Native plants · West Virginia
Native plants of Gilmer County
260 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Gilmer County by USDA PLANTS. 110 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
Gilmer County, West Virginia
- Native species
- 260 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 110 Typical West Virginia county: 177
- Share by type (all 260 native species)
-
Percent of the 260 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by trees (17%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 110
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 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 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 plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 water-willow Justicia americana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| arctic brome Bromus kalmii | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black locust Robinia pseudoacacia | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | 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 |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.7 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| cat greenbrier Smilax glauca | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 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 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 |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens | Shrub | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Frank's sedge Carex frankii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| great laurel Rhododendron maximum | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| harvestlice Agrimonia parviflora | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa | Tree | 85 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia | Tree | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5a |
| New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| New York fern Thelypteris noveboracensis | Fern | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pignut hickory Carya glabra | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| pitch pine Pinus rigida | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 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 |
| scarlet oak Quercus coccinea | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shallow sedge Carex lurida | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| shellbark hickory Carya laciniosa | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| silky willow Salix sericea | Tree | 12 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum | Tree | 35 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| summer grape Vitis aestivalis | Vine | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides | Grass or grass-like | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| Virginia pine Pinus virginiana | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| whitegrass Leersia virginica | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 |
| 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 |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 150
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.
- Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- balm-of-Gilead Populus ×jackii
- beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
- beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
- beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
- black baneberry Actaea racemosa
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
- Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- 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 woodrush Luzula multiflora
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- cornel-leaf whitetop Doellingeria infirma
- crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
- cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
- cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
- dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
- eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- fall phlox Phlox paniculata
- false mermaidweed Floerkea proserpinacoides
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
- fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
- fox grape Vitis labrusca
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
- giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
- glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- hairy forked nailwort Paronychia fastigiata
- hairy lipfern Cheilanthes lanosa
- hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
- hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
- harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
- hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
- hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
- honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
- husk tomato Physalis pubescens
- Illinois pinweed Lechea racemulosa
- intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- largeleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum macrophyllum
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- navel cornsalad Valerianella umbilicata
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
- paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
- parasol sedge Carex umbellata
- pasture thistle Cirsium pumilum
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
- pipevine Aristolochia macrophylla
- prostrate ticktrefoil Desmodium rotundifolium
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
- purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
- red trillium Trillium erectum
- rock buttercup Ranunculus micranthus
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- sand violet Viola affinis
- seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
- silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
- smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
- spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
- St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- stiff yellow flax Linum medium
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- tower rockcress Arabis glabra
- trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
- twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
- Venus' pride Houstonia purpurea
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- white bear sedge Carex albursina
- white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
- wild comfrey Cynoglossum virginianum
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- woodland flax Linum virginianum
- woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
- yellow crownbeard Verbesina occidentalis
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
- hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
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 | Gilmer County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 260 | 410 | 1,519 |
| Garden-ready natives | 110 | 177 | 528 |
| Tree | 44 | — | 153 |
| Shrub | 10 | — | 98 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 141 | — | 810 |
| Grass or grass-like | 25 | — | 314 |
| Vine | 22 | — | 59 |
| Fern | 18 | — | 85 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Gilmer County.
- Braxton County, WV 180 garden-ready
- Calhoun County, WV 165 garden-ready
- Doddridge County, WV 119 garden-ready
- Lewis County, WV 129 garden-ready
- Ritchie County, WV 181 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
- Gilmer County (county FIPS 54021), West Virginia. 260 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