Native plants · Kansas
Native plants of Morton County
242 plant species are recorded as native to Kansas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Morton County by USDA PLANTS. 103 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
Morton County, Kansas
- Native species
- 242 Typical Kansas county: 335 (median of 105 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 103 Typical Kansas county: 141
- Share by type (all 242 native species)
-
Percent of the 242 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (61%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 103
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 water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 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 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 |
| clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| dotted blazing star Liatris punctata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| James' galleta Pleuraphis jamesii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| needle and thread Hesperostipa comata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | 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 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 |
| reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 2a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tanseyleaf tansyaster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| tenpetal blazingstar Mentzelia decapetala | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| textile onion Allium textile | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| toad rush Juncus bufonius | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| troublesome sedge Carex molesta | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| vine mesquite Panicum obtusum | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 139
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
- annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
- azure blue sage Salvia azurea
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
- blowout grass Redfieldia flexuosa
- brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
- chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
- chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
- cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
- cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
- feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
- fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
- Geyer's sandmat Chamaesyce geyeri
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- Louisiana broomrape Orobanche ludoviciana
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
- painted milkvetch Astragalus ceramicus
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
- plains springparsley Cymopterus acaulis
- pony beebalm Monarda pectinata
- poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
- prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
- prairie burnet Sanguisorba annua
- prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
- prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
- Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
- queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- River Broom-Rape Orobanche riparia
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
- sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
- sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
- scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
- showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
- silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
- southern cattail Typha domingensis
- Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
- spinystar Escobaria vivipara
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
- stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
- sunbright Phemeranthus parviflorus
- Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
- Texas croton Croton texensis
- thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
- toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
- veiny dock Rumex venosus
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
- warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- western wallflower Erysimum asperum
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
- winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
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.
- common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
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 | Morton County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 242 | 335 | 1,264 |
| Garden-ready natives | 103 | 141 | 447 |
| Tree | 15 | — | 88 |
| Shrub | 14 | — | 42 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 147 | — | 752 |
| Grass or grass-like | 55 | — | 285 |
| Vine | 9 | — | 61 |
| Fern | 2 | — | 36 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Morton County.
- Stanton County, KS 64 garden-ready
- Stevens County, KS 53 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
- Morton County (county FIPS 20129), Kansas. 242 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