Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · California

Native plants of Yolo County

156 plant species are recorded as native to California in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Yolo County by USDA PLANTS. 108 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

Yolo County, California

Native species
156 Typical California county: 333 (median of 58 counties)
Garden-ready natives
108 Typical California county: 239
Share by type (all 156 native species)
Percent of the 156 native species in each growth type
Tree 12% (19)
Shrub 8% (13)
Wildflower (forb) 46% (72)
Grass or grass-like 30% (47)
Vine 2% (3)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (46%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (30%).

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 108

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

Garden-ready native plants of Yolo 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
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
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
bitter cherry Prunus emarginata Tree 80 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
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun 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 cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
buckbrush Ceanothus cuneatus Shrub 11 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
bunchleaf penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus Grass or grass-like 6.3 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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 damsonium Damasonium californicum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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 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 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
chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum Shrub 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
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 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
deerbrush Ceanothus integerrimus Shrub 13 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
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
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
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
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
Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
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
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
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
nodding needlegrass Nassella cernua Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
Nuttall's alkaligrass Puccinellia nuttalliana Grass or grass-like 10 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor Shrub 12 ft Sun High Zone 8a
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
Pacific madrone Arbutus menziesii Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus Grass or grass-like 5.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
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
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
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High 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
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium 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
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
slender clarkia Clarkia gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
slough sedge Carex obnupta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
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
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
tarweed fiddleneck Amsinckia lycopsoides Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
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
wavyleaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja applegatei Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
western fescue Festuca occidentalis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
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
whiteleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos manzanita Shrub 8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 48

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.

  • Aleutian maidenhair Adiantum aleuticum
  • American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
  • American black nightshade Solanum americanum
  • American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
  • arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
  • Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prairie plantain Plantago elongata
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
  • rosemallow Hibiscus lasiocarpos
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • 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 pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
  • swollen duckweed Lemna gibba
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
  • willow dock Rumex salicifolius
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
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.

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, Yolo County and California
MeasureYolo CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 156 333 1,108
Garden-ready natives 108 239 720
Tree 19 — 111
Shrub 13 — 140
Wildflower (forb) 72 — 559
Grass or grass-like 47 — 253
Vine 3 — 16
Fern 2 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Yolo 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
Yolo County (county FIPS 06113), California. 156 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.