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Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Ellis County

162 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Ellis County by USDA PLANTS. 75 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

Ellis County, Texas

Native species
162 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives
75 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 162 native species)
Percent of the 162 native species in each growth type
Tree 14% (23)
Shrub 6% (10)
Wildflower (forb) 57% (93)
Grass or grass-like 15% (25)
Vine 5% (8)
Fern 2% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (57%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (15%).

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 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 75

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

Garden-ready native plants of Ellis County, Texas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa Shrub 6 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
bastardsage Eriogonum wrightii Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
California poppy Eschscholzia californica Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
cliff fendlerbush Fendlera rupicola Shrub 6 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
Colorado four o'clock Mirabilis multiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
desert ceanothus Ceanothus greggii Shrub 7 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
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
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
flowering dogwood Cornus florida Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii Tree 90 ft Sun High Zone 6a
frost grape Vitis vulpina Vine 83 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
Gambel oak Quercus gambelii Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii Tree 40 ft Sun High Zone 5a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea Vine 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
littleleaf mock orange Philadelphus microphyllus Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
littleleaf ratany Krameria erecta Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
ocotillo Fouquieria splendens Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 7a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
pale desert-thorn Lycium pallidum Shrub 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4a
possumhaw Ilex decidua Tree 33 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
rough menodora Menodora scabra Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora Vine 10 in Sun Medium Zone 6b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
shoreline sedge Carex hyalinolepis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
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
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
two-wing silverbell Halesia diptera Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 8a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
velvet ash Fraxinus velutina Tree 40 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
whitethorn acacia Vachellia constricta Tree 9 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
Wright's silktassel Garrya wrightii Tree 6 ft Sun Low Zone 8b
yerba mansa Anemopsis californica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 9b

Other native species recorded here 87

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.

  • American star-thistle Centaurea americana
  • angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
  • annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
  • annual phlox Phlox drummondii
  • azure blue sage Salvia azurea
  • beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
  • biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
  • buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • camphor pluchea Pluchea camphorata
  • clustered broomrape Orobanche fasciculata
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • Davis' sedge Carex davisii
  • desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
  • Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
  • Geyer's sandmat Chamaesyce geyeri
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
  • hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
  • ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
  • kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
  • lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • Louisiana broomrape Orobanche ludoviciana
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
  • Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
  • prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
  • redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
  • redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
  • roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
  • rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
  • scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
  • shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
  • silkcotton purslane Portulaca halimoides
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • slender plantain Plantago heterophylla
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
  • soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
  • southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
  • standing-cypress Ipomopsis rubra
  • stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
  • velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
  • western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
  • white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
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.

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, Ellis County and Texas
MeasureEllis CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 162 145 1,683
Garden-ready natives 75 61 656
Tree 23 — 164
Shrub 10 — 90
Wildflower (forb) 93 — 877
Grass or grass-like 25 — 431
Vine 8 — 83
Fern 3 — 38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Ellis County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Ellis County (county FIPS 48139), Texas. 162 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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