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Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Nueces County

224 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Nueces County by USDA PLANTS. 83 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Nueces County, Texas

Native species
224 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives
83 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 224 native species)
Percent of the 224 native species in each growth type
Tree 5% (12)
Shrub 3% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 53% (118)
Grass or grass-like 34% (77)
Vine 5% (11)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (34%).

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 zones 9b to 10a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 83

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

Garden-ready native plants of Nueces County, Texas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American lotus Nelumbo lutea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
bayhops Ipomoea pes-caprae Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 9a
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
bitter panicgrass Panicum amarum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
black mangrove Avicennia germinans Tree 30 ft Sun High Zone 8a
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae Shrub 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
brownseed paspalum Paspalum plicatulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
bushy seaside tansy Borrichia frutescens Shrub 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 9a
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Carolina desert-thorn Lycium carolinianum Shrub 9 ft Sun High Zone 9a
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
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
cylinder jointtail grass Coelorachis cylindrica Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
dwarf palmetto Sabal minor Tree 9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 10b
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
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
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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
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
haspan flatsedge Cyperus haspan Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa Tree 50 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
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
knotgrass Paspalum distichum Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun High Zone 6a
laurel oak Quercus laurifolia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
lavender thrift Limonium carolinianum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 6b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
longtom Paspalum denticulatum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 8b
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
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
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
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia Grass or grass-like 2.7 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya Wildflower (forb) 3.5 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
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
redbay Persea borbonia Tree 70 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
roundhead rush Juncus validus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora Vine 10 in Sun Medium Zone 6b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
saltmeadow cordgrass Spartina patens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 7a
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
seaoats Uniola paniculata Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
seashore dropseed Sporobolus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 9a
seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum Grass or grass-like 1 in Sun High Zone 8b
smooth cordgrass Spartina alterniflora Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
splitbeard bluestem Andropogon ternarius Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5b
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
turtleweed Batis maritima Shrub 1 in Sun Medium Zone 9a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
valley redstem Ammannia coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
wax myrtle Morella cerifera Tree 10 ft Sun High Zone 7a
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
whiteroot rush Juncus brachycarpus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 7a
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 9a
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
yaupon Ilex vomitoria Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a

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.

  • amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
  • American bluehearts Buchnera americana
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • anisescented goldenrod Solidago odora
  • annual seepweed Suaeda linearis
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • Bosc's mille graines Oldenlandia boscii
  • bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
  • Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
  • carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
  • Carolina fimbry Fimbristylis caroliniana
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina sedge Carex caroliniana
  • catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
  • chaffweed Anagallis minima
  • Cherokee sedge Carex cherokeensis
  • coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
  • crested saltbush Atriplex cristata
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
  • cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
  • diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
  • downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
  • Drummond's halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha drummondii
  • dwarf saltwort Salicornia bigelovii
  • dwarf sundew Drosera brevifolia
  • early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
  • erect centella Centella erecta
  • feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
  • fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
  • fringed nutrush Scleria ciliata
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
  • gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
  • Harvey's beaksedge Rhynchospora harveyi
  • heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • husk tomato Physalis pubescens
  • juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
  • kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
  • lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
  • lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
  • longflower beeblossom Oenothera filiformis
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
  • man of the earth Ipomoea pandurata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • marsh fimbry Fimbristylis castanea
  • matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • mudbabies Echinodorus tenellus
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • narrowleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia linearis
  • nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
  • Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
  • pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
  • pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
  • pink thoroughwort Fleischmannia incarnata
  • pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • poorjoe Diodia teres
  • prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prickly fanpetals Sida spinosa
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
  • queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
  • Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
  • roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
  • salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
  • saltmarsh false foxglove Agalinis maritima
  • scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
  • shore little bluestem Schizachyrium littorale
  • showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender plantain Plantago heterophylla
  • slender seapurslane Sesuvium maritimum
  • slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
  • slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
  • soft goldenaster Chrysopsis pilosa
  • sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
  • southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
  • 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
  • stinking camphorweed Pluchea foetida
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • Texas bergia Bergia texana
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
  • Texas star Sabatia campestris
  • Texas vervain Verbena halei
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
  • tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
  • verrucose seapurslane Sesuvium verrucosum
  • Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • whip nutrush Scleria triglomerata
  • white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
  • woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
  • yellow spikerush Eleocharis flavescens
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
  • zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata
Also listed as native and introduced here 3

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.

  • cayenne pepperCapsicum annuum
  • common reedPhragmites australis
  • 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, Nueces County and Texas
MeasureNueces CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 224 145 1,683
Garden-ready natives 83 61 656
Tree 12 — 164
Shrub 6 — 90
Wildflower (forb) 118 — 877
Grass or grass-like 77 — 431
Vine 11 — 83
Fern 0 — 38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Nueces County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Nueces County (county FIPS 48355), Texas. 224 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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