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Native plants · California

Native plants of San Joaquin County

178 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in San Joaquin County by USDA PLANTS. 106 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

San Joaquin County, California

Native species
178 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives
106 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 178 native species)
Percent of the 178 native species in each growth type
Tree 8% (15)
Shrub 6% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (110)
Grass or grass-like 19% (34)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern 3% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).

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

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

Garden-ready natives 106

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

Garden-ready native plants of San Joaquin County, California
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
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 speedwell Veronica americana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
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
beardless wildrye Leymus triticoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
boraxweed Nitrophila occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
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 amaranth Amaranthus californicus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
California blackberry Rubus ursinus Shrub 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
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 foothill pine Pinus sabiniana Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 8b
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
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
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 duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — 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 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
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
Eastern Mojave buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
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
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 6a
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
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
lacy phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
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
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
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
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
mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia Shrub 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
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
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
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
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
smooth beggartick Bidens laevis Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High 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
squirreltail Elymus elymoides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum Shrub 1 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
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides Grass or grass-like 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
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
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla Wildflower (forb) — 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
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 7a
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 9b

Other native species recorded here 72

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
  • arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
  • Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • coast tarweed Madia sativa
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
  • Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
  • 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
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • least duckweed Lemna minuta
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
  • Mexican Mosquito Fern Azolla microphylla
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • needleleaf navarretia Navarretia intertexta
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • prairie plantain Plantago elongata
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
  • rosemallow Hibiscus lasiocarpos
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • shortseed waterwort Elatine brachysperma
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • swollen duckweed Lemna gibba
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
  • verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • water pygmyweed Crassula aquatica
  • watershield Brasenia schreberi
  • western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
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.

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 Joaquin County and California
MeasureSan Joaquin CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 178 333 1,108
Garden-ready natives 106 239 720
Tree 15 — 111
Shrub 10 — 140
Wildflower (forb) 110 — 559
Grass or grass-like 34 — 253
Vine 4 — 16
Fern 5 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with San Joaquin 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 Joaquin County (county FIPS 06077), California. 178 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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