Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Lee County

177 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Lee County by USDA PLANTS. 59 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

Lee County, Texas

Native species: 177 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 59 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 177 native species): Percent of the 177 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (13)
Shrub 2% (4)
Wildflower (forb) 61% (108)
Grass or grass-like 21% (38)
Vine 6% (10)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (61%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 59

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

Garden-ready native plants of Lee County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica	Tree	95 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
Bush's sedge Carex bushii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
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
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
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
cucumberleaf sunflower Helianthus debilis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 9b
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 smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
eastern swampprivet Forestiera acuminata	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
giant cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
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
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
lanceleaf greenbrier Smilax smallii	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
loblolly pine Pinus taeda	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 6b
longspike tridens Tridens strictus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8a
Mississippi buttercup Ranunculus laxicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
muscadine Vitis rotundifolia	Vine	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
planertree Planera aquatica	Tree	50 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
purple poppymallow Callirhoe involucrata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
white prairie clover Dalea candida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
willow oak Quercus phellos	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 118

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.

Alabama supplejack Berchemia scandens
amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
annual marsh elder Iva annua
annual phlox Phlox drummondii
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina clover Trifolium carolinianum
Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
clustered beaksedge Rhynchospora glomerata
creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
downy milkpea Galactia volubilis
downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
Drummond's halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha drummondii
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis
Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
fringed nutrush Scleria ciliata
gaping grass Steinchisma hians
greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
Juda's bush Iresine rhizomatosa
lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
Long's sedge Carex longii
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
Missouri foxtail cactus Escobaria missouriensis
narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
neckweed Veronica peregrina
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
pale dock Rumex altissimus
Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
Pickering's dawnflower Stylisma pickeringii
pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
Ravenel's rosette grass Dichanthelium ravenelii
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
roundfruit hedgehyssop Gratiola virginiana
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
seedbox Ludwigia alternifolia
shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
slender clubmoss Lycopodiella caroliniana
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
smooth white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum racemosum
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
soft goldenaster Chrysopsis pilosa
sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
southern cattail Typha domingensis
southern jointweed Polygonella americana
Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
twisted spikerush Eleocharis tortilis
Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
Virginia marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum virginicum
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
yankeeweed Eupatorium compositifolium
yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum

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.

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.

Native species counts, Lee County and Texas
Measure	Lee County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	177	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	59	61	656
Tree	13	—	164
Shrub	4	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	108	—	877
Grass or grass-like	38	—	431
Vine	10	—	83
Fern	4	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Lee County.

Bastrop County, TX 156 garden-ready
Fayette County, TX 89 garden-ready
Washington County, TX 120 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: Lee County (county FIPS 48287), Texas. 177 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.