Native plants · Kansas

Native plants of Seward County

211 plant species are recorded as native to Kansas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Seward County by USDA PLANTS. 90 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

Seward County, Kansas

Native species
211 Typical Kansas county: 335 (median of 105 counties)
Garden-ready natives
90 Typical Kansas county: 141
Share by type (all 211 native species)
Percent of the 211 native species in each growth type
Tree 4% (9)
Shrub 4% (8)
Wildflower (forb) 63% (132)
Grass or grass-like 28% (59)
Vine <1% (2)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (63%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (28%).

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 zone 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 90

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

Garden-ready native plants of Seward 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 water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia Tree 12 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
disk waterhyssop Bacopa rotundifolia Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 4a
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 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
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 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
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High 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
lemonscent Pectis angustifolia Wildflower (forb) 8 in 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
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
mesa dropseed Sporobolus flexuosus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
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
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium 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
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
poverty threeawn Aristida divaricata Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6b
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
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 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
rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium 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
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
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
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
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 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

Other native species recorded here 121

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.

  • American bugseed Corispermum americanum
  • annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
  • annual marsh elder Iva annua
  • arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
  • blowout grass Redfieldia flexuosa
  • blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
  • 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
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
  • flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • 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
  • matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
  • 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
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • plains bluegrass Poa arida
  • pony beebalm Monarda pectinata
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
  • prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
  • prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
  • sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
  • sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
  • showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
  • silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • sixangle spurge Euphorbia hexagona
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
  • slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
  • slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
  • snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
  • snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
  • southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
  • 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
  • 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
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
  • western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • 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.

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, Seward County and Kansas
MeasureSeward CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 211 335 1,264
Garden-ready natives 90 141 447
Tree 9 — 88
Shrub 8 — 42
Wildflower (forb) 132 — 752
Grass or grass-like 59 — 285
Vine 2 — 61
Fern 1 — 36

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Seward 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
Seward County (county FIPS 20175), Kansas. 211 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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