Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · California

Native plants of Imperial County

111 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Imperial County by USDA PLANTS. 63 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

Imperial County, California

Native species
111 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives
63 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 111 native species)
Percent of the 111 native species in each growth type
Tree 7% (8)
Shrub 22% (24)
Wildflower (forb) 45% (50)
Grass or grass-like 25% (28)
Vine <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (25%).

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 9b to 10a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 63

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

Garden-ready native plants of Imperial County, California
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
big saltbush Atriplex lentiformis Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
brittlebush Encelia farinosa Shrub 5 ft Sun Low Zone 10a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
burrobush Ambrosia dumosa Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
California bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 9a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
catclaw acacia Senegalia greggii Tree 20 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
cattle saltbush Atriplex polycarpa Shrub 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
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
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
creosote bush Larrea tridentata Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
desert ceanothus Ceanothus greggii Shrub 7 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 6b
desert ironwood Olneya tesota Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 9b
desert willow Chilopsis linearis Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
desertbroom Baccharis sarothroides Shrub 12 ft Sun Low Zone 10a
Eastern Mojave buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
fairyduster Calliandra eriophylla Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 10a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
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
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 6a
Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii Tree 40 ft Sun High Zone 5a
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
jojoba Simmondsia chinensis Shrub 7 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
knotgrass Paspalum distichum Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun High Zone 6a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
littleleaf ratany Krameria erecta Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
longleaf jointfir Ephedra trifurca Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
mountain pepperweed Lepidium montanum Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia Shrub 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Nevada jointfir Ephedra nevadensis Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
ocotillo Fouquieria splendens Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
saguaro Carnegiea gigantea Tree 9 ft Sun Low Zone 8b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
screwbean mesquite Prosopis pubescens Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 3b
spreading alkaliweed Cressa truxillensis Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 6a
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
sweetscent Pluchea odorata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
tanglehead Heteropogon contortus Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Low Zone 8a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
turpentinebroom Thamnosma montana Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 48

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 wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • bladderpod spiderflower Cleome isomeris
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
  • carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
  • catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • desert horsepurslane Trianthema portulacastrum
  • ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • grand redstem Ammannia robusta
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • spiny naiad Najas marina
  • spinystar Escobaria vivipara
  • spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
  • stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
  • swollen duckweed Lemna gibba
  • tapertip cupgrass Eriochloa acuminata
  • threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
  • verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
  • wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
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.

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, Imperial County and California
MeasureImperial CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 111 333 1,108
Garden-ready natives 63 239 720
Tree 8 — 111
Shrub 24 — 140
Wildflower (forb) 50 — 559
Grass or grass-like 28 — 253
Vine 1 — 16
Fern 0 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Imperial County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Imperial County (county FIPS 06025), California. 111 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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