Native plants · New Mexico

Native plants of Cibola County

241 plant species are recorded as native to New Mexico in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Cibola County by USDA PLANTS. 140 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

Cibola County, New Mexico

Native species: 241 Typical New Mexico county: 258 (median of 33 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 140 Typical New Mexico county: 160
Share by type (all 241 native species): Percent of the 241 native species in each growth type

Tree 8% (19)
Shrub 11% (27)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (119)
Grass or grass-like 31% (74)
Vine <1% (1)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (31%).

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 5b to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 140

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

Garden-ready native plants of Cibola County, New Mexico
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
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 licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Arizona fescue Festuca arizonica	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Arizona threeawn Aristida arizonica	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7a
beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
bluntseed sweetroot Osmorhiza depauperata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
broadbeard beardtongue Penstemon angustifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	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
Chamisso arnica Arnica chamissonis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
cows clover Trifolium wormskioldii	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
creeping muhly Muhlenbergia repens	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
dewystem willow Salix irrorata	Shrub	6 ft	—	—	Zone 2a
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Engelmann spruce Picea engelmannii	Tree	120 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2a
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
featherplume Dalea formosa	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus	Shrub	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii	Tree	40 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
gooseberry currant Ribes montigenum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
granite prickly phlox Linanthus pungens	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Great Basin lupine Lupinus ×alpestris	Wildflower (forb)	2.2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
green needlegrass Nassella viridula	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
green prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
James' galleta Pleuraphis jamesii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
littleleaf mock orange Philadelphus microphyllus	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
littleleaf pussytoes Antennaria microphylla	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
littleseed ricegrass Piptatheropsis micrantha	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
longstalk clover Trifolium longipes	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8a
longstalk starwort Stellaria longipes	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
longstyle rush Juncus longistylis	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
marsh bluegrass Poa leptocoma	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
mat muhly Muhlenbergia richardsonis	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4b
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
mountain muhly Muhlenbergia montana	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
mountain snowberry Symphoricarpos oreophilus	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
muttongrass Poa fendleriana	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
narrowleaf cottonwood Populus angustifolia	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Nebraska sedge Carex nebrascensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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 brome Bromus anomalus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
pale desert-thorn Lycium pallidum	Shrub	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pine dropseed Blepharoneuron tricholepis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia	Grass or grass-like	2.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
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 threeawn Aristida purpurea	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 12b
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Richardson's geranium Geranium richardsonii	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
rough menodora Menodora scabra	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
salt spring checkerbloom Sidalcea neomexicana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
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
Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
sandhill muhly Muhlenbergia pungens	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
screwbean mesquite Prosopis pubescens	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
smallwing sedge Carex microptera	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
southwestern showy sedge Carex bella	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
spike muhly Muhlenbergia wrightii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 9a
squirreltail Elymus elymoides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
subalpine fir Abies lasiocarpa	Tree	90 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2a
tailcup lupine Lupinus caudatus	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
Torrey's jointfir Ephedra torreyana	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa	Grass or grass-like	3.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
twinberry honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
wax currant Ribes cereum	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
white fir Abies concolor	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
whitestem gooseberry Ribes inerme	Shrub	8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2a
woolly locoweed Astragalus mollissimus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
Wright's deervetch Lotus wrightii	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7a
yellow evening primrose Oenothera flava	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 12b
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 101

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.

alpine lewisia Lewisia pygmaea
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
annual muhly Muhlenbergia minutissima
aridland goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum
autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
beautiful cinquefoil Potentilla pulcherrima
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
blite goosefoot Chenopodium capitatum
bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
dryspike sedge Carex siccata
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
false melic Schizachne purpurascens
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
hookedspur violet Viola adunca
Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
Louisiana broomrape Orobanche ludoviciana
Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
nodding onion Allium cernuum
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
painted milkvetch Astragalus ceramicus
pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
Porter brome Bromus porteri
prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
red baneberry Actaea rubra
redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
sanddune cryptantha Cryptantha fendleri
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
spike dropseed Sporobolus contractus
spinystar Escobaria vivipara
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
spreading sandwort Arenaria lanuginosa
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
Texas croton Croton texensis
trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
water mudwort Limosella aquatica
wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly cinquefoil Potentilla hippiana
woolly sedge Carex pellita
woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa

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.

biennial wormwoodArtemisia biennis
common reedPhragmites australis
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

Compared with New Mexico

The typical county is the median of the 33 New Mexico 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, Cibola County and New Mexico
Measure	Cibola County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	241	258	1,103
Garden-ready natives	140	160	570
Tree	19	—	81
Shrub	27	—	95
Wildflower (forb)	119	—	602
Grass or grass-like	74	—	275
Vine	1	—	22
Fern	1	—	28

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Cibola County.

Bernalillo County, NM 167 garden-ready
McKinley County, NM 197 garden-ready
Valencia County, NM 102 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: Cibola County (county FIPS 35006), New Mexico. 241 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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