Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Uvalde County

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

Uvalde County, Texas

Native species: 169 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 70 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 169 native species): Percent of the 169 native species in each growth type

Tree 10% (17)
Shrub 4% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 52% (88)
Grass or grass-like 23% (39)
Vine 6% (10)
Fern 5% (8)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (52%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).

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 8b to 9a (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 Uvalde County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
bald cypress Taxodium distichum	Tree	130 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5b
bigtooth maple Acer grandidentatum	Tree	38 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black willow Salix nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7b
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
coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri	Grass or grass-like	6.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
fairyduster Calliandra eriophylla	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 10a
false daisy Eclipta prostrata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 10b
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
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
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
graybark grape Vitis cinerea	Vine	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 6b
Gulf Coast spikerush Eleocharis cellulosa	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
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
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
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 walnut Juglans microcarpa	Tree	20 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
littleleaf leadtree Leucaena retusa	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 8b
littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 6a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
mescal bean Sophora secundiflora	Tree	15 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 7a
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
purple threeawn Aristida purpurea	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
red buckeye Aesculus pavia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
singlewhorl burrobrush Hymenoclea monogyra	Shrub	2 ft	—	—	Zone 10a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
smooth beggartick Bidens laevis	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sugarberry Celtis laevigata	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
swamp sawgrass Cladium mariscus	Grass or grass-like	8.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8b
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
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
turkey tangle fogfruit Phyla nodiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5b
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
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 9a

Other native species recorded here 99

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 lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
American star-thistle Centaurea americana
angularfruit milkvine Matelea gonocarpos
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
Brazilian watermeal Wolffia brasiliensis
camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
denseflower knotweed Polygonum glabrum
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
erect centella Centella erecta
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
hogwort Croton capitatus
honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow spikemoss Selaginella apoda
mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
southern cattail Typha domingensis
spinystar Escobaria vivipara
stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
Texas vervain Verbena halei
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum

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.

annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
common reedPhragmites australis
floating primrose-willowLudwigia peploides

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, Uvalde County and Texas
Measure	Uvalde County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	169	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	70	61	656
Tree	17	—	164
Shrub	7	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	88	—	877
Grass or grass-like	39	—	431
Vine	10	—	83
Fern	8	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Uvalde County.

Bandera County, TX 64 garden-ready
Real County, TX 54 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: Uvalde County (county FIPS 48463), Texas. 169 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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