Native plants · Louisiana

Native plants of St. James Parish

195 plant species are recorded as native to Louisiana in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in St. James Parish by USDA PLANTS. 100 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

St. James Parish, Louisiana

Native species: 195 Typical Louisiana county: 587 (median of 64 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 100 Typical Louisiana county: 271
Share by type (all 195 native species): Percent of the 195 native species in each growth type

Tree 16% (32)
Shrub 1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 52% (102)
Grass or grass-like 18% (35)
Vine 11% (21)
Fern 2% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (18%).

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 9a to 9b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 100

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

Garden-ready native plants of St. James Parish, Louisiana
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American snowbell Styrax americanus	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 5b
American spongeplant Limnobium spongia	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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 cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla	Grass or grass-like	3 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
Carolina ash Fraxinus caroliniana	Tree	39 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7b
Carolina fanwort Cabomba caroliniana	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
catchfly grass Leersia lenticularis	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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 palmetto Sabal minor	Tree	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
eastern baccharis Baccharis halimifolia	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
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 cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
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
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
little barley Hordeum pusillum	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
live oak Quercus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8a
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Missouri ironweed Vernonia missurica	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
pawpaw Asimina triloba	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
pecan Carya illinoinensis	Tree	120 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
prickly bog sedge Carex atlantica	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
pumpkin ash Fraxinus profunda	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
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
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox	Vine	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
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
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
southern catalpa Catalpa bignonioides	Tree	66 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
stiff dogwood Cornus foemina	Tree	16 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
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 sweetspire Itea virginica	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
water hickory Carya aquatica	Tree	85 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
water oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
water tupelo Nyssa aquatica	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 95

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
amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
American buckwheat vine Brunnichia ovata
anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
annual marsh elder Iva annua
annual ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia
aquatic milkweed Asclepias perennis
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
Canada toadflax Nuttallanthus canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
chaffweed Anagallis minima
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
dogfennel Eupatorium capillifolium
eastern fox sedge Carex triangularis
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
false hop sedge Carex lupuliformis
fescue sedge Carex festucacea
field pansy Viola bicolor
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
heartleaf groundcherry Physalis cordata
heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
hedgehog woodrush Luzula echinata
herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
herbwilliam Ptilimnium capillaceum
husk tomato Physalis pubescens
Juda's bush Iresine rhizomatosa
lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
little duckweed Lemna obscura
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
Louisiana sedge Carex louisianica
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
neckweed Veronica peregrina
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
Small's blacksnakeroot Sanicula smallii
smallflower baby blue eyes Nemophila aphylla
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
swamp wedgescale Sphenopholis pensylvanica
tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia saltmarsh mallow Kosteletzkya virginica
Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
water lettuce Pistia stratiotes
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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.

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, St. James Parish and Louisiana
Measure	St. James Parish	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	195	587	1,420
Garden-ready natives	100	271	520
Tree	32	—	151
Shrub	2	—	54
Wildflower (forb)	102	—	761
Grass or grass-like	35	—	342
Vine	21	—	74
Fern	3	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with St. James Parish.

St. John the Baptist Parish, LA 136 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: St. James Parish (county FIPS 22093), Louisiana. 195 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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