The diversity of Acadia National Park is reflected in its plant life; more than 1,100 plant species are found here. This checklist groups the park’s most common plants into the communities where they are typically found. The plant’s growth form is indicated by “t” for trees and “s” for shrubs. To identify unfamiliar plants, consult a field guide or visit the Wild Gardens of Acadia at Sieur de Monts Spring, where more than 400 plants are labeled and displayed in their habitats.
All plants within Acadia National Park are protected. Please help protect the park’s fragile beauty by leaving plants in the condition that you find them.
Deciduous Woods
| ash, white | t | Fraxinus americana |
| aspen, big-toothed | t | Populus grandidentata |
| aspen, trembling | t | Populus tremuloides |
| aster, large-leaved | Aster macrophyllus | |
| beech, American | t | Fagus grandifolia |
| birch, paper | t | Betula papyrifera |
| blueberry, low sweet | s | Vaccinium angustifolium |
| bunchberry | Cornus canadensis | |
| bush-honeysuckle | s | Diervilla lonicera |
| cherry, pin | t | Prunus pensylvanica |
| cherry, choke | t | Prunus virginiana |
| elder, red-berried or stinking | s | Sambucus racemosa ssp. pubens |
| fern, Christmas | Polystichum acrostichoides | |
| fern, bracken | Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum | |
| goldthread | Coptis trifolia | |
| hobblebrush | s | Viburnum lantanoides |
| laurel, sheep or lambskill | s | Kalmia angustifolia |
| lily, bluebead | Clintonia borealis | |
| maple, mountain | t | Acer spicatum |
| maple, red | t | Acer rubrum |
| maple, striped | t | Acer pensylvanicum |
| maple, sugar | t | Acer saccharum |
| mayflower, Canada | Maianthemum canadense | |
| oak, red | t | Quercus rubra |
| pine, white | t | Pinus strobus |
| pyrola, round-leaved | Pyrola americana | |
| sarsaparilla, wild | Aralia nudicaulis | |
| saxifrage, early | Saxifraga virginiensis | |
| shadbush or serviceberry | s,t | Amelanchier spp. |
| Solomon's seal, false | Maianthemum racemosum | |
| Solomon's seal, small | Polygonatum pubescens | |
| starflower | Trientalis borealis | |
| twinflower | Linnaea barealis ssp. longiflora | |
| twisted stalk, rosy | Streptopus lanceolatus | |
| violet | Viola spp. | |
| white-cedar, northern | t | Thuja occidentalis |
| wintergreen | Gaultheria procumbens |
Roadsides and Meadows
| alder, speckled | s | Alnus incana ssp. rugosa |
| aspen, big-toothed | t | Populus grandidentata |
| aspen, trembling | t | Populus tremuloides |
| aster, flat-topped white | Doellingeria umbellata | |
| aster, New York | Symphyotrichum novi-belgii | |
| blueberry, low sweet | s | Vaccinium angustifolium |
| blue-eyed-grass | Sisyrinchium montanum var. crebrum | |
| bluet | Houstonia caerulea | |
| dogbane, spreading | Apocynum androsaemifolium | |
| fireweed | Epilobium angustifolium | |
| goldenrod, gray | Solidago nemoralis | |
| goldenrod, rough-stemmed | Solidago rugosa | |
| hairgrass | Deschampsia flexuosa | |
| hardhack or steeplebush | s | Spiraea tomentosa |
| loosestrife, whorled | Lysimachia quadrifolia | |
| mayflower, Canada | Maianthemum canadense | |
| meadow-rue, tall | Thalictrum pubescens | |
| meadowsweet | s | Spiraea alba var. latifolia |
| milkweed, common | Asclepias syriaca | |
| pearly everlasting | Anaphalis margaritacea | |
| poverty grass | Danthonia spicata | |
| rose, Virginia or field | Rosa virginiana | |
| sarsaparilla, bristly | Aralia hispida | |
| sarsaparilla, wild | Aralia nudicaulis | |
| shadbush | s,t | Amelanchier spp. |
| strawberry, wild | Fragaria virginiana | |
| willow | s,t | Salix spp. |
| yellow rattle | Rhinanthus minor |
Bogs
| aster, bog | Aster nemoralis | |
| bog rosemary | s | Andromeda prolifolia var. glaucophylla |
| chokeberry, black | Photinia melanocarpa | |
| cotton-grass | Eriophorum spp. | |
| cranberry, large | Vaccinium macrocarpon | |
| cranberry, small | Vaccinium oxycoccos | |
| crowberry, black | Empetrum nigrum | |
| goldenrod, northern bog | Solidago uliginosa | |
| huckleberry, dwarf | s | Gaylussacia dumosa var. bigeloviana |
