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Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Van Zandt County

231 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Van Zandt County by USDA PLANTS. 83 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

Van Zandt County, Texas

Native species
231 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives
83 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 231 native species)
Percent of the 231 native species in each growth type
Tree 5% (11)
Shrub <1% (2)
Wildflower (forb) 61% (140)
Grass or grass-like 29% (67)
Vine 3% (7)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (61%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (29%).

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 8b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 83

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

Garden-ready native plants of Van Zandt County, Texas
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American holly Ilex opaca Tree 40 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
autumn bluegrass Poa autumnalis Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 6b
black oak Quercus velutina Tree 80 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
black willow Salix nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 1b
blackgum Nyssa sylvatica Tree 95 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 11a
boxelder Acer negundo Tree 60 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
broomsedge bluestem Andropogon virginicus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Bush's sedge Carex bushii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Carolina elephantsfoot Elephantopus carolinianus Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea Fern 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 10b
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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
dwarf palmetto Sabal minor Tree 9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
dwarf St. Johnswort Hypericum mutilum Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
eastern redbud Cercis canadensis Tree 30 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum Tree 28 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 6a
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
fringeleaf wild petunia Ruellia humilis Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
Georgia bulrush Scirpus georgianus Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
great coneflower Rudbeckia maxima Wildflower (forb) 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 5a
groundnut Apios americana Vine 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
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
late purple aster Symphyotrichum patens Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
limestone wild petunia Ruellia strepens Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
longleaf woodoats Chasmanthium sessiliflorum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 7a
manyspike flatsedge Cyperus polystachyos Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 4a
narrowleaf silkgrass Pityopsis graminifolia Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 7a
needleleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium aciculare Grass or grass-like 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 7b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
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 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
purplehead sneezeweed Helenium flexuosum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum Wildflower (forb) 8.1 ft Sun High Zone 3b
ravenfoot sedge Carex crus-corvi Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
redtop panicgrass Panicum rigidulum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roundhead rush Juncus validus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 7a
roundleaf greenbrier Smilax rotundifolia Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
sand lovegrass Eragrostis trichodes Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
sassafras Sassafras albidum Tree 75 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
saw greenbrier Smilax bona-nox Vine 4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
slender woodoats Chasmanthium laxum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
southern magnolia Magnolia grandiflora Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sturdy bulrush Bolboschoenus robustus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 8a
sugarcane plumegrass Saccharum giganteum Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
swamp loosestrife Decodon verticillatus Shrub 8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 5a
sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 5a
sweetscent Pluchea odorata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
thinfruit sedge Carex flaccosperma Grass or grass-like 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 6b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
velvet panicum Dichanthelium scoparium Grass or grass-like 4.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Virginia dayflower Commelina virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5b
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
white prairie clover Dalea candida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
whitegrass Leersia virginica Grass or grass-like 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
whiteroot rush Juncus brachycarpus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5a
wingleaf primrose-willow Ludwigia decurrens Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
yellow flatsedge Cyperus flavescens Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
yellow passionflower Passiflora lutea Vine 16 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 148

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 buckwheat vine Brunnichia ovata
  • American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
  • American ipecac Gillenia stipulata
  • anglestem primrose-willow Ludwigia leptocarpa
  • annual marsh elder Iva annua
  • annual phlox Phlox drummondii
  • autumn onion Allium stellatum
  • axilflower Mecardonia acuminata
  • azure blue sage Salvia azurea
  • beach false foxglove Agalinis fasciculata
  • beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
  • bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
  • bigtop lovegrass Eragrostis hirsuta
  • blackfoot quillwort Isoetes melanopoda
  • blackseed speargrass Piptochaetium avenaceum
  • bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
  • branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
  • buffalo clover Trifolium reflexum
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
  • Carolina clover Trifolium carolinianum
  • Carolina desert-chicory Pyrrhopappus carolinianus
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • Carolina ponysfoot Dichondra carolinensis
  • Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
  • chaffweed Anagallis minima
  • clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
  • clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
  • clustered beaksedge Rhynchospora glomerata
  • creeping lespedeza Lespedeza repens
  • crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
  • cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
  • cutleaf groundcherry Physalis angulata
  • Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
  • devil's grandmother Elephantopus tomentosus
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • dwarf umbrella-sedge Fuirena pumila
  • early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
  • eastern fox sedge Carex triangularis
  • elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • fall witchgrass Digitaria cognata
  • false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
  • fewflower nutrush Scleria pauciflora
  • field pansy Viola bicolor
  • floating marshpennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
  • forked bluecurls Trichostema dichotomum
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • gaping grass Steinchisma hians
  • globe beaksedge Rhynchospora globularis
  • globe flatsedge Cyperus echinatus
  • Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
  • green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
  • grooved flax Linum sulcatum
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
  • hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
  • hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
  • hairyfruit chervil Chaerophyllum tainturieri
  • Harvey's beaksedge Rhynchospora harveyi
  • heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
  • hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
  • keeled bulrush Isolepis carinata
  • lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
  • lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
  • littlehead nutrush Scleria oligantha
  • Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
  • lowland rotala Rotala ramosior
  • lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • Michaux's croton Croton michauxii
  • narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • netted chainfern Woodwardia areolata
  • netted nutrush Scleria reticularis
  • nits and lice Hypericum drummondii
  • nodding muhly Muhlenbergia bushii
  • northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
  • Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
  • Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
  • oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
  • openflower rosette grass Dichanthelium laxiflorum
  • Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
  • Pickering's dawnflower Stylisma pickeringii
  • pineywoods dropseed Sporobolus junceus
  • pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • Plukenet's flatsedge Cyperus plukenetii
  • potato dwarfdandelion Krigia dandelion
  • poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
  • prairie plantain Plantago elongata
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • procession flower Polygala incarnata
  • Ravenel's rosette grass Dichanthelium ravenelii
  • red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
  • Richard's yelloweyed grass Xyris jupicai
  • rose mock vervain Glandularia canadensis
  • rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
  • roundseed panicgrass Dichanthelium sphaerocarpon
  • Sampson's snakeroot Orbexilum pedunculatum
  • sand bittercress Cardamine parviflora
  • sidebeak pencilflower Stylosanthes biflora
  • silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
  • silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
  • slender lespedeza Lespedeza virginica
  • slender yelloweyed grass Xyris torta
  • slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • slimspike threeawn Aristida longespica
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
  • smallfruit spikerush Eleocharis microcarpa
  • snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
  • southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
  • Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
  • spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
  • spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
  • spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
  • stalked wild petunia Ruellia pedunculata
  • stiff yellow flax Linum medium
  • stout rush Juncus nodatus
  • sunbright Phemeranthus parviflorus
  • tall lespedeza Lespedeza stuevei
  • tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
  • Texas star Sabatia campestris
  • Texas vervain Verbena halei
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • threadleaf evening primrose Oenothera linifolia
  • tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
  • trailing pearlwort Sagina decumbens
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
  • western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
  • western rough goldenrod Solidago radula
  • whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
  • woolly lipfern Cheilanthes tomentosa
  • zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata
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 pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
  • 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, Van Zandt County and Texas
MeasureVan Zandt CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 231 145 1,683
Garden-ready natives 83 61 656
Tree 11 — 164
Shrub 2 — 90
Wildflower (forb) 140 — 877
Grass or grass-like 67 — 431
Vine 7 — 83
Fern 4 — 38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Van Zandt 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
Van Zandt County (county FIPS 48467), Texas. 231 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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