Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Val Verde County
230 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Val Verde County by USDA PLANTS. 104 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
Val Verde County, Texas
- Native species
- 230 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 104 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 230 native species)
-
Percent of the 230 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (53%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (25%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 104
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 sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| American tarwort Flourensia cernua | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| American water-willow Justicia americana | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| Arizona cottontop Digitaria californica | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| big sacaton Sporobolus wrightii | Grass or grass-like | 5.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| bush muhly Muhlenbergia porteri | Grass or grass-like | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 8b |
| California bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 9a |
| 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 |
| cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7b |
| cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| Carolina fanwort Cabomba caroliniana | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| cliff fendlerbush Fendlera rupicola | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri | Grass or grass-like | 6.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 10b |
| 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 maidenhair Adiantum capillus-veneris | Fern | 1.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| creosote bush Larrea tridentata | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| curly-mesquite Hilaria belangeri | Grass or grass-like | 10 in | Sun | Low | Zone 8b |
| cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 12b |
| 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 |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Goodding's willow Salix gooddingii | Tree | 40 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| lemonscent Pectis angustifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| little walnut Juglans microcarpa | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| littleleaf leadtree Leucaena retusa | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 8b |
| littleleaf ratany Krameria erecta | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| littleleaf sumac Rhus microphylla | Tree | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| narrowleaf willow Salix exigua | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| ocotillo Fouquieria splendens | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7a |
| pecan Carya illinoinensis | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia | Grass or grass-like | 2.7 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| rough menodora Menodora scabra | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| singlewhorl burrobrush Hymenoclea monogyra | Shrub | 2 ft | — | — | Zone 10a |
| skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 2a |
| smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| smooth beggartick Bidens laevis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12b |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| valdivia duckweed Lemna valdiviana | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 9a |
| 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 126
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.
- Alabama lipfern Cheilanthes alabamensis
- American bluehearts Buchnera americana
- American star-thistle Centaurea americana
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
- Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
- catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
- chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curvepod fumewort Corydalis curvisiliqua
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- ditch rabbitsfoot grass Polypogon interruptus
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
- eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
- gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
- heartleaf nettle Urtica chamaedryoides
- herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
- hooded arrowhead Sagittaria calycina
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- humped bladderwort Utricularia gibba
- hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
- Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
- lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
- manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
- marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
- mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
- Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- sand grape Vitis rupestris
- sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
- sandpaper vervain Verbena scabra
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
- southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
- southern cattail Typha domingensis
- southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
- southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
- sunbright Phemeranthus parviflorus
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- Texas bergia Bergia texana
- Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
- Texas star Sabatia campestris
- Texas vervain Verbena halei
- threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
- toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- water lettuce Pistia stratiotes
- wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
- woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
- Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana
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
- 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 | Val Verde County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 230 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 104 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 17 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 14 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 122 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 58 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 13 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 6 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Val Verde County.
- Crockett County, TX 53 garden-ready
- Sutton County, TX 37 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
- Val Verde County (county FIPS 48465), Texas. 230 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