Native plants · West Virginia

Native plants of Monroe County

267 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Monroe County by USDA PLANTS. 123 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

Monroe County, West Virginia

Native species: 267 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 123 Typical West Virginia county: 177
Share by type (all 267 native species): Percent of the 267 native species in each growth type

Tree 24% (65)
Shrub 9% (25)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (127)
Grass or grass-like 10% (26)
Vine 6% (15)
Fern 3% (9)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by trees (24%).

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

Garden-ready natives 123

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

Garden-ready native plants of Monroe County, West Virginia
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy 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 chestnut Castanea dentata	Tree	115 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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 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 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
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 9b
black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
bushy St. Johnswort Hypericum densiflorum	Shrub	6.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 8a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	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 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
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
cucumber tree Magnolia acuminata	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
devil's walkingstick Aralia spinosa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
flattened oatgrass Danthonia compressa	Grass or grass-like	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	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
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
lopsided rush Juncus secundus	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Medium	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
moss phlox Phlox subulata	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
mountain laurel Kalmia latifolia	Tree	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
mountain maple Acer spicatum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pignut hickory Carya glabra	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pitch pine Pinus rigida	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
purpleflowering raspberry Rubus odoratus	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sassafras Sassafras albidum	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Low	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
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
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
southern arrowwood Viburnum dentatum	Tree	8 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5a
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
striped maple Acer pensylvanicum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
sugar maple Acer saccharum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
sweet birch Betula lenta	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
tuliptree Liriodendron tulipifera	Tree	120 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	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
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Virginia spiderwort Tradescantia virginiana	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
white ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
white fringetree Chionanthus virginicus	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
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
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
wrinkleleaf goldenrod Solidago rugosa	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b

Other native species recorded here 144

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
alpine violet Viola labradorica
American alumroot Heuchera americana
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
Atlantic goldenrod Solidago arguta
Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
autumn coralroot Corallorhiza odontorhiza
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
bear oak Quercus ilicifolia
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
Canada lily Lilium canadense
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Carolina lily Lilium michauxii
carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
chinquapin Castanea pumila
cream avens Geum virginianum
creeping lespedeza Lespedeza repens
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
early azalea Rhododendron prinophyllum
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
early bluegrass Poa cuspidata
eastern featherbells Stenanthium gramineum
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
Elliott's bluestem Andropogon gyrans
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
fernleaf yellow false foxglove Aureolaria pedicularia
field pansy Viola bicolor
flame azalea Rhododendron calendulaceum
fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
flypoison Amianthium muscitoxicum
Fraser's marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
gall of the earth Prenanthes trifoliolata
gaywings Polygala paucifolia
golden zizia Zizia aurea
great Indian plantain Arnoglossum reniforme
Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
greater tickseed Coreopsis major
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
green and gold Chrysogonum virginianum
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
hairy alumroot Heuchera villosa
hairy angelica Angelica venenosa
hairy beardtongue Penstemon hirsutus
hairy forked nailwort Paronychia fastigiata
hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
halberdleaf tearthumb Polygonum arifolium
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
Illinois pinweed Lechea racemulosa
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
largebract ticktrefoil Desmodium cuspidatum
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
lobed spleenwort Asplenium pinnatifidum
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
Maryland goldenaster Chrysopsis mariana
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
nodding onion Allium cernuum
nodding sedge Carex gynandra
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
orange coneflower Rudbeckia fulgida
orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
pleatleaf knotweed Polygonum tenue
purple fringeless orchid Platanthera peramoena
purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
red trillium Trillium erectum
redring milkweed Asclepias variegata
rock clubmoss Huperzia porophila
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
shaved sedge Carex tonsa
shiny wedgescale Sphenopholis nitida
Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
showy goldenrod Solidago erecta
slender toothwort Cardamine angustata
slender woodland sedge Carex digitalis
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
Small's ragwort Packera anonyma
smooth blackberry Rubus canadensis
smooth carrionflower Smilax herbacea
smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
sticky catchfly Silene caroliniana
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
sweet white violet Viola blanda
toadshade Trillium sessile
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
velvetleaf huckleberry Vaccinium myrtilloides
violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
waxyleaf meadow-rue Thalictrum revolutum
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled mountainmint Pycnanthemum verticillatum
whorled wood aster Oclemena acuminata
wideflower phlox Phlox latifolia
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii
wiry panicgrass Panicum flexile
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
yellow fairybells Prosartes lanuginosa
yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima

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.

climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens

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, Monroe County and West Virginia
Measure	Monroe County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	267	410	1,519
Garden-ready natives	123	177	528
Tree	65	—	153
Shrub	25	—	98
Wildflower (forb)	127	—	810
Grass or grass-like	26	—	314
Vine	15	—	59
Fern	9	—	85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Monroe County.

Greenbrier County, WV 295 garden-ready
Summers County, WV 275 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: Monroe County (county FIPS 54063), West Virginia. 267 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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