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Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · New Mexico

Native plants of Torrance County

196 plant species are recorded as native to New Mexico in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Torrance County by USDA PLANTS. 114 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

Torrance County, New Mexico

Native species
196 Typical New Mexico county: 258 (median of 33 counties)
Garden-ready natives
114 Typical New Mexico county: 160
Share by type (all 196 native species)
Percent of the 196 native species in each growth type
Tree 8% (15)
Shrub 11% (21)
Wildflower (forb) 54% (106)
Grass or grass-like 26% (50)
Vine 1% (2)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), 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 6a to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 114

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

Garden-ready native plants of Torrance 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 black currant Ribes americanum Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 2b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
American vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa Shrub 6 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Arizona threeawn Aristida arizonica Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
big sacaton Sporobolus wrightii Grass or grass-like 5.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigtooth maple Acer grandidentatum Tree 38 ft Sun–part shade 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
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
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
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
California false hellebore Veratrum californicum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
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
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
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
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
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
featherplume Dalea formosa Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High 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 currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
green prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
leadplant Amorpha canescens Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
lemonscent Pectis angustifolia Wildflower (forb) 8 in Sun Low Zone 5a
Letterman's needlegrass Achnatherum lettermanii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
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
lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Macoun's buttercup Ranunculus macounii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
mesa dropseed Sporobolus flexuosus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
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
narrowleaf cottonwood Populus angustifolia Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4b
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low 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
oneseed juniper Juniperus monosperma Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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 locoweed Oxytropis lambertii Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
rough menodora Menodora scabra Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 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
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum Grass or grass-like 1.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun 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
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
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 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
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
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

Other native species recorded here 82

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.

  • American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
  • annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
  • Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
  • ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
  • James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
  • lesser wirelettuce Stephanomeria minor
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
  • manyflower stickseed Hackelia floribunda
  • mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
  • Mexican lovegrass Eragrostis mexicana
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • narrowleaf goosefoot Chenopodium leptophyllum
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
  • painted milkvetch Astragalus ceramicus
  • pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
  • pony beebalm Monarda pectinata
  • prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
  • skeletonleaf bur ragweed Ambrosia tomentosa
  • slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
  • snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
  • spike dropseed Sporobolus contractus
  • spinystar Escobaria vivipara
  • spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
  • threenerve goldenrod Solidago velutina
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tobacco root Valeriana edulis
  • trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
  • velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
  • warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
  • white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
  • yellow avens Geum aleppicum
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.

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, Torrance County and New Mexico
MeasureTorrance CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 196 258 1,103
Garden-ready natives 114 160 570
Tree 15 — 81
Shrub 21 — 95
Wildflower (forb) 106 — 602
Grass or grass-like 50 — 275
Vine 2 — 22
Fern 2 — 28

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Torrance 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
Torrance County (county FIPS 35057), New Mexico. 196 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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