Native plants · Nevada

Native plants of Pershing County

181 plant species are recorded as native to Nevada in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pershing County by USDA PLANTS. 126 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

Pershing County, Nevada

Native species
181 Typical Nevada county: 298 (median of 17 counties)
Garden-ready natives
126 Typical Nevada county: 210
Share by type (all 181 native species)
Percent of the 181 native species in each growth type
Tree 6% (11)
Shrub 16% (29)
Wildflower (forb) 64% (115)
Grass or grass-like 12% (21)
Vine 1% (2)
Fern 2% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (64%), followed by shrubs (16%).

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 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 126

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pershing County, Nevada
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant 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
Anderson's larkspur Delphinium andersonii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
basalt milkvetch Astragalus filipes Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
basin wildrye Leymus cinereus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
beardless wildrye Leymus triticoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 4b
black sagebrush Artemisia nova Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
bud sagebrush Picrothamnus desertorum Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
common sunflower Helianthus annuus Wildflower (forb) 9 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
curl-leaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2b
curvepod milkvetch Astragalus curvicarpus Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun Low Zone 5a
darkthroat shootingstar Dodecatheon pulchellum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
desert centaury Centaurium exaltatum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 6b
desert needlegrass Achnatherum speciosum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
dwarf purple monkeyflower Mimulus nanus Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 10b
Eaton's fleabane Erigeron eatonii Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 5b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
foothill deathcamas Zigadenus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
glaucus willowherb Epilobium glaberrimum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6b
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
gooseberryleaf globemallow Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
granite prickly phlox Linanthus pungens Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
green molly Bassia americana Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Hooker's balsamroot Balsamorhiza hookeri Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
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
King's sandwort Arenaria kingii Wildflower (forb) 8 in Sun Low Zone 4b
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
little sagebrush Artemisia arbuscula Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
littleleaf horsebrush Tetradymia glabrata Shrub 12 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
littleleaf pussytoes Antennaria microphylla Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
low pussytoes Antennaria dimorpha Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
maiden blue eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
Modoc hawksbeard Crepis modocensis Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
mormon tea Ephedra viridis Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
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 willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Nevada jointfir Ephedra nevadensis Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
Nevada lupine Lupinus nevadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
nodding microseris Microseris nutans Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Nuttall's alkaligrass Puccinellia nuttalliana Grass or grass-like 10 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
oneflower helianthella Helianthella uniflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
prickly currant Ribes lacustre Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
purple sage Salvia dorrii Shrub 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 ft Sun High Zone 3b
rock buckwheat Eriogonum sphaerocephalum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
royal penstemon Penstemon speciosus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
saltmarsh bird's-beak Cordylanthus maritimus Wildflower (forb) 1.7 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
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
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
scabland penstemon Penstemon deustus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
shadscale saltbush Atriplex confertifolia Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sharpleaf penstemon Penstemon acuminatus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
shortspine horsebrush Tetradymia spinosa Shrub 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender hairgrass Deschampsia elongata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
spearleaf arnica Arnica longifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
spiked muhly Muhlenbergia glomerata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
spiny hopsage Grayia spinosa Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
spreading phlox Phlox diffusa Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
spreadingpod rockcress Arabis ×divaricarpa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
squirreltail Elymus elymoides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
Suksdorf's monkeyflower Mimulus suksdorfii Wildflower (forb) 7 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
tailcup lupine Lupinus caudatus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tall fringed bluebells Mertensia ciliata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
tall woolly buckwheat Eriogonum elatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tapertip hawksbeard Crepis acuminata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Thurber's needlegrass Achnatherum thurberianum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 6a
Utah juniper Juniperus osteosperma Tree 26 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Utah serviceberry Amelanchier utahensis Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
wavyleaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja applegatei Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
wax currant Ribes cereum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
western columbine Aquilegia formosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
western juniper Juniperus occidentalis Tree 33 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
western stoneseed Lithospermum ruderale Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
western sweetroot Osmorhiza occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
western waterleaf Hydrophyllum occidentale Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
whitestem gooseberry Ribes inerme Shrub 8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii Wildflower (forb) 7 in Sun Low Zone 4a
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
yellow spiderflower Cleome lutea Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Low Zone 12a

Other native species recorded here 55

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.

  • Apocynum ×floribundum Apocynum ×floribundum
  • aridland goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum
  • ballhead ipomopsis Ipomopsis congesta
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blite goosefoot Chenopodium capitatum
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
  • common starlily Leucocrinum montanum
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • desert princesplume Stanleya pinnata
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • entireleaved thelypody Thelypodium integrifolium
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
  • manyflowered monkeyflower Mimulus floribundus
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • Mojave seablite Suaeda moquinii
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
  • Palmer's penstemon Penstemon palmeri
  • pinyon goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
  • spotted fritillary Fritillaria atropurpurea
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • veiny dock Rumex venosus
  • verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • water minerslettuce Montia chamissoi
  • western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
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 Nevada

The typical county is the median of the 17 Nevada 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, Pershing County and Nevada
MeasurePershing CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 181 298 835
Garden-ready natives 126 210 538
Tree 11 — 60
Shrub 29 — 97
Wildflower (forb) 115 — 459
Grass or grass-like 21 — 181
Vine 2 — 13
Fern 3 — 25

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pershing 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
Pershing County (county FIPS 32027), Nevada. 181 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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