Native plants · West Virginia

Native plants of Pleasants County

178 plant species are recorded as native to West Virginia in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pleasants County by USDA PLANTS. 83 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

Pleasants County, West Virginia

Native species: 178 Typical West Virginia county: 410 (median of 55 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 83 Typical West Virginia county: 177
Share by type (all 178 native species): Percent of the 178 native species in each growth type

Tree 22% (40)
Shrub 4% (8)
Wildflower (forb) 56% (99)
Grass or grass-like 8% (14)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern 7% (13)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), followed by trees (22%).

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 83

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pleasants 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 bellflower Campanulastrum americanum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 12b
American hazelnut Corylus americana	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
black locust Robinia pseudoacacia	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blackhaw Viburnum prunifolium	Tree	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
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 cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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 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
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
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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 redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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
fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
green arrow arum Peltandra virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
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
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
mockernut hickory Carya tomentosa	Tree	85 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
oldfield blackberry Rubus alumnus	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pignut hickory Carya glabra	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
pitch pine Pinus rigida	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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
rough avens Geum laciniatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
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
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
sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
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 milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia pine Pinus virginiana	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
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
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
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens	Wildflower (forb)	4.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
yellow buckeye Aesculus flava	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 95

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.

anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
black edge sedge Carex nigromarginata
Blue Ridge blueberry Vaccinium pallidum
blue sedge Carex glaucodea
branched bur-reed Sparganium androcladum
broad beechfern Phegopteris hexagonoptera
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
celandine poppy Stylophorum diphyllum
Christmas fern Polystichum acrostichoides
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf crested iris Iris cristata
early blue violet Viola ×palmata
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
early saxifrage Saxifraga virginiensis
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
evening campion Silene nivea
false mermaidweed Floerkea proserpinacoides
fire pink Silene virginica
fourleaf milkweed Asclepias quadrifolia
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
giant ironweed Vernonia gigantea
glade fern Diplazium pycnocarpon
Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
low spikesedge Kyllinga pumila
marginal woodfern Dryopteris marginalis
meadow garlic Allium canadense
nakedflower ticktrefoil Desmodium nudiflorum
nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
pale dock Rumex altissimus
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
purplerocket Iodanthus pinnatifidus
purplestem angelica Angelica atropurpurea
red trillium Trillium erectum
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
southern woodland violet Viola hirsutula
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spreading chervil Chaerophyllum procumbens
squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
striped prince's pine Chimaphila maculata
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
toadshade Trillium sessile
twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
white bergamot Monarda clinopodia
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white wood aster Eurybia divaricata
wild hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens
wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
woodland stonecrop Sedum ternatum
woodland sunflower Helianthus divaricatus
wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata

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, Pleasants County and West Virginia
Measure	Pleasants County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	178	410	1,519
Garden-ready natives	83	177	528
Tree	40	—	153
Shrub	8	—	98
Wildflower (forb)	99	—	810
Grass or grass-like	14	—	314
Vine	4	—	59
Fern	13	—	85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pleasants County.

Ritchie County, WV 181 garden-ready
Tyler County, WV 119 garden-ready
Wood County, WV 126 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: Pleasants County (county FIPS 54073), West Virginia. 178 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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