Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Deaf Smith County
192 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Deaf Smith County by USDA PLANTS. 87 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Deaf Smith County, Texas
- Native species
- 192 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 87 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 192 native species)
-
Percent of the 192 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (30%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 87
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus | Tree | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| American vetch Vicia americana | Vine | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| black grama Bouteloua eriopoda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| blue grama Bouteloua gracilis | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae | Shrub | 1.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| featherplume Dalea formosa | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| 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 currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| green prairie coneflower Ratibida tagetes | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | 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 ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| James' galleta Pleuraphis jamesii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| knotgrass Paspalum distichum | Grass or grass-like | 11 in | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| lemonscent Pectis angustifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Lewis flax Linum lewisii | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun | 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 |
| littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| littleseed ricegrass Piptatheropsis micrantha | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| narrowleaf willow Salix exigua | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| needle and thread Hesperostipa comata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| oneseed juniper Juniperus monosperma | Tree | 40 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| poverty threeawn Aristida divaricata | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 6b |
| prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata | Grass or grass-like | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| purple threeawn Aristida purpurea | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 2a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| soapweed yucca Yucca glauca | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| squirreltail Elymus elymoides | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tanseyleaf tansyaster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7b |
| Torrey's jointfir Ephedra torreyana | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| vine mesquite Panicum obtusum | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2a |
| woolly locoweed Astragalus mollissimus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| woolly plantain Plantago patagonica | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 12b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 105
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American black nightshade Solanum americanum
- American star-thistle Centaurea americana
- annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
- Chinese thorn-apple Datura quercifolia
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
- false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
- feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
- fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
- fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
- flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
- kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- Louisiana broomrape Orobanche ludoviciana
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- plains bluegrass Poa arida
- pony beebalm Monarda pectinata
- prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
- prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
- sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
- slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- sneezeweed Helenium amarum
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
- southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
- Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
- spike dropseed Sporobolus contractus
- stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
- Texas croton Croton texensis
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western wallflower Erysimum asperum
- white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
- whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
- winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
Also listed as native and introduced here 2
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
- toothed spurgeEuphorbia dentata
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.
| Measure | Deaf Smith County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 192 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 87 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 10 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 11 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 104 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 57 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 6 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 4 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Deaf Smith County.
- Castro County, TX 30 garden-ready
- Oldham County, TX 64 garden-ready
- Parmer County, TX 31 garden-ready
- Potter County, TX 62 garden-ready
- Randall County, TX 114 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
- Deaf Smith County (county FIPS 48117), Texas. 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