Native plants · Oregon

Native plants of Morrow County

192 plant species are recorded as native to Oregon in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Morrow County by USDA PLANTS. 154 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Morrow County, Oregon

Native species: 192 Typical Oregon county: 432 (median of 36 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 154 Typical Oregon county: 311
Share by type (all 192 native species): Percent of the 192 native species in each growth type

Tree 10% (19)
Shrub 10% (20)
Wildflower (forb) 51% (97)
Grass or grass-like 26% (50)
Vine 1% (2)
Fern 2% (4)

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

Garden-ready natives 154

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

Garden-ready native plants of Morrow County, Oregon
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
Alaska oniongrass Melica subulata	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
alkali cordgrass Spartina gracilis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American bistort Polygonum bistortoides	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
American water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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
bigflower agoseris Agoseris grandiflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
bitter cherry Prunus emarginata	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
black hawthorn Crataegus douglasii	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Blue Mountain buckwheat Eriogonum strictum	Wildflower (forb)	2.2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
blue wildrye Elymus glaucus	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
broadleaf lupine Lupinus latifolius	Wildflower (forb)	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Brown's peony Paeonia brownii	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
Carey's balsamroot Balsamorhiza careyana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
chamisso sedge Carex pachystachya	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common rush Juncus effusus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
cous biscuitroot Lomatium cous	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
curl-leaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus ledifolius	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2b
desert centaury Centaurium exaltatum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii	Tree	200 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Douglas' dustymaiden Chaenactis douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
Douglas' grasswidow Olsynium douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
dwarf rose Rosa gymnocarpa	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fernleaf biscuitroot Lomatium dissectum	Wildflower (forb)	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
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
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
Geyer's sedge Carex geyeri	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
golden currant Ribes aureum	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
grand fir Abies grandis	Tree	150 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
harsh Indian paintbrush Castilleja hispida	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
heartleaf arnica Arnica cordifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
jointleaf rush Juncus articulatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
largeflower triteleia Triteleia grandiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Leiberg's bluegrass Poa leibergii	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
Lewis flax Linum lewisii	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta	Tree	99 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 1a
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
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
miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 12b
mountain brome Bromus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
nettleleaf giant hyssop Agastache urticifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
nineleaf biscuitroot Lomatium triternatum	Wildflower (forb)	2.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
oceanspray Holodiscus discolor	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
oneflower helianthella Helianthella uniflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
Pacific onion Allium validum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pinegrass Calamagrostis rubescens	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
pinkfairies Clarkia pulchella	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa	Tree	223 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
red alder Alnus rubra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
Ross' sedge Carex rossii	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sagebrush mariposa lily Calochortus macrocarpus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
salal Gaultheria shallon	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
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
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
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
Scouler's woollyweed Hieracium scouleri	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
serrate balsamroot Balsamorhiza serrata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
sharpleaf penstemon Penstemon acuminatus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
silky lupine Lupinus sericeus	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
smallwing sedge Carex microptera	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
snow buckwheat Eriogonum niveum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
snowbrush ceanothus Ceanothus velutinus	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum	Grass or grass-like	1.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
spiny hopsage Grayia spinosa	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
squirreltail Elymus elymoides	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
streambank wild hollyhock Iliamna rivularis	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
sulphur lupine Lupinus sulphureus	Wildflower (forb)	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
sulphur-flower buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
tall groundsel Senecio hydrophiloides	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
tall trisetum Trisetum canescens	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
tarweed fiddleneck Amsinckia lycopsoides	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
thickspike wheatgrass Elymus lanceolatus	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
threadleaf fleabane Erigeron filifolius	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
threadleaf sedge Carex filifolia	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
Thurber's needlegrass Achnatherum thurberianum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
timber oatgrass Danthonia intermedia	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus	Wildflower (forb)	5 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
Tolmie's onion Allium tolmiei	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
water birch Betula occidentalis	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 1a
wax currant Ribes cereum	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
western fescue Festuca occidentalis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
western goldentop Euthamia occidentalis	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
western juniper Juniperus occidentalis	Tree	33 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
western larch Larix occidentalis	Tree	200 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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 water hemlock Cicuta douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
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 alder Alnus rhombifolia	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 12b
woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii	Wildflower (forb)	7 in	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
yellow fritillary Fritillaria pudica	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
yellow spiderflower Cleome lutea	Wildflower (forb)	2.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 12a
yellow wildrye Leymus flavescens	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 38

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.

bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hoary tansyaster Machaeranthera canescens
hookedspur violet Viola adunca
lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
meadow sedge Carex praticola
Mingan moonwort Botrychium minganense
narrowleaf minerslettuce Montia linearis
pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
povertyweed Iva axillaris
rayless alkali aster Symphyotrichum ciliatum
Rocky Mountain goosefoot Chenopodium salinum
rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
rusty lupine Lupinus pusillus
shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
spotted fritillary Fritillaria atropurpurea
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
veiny dock Rumex venosus
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodland draba Draba nemorosa
woolly sedge Carex pellita

Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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.

hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
white sagebrushArtemisia ludoviciana

Compared with Oregon

The typical county is the median of the 36 Oregon 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, Morrow County and Oregon
Measure	Morrow County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	192	432	1,058
Garden-ready natives	154	311	683
Tree	19	—	87
Shrub	20	—	115
Wildflower (forb)	97	—	567
Grass or grass-like	50	—	232
Vine	2	—	18
Fern	4	—	39

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Morrow County.

Gilliam County, OR 102 garden-ready
Umatilla County, OR 330 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: Morrow County (county FIPS 41049), Oregon. 192 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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