Native plants · Texas

Native plants of La Salle County

170 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in La Salle County by USDA PLANTS. 60 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

La Salle County, Texas

Native species: 170 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 60 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 170 native species): Percent of the 170 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (12)
Shrub 5% (9)
Wildflower (forb) 72% (122)
Grass or grass-like 11% (19)
Vine 4% (7)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (72%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (11%).

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

Garden-ready natives 60

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

Garden-ready native plants of La Salle County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6b
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
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
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
California bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9a
cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
catclaw acacia Senegalia greggii	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
cedar elm Ulmus crassifolia	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
climbing rose Rosa setigera	Vine	16 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
creosote bush Larrea tridentata	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
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
gulf cordgrass Spartina spartinae	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
hairawn muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
halberdleaf rosemallow Hibiscus laevis	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 12a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6a
parsley hawthorn Crataegus marshallii	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
peppervine Nekemias arborea	Vine	1 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
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
sharpwing monkeyflower Mimulus alatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweetscent Pluchea odorata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 9a
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens	Wildflower (forb)	4.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a

Other native species recorded here 110

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 bluehearts Buchnera americana
American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
American star-thistle Centaurea americana
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
annual phlox Phlox drummondii
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
chaffweed Anagallis minima
coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
desert horsepurslane Trianthema portulacastrum
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
dwarf hackberry Celtis pumila
early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
false spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum pseudomaculatum
field pansy Viola bicolor
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
hoary mock orange Philadelphus pubescens
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
light poppymallow Callirhoe alcaeoides
longflower beeblossom Oenothera filiformis
longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
neckweed Veronica peregrina
nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
procession flower Polygala incarnata
prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rosepink Sabatia angularis
roundstem false foxglove Agalinis gattingeri
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
sensitive partridge pea Chamaecrista nictitans
slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
stiff yellow flax Linum medium
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
Texas star Sabatia campestris
threadleaf evening primrose Oenothera linifolia
tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
white wand beardtongue Penstemon tubaeflorus
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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.

annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides

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, La Salle County and Texas
Measure	La Salle County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	170	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	60	61	656
Tree	12	—	164
Shrub	9	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	122	—	877
Grass or grass-like	19	—	431
Vine	7	—	83
Fern	1	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with La Salle County.

Dimmit County, TX 29 garden-ready
Frio County, TX 26 garden-ready
McMullen County, TX 31 garden-ready
Webb County, TX 56 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: La Salle County (county FIPS 48283), Texas. 170 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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