Native plants · Arizona

Native plants of Santa Cruz County

285 plant species are recorded as native to Arizona in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Santa Cruz County by USDA PLANTS. 145 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Native species: 285 Typical Arizona county: 356 (median of 15 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 145 Typical Arizona county: 210
Share by type (all 285 native species): Percent of the 285 native species in each growth type

Tree 12% (33)
Shrub 11% (30)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (138)
Grass or grass-like 22% (64)
Vine 3% (9)
Fern 4% (11)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zones 8a to 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 145

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
American century plant Agave americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Arizona cottontop Digitaria californica	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
Arizona madrone Arbutus arizonica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
Arizona sycamore Platanus wrightii	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6b
Arizona walnut Juglans major	Tree	50 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
banana yucca Yucca baccata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
big sacaton Sporobolus wrightii	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
bigtooth maple Acer grandidentatum	Tree	38 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black grama Bouteloua eriopoda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
Bonpland willow Salix bonplandiana	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 10a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
burrobush Ambrosia dumosa	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri	Grass or grass-like	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8b
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus	Grass or grass-like	6.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
California buckthorn Frangula californica	Tree	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California poppy Eschscholzia californica	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
candy barrelcactus Ferocactus wislizeni	Tree	11 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7b
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
catclaw acacia Senegalia greggii	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
cliff fendlerbush Fendlera rupicola	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
Columbian monkshood Aconitum columbianum	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
common maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris	Fern	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common sotol Dasylirion wheeleri	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 10a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common sunflower Helianthus annuus	Wildflower (forb)	9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
coralbells Heuchera sanguinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
creeping muhly Muhlenbergia repens	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
creosote bush Larrea tridentata	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9b
desert ceanothus Ceanothus greggii	Shrub	7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
desert willow Chilopsis linearis	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
desertbroom Baccharis sarothroides	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 10a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii	Tree	200 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fairyduster Calliandra eriophylla	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 10a
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
featherplume Dalea formosa	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
fivepetal cliffbush Jamesia americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
Florida hopbush Dodonaea viscosa	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9a
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6a
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
golden currant Ribes aureum	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii	Tree	40 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
inland rush Juncus interior	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
littleleaf mock orange Philadelphus microphyllus	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
littleleaf ratany Krameria erecta	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
longleaf jointfir Ephedra trifurca	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Mexican rush Juncus mexicanus	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 12b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
mormon tea Ephedra viridis	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
mountain muhly Muhlenbergia montana	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
muttongrass Poa fendleriana	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
New Mexico locust Robinia neomexicana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
ocotillo Fouquieria splendens	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
oneseed juniper Juniperus monosperma	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia	Grass or grass-like	2.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
pointleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos pungens	Shrub	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9b
poverty threeawn Aristida divaricata	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
redberry buckthorn Rhamnus crocea	Tree	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9b
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora	Vine	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sacahuista Nolina microcarpa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
saguaro Carnegiea gigantea	Tree	9 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
salt spring checkerbloom Sidalcea neomexicana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
singlewhorl burrobrush Hymenoclea monogyra	Shrub	2 ft	—	—	Zone 10a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
smooth beggartick Bidens laevis	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
soaptree yucca Yucca elata	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
southwestern pricklypoppy Argemone pleiacantha	Wildflower (forb)	7 in	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
squirreltail Elymus elymoides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
tanglehead Heteropogon contortus	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
tanseyleaf tansyaster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Thurber's desert honeysuckle Anisacanthus thurberi	Shrub	4.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7b
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
velvet ash Fraxinus velutina	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
vine mesquite Panicum obtusum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
white prairie clover Dalea candida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
whitethorn acacia Vachellia constricta	Tree	9 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
woolly locoweed Astragalus mollissimus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 12b
Wright's silktassel Garrya wrightii	Tree	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
yellow evening primrose Oenothera flava	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
yellow trumpetbush Tecoma stans	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9b
yewleaf willow Salix taxifolia	Tree	40 ft	Sun	—	Zone 9a

Other native species recorded here 140

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
American black nightshade Solanum americanum
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
annual fimbry Fimbristylis annua
annual muhly Muhlenbergia minutissima
arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
Atlantic pigeonwings Clitoria mariana
autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
chaffweed Anagallis minima
coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
crested anoda Anoda cristata
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
dryspike sedge Carex siccata
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
grassleaf lettuce Lactuca graminifolia
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
husk tomato Physalis pubescens
hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
least duckweed Lemna minuta
lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
limestone adderstongue Ophioglossum engelmannii
longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
male fern Dryopteris filix-mas
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
neckweed Veronica peregrina
nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
nodding onion Allium cernuum
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
poorjoe Diodia teres
Porter brome Bromus porteri
Powell's amaranth Amaranthus powellii
prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
southern cattail Typha domingensis
Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
spike dropseed Sporobolus contractus
spiny naiad Najas marina
spinystar Escobaria vivipara
spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
spreading sandwort Arenaria lanuginosa
stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
swollen duckweed Lemna gibba
tapertip cupgrass Eriochloa acuminata
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
Texas croton Croton texensis
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whisk fern Psilotum nudum
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
willow dock Rumex salicifolius
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodland pinedrops Pterospora andromedea
woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
woolly sedge Carex pellita
woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata
Wright's cudweed Pseudognaphalium canescens

Also listed as native and introduced here 3

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

cayenne pepperCapsicum annuum
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
white sagebrushArtemisia ludoviciana

Compared with Arizona

The typical county is the median of the 15 Arizona counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, Santa Cruz County and Arizona
Measure	Santa Cruz County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	285	356	922
Garden-ready natives	145	210	509
Tree	33	—	75
Shrub	30	—	95
Wildflower (forb)	138	—	471
Grass or grass-like	64	—	229
Vine	9	—	20
Fern	11	—	32

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Santa Cruz County.

Cochise County, AZ 227 garden-ready
Pima County, AZ 249 garden-ready

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope: Santa Cruz County (county FIPS 04023), Arizona. 285 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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