Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Roberts County

164 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Roberts County by USDA PLANTS. 70 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

Roberts County, Texas

Native species: 164 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 70 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 164 native species): Percent of the 164 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (12)
Shrub 5% (9)
Wildflower (forb) 59% (96)
Grass or grass-like 25% (41)
Vine 2% (4)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (25%).

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 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 70

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

Garden-ready native plants of Roberts County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	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
Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
featherplume Dalea formosa	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
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
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa	Tree	50 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
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
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
inland rush Juncus interior	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
narrowleaf willow Salix exigua	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
oneseed juniper Juniperus monosperma	Tree	40 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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
purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii	Wildflower (forb)	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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
purpletop tridens Tridens flavus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12b
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus	Wildflower (forb)	6.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
saltgrass Distichlis spicata	Grass or grass-like	1.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sand bluestem Andropogon hallii	Grass or grass-like	6.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
soapweed yucca Yucca glauca	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
tanseyleaf tansyaster Machaeranthera tanacetifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
threetooth ragwort Packera tridenticulata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
white prairie clover Dalea candida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 94

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 black nightshade Solanum americanum
American bugseed Corispermum americanum
annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
annual marsh elder Iva annua
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
blowout grass Redfieldia flexuosa
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy ragged goldenrod Solidago petiolaris
false buffalograss Munroa squarrosa
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
pale dock Rumex altissimus
pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
plains bluegrass Poa arida
prairie broomweed Amphiachyris dracunculoides
prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
purple sandgrass Triplasis purpurea
ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
sixangle spurge Euphorbia hexagona
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
snowball sand verbena Abronia fragrans
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
southern cattail Typha domingensis
Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
Texas croton Croton texensis
tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
western wallflower Erysimum asperum
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whitest evening primrose Oenothera albicaulis
winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa

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, Roberts County and Texas
Measure	Roberts County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	164	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	70	61	656
Tree	12	—	164
Shrub	9	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	96	—	877
Grass or grass-like	41	—	431
Vine	4	—	83
Fern	2	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Roberts County.

Gray County, TX 54 garden-ready
Hansford County, TX 38 garden-ready
Hemphill County, TX 141 garden-ready
Ochiltree County, TX 57 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: Roberts County (county FIPS 48393), Texas. 164 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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