Native plants for Jay County, Indiana
301 native plants recorded in Jay County, Indiana
The USDA plant database has 412 plants recorded growing wild in Jay County. 301 of them are native to the lower 48, and 27 are introduced species that this page leaves out.
By type: 181 wildflowers and herbs, 53 grasses and sedges, 10 shrubs, 9 low woody plants, 38 trees, 10 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 138 of them (46%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Annual ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), Toothed spurge (Euphorbia dentata) and 2 more are also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Jay County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 138 | 0 | 163 |
| Half shade | 76 | 62 | 163 |
| Under trees | 28 | 110 | 163 |
| Heavy clay | 101 | 37 | 163 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 81 | 57 | 163 |
| Never watered | 42 | 96 | 163 |
| Stays soggy | 78 | 60 | 163 |
Sun all day in Jay County: 138 rated natives
62 wildflowers and herbs, 32 grasses and sedges, 31 trees, 5 low woody plants, 5 shrubs, 3 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Atlantic camas (Camassia scilloides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Bulbous bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.4 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Canadian lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common blue violet (Viola sororia) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Half shade in Jay County: 76 rated natives
32 wildflowers and herbs, 20 grasses and sedges, 19 trees, 2 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Common blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Common blue violet (Viola sororia) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Under trees in Jay County: 28 rated natives
10 wildflowers and herbs, 9 trees, 8 grasses and sedges, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Climbing rose (Rosa setigera) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Blunt spikerush (Eleocharis obtusa) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth - Pennsylvania smartweed (Polygonum pensylvanicum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.9 ft mature · moderate growth
Heavy clay in Jay County: 101 rated natives
48 wildflowers and herbs, 24 grasses and sedges, 21 trees, 4 low woody plants, 2 shrubs, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Spring avens (Geum vernum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - White meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Atlantic camas (Camassia scilloides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Jay County: 81 rated natives
36 wildflowers and herbs, 24 trees, 13 grasses and sedges, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Spring avens (Geum vernum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - White meadowsweet (Spiraea alba) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Carolina rose (Rosa carolina) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Jay County: 42 rated natives
16 wildflowers and herbs, 15 trees, 4 grasses and sedges, 3 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Carolina rose (Rosa carolina) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Common selfheal (Prunella vulgaris) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Prairie fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Cardinalflower (Lobelia cardinalis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Stays soggy in Jay County: 78 rated natives
30 wildflowers and herbs, 28 grasses and sedges, 16 trees, 2 low woody plants, 2 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- American water plantain (Alisma subcordatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Bluntleaf bedstraw (Galium obtusum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Cursed buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Limestone bittercress (Cardamine douglassii) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Sharpwing monkeyflower (Mimulus alatus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Stiff marsh bedstraw (Galium tinctorium) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Canada germander (Teucrium canadense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Purpleleaf willowherb (Epilobium coloratum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
Natives Jay County has that most of Indiana does not
3 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Indiana's 92 counties. A few of them:
- Sedge (Carex timida): 3 counties
- Sedge (Carex ×subimpressa): 5 counties
- Wideflower phlox (Phlox latifolia): 5 counties
Where to start in Jay County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Jay County gives you the most rated choice (138 plants), and Atlantic camas (Camassia scilloides) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 28 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 163 unrated natives too.