Native plants · Kansas
Native plants of Graham County
216 plant species are recorded as native to Kansas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Graham County by USDA PLANTS. 92 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Graham County, Kansas
- Native species
- 216 Typical Kansas county: 335 (median of 105 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 92 Typical Kansas county: 141
- Share by type (all 216 native species)
-
Percent of the 216 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (63%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 92
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 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 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| 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 |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green needlegrass Nassella viridula | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus | Wildflower (forb) | 9.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | 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 |
| 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 |
| Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 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 |
| 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 |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | 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 |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| sandcherry Prunus pumila | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| squirreltail Elymus elymoides | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tenpetal blazingstar Mentzelia decapetala | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| 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 snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 124
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.
- American bugseed Corispermum americanum
- Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
- azure blue sage Salvia azurea
- bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
- chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- cutleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum pinnatum
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
- desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
- fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
- fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
- fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
- lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
- Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
- prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
- prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
- sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
- sixangle spurge Euphorbia hexagona
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
- slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
- Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
- spinystar Escobaria vivipara
- stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- Texas croton Croton texensis
- Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
- 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
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
Also listed as native and introduced here 2
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
- climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
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 | Graham County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 216 | 335 | 1,264 |
| Garden-ready natives | 92 | 141 | 447 |
| Tree | 14 | — | 88 |
| Shrub | 11 | — | 42 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 136 | — | 752 |
| Grass or grass-like | 47 | — | 285 |
| Vine | 7 | — | 61 |
| Fern | 1 | — | 36 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Graham County.
- Ellis County, KS 143 garden-ready
- Norton County, KS 80 garden-ready
- Phillips County, KS 96 garden-ready
- Rooks County, KS 142 garden-ready
- Sheridan County, KS 126 garden-ready
- Trego County, KS 112 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
- Graham County (county FIPS 20065), Kansas. 216 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