Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Milam County

284 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Milam County by USDA PLANTS. 100 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

Milam County, Texas

Native species: 284 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 100 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 284 native species): Percent of the 284 native species in each growth type

Tree 8% (24)
Shrub 2% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 49% (140)
Grass or grass-like 32% (90)
Vine 6% (17)
Fern 2% (6)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (49%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (32%).

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 100

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

Garden-ready native plants of Milam County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American beautyberry Callicarpa americana	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 6b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Arizona walnut Juglans major	Tree	50 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica	Tree	95 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
blackjack oak Quercus marilandica	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
broadleaf carpetgrass Axonopus compressus	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
broadleaf signalgrass Urochloa platyphylla	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 9a
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 8a
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
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus	Wildflower (forb)	2.7 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
cat greenbrier Smilax glauca	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
climbing hempvine Mikania scandens	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
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 persimmon Diospyros virginiana	Tree	55 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	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
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 cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
field paspalum Paspalum laeve	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6a
flowering dogwood Cornus florida	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
greenwhite sedge Carex albolutescens	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
hairy lespedeza Lespedeza hirta	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
hazel alder Alnus serrulata	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos	Tree	70 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	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
lanceleaf greenbrier Smilax smallii	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6b
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
longspike tridens Tridens strictus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
needlegrass rush Juncus roemerianus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 9a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 7b
needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 7a
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
nodding lady's tresses Spiranthes cernua	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Ohio buckeye Aesculus glabra	Tree	68 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Osage-orange Maclura pomifera	Tree	35 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
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 lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	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
shallow sedge Carex lurida	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
St. Peterswort Hypericum crux-andreae	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius	Wildflower (forb)	5.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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
taperleaf water horehound Lycopus rubellus	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
tenangle pipewort Eriocaulon decangulare	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera	Tree	10 ft	Sun	High	Zone 7a
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
winged sumac Rhus copallinum	Tree	8 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
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

Other native species recorded here 184

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
annual phlox Phlox drummondii
arrowfeather threeawn Aristida purpurascens
arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
Atlantic poison oak Toxicodendron pubescens
Baldwin's flatsedge Cyperus croceus
beaked panicgrass Panicum anceps
bearded skeletongrass Gymnopogon ambiguus
big carpetgrass Axonopus furcatus
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bright green spikerush Eleocharis olivacea
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina clover Trifolium carolinianum
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
clasping milkweed Asclepias amplexicaulis
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
clustered mille graines Oldenlandia uniflora
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
creeping eryngo Eryngium prostratum
creeping lespedeza Lespedeza repens
cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
drumheads Polygala cruciata
early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
erect centella Centella erecta
fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
fringed nutrush Scleria ciliata
gaping grass Steinchisma hians
garden dewberry Rubus aboriginum
globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
greater marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum walteri
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
hairy umbrella-sedge Fuirena squarrosa
heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hirsute sedge Carex complanata
hogwort Croton capitatus
Java-bean Senna obtusifolia
juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
lace grass Eragrostis capillaris
lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
littlehip hawthorn Crataegus spathulata
Long's sedge Carex longii
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
Maryland meadowbeauty Rhexia mariana
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
pale dock Rumex altissimus
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
Pickering's dawnflower Stylisma pickeringii
pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
pink sundew Drosera capillaris
pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
Plukenet's flatsedge Cyperus plukenetii
poorjoe Diodia teres
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
procession flower Polygala incarnata
purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
reflexed sedge Carex retroflexa
rice button aster Symphyotrichum dumosum
rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
roughfruit scaleseed Spermolepis divaricata
roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
sessileleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium sessilifolium
shaggy crabgrass Digitaria villosa
shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
sharpscale sedge Carex oxylepis
shortbeak beaksedge Rhynchospora nitens
shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
shortpod draba Draba brachycarpa
silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender beaksedge Rhynchospora gracilenta
slender crabgrass Digitaria filiformis
slender Indiangrass Sorghastrum elliottii
slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
slimpod rush Juncus diffusissimus
slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
soft goldenaster Chrysopsis pilosa
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
southern jointweed Polygonella americana
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
St. Andrew's cross Hypericum hypericoides
standing-cypress Ipomopsis rubra
stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
terrestrial water-starwort Callitriche terrestris
Texas croton Croton texensis
Texas sedge Carex texensis
Texas star Sabatia campestris
Texas toadflax Nuttallanthus texanus
Texas vervain Verbena halei
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
twisted spikerush Eleocharis tortilis
Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
Viola ×primulifolia Viola ×primulifolia
violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
Virginia buttonweed Diodia virginiana
Virginia chainfern Woodwardia virginica
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
warty panicgrass Panicum verrucosum
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
western rough goldenrod Solidago radula
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
yellow fringed orchid Platanthera ciliaris
yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata

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.

common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum

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, Milam County and Texas
Measure	Milam County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	284	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	100	61	656
Tree	24	—	164
Shrub	7	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	140	—	877
Grass or grass-like	90	—	431
Vine	17	—	83
Fern	6	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Milam County.

Bell County, TX 135 garden-ready
Burleson County, TX 103 garden-ready
Falls County, TX 26 garden-ready
Williamson County, TX 99 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: Milam County (county FIPS 48331), Texas. 284 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.