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Native plants · Kansas

Native plants of Thomas County

153 plant species are recorded as native to Kansas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Thomas County by USDA PLANTS. 66 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

Thomas County, Kansas

Native species
153 Typical Kansas county: 335 (median of 105 counties)
Garden-ready natives
66 Typical Kansas county: 141
Share by type (all 153 native species)
Percent of the 153 native species in each growth type
Tree 6% (9)
Shrub 6% (9)
Wildflower (forb) 63% (96)
Grass or grass-like 23% (35)
Vine 3% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (63%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).

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 6a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 66

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

Garden-ready native plants of Thomas County, Kansas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy 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 vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low 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
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 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
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
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
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High 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
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
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
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
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
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 fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
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
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
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
soapweed yucca Yucca glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
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
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

Other native species recorded here 87

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.

  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
  • biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
  • buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • heavy sedge Carex gravida
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
  • large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • 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
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
  • Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • prairie rose Rosa arkansana
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
  • ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
  • snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
  • stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • 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
  • velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
  • western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
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
  • climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
  • 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.

Native species counts, Thomas County and Kansas
MeasureThomas CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 153 335 1,264
Garden-ready natives 66 141 447
Tree 9 — 88
Shrub 9 — 42
Wildflower (forb) 96 — 752
Grass or grass-like 35 — 285
Vine 4 — 61
Fern 0 — 36

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Thomas 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
Thomas County (county FIPS 20193), Kansas. 153 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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