Native plants · California

Native plants of Colusa County

264 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Colusa County by USDA PLANTS. 194 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Colusa County, California

Native species: 264 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 194 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 264 native species): Percent of the 264 native species in each growth type

Tree 14% (37)
Shrub 9% (25)
Wildflower (forb) 52% (137)
Grass or grass-like 21% (56)
Vine 1% (3)
Fern 2% (6)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 9a to 9b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 194

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

Garden-ready native plants of Colusa County, California
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alpine timothy Phleum alpinum	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
American bistort Polygonum bistortoides	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
arctic pearlwort Sagina saginoides	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
beardless wildrye Leymus triticoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
big deervetch Lotus crassifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
bigflower agoseris Agoseris grandiflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
bigleaf maple Acer macrophyllum	Tree	60 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
bitter cherry Prunus emarginata	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blue oak Quercus douglasii	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
blue wildrye Elymus glaucus	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
broadleaf lupine Lupinus latifolius	Wildflower (forb)	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
broadlipped twayblade Listera convallarioides	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Brown's peony Paeonia brownii	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus	Shrub	11 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
bunchleaf penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
California amaranth Amaranthus californicus	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
California black oak Quercus kelloggii	Tree	85 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
California blackberry Rubus ursinus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California brome Bromus carinatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
California buckeye Aesculus californica	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7b
California buckthorn Frangula californica	Tree	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California damsonium Damasonium californicum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
California false hellebore Veratrum californicum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
California fescue Festuca californica	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California flannelbush Fremontodendron californicum	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9b
California foothill pine Pinus sabiniana	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
California laurel Umbellularia californica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 6a
California oatgrass Danthonia californica	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
California poppy Eschscholzia californica	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
California red fir Abies magnifica	Tree	150 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
California sycamore Platanus racemosa	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California wildrose Rosa californica	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 8a
California yerba santa Eriodictyon californicum	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis	Tree	90 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 8b
Cascara buckthorn Frangula purshiana	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
chamisso sedge Carex pachystachya	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Colorado rush Juncus confusus	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Columbia brome Bromus vulgaris	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
Columbian monkshood Aconitum columbianum	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common rush Juncus effusus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
cows clover Trifolium wormskioldii	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
creeping barberry Mahonia repens	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
curl-leaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2b
Davis' knotweed Polygonum davisiae	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
deerbrush Ceanothus integerrimus	Shrub	13 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii	Tree	200 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Douglas' dustymaiden Chaenactis douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
dwarf purple monkeyflower Mimulus nanus	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 10b
dwarf rose Rosa gymnocarpa	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 10b
foothill deathcamas Zigadenus paniculatus	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
glaucus willowherb Epilobium glaberrimum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6b
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii	Tree	40 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
granite prickly phlox Linanthus pungens	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
greenleaf fescue Festuca viridula	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
greenleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
hollyleaved barberry Mahonia aquifolium	Shrub	8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
huckleberry oak Quercus vacciniifolia	Shrub	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
incense cedar Calocedrus decurrens	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Indian plum Oemleria cerasiformis	Tree	5 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 10a
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Jeffrey pine Pinus jeffreyi	Tree	180 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Klamath plum Prunus subcordata	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
lacy phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Lemmon's needlegrass Achnatherum lemmonii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
Lewis flax Linum lewisii	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
little western bittercress Cardamine oligosperma	Wildflower (forb)	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
longstalk clover Trifolium longipes	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8a
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
mountain brome Bromus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
mountain pride Penstemon newberryi	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nodding microseris Microseris nutans	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
nodding needlegrass Nassella cernua	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
onespike danthonia Danthonia unispicata	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
oniongrass Melica bulbosa	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia	Tree	70 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
Oregon checkerbloom Sidalcea oregana	Wildflower (forb)	4.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Oregon white oak Quercus garryana	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
Pacific aster Symphyotrichum chilense	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Pacific bleeding heart Dicentra formosa	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a
Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8b
Pacific ninebark Physocarpus capitatus	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
pale yellow lupine Lupinus luteolus	Wildflower (forb)	2.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pinemat manzanita Arctostaphylos nevadensis	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata	Shrub	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
plantainleaf buttercup Ranunculus alismifolius	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa	Tree	223 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
primrose monkeyflower Mimulus primuloides	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
rockloving erigeron Erigeron petrophilus	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 8a
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
scarlet monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Sierra currant Ribes nevadense	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
Sierra gooseberry Ribes roezlii	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Sitka willow Salix sitchensis	Tree	23 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
slender clarkia Clarkia gracilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
slender hairgrass Deschampsia elongata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
slenderbeak sedge Carex athrostachya	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
small camas Camassia quamash	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
small white violet Viola macloskeyi	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
spearleaf arnica Arnica longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
spreading alkaliweed Cressa truxillensis	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
spreading phlox Phlox diffusa	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
squirreltail Elymus elymoides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
star duckweed Lemna trisulca	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
sugar pine Pinus lambertiana	Tree	229 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
swordleaf rush Juncus ensifolius	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
tall trisetum Trisetum canescens	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
tapertip hawksbeard Crepis acuminata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
tarweed fiddleneck Amsinckia lycopsoides	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus	Wildflower (forb)	5 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa	Grass or grass-like	3.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
twinberry honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
valley oak Quercus lobata	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
wavyleaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja applegatei	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
western columbine Aquilegia formosa	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
western fescue Festuca occidentalis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
western needlegrass Achnatherum occidentale	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
western sweetroot Osmorhiza occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
western swordfern Polystichum munitum	Fern	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
western water hemlock Cicuta douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
western waterleaf Hydrophyllum occidentale	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
white alder Alnus rhombifolia	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
white hawkweed Hieracium albiflorum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
whitebark raspberry Rubus leucodermis	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
whiteleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos manzanita	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
whitethorn ceanothus Ceanothus cordulatus	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
woodrush sedge Carex luzulina	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii	Wildflower (forb)	7 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 70

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.

American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
American pillwort Pilularia americana
American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fewflower spikerush Eleocharis quinqueflora
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
hookedspur violet Viola adunca
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
manyflowered monkeyflower Mimulus floribundus
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
muskflower Mimulus moschatus
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needleleaf navarretia Navarretia intertexta
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
pinyon goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens
prairie plantain Plantago elongata
pullup muhly Muhlenbergia filiformis
ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
rosemallow Hibiscus lasiocarpos
salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
sweetcicely Osmorhiza berteroi
tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
tower rockcress Arabis glabra
turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
water minerslettuce Montia chamissoi
western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
willow dock Rumex salicifolius
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodland pinedrops Pterospora andromedea

Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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.

Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

Compared with California

The typical county is the median of the 58 California 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, Colusa County and California
Measure	Colusa County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	264	333	1,108
Garden-ready natives	194	239	720
Tree	37	—	111
Shrub	25	—	140
Wildflower (forb)	137	—	559
Grass or grass-like	56	—	253
Vine	3	—	16
Fern	6	—	29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Colusa County.

Glenn County, CA 230 garden-ready
Sutter County, CA 75 garden-ready
Yolo County, CA 108 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: Colusa County (county FIPS 06011), California. 264 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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