Native plants · West Virginia

Native plants of Lewis County

234 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Lewis County by USDA PLANTS. 129 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

Lewis County, West Virginia

Native species: 234 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 129 Typical West Virginia county: 177
Share by type (all 234 native species): Percent of the 234 native species in each growth type

Tree 16% (38)
Shrub 4% (9)
Wildflower (forb) 50% (118)
Grass or grass-like 21% (48)
Vine 5% (12)
Fern 4% (9)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (50%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 129

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

Garden-ready native plants of Lewis County, West Virginia
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 bittersweet Celastrus scandens	Vine	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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 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 horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
bitter panicgrass Panicum amarum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	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
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
broom sedge Carex scoparia	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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
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 evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	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
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
eastern narrowleaf sedge Carex amphibola	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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
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
fringed sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 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
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens	Grass or grass-like	5.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2a
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
harvestlice Agrimonia parviflora	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
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
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
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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 ironweed Vernonia noveboracensis	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 12a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
prairie willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
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
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
ribbonleaf pondweed Potamogeton epihydrus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
ridged yellow flax Linum striatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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
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
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
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
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
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
squarrose sedge Carex squarrosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	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
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
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
trumpetweed Eutrochium fistulosum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
twisted sedge Carex torta	Grass or grass-like	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
umbrella-tree Magnolia tripetala	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
white ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	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
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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 passionflower Passiflora lutea	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 105

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
Allegheny Mountain buttercup Ranunculus allegheniensis
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
black baneberry Actaea racemosa
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
broadleaf sedge Carex platyphylla
brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common dittany Cunila origanoides
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
downy yellow false foxglove Aureolaria virginica
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
fairywand Chamaelirium luteum
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
fourleaf yam Dioscorea quaternata
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
hoary skullcap Scutellaria incana
hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
hogwort Croton capitatus
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
maidenhair spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes
mountain spleenwort Asplenium montanum
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
pasture thistle Cirsium pumilum
perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red trillium Trillium erectum
reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
ribbed sedge Carex virescens
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rosepink Sabatia angularis
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
shortstalk false bindweed Calystegia silvatica
showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
smoothsheath sedge Carex laevivaginata
southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
star chickweed Stellaria pubera
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
upland boneset Eupatorium sessilifolium
veiny skullcap Scutellaria nervosa
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodland flax Linum virginianum
woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima

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.

annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
bride's feathersAruncus dioicus

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, Lewis County and West Virginia
Measure	Lewis County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	234	410	1,519
Garden-ready natives	129	177	528
Tree	38	—	153
Shrub	9	—	98
Wildflower (forb)	118	—	810
Grass or grass-like	48	—	314
Vine	12	—	59
Fern	9	—	85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Lewis County.

Braxton County, WV 180 garden-ready
Doddridge County, WV 119 garden-ready
Gilmer County, WV 110 garden-ready
Harrison County, WV 167 garden-ready
Upshur County, WV 252 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: Lewis County (county FIPS 54041), West Virginia. 234 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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