Native plants · Kansas

Native plants of Comanche County

279 plant species are recorded as native to Kansas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Comanche County by USDA PLANTS. 115 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Comanche County, Kansas

Native species
279 Typical Kansas county: 335 (median of 105 counties)
Garden-ready natives
115 Typical Kansas county: 141
Share by type (all 279 native species)
Percent of the 279 native species in each growth type
Tree 7% (20)
Shrub 4% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 65% (181)
Grass or grass-like 21% (58)
Vine 3% (7)
Fern 1% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (65%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (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 6b to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 115

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

Garden-ready native plants of Comanche County, Kansas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
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 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
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia Tree 12 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
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
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
green prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Low Zone 3b
harvestlice Agrimonia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata Vine 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
leadplant Amorpha canescens Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
little barley Hordeum pusillum Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
little walnut Juglans microcarpa Tree 20 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima Vine 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala Tree 52 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa Tree 60 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata Grass or grass-like 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
purple poppymallow Callirhoe involucrata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sand bluestem Andropogon hallii Grass or grass-like 6.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
sand lovegrass Eragrostis trichodes Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
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
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
soapweed yucca Yucca glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 3b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
vine mesquite Panicum obtusum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
white prairie clover Dalea candida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
woolly locoweed Astragalus mollissimus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 164

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.

  • amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
  • American bugseed Corispermum americanum
  • annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
  • annual marsh elder Iva annua
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • azure blue sage Salvia azurea
  • Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
  • blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
  • buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
  • Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
  • Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • Drummond's halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha drummondii
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
  • dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
  • Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
  • hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
  • ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
  • James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
  • Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • Louisiana broomrape Orobanche ludoviciana
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
  • matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
  • Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
  • narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
  • Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
  • prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
  • prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
  • prairie rose Rosa arkansana
  • prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
  • prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
  • purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
  • purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
  • rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
  • ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
  • redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
  • redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
  • sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • sessileleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium sessilifolium
  • shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
  • shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
  • showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
  • showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
  • silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
  • slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
  • slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
  • slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
  • smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
  • snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • spinystar Escobaria vivipara
  • spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
  • velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
  • western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
  • western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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 Kansas

The typical county is the median of the 105 Kansas 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, Comanche County and Kansas
MeasureComanche CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 279 335 1,264
Garden-ready natives 115 141 447
Tree 20 — 88
Shrub 10 — 42
Wildflower (forb) 181 — 752
Grass or grass-like 58 — 285
Vine 7 — 61
Fern 3 — 36

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Comanche 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
Comanche County (county FIPS 20033), Kansas. 279 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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