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Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Karnes County

190 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Karnes County by USDA PLANTS. 78 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 5 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Karnes County, Texas

Native species
190 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives
78 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 190 native species)
Percent of the 190 native species in each growth type
Tree 9% (18)
Shrub 2% (3)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (101)
Grass or grass-like 27% (51)
Vine 8% (16)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (27%).

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 9a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 78

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

Garden-ready native plants of Karnes County, Texas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American elm Ulmus americana Tree 120 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
American water-willow Justicia americana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Arizona cottontop Digitaria californica Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Low 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
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
cedar elm Ulmus crassifolia Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6a
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri Grass or grass-like 6.5 ft Sun High Zone 10b
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
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
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
curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri Grass or grass-like 10 in Sun Low Zone 8b
delta arrowhead Sagittaria platyphylla Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 6a
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
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
giant cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 8b
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 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 ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos Tree 70 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
knotgrass Paspalum distichum Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun High Zone 6a
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
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
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima Vine 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
pecan Carya illinoinensis Tree 120 ft Sun High Zone 5a
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
post oak Quercus stellata Tree 60 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low 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
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides Vine — Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 9b
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
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
tanglehead Heteropogon contortus Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Low Zone 8a
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
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
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 9a
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
yaupon Ilex vomitoria Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a

Other native species recorded here 112

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 star-thistle Centaurea americana
  • angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
  • annual phlox Phlox drummondii
  • biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
  • bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • bluestem pricklypoppy Argemone albiflora
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
  • buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
  • Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
  • chaffweed Anagallis minima
  • Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
  • chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
  • erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
  • heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
  • heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
  • pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
  • queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
  • rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
  • sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
  • sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
  • silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
  • southern cutgrass Leersia hexandra
  • spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
  • Texas star Sabatia campestris
  • Texas vervain Verbena halei
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
  • toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
  • trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
  • yankeeweed Eupatorium compositifolium
Also listed as native and introduced here 5

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.

  • annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
  • cayenne pepperCapsicum annuum
  • floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides
  • Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides
  • white sagebrushArtemisia ludoviciana

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, Karnes County and Texas
MeasureKarnes CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 190 145 1,683
Garden-ready natives 78 61 656
Tree 18 — 164
Shrub 3 — 90
Wildflower (forb) 101 — 877
Grass or grass-like 51 — 431
Vine 16 — 83
Fern 1 — 38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Karnes 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
Karnes County (county FIPS 48255), Texas. 190 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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