Native plants · Oklahoma

Native plants of Canadian County

258 plant species are recorded as native to Oklahoma in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Canadian County by USDA PLANTS. 104 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

Canadian County, Oklahoma

Native species: 258 Typical Oklahoma county: 203 (median of 77 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 104 Typical Oklahoma county: 80
Share by type (all 258 native species): Percent of the 258 native species in each growth type

Tree 13% (34)
Shrub 3% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (138)
Grass or grass-like 19% (50)
Vine 8% (20)
Fern 3% (9)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (19%).

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 7b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 104

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

Garden-ready native plants of Canadian County, Oklahoma
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens	Vine	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
black oak Quercus velutina	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
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
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus	Wildflower (forb)	2.7 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
common maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris	Fern	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
deertongue Dichanthelium clandestinum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
frost grape Vitis vulpina	Vine	83 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
golden currant Ribes aureum	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata	Vine	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6b
Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum	Fern	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
northern red oak Quercus rubra	Tree	81 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
peppervine Nekemias arborea	Vine	1 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
sand bluestem Andropogon hallii	Grass or grass-like	6.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
sand lovegrass Eragrostis trichodes	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
sanddune wallflower Erysimum capitatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox	Vine	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
silver maple Acer saccharinum	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
soapweed yucca Yucca glauca	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
sugar maple Acer saccharum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 10b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 12b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 154

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.

amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
American bugseed Corispermum americanum
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina draba Draba reptans
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
Carruth's sagewort Artemisia carruthii
catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
field pansy Viola bicolor
fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
forked threeawn Aristida basiramea
fourpoint evening primrose Oenothera rhombipetala
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
garden dewberry Rubus aboriginum
globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
Great Plains lady's tresses Spiranthes magnicamporum
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
Juda's bush Iresine rhizomatosa
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
neckweed Veronica peregrina
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
pale dock Rumex altissimus
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
poorjoe Diodia teres
prairie burnet Sanguisorba annua
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
rock muhly Muhlenbergia sobolifera
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
Texas croton Croton texensis
Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
witchgrass Panicum capillare

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.

common reedPhragmites australis

Compared with Oklahoma

The typical county is the median of the 77 Oklahoma 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, Canadian County and Oklahoma
Measure	Canadian County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	258	203	1,513
Garden-ready natives	104	80	535
Tree	34	—	130
Shrub	7	—	63
Wildflower (forb)	138	—	849
Grass or grass-like	50	—	341
Vine	20	—	85
Fern	9	—	45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Canadian County.

Blaine County, OK 67 garden-ready
Caddo County, OK 112 garden-ready
Grady County, OK 134 garden-ready
Kingfisher County, OK 73 garden-ready
Oklahoma County, OK 174 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: Canadian County (county FIPS 40017), Oklahoma. 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.