Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Mason County

178 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Mason County by USDA PLANTS. 69 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Mason County, Texas

Native species: 178 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 69 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 178 native species): Percent of the 178 native species in each growth type

Tree 5% (9)
Shrub 1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 47% (83)
Grass or grass-like 39% (70)
Vine 4% (7)
Fern 4% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (47%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (39%).

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 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 69

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

Garden-ready native plants of Mason 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 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
beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Canada germander Teucrium canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
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
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	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
curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
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
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 10b
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
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
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
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
inland rush Juncus interior	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
little barley Hordeum pusillum	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
orangegrass Hypericum gentianoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 12a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
pecan Carya illinoinensis	Tree	120 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
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
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata	Grass or grass-like	1.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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 loosestrife Decodon verticillatus	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
vine mesquite Panicum obtusum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 109

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 lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
American pillwort Pilularia americana
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
annual marsh elder Iva annua
annual phlox Phlox drummondii
arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
blackfoot quillwort Isoetes melanopoda
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
churchmouse threeawn Aristida dichotoma
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
gaping grass Steinchisma hians
globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
little duckweed Lemna obscura
lizard's tail Saururus cernuus
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
poorjoe Diodia teres
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
Powell's amaranth Amaranthus powellii
prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sacred thorn-apple Datura wrightii
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
spinystar Escobaria vivipara
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
stout rush Juncus nodatus
sunbright Phemeranthus parviflorus
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
Texas star Sabatia campestris
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
twoflower melicgrass Melica mutica
Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle prolifera
woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

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, Mason County and Texas
Measure	Mason County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	178	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	69	61	656
Tree	9	—	164
Shrub	2	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	83	—	877
Grass or grass-like	70	—	431
Vine	7	—	83
Fern	7	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Mason County.

Gillespie County, TX 127 garden-ready
McCulloch County, TX 36 garden-ready
San Saba County, TX 79 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: Mason County (county FIPS 48319), Texas. 178 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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