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Native plants · New Mexico

Native plants of Valencia County

167 plant species are recorded as native to New Mexico in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Valencia County by USDA PLANTS. 102 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Valencia County, New Mexico

Native species
167 Typical New Mexico county: 258 (median of 33 counties)
Garden-ready natives
102 Typical New Mexico county: 160
Share by type (all 167 native species)
Percent of the 167 native species in each growth type
Tree 7% (12)
Shrub 13% (22)
Wildflower (forb) 51% (86)
Grass or grass-like 26% (44)
Vine 1% (2)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (51%), 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 7a to 7b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 102

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

Garden-ready native plants of Valencia County, New Mexico
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
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 vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa Shrub 6 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
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
bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri Grass or grass-like 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 8b
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
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
desert willow Chilopsis linearis Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
Great Basin lupine Lupinus ×alpestris Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
green prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
James' galleta Pleuraphis jamesii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
leadplant Amorpha canescens Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant Low 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 mock orange Philadelphus microphyllus Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
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
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 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 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 spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
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 agoseris Agoseris glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
pine dropseed Blepharoneuron tricholepis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
poverty threeawn Aristida divaricata Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6b
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 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
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
Richardson's geranium Geranium richardsonii Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
Rocky Mountain juniper Juniperus scopulorum Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum Tree 30 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium 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
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
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
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
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
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
soaptree yucca Yucca elata Tree 20 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
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
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
tanseyleaf tansyaster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Torrey's jointfir Ephedra torreyana Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
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
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun 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
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
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
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
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
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 9b

Other native species recorded here 65

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.

  • annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
  • autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
  • brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
  • Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • dryspike sedge Carex siccata
  • false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
  • James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
  • Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
  • male fern Dryopteris filix-mas
  • Missouri foxtail cactus Escobaria missouriensis
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
  • sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • spike dropseed Sporobolus contractus
  • spinystar Escobaria vivipara
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • spreading sandwort Arenaria lanuginosa
  • stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
  • stemless Townsend daisy Townsendia exscapa
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tasselflower brickellbush Brickellia grandiflora
  • Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
  • 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
  • twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
  • white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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, Valencia County and New Mexico
MeasureValencia CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 167 258 1,103
Garden-ready natives 102 160 570
Tree 12 — 81
Shrub 22 — 95
Wildflower (forb) 86 — 602
Grass or grass-like 44 — 275
Vine 2 — 22
Fern 1 — 28

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Valencia 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
Valencia County (county FIPS 35061), New Mexico. 167 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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