Native plants · California

Native plants of Sacramento County

190 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Sacramento County by USDA PLANTS. 117 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Sacramento County, California

Native species: 190 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 117 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 190 native species): Percent of the 190 native species in each growth type

Tree 10% (19)
Shrub 6% (11)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (101)
Grass or grass-like 27% (51)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (27%).

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 zone 9b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 117

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

Garden-ready native plants of Sacramento County, California
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
awl-leaf lilaea Lilaea scilloides	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
beardless wildrye Leymus triticoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
bigflower agoseris Agoseris grandiflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
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
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus	Shrub	11 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
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 bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9a
California damsonium Damasonium californicum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
California foothill pine Pinus sabiniana	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
California live oak Quercus agrifolia	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
California melicgrass Melica californica	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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
California yerba santa Eriodictyon californicum	Shrub	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
cluster rose Rosa pisocarpa	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	—	Zone 5a
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
coyotebrush Baccharis pilularis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9b
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
curvepod yellowcress Rorippa curvisiliqua	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
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
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
doublehorn calicoflower Downingia bicornuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
fivespot Nemophila maculata	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 12b
foothill needlegrass Nassella lepida	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
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
Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
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
little barley Hordeum pusillum	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
little western bittercress Cardamine oligosperma	Wildflower (forb)	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
longhair sedge Carex comosa	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
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
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
nodding needlegrass Nassella cernua	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia	Tree	70 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
Pacific aster Symphyotrichum chilense	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
Port Orford cedar Chamaecyparis lawsoniana	Tree	200 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
purple needlegrass Nassella pulchra	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8b
red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 12b
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
shiny chickweed Stellaria nitens	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 12a
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
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
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
tarweed fiddleneck Amsinckia lycopsoides	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum	Vine	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
valdivia duckweed Lemna valdiviana	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	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
yellow bush lupine Lupinus arboreus	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9b
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9b

Other native species recorded here 73

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 black nightshade Solanum americanum
American pillwort Pilularia americana
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
chaffweed Anagallis minima
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
grand redstem Ammannia robusta
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needleleaf navarretia Navarretia intertexta
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
Powell's amaranth Amaranthus powellii
prairie plantain Plantago elongata
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
rosemallow Hibiscus lasiocarpos
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
saline saltbush Atriplex subspicata
salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
shortseed waterwort Elatine brachysperma
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
southern cattail Typha domingensis
southwestern waterwort Elatine rubella
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
Texas bergia Bergia texana
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
water pygmyweed Crassula aquatica
western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
willow dock Rumex salicifolius
witchgrass Panicum capillare
Wright's cudweed Pseudognaphalium canescens

Also listed as native and introduced here 4

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
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, Sacramento County and California
Measure	Sacramento County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	190	333	1,108
Garden-ready natives	117	239	720
Tree	19	—	111
Shrub	11	—	140
Wildflower (forb)	101	—	559
Grass or grass-like	51	—	253
Vine	4	—	16
Fern	4	—	29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Sacramento County.

Amador County, CA 185 garden-ready
El Dorado County, CA 324 garden-ready
Placer County, CA 331 garden-ready
San Joaquin County, CA 106 garden-ready
Solano County, CA 158 garden-ready
Sutter County, CA 75 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: Sacramento County (county FIPS 06067), California. 190 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.