Native plants for Polk County, Georgia

52 native plants recorded in Polk County, Georgia

USDA has only 61 plant records of any kind for Polk County, against 3,181 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 52 below as a floor.

By type: 31 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 11 trees, 2 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 21 of them (40%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.

What fits each kind of spot in Polk County

Sun all day in Polk County: 21 rated natives

10 trees, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 2 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. American water-willow (Justicia americana) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
2. Canadian lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis) low woody plants
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
3. Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
4. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
5. Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · perennial
6. Umbrella-tree (Magnolia tripetala) trees
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
7. Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
8. New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial

Half shade in Polk County: 10 rated natives

8 trees, 1 shrubs, 1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
2. Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · perennial
3. Black willow (Salix nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
4. Coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
5. Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
6. Water oak (Quercus nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
7. Willow oak (Quercus phellos) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
8. Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high shade tolerance

Under trees in Polk County: 7 rated natives

6 trees, 1 shrubs. The first 7, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
2. Black willow (Salix nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
3. Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
4. Water oak (Quercus nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
5. Willow oak (Quercus phellos) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
6. Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial
7. Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial

Heavy clay in Polk County: 14 rated natives

7 trees, 4 wildflowers and herbs, 2 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. American water-willow (Justicia americana) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
2. Canadian lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis) low woody plants
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
3. Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
4. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
5. Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · perennial
6. New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
7. Umbrella-tree (Magnolia tripetala) trees
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
8. Swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial

Sandy, drains fast in Polk County: 13 rated natives

7 trees, 4 wildflowers and herbs, 2 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. American water-willow (Justicia americana) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
2. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
3. New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
4. Northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
5. Swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial
6. Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
7. Coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
8. Black willow (Salix nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial

Never watered in Polk County: 10 rated natives

5 trees, 3 wildflowers and herbs, 2 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · perennial · high drought tolerance
2. Oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
3. New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
4. Swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial
5. Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
6. Coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
7. Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
8. Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high drought tolerance

Stays soggy in Polk County: 6 rated natives

3 trees, 2 wildflowers and herbs, 1 shrubs. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:

1. American water-willow (Justicia americana) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
2. New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis) wildflowers and herbs
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
3. Swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) shrubs
   USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial
4. Black willow (Salix nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
5. Coastal plain willow (Salix caroliniana) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
6. Water oak (Quercus nigra) trees
   USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial

Natives Polk County has that most of Georgia does not

5 natives here are on file in no more than 8 of Georgia's 159 counties. A few of them:

• Adam and Eve (Aplectrum hyemale): 3 counties
• Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica): 4 counties
• Boott's sedge (Carex picta): 4 counties
• Royal catchfly (Silene regia): 4 counties
• Southern woodland violet (Viola hirsutula): 7 counties

Where to start in Polk County

If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Polk County gives you the most rated choice (21 plants), and American water-willow (Justicia americana) is the easiest start on that list. Stays soggy is the hard one here: 6 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 31 unrated natives too.