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Native plants · West Virginia

Native plants of Mason County

245 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Mason County by USDA PLANTS. 113 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Mason County, West Virginia

Native species
245 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
Garden-ready natives
113 Typical West Virginia county: 177
Share by type (all 245 native species)
Percent of the 245 native species in each growth type
Tree 13% (33)
Shrub 4% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 56% (138)
Grass or grass-like 18% (45)
Vine 6% (15)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (18%).

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 113

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

Garden-ready native plants of Mason County, West Virginia
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
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 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 water plantain Alisma subcordatum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun High Zone 4a
arctic brome Bromus kalmii Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
bigleaf aster Eurybia macrophylla Wildflower (forb) 4.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
black maple Acer nigrum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Low —
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
cattail sedge Carex typhina Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant 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 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
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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 woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
field paspalum Paspalum laeve Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
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
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
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 6a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
hop sedge Carex lupulina Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
horsetail paspalum Paspalum fluitans Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade 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
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
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
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 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
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 fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
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 wildrye Elymus riparius Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
rough bedstraw Galium asprellum Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
shingle oak Quercus imbricaria Tree 45 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
shrubby St. Johnswort Hypericum prolificum Shrub 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
silky dogwood Cornus amomum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
small beggarticks Bidens discoidea Wildflower (forb) 5.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
southern red oak Quercus falcata Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
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
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
swamp rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides Grass or grass-like 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 132

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
  • amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
  • American featherfoil Hottonia inflata
  • American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
  • anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
  • bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • blue ash Fraxinus quadrangulata
  • blue waxweed Cuphea viscosissima
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • branched bur-reed Sparganium androcladum
  • broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
  • brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • Carolina leaf-flower Phyllanthus caroliniensis
  • Carolina wild petunia Ruellia caroliniensis
  • Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
  • churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
  • common dittany Cunila origanoides
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • devil's-tongue Opuntia humifusa
  • downy milkpea Galactia volubilis
  • early goldenrod Solidago juncea
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • evening campion Silene nivea
  • false mermaidweed Floerkea proserpinacoides
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
  • floating mannagrass Glyceria septentrionalis
  • floating primrose-willow Ludwigia peploides
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • fuzzy wuzzy sedge Carex hirsutella
  • globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
  • Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
  • greater tickseed Coreopsis major
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • green dragon Arisaema dracontium
  • hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
  • hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
  • hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
  • honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
  • humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
  • Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
  • kidneyleaf mudplantain Heteranthera reniformis
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lesser marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum tubulosum
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
  • low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
  • low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • oak mistletoe Phoradendron leucarpum
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
  • pasture thistle Cirsium pumilum
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
  • red trillium Trillium erectum
  • rosepink Sabatia angularis
  • seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
  • Short's hedgehyssop Gratiola viscidula
  • sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
  • slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
  • slender yelloweyed grass Xyris torta
  • slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
  • smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
  • soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
  • spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spring blue eyed Mary Collinsia verna
  • St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
  • stiff yellow flax Linum medium
  • swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • vasevine Clematis viorna
  • violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • waterplantain spearwort Ranunculus ambigens
  • watershield Brasenia schreberi
  • western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
  • whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
  • whorled rosinweed Silphium trifoliatum
  • wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
  • woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
  • woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
  • wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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

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, Mason County and West Virginia
MeasureMason CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 245 410 1,519
Garden-ready natives 113 177 528
Tree 33 — 153
Shrub 10 — 98
Wildflower (forb) 138 — 810
Grass or grass-like 45 — 314
Vine 15 — 59
Fern 4 — 85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Mason 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
Mason County (county FIPS 54053), West Virginia. 245 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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