Native plants · Louisiana

Native plants of Plaquemines Parish

262 plant species are recorded as native to Louisiana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Plaquemines Parish by USDA PLANTS. 131 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

Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana

Native species
262 Typical Louisiana county: 587 (median of 64 counties)
Garden-ready natives
131 Typical Louisiana county: 271
Share by type (all 262 native species)
Percent of the 262 native species in each growth type
Tree 11% (28)
Shrub 2% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 51% (134)
Grass or grass-like 26% (68)
Vine 9% (24)
Fern <1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (51%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (26%).

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 zones 9b to 10a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 131

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

Garden-ready native plants of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
aloe yucca Yucca aloifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 7a
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana Wildflower (forb) 7.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bald cypress Taxodium distichum Tree 130 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
bayhops Ipomoea pes-caprae Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 9a
big cordgrass Spartina cynosuroides Grass or grass-like 8 ft Sun High Zone 7a
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
black mangrove Avicennia germinans Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 8a
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
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
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
buckthorn bully Sideroxylon lycioides Tree 9.8 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bushy bluestem Andropogon glomeratus Grass or grass-like 6.3 ft Sun High Zone 5a
bushy seaside tansy Borrichia frutescens Shrub 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
butterweed Packera glabella Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Carolina desert-thorn Lycium carolinianum Shrub 9 ft Sun High Zone 9a
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri Grass or grass-like 6.5 ft Sun High Zone 10b
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis Tree 15 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana Tree 55 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
copper iris Iris fulva Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
crimsoneyed rosemallow Hibiscus moscheutos Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 6a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
delta arrowhead Sagittaria platyphylla Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 6a
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana Vine 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
dwarf spikerush Eleocharis parvula Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
eastern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum subulatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
eastern swampprivet Forestiera acuminata Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
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 cane Arundinaria gigantea Shrub 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
giant cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 8b
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
Gulf Coast spikerush Eleocharis cellulosa Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun High Zone 8b
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata Vine 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
hilograss Paspalum conjugatum Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 8b
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Jesuit's bark Iva frutescens Wildflower (forb) 9 ft Sun High Zone 7b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun High Zone 6a
laurel greenbrier Smilax laurifolia Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
lavender thrift Limonium carolinianum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 6b
little barley Hordeum pusillum Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
live oak Quercus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8a
loblolly pine Pinus taeda Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 6b
longtom Paspalum denticulatum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8b
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun High Zone 8a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
needlegrass rush Juncus roemerianus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 9a
Nuttall oak Quercus texana Tree 110 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
peppervine Nekemias arborea Vine 1 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 5a
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
ravenfoot sedge Carex crus-corvi Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
red maple Acer rubrum Tree 68 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
red mulberry Morus rubra Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
saltmeadow cordgrass Spartina patens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 7a
saltwater false willow Baccharis angustifolia Shrub 13 ft Sun High Zone 8b
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox Vine 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
seaoats Uniola paniculata Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
seashore dropseed Sporobolus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9a
seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum Grass or grass-like 1 in Sun High Zone 8b
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus Wildflower (forb) 2.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
shoreline sedge Carex hyalinolepis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
shortbristle horned beaksedge Rhynchospora corniculata Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
smooth beggartick Bidens laevis Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides Vine — Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 9b
spring spiderlily Hymenocallis liriosme Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 7b
St. Augustine grass Stenotaphrum secundatum Grass or grass-like 11 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 7b
stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
sweetbay Magnolia virginiana Tree 60 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 9a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides Grass or grass-like 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans Vine 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
turtleweed Batis maritima Shrub 1 in Sun Medium Zone 9a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
variable panicgrass Dichanthelium commutatum Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 7a
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
yaupon Ilex vomitoria Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 131

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.

  • Alabama supplejack Berchemia scandens
  • Amazon sprangletop Leptochloa panicoides
  • amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
  • American buckwheat vine Brunnichia ovata
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
  • annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia
  • annual seepweed Suaeda linearis
  • Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bulltongue arrowhead Sagittaria lancifolia
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
  • Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Carolina fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
  • catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • coastal lovegrass Eragrostis refracta
  • common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • creeping spikerush Eleocharis fallax
  • crested saltbush Atriplex cristata
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • denseflower knotweed Polygonum glabrum
  • Dillenius' ticktrefoil Desmodium glabellum
  • dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
  • eastern grasswort Lilaeopsis chinensis
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • field lovegrass Eragrostis elliottii
  • floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
  • giant bristlegrass Setaria magna
  • grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
  • herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
  • herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
  • lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
  • maidencane Panicum hemitomon
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • marsh fimbry Fimbristylis castanea
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • mudbank crowngrass Paspalum dissectum
  • narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
  • Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • perennial saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum tenuifolium
  • pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
  • pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
  • pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
  • prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
  • purple false foxglove Agalinis purpurea
  • purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
  • purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • rose of Plymouth Sabatia stellaris
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • saltmarsh false foxglove Agalinis maritima
  • shortleaf spikesedge Kyllinga brevifolia
  • slender seapurslane Sesuvium maritimum
  • slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • smallflower baby blue eyes Nemophila aphylla
  • smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
  • stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
  • swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
  • tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
  • Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
  • Texas vervain Verbena halei
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • twoleaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum heterophyllum
  • Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
  • Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia saltmarsh mallow Kosteletzkya virginica
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • wand lythrum Lythrum lineare
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
  • yankeeweed Eupatorium compositifolium
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
  • yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
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.

  • common reedPhragmites australis
  • hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
  • Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides

Compared with Louisiana

The typical county is the median of the 64 Louisiana 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, Plaquemines Parish and Louisiana
MeasurePlaquemines ParishTypical countyStatewide
Native species 262 587 1,420
Garden-ready natives 131 271 520
Tree 28 — 151
Shrub 6 — 54
Wildflower (forb) 134 — 761
Grass or grass-like 68 — 342
Vine 24 — 74
Fern 2 — 38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Plaquemines Parish.

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
Plaquemines Parish (county FIPS 22075), Louisiana. 262 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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