Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Kerr County
258 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Kerr County by USDA PLANTS. 117 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Kerr County, Texas
- Native species
- 258 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 117 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 258 native species)
-
Percent of the 258 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 117
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 cottontop Digitaria californica | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| beechleaf frangula Frangula betulifolia | Tree | 7 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 5b |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| 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 walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| blue grama Bouteloua gracilis | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri | Grass or grass-like | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 8b |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana | Tree | 20 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 4b |
| Carolina rose Rosa carolina | Shrub | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| 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 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 maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris | Fern | 1.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri | Grass or grass-like | 10 in | Sun | Low | Zone 8b |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| 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 |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa | Shrub | 15 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| groundnut Apios americana | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata | Vine | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6b |
| honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa | Tree | 50 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| lemonscent Pectis angustifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| littleleaf leadtree Leucaena retusa | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8b |
| 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 |
| nutmeg hickory Carya myristiciformis | Tree | 95 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra | Tree | 68 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 6a |
| peppervine Nekemias arborea | Vine | 1 in | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia | Grass or grass-like | 2.7 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| possumhaw Ilex decidua | Tree | 33 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red buckeye Aesculus pavia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora | Vine | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 6b |
| 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 |
| skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 2a |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| smooth beggartick Bidens laevis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| 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 |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| swamp sawgrass Cladium mariscus | Grass or grass-like | 8.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 8b |
| 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 |
| tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| valdivia duckweed Lemna valdiviana | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| vine mesquite Panicum obtusum | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| whitethorn acacia Vachellia constricta | Tree | 9 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 141
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.
- Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
- amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
- American bluehearts Buchnera americana
- American star-thistle Centaurea americana
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
- chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- compassplant Silphium laciniatum
- cottonbatting plant Pseudognaphalium stramineum
- creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- denseflower knotweed Polygonum glabrum
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
- Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
- dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
- Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- erect centella Centella erecta
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
- feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- green dragon Arisaema dracontium
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
- hairy umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
- Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
- Missouri foxtail cactus Escobaria missouriensis
- Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
- narrowleaf gumweed Grindelia lanceolata
- narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- needle beaksedge Rhynchospora capillacea
- Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
- pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
- poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
- prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
- prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
- roundleaf ragwort Packera obovata
- rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
- sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
- slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- southeastern wildrye Elymus glabriflorus
- southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
- southern sedge Carex austrina
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- spring coralroot Corallorhiza wisteriana
- stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
- stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
- Texas vervain Verbena halei
- toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
- twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
- Virginia snakeroot Aristolochia serpentaria
- warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
- western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
- western rough goldenrod Solidago radula
- western wallflower Erysimum asperum
- white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
- white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
- willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
- woolly dutchman's pipe Aristolochia tomentosa
Also listed as native and introduced here 1
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.
- 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.
| Measure | Kerr County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 258 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 117 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 32 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 9 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 136 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 59 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 14 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 8 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Kerr County.
- Bandera County, TX 64 garden-ready
- Gillespie County, TX 127 garden-ready
- Kendall County, TX 60 garden-ready
- Kimble County, TX 65 garden-ready
- Real County, TX 54 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
- Kerr County (county FIPS 48265), Texas. 258 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