Native plants · New Mexico
Native plants of Otero County
258 plant species are recorded as native to New Mexico in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Otero County by USDA PLANTS. 164 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
Otero County, New Mexico
- Native species
- 258 Typical New Mexico county: 258 (median of 33 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 164 Typical New Mexico county: 160
- Share by type (all 258 native species)
-
Percent of the 258 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (28%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 164
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| 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 |
| alpine mountainsorrel Oxyria digyna | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 tarwort Flourensia cernua | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| banana yucca Yucca baccata | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7a |
| beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| beardless wildrye Leymus triticoides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| Bigelow's tansyaster Machaeranthera bigelovii | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 10b |
| bigtooth maple Acer grandidentatum | Tree | 38 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bitter cherry Prunus emarginata | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| blue spruce Picea pungens | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| blue wildrye Elymus glaucus | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| bluntseed sweetroot Osmorhiza depauperata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| broadleaf lupine Lupinus latifolius | Wildflower (forb) | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae | Shrub | 1.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri | Grass or grass-like | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 8b |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7b |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cliff fendlerbush Fendlera rupicola | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cows clover Trifolium wormskioldii | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| creeping barberry Mahonia repens | Shrub | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 |
| cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| darkthroat shootingstar Dodecatheon pulchellum | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| featherplume Dalea formosa | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| fireweed Chamerion angustifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 5.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| fivepetal cliffbush Jamesia americana | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| glaucous bluegrass Poa glauca | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | — | Zone 3a |
| golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| gooseberryleaf globemallow Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5a |
| greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| gypsum grama Bouteloua breviseta | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7a |
| hair-like sedge Carex capillaris | Grass or grass-like | 1.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| James' galleta Pleuraphis jamesii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| little green sedge Carex viridula | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| little walnut Juglans microcarpa | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| littleleaf ratany Krameria erecta | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Macoun's buttercup Ranunculus macounii | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| marsh bluegrass Poa leptocoma | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| mesa dropseed Sporobolus flexuosus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7a |
| Mexican orange Choisya dumosa | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9a |
| 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 pepperweed Lepidium montanum | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| New Mexico locust Robinia neomexicana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| Nuttall's sunflower Helianthus nuttallii | Wildflower (forb) | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 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 |
| sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 6a |
| scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| singlewhorl burrobrush Hymenoclea monogyra | Shrub | 2 ft | — | — | Zone 10a |
| 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 |
| small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina | Wildflower (forb) | 11 in | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| smallwing sedge Carex microptera | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| soaptree yucca Yucca elata | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| southwestern pricklypoppy Argemone pleiacantha | Wildflower (forb) | 7 in | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| 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 |
| spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum | Grass or grass-like | 1.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| squirreltail Elymus elymoides | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tall hairy agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tanseyleaf tansyaster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7b |
| 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 |
| twoneedle pinyon Pinus edulis | Tree | 50 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia | Vine | 1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white fir Abies concolor | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | 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 |
| Woods' rose Rosa woodsii | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| Wright's silktassel Garrya wrightii | Tree | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8b |
| yellow evening primrose Oenothera flava | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 94
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American bugseed Corispermum americanum
- annual muhly Muhlenbergia minutissima
- autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
- brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
- catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- dryspike sedge Carex siccata
- false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
- falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
- feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
- fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
- fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
- fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
- giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
- hooded coralroot Corallorhiza striata
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
- James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- limestone calamint Clinopodium arkansanum
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
- marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
- Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
- Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
- mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
- mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- nodding onion Allium cernuum
- northern green orchid Platanthera aquilonis
- pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
- Porter brome Bromus porteri
- Powell's amaranth Amaranthus powellii
- pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
- red baneberry Actaea rubra
- romerillo Bidens alba
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
- seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
- spinystar Escobaria vivipara
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
- spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
- spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
- stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
- stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
- stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
- summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
- tapertip cupgrass Eriochloa acuminata
- tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
- tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
- threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
- tobacco root Valeriana edulis
- trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
- veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
- velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
- white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
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
- 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.
| Measure | Otero County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 258 | 258 | 1,103 |
| Garden-ready natives | 164 | 160 | 570 |
| Tree | 30 | — | 81 |
| Shrub | 33 | — | 95 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 117 | — | 602 |
| Grass or grass-like | 71 | — | 275 |
| Vine | 5 | — | 22 |
| Fern | 2 | — | 28 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Otero County.
- Chaves County, NM 109 garden-ready
- Doña Ana County, NM 145 garden-ready
- Hudspeth County, TX 98 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
- Otero County (county FIPS 35035), New Mexico. 258 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