Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Aransas County

268 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Aransas County by USDA PLANTS. 106 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

Aransas County, Texas

Native species: 268 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 106 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 268 native species): Percent of the 268 native species in each growth type

Tree 5% (14)
Shrub 3% (8)
Wildflower (forb) 50% (135)
Grass or grass-like 35% (94)
Vine 6% (15)
Fern <1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (50%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (35%).

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 9b to 10a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 106

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

Garden-ready native plants of Aransas County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6b
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
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
bitter panicgrass Panicum amarum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
black mangrove Avicennia germinans	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
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
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
broadleaf carpetgrass Axonopus compressus	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
bushy seaside tansy Borrichia frutescens	Shrub	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
California bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9a
Canada germander Teucrium canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7b
Carolina desert-thorn Lycium carolinianum	Shrub	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9a
coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri	Grass or grass-like	6.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
cucumberleaf sunflower Helianthus debilis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 9b
cylinder jointtail grass Coelorachis cylindrica	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
disk waterhyssop Bacopa rotundifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
dwarf palmetto Sabal minor	Tree	9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
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
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
Gulf Coast spikerush Eleocharis cellulosa	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
gulf cordgrass Spartina spartinae	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6a
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa	Tree	50 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
lavender thrift Limonium carolinianum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6b
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
live oak Quercus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8a
longspike tridens Tridens strictus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
longtom Paspalum denticulatum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 8b
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
needlegrass rush Juncus roemerianus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7b
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
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
poorland flatsedge Cyperus compressus	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
purple poppymallow Callirhoe involucrata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
redbay Persea borbonia	Tree	70 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roundhead rush Juncus validus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7a
roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora	Vine	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
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
saltmeadow cordgrass Spartina patens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox	Vine	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
seaoats Uniola paniculata	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8a
seashore dropseed Sporobolus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 9a
seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum	Grass or grass-like	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 8b
smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 5b
spreading alkaliweed Cressa truxillensis	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
squarestem spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
swamp sawgrass Cladium mariscus	Grass or grass-like	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweetscent Pluchea odorata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
trumpet creeper Campsis radicans	Vine	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
turtleweed Batis maritima	Shrub	1 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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 oak Quercus nigra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 7a
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 9a
yaupon Ilex vomitoria	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a

Other native species recorded here 162

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
anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
annual marsh elder Iva annua
annual phlox Phlox drummondii
annual seepweed Suaeda linearis
Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
bearded skeletongrass Gymnopogon ambiguus
bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
bluestem pricklypoppy Argemone albiflora
bog yelloweyed grass Xyris difformis
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
chaffweed Anagallis minima
chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
crested saltbush Atriplex cristata
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
Drummond's halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha drummondii
dwarf saltwort Salicornia bigelovii
dwarf sundew Drosera brevifolia
dwarf umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
erect centella Centella erecta
erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
fewflower nutrush Scleria pauciflora
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
gaping grass Steinchisma hians
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
hogwort Croton capitatus
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
husk tomato Physalis pubescens
juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
little duckweed Lemna obscura
Long's sedge Carex longii
longflower beeblossom Oenothera filiformis
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
marsh fimbry Fimbristylis castanea
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
mudbabies Echinodorus tenellus
narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
perennial saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum tenuifolium
pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
poorjoe Diodia teres
prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
saltmarsh false foxglove Agalinis maritima
sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
shore little bluestem Schizachyrium littorale
showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
slender plantain Plantago heterophylla
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
soft goldenaster Chrysopsis pilosa
sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
southern cattail Typha domingensis
southern cutgrass Leersia hexandra
southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
Texas croton Croton texensis
Texas star Sabatia campestris
Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
Texas vervain Verbena halei
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia saltmarsh mallow Kosteletzkya virginica
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
yankeeweed Eupatorium compositifolium
yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum

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.

common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
common reedPhragmites australis
Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides

Compared with Texas

The typical county is the median of the 254 Texas 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, Aransas County and Texas
Measure	Aransas County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	268	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	106	61	656
Tree	14	—	164
Shrub	8	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	135	—	877
Grass or grass-like	94	—	431
Vine	15	—	83
Fern	2	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Aransas County.

Refugio County, TX 61 garden-ready
San Patricio County, TX 95 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: Aransas County (county FIPS 48007), Texas. 268 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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