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Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · New Mexico

Native plants of Hidalgo County

225 plant species are recorded as native to New Mexico in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Hidalgo County by USDA PLANTS. 132 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Hidalgo County, New Mexico

Native species
225 Typical New Mexico county: 258 (median of 33 counties)
Garden-ready natives
132 Typical New Mexico county: 160
Share by type (all 225 native species)
Percent of the 225 native species in each growth type
Tree 15% (33)
Shrub 10% (23)
Wildflower (forb) 44% (99)
Grass or grass-like 28% (63)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern 1% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (44%), 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 8a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 132

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

Garden-ready native plants of Hidalgo County, New Mexico
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American tarwort Flourensia cernua Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
Arizona cottontop Digitaria californica Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
Arizona madrone Arbutus arizonica Tree 30 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
Arizona sycamore Platanus wrightii Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 6b
Arizona threeawn Aristida arizonica Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
Arizona walnut Juglans major Tree 50 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
beechleaf frangula Frangula betulifolia Tree 7 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 5b
big sacaton Sporobolus wrightii Grass or grass-like 5.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
bigtooth maple Acer grandidentatum Tree 38 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
black cherry Prunus serotina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
black grama Bouteloua eriopoda Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri Grass or grass-like 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8b
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
California buckthorn Frangula californica Tree 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
California poppy Eschscholzia californica Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
candy barrelcactus Ferocactus wislizeni Tree 11 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 7b
Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
catclaw acacia Senegalia greggii Tree 20 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
cliff fendlerbush Fendlera rupicola Shrub 6 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
coralbells Heuchera sanguinea Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
creeping muhly Muhlenbergia repens Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
creosote bush Larrea tridentata Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri Grass or grass-like 10 in Sun Low Zone 8b
deergrass Muhlenbergia rigens Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9b
desert ceanothus Ceanothus greggii Shrub 7 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
desert willow Chilopsis linearis Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
desertbroom Baccharis sarothroides Shrub 12 ft Sun Low Zone 10a
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii Tree 200 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
fairyduster Calliandra eriophylla Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 10a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
featherplume Dalea formosa Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 6a
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii Tree 40 ft Sun High Zone 5a
green prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Low Zone 3b
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
Hooker's evening primrose Oenothera elata Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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
knotgrass Paspalum distichum Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun High Zone 6a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
lemonscent Pectis angustifolia Wildflower (forb) 8 in Sun Low Zone 5a
Lewis flax Linum lewisii Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla Tree 10 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
mesa dropseed Sporobolus flexuosus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
Mexican pinyon Pinus cembroides Tree 25 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
mormon tea Ephedra viridis Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
mountain muhly Muhlenbergia montana Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
muttongrass Poa fendleriana Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
New Mexico locust Robinia neomexicana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
nodding brome Bromus anomalus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
pale desert-thorn Lycium pallidum Shrub 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
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
pointleaf manzanita Arctostaphylos pungens Shrub 12 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
poverty threeawn Aristida divaricata Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
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
roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora Vine 10 in Sun Medium Zone 6b
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sacahuista Nolina microcarpa Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 8b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
salt spring checkerbloom Sidalcea neomexicana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
screwbean mesquite Prosopis pubescens Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
singlewhorl burrobrush Hymenoclea monogyra Shrub 2 ft — — Zone 10a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
smallwing sedge Carex microptera Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 4a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
soaptree yucca Yucca elata Tree 20 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
spike muhly Muhlenbergia wrightii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
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
tanglehead Heteropogon contortus Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Low Zone 8a
tapertip onion Allium acuminatum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
threetooth ragwort Packera tridenticulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
Thurber's desert honeysuckle Anisacanthus thurberi Shrub 4.5 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica Grass or grass-like 2.3 ft Sun Low Zone 7b
velvet ash Fraxinus velutina Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
vine mesquite Panicum obtusum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Vine 1 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
whitethorn acacia Vachellia constricta Tree 9 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
woolly locoweed Astragalus mollissimus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
Wright's deervetch Lotus wrightii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 7a
Wright's silktassel Garrya wrightii Tree 6 ft Sun Low Zone 8b
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 9b
yewleaf willow Salix taxifolia Tree 40 ft Sun — Zone 9a

Other native species recorded here 93

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 lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
  • American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
  • annual muhly Muhlenbergia minutissima
  • arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
  • Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
  • desert horsepurslane Trianthema portulacastrum
  • Elliott's bentgrass Agrostis elliottiana
  • erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • grassleaf lettuce Lactuca graminifolia
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
  • Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
  • lesser wirelettuce Stephanomeria minor
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
  • Mexican Mosquito Fern Azolla microphylla
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
  • oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
  • pillpod sandmat Chamaesyce hirta
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • prairie plantain Plantago elongata
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
  • Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
  • sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
  • shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
  • silkcotton purslane Portulaca halimoides
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • spike dropseed Sporobolus contractus
  • spinystar Escobaria vivipara
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • tapertip cupgrass Eriochloa acuminata
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
  • Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
  • trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
  • velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
  • wormseed sandmat Chamaesyce vermiculata
  • Wright's cudweed Pseudognaphalium canescens

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, Hidalgo County and New Mexico
MeasureHidalgo CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 225 258 1,103
Garden-ready natives 132 160 570
Tree 33 — 81
Shrub 23 — 95
Wildflower (forb) 99 — 602
Grass or grass-like 63 — 275
Vine 4 — 22
Fern 3 — 28

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Hidalgo 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
Hidalgo County (county FIPS 35023), New Mexico. 225 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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