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Native plants · California

Native plants of San Benito County

155 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in San Benito County by USDA PLANTS. 117 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

San Benito County, California

Native species
155 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives
117 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 155 native species)
Percent of the 155 native species in each growth type
Tree 21% (32)
Shrub 17% (26)
Wildflower (forb) 41% (63)
Grass or grass-like 18% (28)
Vine 2% (3)
Fern 2% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (41%), followed by trees (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

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

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 San Benito County, California
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
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
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
bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
beardless wildrye Leymus triticoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
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
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
buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus Shrub 11 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
bunchleaf penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
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 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 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 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 sycamore Platanus racemosa Tree 75 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
California wax myrtle Morella californica Tree 33 ft Sun Medium Zone 9b
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
canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis Tree 90 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 8b
Cascade barberry Mahonia nervosa Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum Shrub 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
chaparral yucca Hesperoyucca whipplei Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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 needlegrass Achnatherum speciosum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
Douglas' sedge Carex douglasii Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
foothill needlegrass Nassella lepida Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
hollyleaf cherry Prunus ilicifolia Tree 40 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
hollyleaved barberry Mahonia aquifolium Shrub 8 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
Jeffrey pine Pinus jeffreyi Tree 180 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
lacy phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Low Zone 5a
Lewis flax Linum lewisii Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
maiden blue eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
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 needlegrass Nassella cernua Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor Shrub 12 ft Sun High Zone 8a
Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8b
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
pointleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos pungens Shrub 12 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9b
ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa Tree 223 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
purple needlegrass Nassella pulchra Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8b
redberry buckthorn Rhamnus crocea Tree 5 ft Sun Low Zone 9b
redflower currant Ribes sanguineum Shrub 12 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
rockloving erigeron Erigeron petrophilus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 8a
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium 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
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
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
shiny chickweed Stellaria nitens Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
smallflower melicgrass Melica imperfecta Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 10a
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
squirreltail Elymus elymoides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
sugar sumac Rhus ovata Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
tarweed fiddleneck Amsinckia lycopsoides Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
valley oak Quercus lobata Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
wartleaf ceanothus Ceanothus papillosus Shrub 16 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9b
wavyleaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja applegatei Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
western azalea Rhododendron occidentale Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8b
western columbine Aquilegia formosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
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
woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii Wildflower (forb) 7 in Sun Low Zone 4a
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 9b

Other native species recorded here 38

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 wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • bladderpod spiderflower Cleome isomeris
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
  • foxtail muhly Muhlenbergia andina
  • giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • prairie plantain Plantago elongata
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • Scouler's popcornflower Plagiobothrys scouleri
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
  • stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • water pygmyweed Crassula aquatica
  • western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
  • willow dock Rumex salicifolius

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, San Benito County and California
MeasureSan Benito CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 155 333 1,108
Garden-ready natives 117 239 720
Tree 32 — 111
Shrub 26 — 140
Wildflower (forb) 63 — 559
Grass or grass-like 28 — 253
Vine 3 — 16
Fern 3 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with San Benito 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
San Benito County (county FIPS 06069), California. 155 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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