Native plants · California

Native plants of Stanislaus County

177 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Stanislaus County by USDA PLANTS. 107 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

Stanislaus County, California

Native species: 177 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 107 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 177 native species): Percent of the 177 native species in each growth type

Tree 11% (20)
Shrub 7% (13)
Wildflower (forb) 54% (95)
Grass or grass-like 23% (41)
Vine 2% (3)
Fern 3% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).

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 107

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

Garden-ready native plants of Stanislaus County, California
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy 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 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
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
bigberry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8b
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus	Shrub	11 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
bunchleaf penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
California amaranth Amaranthus californicus	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
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 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 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
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis	Tree	90 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 8b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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 maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris	Fern	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
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
hollyleaved barberry Mahonia aquifolium	Shrub	8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
little western bittercress Cardamine oligosperma	Wildflower (forb)	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
longstalk starwort Stellaria longipes	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
Oregon ash Fraxinus latifolia	Tree	70 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa	Tree	223 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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 flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
small camas Camassia quamash	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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
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
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
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
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
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
wavyleaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja applegatei	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
white alder Alnus rhombifolia	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
whiteleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos manzanita	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 70

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 wild carrot Daucus pusillus
aridland goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum
arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needleleaf navarretia Navarretia intertexta
oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
povertyweed Iva axillaris
prairie plantain Plantago elongata
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
Scouler's popcornflower Plagiobothrys scouleri
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
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
southern cattail Typha domingensis
southwestern waterwort Elatine rubella
stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
water pygmyweed Crassula aquatica
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
witchgrass Panicum capillare
yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
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.

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, Stanislaus County and California
Measure	Stanislaus County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	177	333	1,108
Garden-ready natives	107	239	720
Tree	20	—	111
Shrub	13	—	140
Wildflower (forb)	95	—	559
Grass or grass-like	41	—	253
Vine	3	—	16
Fern	5	—	29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Stanislaus County.

Calaveras County, CA 168 garden-ready
Merced County, CA 109 garden-ready
San Joaquin County, CA 106 garden-ready
Tuolumne County, CA 333 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: Stanislaus County (county FIPS 06099), California. 177 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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