Native plants · West Virginia
Native plants of Jefferson County
247 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Jefferson County by USDA PLANTS. 97 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Jefferson County, West Virginia
- Native species
- 247 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 97 Typical West Virginia county: 177
- Share by type (all 247 native species)
-
Percent of the 247 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (20%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 97
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American bur-reed Sparganium americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| arctic brome Bromus kalmii | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| black locust Robinia pseudoacacia | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| cat greenbrier Smilax glauca | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata | Tree | 25 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 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 |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| downy yellow violet Viola pubescens | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 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 |
| flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| flowering dogwood Cornus florida | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| Frank's sedge Carex frankii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| 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 sedge Carex lacustris | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis | Wildflower (forb) | 8 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 6a |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| harvestlice Agrimonia parviflora | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 6a |
| manyflower flatsedge Cyperus lancastriensis | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| moss phlox Phlox subulata | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 7a |
| 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 |
| pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 5b |
| prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| pussy willow Salix discolor | Tree | 40 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| red mulberry Morus rubra | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| redosier dogwood Cornus sericea | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 |
| rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spotted joe pye weed Eutrochium maculatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| staghorn sumac Rhus typhina | Tree | 30 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| swamp loosestrife Decodon verticillatus | Shrub | 8 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| upright sedge Carex stricta | Grass or grass-like | 4.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 2.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| Virginia spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana | Wildflower (forb) | 1.1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile | Fern | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| yellow fumewort Corydalis flavula | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
| yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
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 alumroot Heuchera americana
- American beakgrain Diarrhena americana
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American senna Senna hebecarpa
- aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
- arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
- Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
- bashful bulrush Trichophorum planifolium
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
- black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue sedge Carex glaucodea
- bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
- Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
- bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
- Bradley's spleenwort Asplenium bradleyi
- branched bur-reed Sparganium androcladum
- broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
- brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
- browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
- bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
- Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
- churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
- cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
- dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
- downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
- Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf cinquefoil Potentilla canadensis
- dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- early blue violet Viola ×palmata
- early goldenrod Solidago juncea
- early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
- early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
- eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
- eastern hayscented fern Dennstaedtia punctilobula
- eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- eastern sweetshrub Calycanthus floridus
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
- evening campion Silene nivea
- false mermaidweed Floerkea proserpinacoides
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- field pansy Viola bicolor
- floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
- fourflower yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadriflora
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green and gold Chrysogonum virginianum
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- green dragon Arisaema dracontium
- green false hellebore Veratrum viride
- hairyjoint meadowparsnip Thaspium barbinode
- hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
- honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
- Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- large whorled pogonia Isotria verticillata
- largeleaf grass of Parnassus Parnassia grandifolia
- lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
- maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
- marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
- marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
- matted spikerush Eleocharis intermedia
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- mountain holly Ilex montana
- narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
- obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
- October lady's tresses Spiranthes ovalis
- Ontario lobelia Lobelia kalmii
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
- Philadelphia panicgrass Panicum philadelphicum
- poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
- prairie sedge Carex prairea
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
- rigid sedge Carex tetanica
- rough boneset Eupatorium pilosum
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
- shaved sedge Carex tonsa
- Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
- slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
- slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
- smallflower phacelia Phacelia dubia
- smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
- smooth small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium marilandicum
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
- spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
- spreading sandmat Chamaesyce humistrata
- spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
- squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
- star chickweed Stellaria pubera
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- striped cream violet Viola striata
- striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
- swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
- swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
- toadshade Trillium sessile
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
- twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
- Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
- wallrue Asplenium ruta-muraria
- whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
- white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow widelip orchid Liparis loeselii
Also listed as native and introduced here 2
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.
- hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
- 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.
| Measure | Jefferson County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 247 | 410 | 1,519 |
| Garden-ready natives | 97 | 177 | 528 |
| Tree | 29 | — | 153 |
| Shrub | 7 | — | 98 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 131 | — | 810 |
| Grass or grass-like | 49 | — | 314 |
| Vine | 9 | — | 59 |
| Fern | 22 | — | 85 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Jefferson County.
- Clarke County, VA 281 garden-ready
- Berkeley County, WV 174 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
- Jefferson County (county FIPS 54037), West Virginia. 247 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