Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Taylor County
240 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Taylor County by USDA PLANTS. 84 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Taylor County, Texas
- Native species
- 240 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 84 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 240 native species)
-
Percent of the 240 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (28%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 84
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae | Shrub | 1.5 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| 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 maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris | Fern | 1.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri | Grass or grass-like | 10 in | Sun | Low | Zone 8b |
| delta arrowhead Sagittaria platyphylla | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 6a |
| desert willow Chilopsis linearis | Tree | 25 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 |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| featherplume Dalea formosa | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| fourwing saltbush Atriplex canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata | Vine | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| little walnut Juglans microcarpa | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| soapweed yucca Yucca glauca | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| squirreltail Elymus elymoides | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| tiny mousetail Myosurus minimus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12b |
| toad rush Juncus bufonius | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12a |
| tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7b |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| woolly plantain Plantago patagonica | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 12b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 156
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American star-thistle Centaurea americana
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
- annual marsh elder Iva annua
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
- chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
- cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- deadly nightshade Solanum interius
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
- early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
- feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
- fourpoint evening primrose Oenothera rhombipetala
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
- hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
- hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
- mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
- pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
- plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
- poorjoe Diodia teres
- poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
- sand grape Vitis rupestris
- sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
- sneezeweed Helenium amarum
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
- southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
- southern cattail Typha domingensis
- southern sedge Carex austrina
- Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
- spinystar Escobaria vivipara
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- standing-cypress Ipomopsis rubra
- stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
- stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
- Texas croton Croton texensis
- Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
- Texas vervain Verbena halei
- thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
- threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
- toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
- trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- Vahl's fimbry Fimbristylis vahlii
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- violet lespedeza Lespedeza violacea
- Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
- warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
- wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
- western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
- winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
- Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
Also listed as native and introduced here 4
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
- floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides
- Mexican teaDysphania ambrosioides
- white sagebrushArtemisia ludoviciana
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.
| Measure | Taylor County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 240 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 84 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 12 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 9 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 135 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 68 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 13 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 3 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Taylor County.
- Callahan County, TX 34 garden-ready
- Coleman County, TX 32 garden-ready
- Jones County, TX 17 garden-ready
- Nolan County, TX 22 garden-ready
- Runnels County, TX 16 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
- Taylor County (county FIPS 48441), Texas. 240 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