Native plants · California
Native plants of Orange County
216 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Orange County by USDA PLANTS. 133 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
Orange County, California
- Native species
- 216 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 133 Typical California county: 239
- Share by type (all 216 native species)
-
Percent of the 216 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 133
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| American vetch Vicia americana | Vine | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 6a |
| beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata | Tree | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| big saltbush Atriplex lentiformis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| bigberry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca | Tree | 18 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 8b |
| bigcone Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga macrocarpa | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| bigpod ceanothus Ceanothus megacarpus | Shrub | 13 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9b |
| blue wildrye Elymus glaucus | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| boraxweed Nitrophila occidentalis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| brittlebush Encelia farinosa | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 10a |
| 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 |
| broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae | Shrub | 1.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus | Shrub | 11 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| bunchleaf penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 9a |
| 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 buckthorn Frangula californica | Tree | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8a |
| California bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 9a |
| California laurel Umbellularia californica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 6a |
| California live oak Quercus agrifolia | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8a |
| California poppy Eschscholzia californica | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 8a |
| California sycamore Platanus racemosa | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8a |
| California wildrose Rosa californica | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 8a |
| Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7b |
| canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis | Tree | 90 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 8b |
| chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| chaparral yucca Hesperoyucca whipplei | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| coastal sage scrub oak Quercus dumosa | Tree | 9 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9b |
| Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5b |
| common duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | 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 |
| cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| Coulter pine Pinus coulteri | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8b |
| cows clover Trifolium wormskioldii | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| coyotebrush Baccharis pilularis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9b |
| curvepod yellowcress Rorippa curvisiliqua | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 12b |
| deerbrush Ceanothus integerrimus | Shrub | 13 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6b |
| dwarf spikerush Eleocharis parvula | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Eastern Mojave buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa | Shrub | 15 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| foothill needlegrass Nassella lepida | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | 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 |
| Gardner's yampah Perideridia gairdneri | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| giant wildrye Leymus condensatus | Grass or grass-like | 8.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| hollyleaf cherry Prunus ilicifolia | Tree | 40 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| incense cedar Calocedrus decurrens | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| mountain blue penstemon Penstemon laetus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8b |
| mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| narrowleaf willow Salix exigua | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| nodding waternymph Najas flexilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| Nuttall's sunflower Helianthus nuttallii | Wildflower (forb) | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| oceanspray Holodiscus discolor | Shrub | 12 ft | Sun | High | Zone 8a |
| Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 8b |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pinebush Ericameria pinifolia | Shrub | 8 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10a |
| purple needlegrass Nassella pulchra | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 8b |
| purple threeawn Aristida purpurea | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| redberry buckthorn Rhamnus crocea | Tree | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9b |
| 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 |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| salt spring checkerbloom Sidalcea neomexicana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| saltmarsh bird's-beak Cordylanthus maritimus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.7 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8a |
| Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| scarlet monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | 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 |
| Sierra gooseberry Ribes roezlii | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 2a |
| smallflower melicgrass Melica imperfecta | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 10a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 8a |
| sugar sumac Rhus ovata | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| sweetscent Pluchea odorata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum | Vine | 10 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| turtleweed Batis maritima | Shrub | 1 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 9a |
| valley redstem Ammannia coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| velvet ash Fraxinus velutina | Tree | 40 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| Virginia glasswort Salicornia depressa | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8b |
| wartleaf ceanothus Ceanothus papillosus | Shrub | 16 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 9b |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| western water hemlock Cicuta douglasii | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white alder Alnus rhombifolia | Tree | 65 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| widgeongrass Ruppia maritima | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 7a |
| yerba mansa Anemopsis californica | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 9b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 83
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
- American black nightshade Solanum americanum
- American pillwort Pilularia americana
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
- arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bladderpod spiderflower Cleome isomeris
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
- Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
- chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
- dwarf saltwort Salicornia bigelovii
- flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
- floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
- fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
- grand redstem Ammannia robusta
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
- manyflowered monkeyflower Mimulus floribundus
- marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
- Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
- Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
- Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- povertyweed Iva axillaris
- prairie plantain Plantago elongata
- Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
- sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
- sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
- seawrack Zostera marina
- shortseed waterwort Elatine brachysperma
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
- southern cattail Typha domingensis
- spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
- stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
- tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
- Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
- tower rockcress Arabis glabra
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- water pygmyweed Crassula aquatica
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
- western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
- willow dock Rumex salicifolius
- Wright's cudweed Pseudognaphalium canescens
- yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
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.
- biennial wormwoodArtemisia biennis
- common reedPhragmites australis
- floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides
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.
| Measure | Orange County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 216 | 333 | 1,108 |
| Garden-ready natives | 133 | 239 | 720 |
| Tree | 23 | — | 111 |
| Shrub | 24 | — | 140 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 116 | — | 559 |
| Grass or grass-like | 42 | — | 253 |
| Vine | 6 | — | 16 |
| Fern | 5 | — | 29 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Orange County.
- Los Angeles County, CA 253 garden-ready
- Riverside County, CA 258 garden-ready
- San Diego County, CA 271 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
- Orange County (county FIPS 06059), California. 216 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