| iris, blueflag | Iris versicolor | |
| Labrador-tea | s | Rhododendron groenlandicum |
| larch | t | Larix laricina |
| laurel, bog | s | Kalmia polifolia |
| laurel, sheep or lambkill | s | Kalmia angustifolia |
| leatherleaf | Chamaedaphne calyculata | |
| maple, red | t | Acer rubrum |
| pitcher plant | Sarracenia purpurea | |
| rhodora | s | Rhododendron canadense |
| rose, bristly | s | Rosa nitida |
| snowberry, creeping | Gaultheria hispidula | |
| spruce, black | t | Picea mariana |
| sundew, round-leaved | Drosera rotundifolia | |
| sundew, spatulate-leaved | Drosera intermedia | |
| sweet gale | s | Myrica gale |
Freshwater Marshes and Ponds
| arrowhead, common | Sagittaria latifolia | |
| bladderwort, horned | Utricularia cornuta | |
| blueberry, high-bush | s | Vaccinium corymbosum |
| bluejoint, Canada | Calamagrostis canadensis | |
| cat-tail, common | Typha latifolia | |
| lobelia, water | Lobelia dortmanna | |
| pickerelweed | Pontederia cordata | |
| rhodora | s | Rhododendron canadense |
| rose, swamp | Rosa palustris | |
| spatterdock or yellow water-lily | Nuphar variegata | |
| St. Johnswort, marsh | Triadenum virginicum | |
| swamp candles | Lysimachia terrestris | |
| turtlehead, white | Chelone glabra | |
| water-lily, fragrant | Nymphaea odorata | |
| white-cedar, northern | t | Thuja occidentalis |
| winterberry | Ilex verticillata |
Coniferous Woods
| ash, American mountain | t | Sorbus americana |
| blueberry, low sweet | s | Vaccinium angustifolium |
| bunchberry | Cornus canadensis | |
| cranberry, mountain | Vaccinium vitis-idaea | |
| dewdrop | Rubus dalibarda | |
| fir, balsam | t | Abies balsamea |
| hemlock, eastern | t | Tsuga canadensis |
| hobblebush | s | Viburnum lantanoides |
| lily, bluebead | Clintonia borealis | |
| mayflower, Canada | Maianthemum canadense | |
| mountain holly | s | Nemopanthus mucronatus |
| partridgeberry | Mitchella repens | |
| pine, red | t | Pinus resinosa |
| pine, white | t | Pinus strobus |
| pinesap | Monotropa hypopithys | |
| pyrola, one-flowered | Moneses uniflora | |
| sarsaprilla, wild | Aralia nudicaulis | |
| shadbush or serviceberry | s,t | Amelanchier spp. |
| shinleaf | Pyrola elliptica | |
| spruce, red | t | Picea rubens |
| spruce, white | t | Picea glauca |
| starflower | Trientalis borealis | |
| trailing arbutus | Epigaea repens | |
| twisted stalk, rosy | Streptopus lanceolatus | |
| wintergreen | Gaultheria procumbens | |
| witherod or wild raisin | s | Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides |
| wood sorrel, northern | Oxalis montana | |
| woodreed, drooping | Cinna latifolia |
Mountain Tops and Dry, Rocky Places
| alder, green or mountain | s | Alnus viridis ssp. crispa |
| aster | Aster spp. | |
| bearberry | s | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi |
| birch, gray | t | Betula populifolia |
| blueberry, low sweet | s | Vaccinium angustifolium |
| bush-honeysuckle | s | Diervilla lonicera |
| cherry, pin | t | Prunus pensylvanica |
| chokeberry, black | s | Photinia melanocarpa |
| cinquefoil, three-toothed | Sibbaldiopsis tridentata | |
| cranberry, mountain | Vaccinium vitis-idaea | |
| crowberry, black | Empetrum migrum | |
| fern, bracken | Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum | |
| goldenrod, Rand's | Solidago simplex ssp. randii | |
| harebell | Campanula rotundifolia | |
| heather, golden | Hudsonia ericoides | |
| holly, mountain | s | Nemopanthus mucronatus |
| huckleberry, black | s | Gaylussacia baccata |
| juniper, common | s | Juniperus communis var. depressa |
| juniper, creeping | s | Juniperus horizontalis |
| laurel, sheep or lambkill | s | Kalmia angustifolia |
| oatgrass, poverty | Danthohia spicata | |
| pine, jack | t | Pinus banksiana |
| pine, pitch | t | Pinus rigida |
| raspberry, red | s | Rubus idaeus |
| rose, Virginia | s | Rosa virginiana |
| sandwort, mountain | Minuartia groenlandica | |
| sarsaparilla, bristly | Aralia hispida | |
| sweetfern | Comptonia peregrina | |
| witherod or wild raisin | s | Virburnum nudum var. cassinoides |
Last updated: September 28, 2021