Native range

Native plants of Alabama

191 wild species and 20 plant groups in the BloomsEye library grow wild somewhere in Alabama, read from Kew's World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS. The 143 garden forms of them are listed apart below, each naming its wild parent.

Showing 1 to 60 of 211 plants

How this list is made

Derived from each plant's native-range record, checked against Kew's World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS with every decision on a ledger; Alabama is read off the record's own range, and the order is how many of the state's counties record each plant, as stored in the BloomsEye library, which was written with AI assistance. Of these 211 plants, 195 have been checked against outside sources (6 fully verified); the rest have not been checked yet, and each plant's own page says which. The cards are AI-generated illustrations.

Range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 4.0, adapted) and USDA PLANTS. How the native range is credited.

Foliage
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Full sunZones 2–945 ftModerate
Foliage
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Full sunZones 3–949 ftModerate
Black Gum
Nyssa sylvatica
Full sunZones 4–940 ftModerate
Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
Full sunZones 5–969 ftModerate
American Hornbeam
Carpinus caroliniana
Part shadeZones 3–925 ftModerate
Common Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
Full sunZones 2–957 ftModerate
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Full sunZones 4–966 ftModerate
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Full sunZones 3–940 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Part shadeZones 5–923 ftModerate
American Hophornbeam
Ostrya virginiana
Part shadeZones 3–932 ftModerate
Foliage
Royal Fern
Osmunda regalis
Part shadeZones 3–94 ftHigh
White Oak
Quercus alba
Full sunZones 3–965 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos
Full sunZones 5–957 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs
Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
Full sunZones 3–912 ftModerate
Foliage
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Full shadeZones 3–91.5 ftModerate
Foliage
Lady Fern
Athyrium filix-femina
Part shadeZones 4–82.5 ftModerate
Foliage
Sensitive Fern
Onoclea sensibilis
Part shadeZones 4–83.5 ftModerate
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Part sunZones 4–923 ftModerate
Red Buckeye
Aesculus pavia
Part shadeZones 4–816 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Foliage
River Birch
Betula nigra
Full sunZones 4–949 ftHigh
Virginia Sweetspire
Itea virginica
Part sunZones 5–94.5 ftModerate
Common Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginiana
Full sunZones 3–817 ftModerate
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Part sunZones 5–96 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Possumhaw Holly
Ilex decidua
Full sunZones 5–912 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Downy Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea
Part sunZones 4–920 ftModerate
American Holly
Ilex opaca
Full sunZones 5–935 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Foliage
Cinnamon Fern
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum
Part shadeZones 3–93.5 ftHigh
Mountain Laurel
Kalmia latifolia
Part shadeZones 5–99 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Full sunZones 4–83.5 ftModerate
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Full sunZones 3–92 ftLow
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Full sunZones 5–98.5 ftModerate
Adam's Needle
Yucca filamentosa
Full sunZones 5–102.5 ftLow
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Full sunZones 5–943 ftModerate
Foliage
Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos
Full sunZones 3–949 ftModerate
Northern Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Full sunZones 3–863 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs
Pinxterbloom Azalea
Rhododendron periclymenoides
Part shadeZones 4–95.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
American Linden
Tilia americana
Full sunZones 3–870 ftModerate
Carolina Jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens
Full sunZones 6–1015 ftModerate
Carolina Allspice
Calycanthus floridus
Part shadeZones 4–97.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Flava (Yellow Trumpet)
Campsis radicans f. flava
Full sunZones 4–926 ftModerate
Trumpet Vine
Campsis radicans
Full sunZones 4–926 ftModerate
Sweetbay Magnolia
Magnolia virginiana
Part sunZones 5–1030 ftHigh
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Part sunZones 3–93.5 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Common Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
Full sunZones 5–817 ftModerate
Coral Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Full sunZones 4–915 ftModerate
Foliage
Bald Cypress
Taxodium distichum
Full sunZones 4–959 ftHigh
Silky Dogwood
Cornus amomum
Part shadeZones 4–88.5 ftModerate
Southern Wax Myrtle
Myrica cerifera
Full sunZones 7–1117 ftModerate
Eastern Bluestar
Amsonia tabernaemontana
Full sunZones 3–92.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Northern Sea Oats
Chasmanthium latifolium
Part shadeZones 3–83.5 ftModerate
Smooth Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum
Part shadeZones 3–83.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs
False Solomon's Seal
Maianthemum racemosum
Part shadeZones 3–82.5 ftModerate
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
Part shadeZones 3–81.5 ftModerate
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Red Chokeberry
Aronia arbutifolia
Full sunZones 4–99 ftModerate
Foliage
Maidenhair Fern
Adiantum
Full shadeZones 3–81.5 ftHigh
Carolina Rose
Rosa carolina
Full sunZones 4–93.5 ftModerate
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Full sunZones 3–96.5 ftHigh
Listed as toxic to dogs and cats
Chinkapin Oak
Quercus muehlenbergii
Full sunZones 5–750 ftModerate
Common Persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
Full sunZones 4–935 ftModerate
Cucumbertree Magnolia
Magnolia acuminata
Full sunZones 4–865 ftModerate

Recorded across Alabama

How many of the state's 67 counties record each wild species growing wild, from USDA PLANTS: a plant recorded in many counties is widespread in Alabama; one recorded in few may be local, or simply under-recorded. A county's absence is not evidence a plant is absent. 175 of the wild species carry a county record here.

Garden forms of Alabama natives

143 garden forms, each a named selection of a species that grows wild in Alabama and each naming its wild parent. A garden form is not the wild plant, so it is listed here and never counted above.

Plant groups native to Alabama

20 plant groups sold under one name whose wild species grow in Alabama; the count beside each is how many of its wild species the record finds in the state.

Keep exploring

Native to your own county

This page is the whole state. In the free garden planner, enter your ZIP and Garden Check lists these same plants for your location, marks the ones recorded growing wild in your county, and places any of them in your plan; its Browse tab answers for any of the 65 states, provinces and territories with no account.

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