According to the US Department of Agriculture, McDowell County, WV is primarily in plant hardiness zone 6b (minimum average temperatures of -5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit), with the higher elevation areas being in zone 6a (minimum average temperatures of -10 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit). See photos below.
These hardiness zones determine what kind of plants can survive in this watershed. According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, "West Virginia is the 3rd most forested state ... with about 90 species of forest trees" and, as of 2000, McDowell county was 93% forested. The following trees are not necessarily the most common (like various oaks, hickories, maples, birches, walnuts); however, you certainly are likely to encounter them when walking through McDowell County:
- Sassafras
- American Sycamore
- Black Locust
- Northern Red Oak
- Sugar Maple (WV state tree)
- Sweetgum
- Sourwood
- Pawpaw
- Eastern Hemlock
- Yellow Poplar (Tulip tree) (KY state tree)
- Bonus: American Chestnut (While you likely will not see this nearly extinct tree in the wild today, much Appalachian history was rooted in the American Chestnut. More info to come in November.)
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