Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Hidalgo County
165 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Hidalgo County by USDA PLANTS. 65 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Hidalgo County, Texas
- Native species
- 165 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 65 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 165 native species)
-
Percent of the 165 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (58%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (28%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 65
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona cottontop Digitaria californica | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| big sacaton Sporobolus wrightii | Grass or grass-like | 5.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 9a |
| brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 8a |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| cedar elm Ulmus crassifolia | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6a |
| climbing hempvine Mikania scandens | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 willow Chilopsis linearis | Tree | 25 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5a |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| 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 |
| green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa | Tree | 50 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| lemonscent Pectis angustifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| little barley Hordeum pusillum | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| mescal bean Sophora secundiflora | Tree | 15 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8a |
| mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| narrowleaf willow Salix exigua | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| peppervine Nekemias arborea | Vine | 1 in | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia | Grass or grass-like | 2.7 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox | Vine | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum | Grass or grass-like | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 8b |
| smooth beggartick Bidens laevis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides | Vine | — | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 9b |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| sweetscent Pluchea odorata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| tanglehead Heteropogon contortus | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| widgeongrass Ruppia maritima | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 7a |
| wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 9a |
| yellow trumpetbush Tecoma stans | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 100
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 bugseed Corispermum americanum
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- annual marsh elder Iva annua
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- bigtop lovegrass Eragrostis hirsuta
- blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carolina mosquitofern Azolla caroliniana
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
- crested saltbush Atriplex cristata
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
- cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- desert horsepurslane Trianthema portulacastrum
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
- heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
- herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
- hogwort Croton capitatus
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- husk tomato Physalis pubescens
- juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
- kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
- lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
- lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
- little duckweed Lemna obscura
- Louisiana broomrape Orobanche ludoviciana
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
- manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
- marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
- pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- poorjoe Diodia teres
- prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
- prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- purple spikerush Eleocharis atropurpurea
- queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
- scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
- showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- smooth false buttonweed Spermacoce glabra
- sneezeweed Helenium amarum
- sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
- southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
- southern cattail Typha domingensis
- southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
- Texas bergia Bergia texana
- Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
- Texas star Sabatia campestris
- Texas vervain Verbena halei
- thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
- Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
- willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
- woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
Also listed as native and introduced here 4
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.
- cayenne pepperCapsicum annuum
- common reedPhragmites australis
- floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides
- 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.
| Measure | Hidalgo County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 165 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 65 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 9 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 4 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 95 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 46 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 9 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 2 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Hidalgo County.
- Starr County, TX 36 garden-ready
- Willacy County, TX 53 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
- Hidalgo County (county FIPS 48215), Texas. 165 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