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Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Refugio County

145 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Refugio County by USDA PLANTS. 61 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

Refugio County, Texas

Native species
145 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives
61 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 145 native species)
Percent of the 145 native species in each growth type
Tree 1% (2)
Shrub 1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 48% (70)
Grass or grass-like 46% (67)
Vine 3% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (48%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (46%).

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 9b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 61

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

Garden-ready native plants of Refugio County, Texas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American water-willow Justicia americana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bald cypress Taxodium distichum Tree 130 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5b
bighead rush Juncus megacephalus Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
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
Carolina desert-thorn Lycium carolinianum Shrub 9 ft Sun High Zone 9a
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
cylinder jointtail grass Coelorachis cylindrica Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 5a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa Shrub 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
golden crownbeard Verbesina encelioides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
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
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
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
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
lavender thrift Limonium carolinianum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 6b
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
longspike tridens Tridens strictus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
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
marsh flatsedge Cyperus pseudovegetus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun High Zone 8a
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 5a
plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia Grass or grass-like 2.7 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
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
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum Grass or grass-like 1 in Sun High Zone 8b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
spring spiderlily Hymenocallis liriosme Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 7b
squarestem spikerush Eleocharis quadrangulata Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun High Zone 4b
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides Wildflower (forb) — Sun Medium Zone 10b
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
tanglehead Heteropogon contortus Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Low Zone 8a
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 5b
vine mesquite Panicum obtusum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
waterthread pondweed Potamogeton diversifolius Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 9a

Other native species recorded here 84

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 star-thistle Centaurea americana
  • annual phlox Phlox drummondii
  • annual seepweed Suaeda linearis
  • bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
  • branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
  • carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
  • Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • chaffweed Anagallis minima
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • common carpetgrass Axonopus fissifolius
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • cylindricfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia glandulosa
  • densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
  • downy lobelia Lobelia puberula
  • early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
  • fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
  • Florida paspalum Paspalum floridanum
  • fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
  • fragrant spikesedge Kyllinga odorata
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora recognita
  • green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
  • heartwing sorrel Rumex hastatulus
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hogwort Croton capitatus
  • kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
  • lanceleaf blanketflower Gaillardia aestivalis
  • lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
  • largebracted plantain Plantago aristata
  • Leavenworth's sedge Carex leavenworthii
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • low spearwort Ranunculus pusillus
  • Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
  • manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
  • marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
  • mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • pine barren flatsedge Cyperus retrorsus
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
  • purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
  • queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • smallhead doll's daisy Boltonia diffusa
  • sneezeweed Helenium amarum
  • southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
  • southern cattail Typha domingensis
  • southern cutgrass Leersia hexandra
  • southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
  • Spanish needles Bidens bipinnata
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spurred butterfly pea Centrosema virginianum
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
  • Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
  • Texas star Sabatia campestris
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • yellow thistle Cirsium horridulum
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.

  • 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, Refugio County and Texas
MeasureRefugio CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 145 145 1,683
Garden-ready natives 61 61 656
Tree 2 — 164
Shrub 2 — 90
Wildflower (forb) 70 — 877
Grass or grass-like 67 — 431
Vine 4 — 83
Fern 0 — 38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Refugio 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
Refugio County (county FIPS 48391), Texas. 145 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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