Native plants · West Virginia

Native plants of Mingo County

182 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Mingo County by USDA PLANTS. 71 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

Mingo County, West Virginia

Native species: 182 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 71 Typical West Virginia county: 177
Share by type (all 182 native species): Percent of the 182 native species in each growth type

Tree 19% (35)
Shrub 5% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (113)
Grass or grass-like 5% (9)
Vine 4% (8)
Fern 4% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by trees (19%).

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 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 71

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

Garden-ready native plants of Mingo 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 chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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 plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bristly buttercup Ranunculus hispidus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
bursting-heart Euonymus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
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
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 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
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana	Vine	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
giant cane Arundinaria gigantea	Shrub	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	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
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
maleberry Lyonia ligustrina	Shrub	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 5a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
narrowleaf evening primrose Oenothera fruticosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pink azalea Rhododendron periclymenoides	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
red maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
river birch Betula nigra	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia	Vine	45 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
slender spikerush Eleocharis tenuis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
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
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
southern red oak Quercus falcata	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
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
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 muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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 111

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.

American alumroot Heuchera americana
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
black baneberry Actaea racemosa
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
bluntleaf waterleaf Hydrophyllum canadense
Bosc's panicgrass Dichanthelium boscii
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada lily Lilium canadense
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
chinquapin Castanea pumila
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
creeping lespedeza Lespedeza repens
crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
crossvine Bignonia capreolata
DC dewberry Rubus fecundus
devil's bite Liatris scariosa
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
early azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
eastern gray beardtongue Penstemon canescens
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fernleaf phacelia Phacelia bipinnatifida
fire pink Silene virginica
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
gall of the earth Prenanthes trifoliolata
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
golden zizia Zizia aurea
great yellow woodsorrel Oxalis grandis
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
hairy alumroot Heuchera villosa
hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
hairy skullcap Scutellaria elliptica
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
harbinger of spring Erigenia bulbosa
hoary mountainmint Pycnanthemum incanum
Indian cucumber Medeola virginiana
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
littleflower alumroot Heuchera parviflora
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
longspur violet Viola rostrata
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
pale beardtongue Penstemon pallidus
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
perfoliate bellwort Uvularia perfoliata
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
red trillium Trillium erectum
richweed Collinsonia canadensis
roundleaf thoroughwort Eupatorium rotundifolium
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
Small's blacksnakeroot Sanicula smallii
Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
star chickweed Stellaria pubera
striped cream violet Viola striata
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
sweet white violet Viola blanda
thicket bean Phaseolus polystachios
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia pennywort Obolaria virginica
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
woodland flax Linum virginianum
woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa

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, Mingo County and West Virginia
Measure	Mingo County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	182	410	1,519
Garden-ready natives	71	177	528
Tree	35	—	153
Shrub	10	—	98
Wildflower (forb)	113	—	810
Grass or grass-like	9	—	314
Vine	8	—	59
Fern	7	—	85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Mingo County.

Logan County, WV 74 garden-ready
McDowell County, WV 145 garden-ready
Wayne County, WV 187 garden-ready
Wyoming County, WV 202 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: Mingo County (county FIPS 54059), West Virginia. 182 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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