
MeasureClay CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 170 410 1,519
Garden-ready natives 82 177 528
Tree 41 — 153
Shrub 7 — 98
Wildflower (forb) 94 — 810
Grass or grass-like 11 — 314
Vine 9 — 59
Fern 8 — 85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Clay 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
Clay County (county FIPS 54015), West Virginia. 170 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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