Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Bandera County

159 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Bandera County by USDA PLANTS. 64 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Bandera County, Texas

Native species: 159 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 64 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 159 native species): Percent of the 159 native species in each growth type

Tree 14% (22)
Shrub 4% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 45% (72)
Grass or grass-like 26% (41)
Vine 6% (10)
Fern 5% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (45%), 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 8a to 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 64

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

Garden-ready native plants of Bandera County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
American water-willow Justicia americana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
Arizona walnut Juglans major	Tree	50 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
bald cypress Taxodium distichum	Tree	130 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
bigtooth maple Acer grandidentatum	Tree	38 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black grama Bouteloua eriopoda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7b
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 4b
chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
coastal plain willow Salix caroliniana	Tree	33 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 7b
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
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	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
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa	Tree	50 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
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
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
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
little walnut Juglans microcarpa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
mescal bean Sophora secundiflora	Tree	15 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia	Grass or grass-like	2.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
post oak Quercus stellata	Tree	60 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
red buckeye Aesculus pavia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora	Vine	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
swamp sawgrass Cladium mariscus	Grass or grass-like	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 7b
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens	Vine	16 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
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

Other native species recorded here 95

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.

Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
American bluehearts Buchnera americana
American star-thistle Centaurea americana
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
crossvine Bignonia capreolata
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sacred thorn-apple Datura wrightii
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
shortleaf spikesedge Kyllinga brevifolia
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
spinystar Escobaria vivipara
spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens

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, Bandera County and Texas
Measure	Bandera County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	159	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	64	61	656
Tree	22	—	164
Shrub	6	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	72	—	877
Grass or grass-like	41	—	431
Vine	10	—	83
Fern	8	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Bandera County.

Bexar County, TX 107 garden-ready
Kerr County, TX 117 garden-ready
Medina County, TX 47 garden-ready
Uvalde County, TX 70 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: Bandera County (county FIPS 48019), Texas. 159 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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