Native plants · Kansas
Native plants of Edwards County
252 plant species are recorded as native to Kansas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Edwards County by USDA PLANTS. 99 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
Edwards County, Kansas
- Native species
- 252 Typical Kansas county: 335 (median of 105 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 99 Typical Kansas county: 141
- Share by type (all 252 native species)
-
Percent of the 252 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (64%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (24%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 99
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy 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 plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American pokeweed Phytolacca americana | Wildflower (forb) | 7.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| broadbeard beardtongue Penstemon angustifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus | Grass or grass-like | 1.7 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| common evening primrose Oenothera biennis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| inland rush Juncus interior | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 Junegrass Koeleria macrantha | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | 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 |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 153
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- 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
- bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- blowout grass Redfieldia flexuosa
- blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
- blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
- brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
- chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
- clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
- dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
- 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
- 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
- hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
- kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
- lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
- light poppymallow Callirhoe alcaeoides
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
- minute duckweed Lemna perpusilla
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
- Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- plains bluegrass Poa arida
- plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
- prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
- prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
- prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
- prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
- showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
- silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixangle spurge Euphorbia hexagona
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
- slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
- Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
- spinystar Escobaria vivipara
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
- 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
- velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- 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
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
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.
- annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- common reedPhragmites australis
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
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.
| Measure | Edwards County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 252 | 335 | 1,264 |
| Garden-ready natives | 99 | 141 | 447 |
| Tree | 13 | — | 88 |
| Shrub | 9 | — | 42 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 161 | — | 752 |
| Grass or grass-like | 60 | — | 285 |
| Vine | 7 | — | 61 |
| Fern | 2 | — | 36 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Edwards County.
- Ford County, KS 104 garden-ready
- Hodgeman County, KS 87 garden-ready
- Kiowa County, KS 122 garden-ready
- Pawnee County, KS 86 garden-ready
- Stafford County, KS 146 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
- Edwards County (county FIPS 20047), Kansas. 252 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