Native plants · Oklahoma

Native plants of Pottawatomie County

264 plant species are recorded as native to Oklahoma in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pottawatomie County by USDA PLANTS. 93 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

Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma

Native species: 264 Typical Oklahoma county: 203 (median of 77 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 93 Typical Oklahoma county: 80
Share by type (all 264 native species): Percent of the 264 native species in each growth type

Tree 11% (29)
Shrub 3% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 67% (178)
Grass or grass-like 13% (33)
Vine 6% (15)
Fern <1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (67%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (13%).

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 93

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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 sycamore Platanus occidentalis	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
beaked agrimony Agrimonia rostellata	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
black oak Quercus velutina	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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 rose Rosa carolina	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
common persimmon Diospyros virginiana	Tree	55 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
cylinder jointtail grass Coelorachis cylindrica	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
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
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
Frank's sedge Carex frankii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens	Grass or grass-like	5.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata	Vine	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
inland rush Juncus interior	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
little barley Hordeum pusillum	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
pecan Carya illinoinensis	Tree	120 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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
red mulberry Morus rubra	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
roundhead rush Juncus validus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox	Vine	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
Shumard's oak Quercus shumardii	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
white prairie clover Dalea candida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
winged elm Ulmus alata	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 171

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 bluehearts Buchnera americana
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
ashy sunflower Helianthus mollis
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
Carolina draba Draba reptans
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
compassplant Silphium laciniatum
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
dwarf chinquapin oak Quercus prinoides
dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
Engelmann's spikerush Eleocharis engelmannii
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
field pansy Viola bicolor
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
fourpoint evening primrose Oenothera rhombipetala
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
garden dewberry Rubus aboriginum
globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairy forked nailwort Paronychia fastigiata
hairy hawkweed Hieracium longipilum
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
hogwort Croton capitatus
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
lace grass Eragrostis capillaris
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
largeflower tickseed Coreopsis grandiflora
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
light poppymallow Callirhoe alcaeoides
little lady's tresses Spiranthes tuberosa
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
pale dock Rumex altissimus
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
poorjoe Diodia teres
prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
procession flower Polygala incarnata
purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
sessileleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium sessilifolium
shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
soft goldenaster Chrysopsis pilosa
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
southern sedge Carex austrina
Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
Texas croton Croton texensis
Texas star Sabatia campestris
Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
trailing lespedeza Lespedeza procumbens
trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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.

annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia

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, Pottawatomie County and Oklahoma
Measure	Pottawatomie County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	264	203	1,513
Garden-ready natives	93	80	535
Tree	29	—	130
Shrub	7	—	63
Wildflower (forb)	178	—	849
Grass or grass-like	33	—	341
Vine	15	—	85
Fern	2	—	45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pottawatomie County.

Cleveland County, OK 219 garden-ready
Lincoln County, OK 43 garden-ready
Oklahoma County, OK 174 garden-ready
Pontotoc County, OK 118 garden-ready
Seminole County, OK 41 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: Pottawatomie County (county FIPS 40125), Oklahoma. 264 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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