Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Webb County
136 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Webb County by USDA PLANTS. 56 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 5 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Webb County, Texas
- Native species
- 136 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 56 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 136 native species)
-
Percent of the 136 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (25%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 56
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 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 mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| bushy seaside tansy Borrichia frutescens | Shrub | 2.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 9a |
| California bulrush Schoenoplectus californicus | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 9a |
| 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 |
| Carolina desert-thorn Lycium carolinianum | Shrub | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 9a |
| common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 12b |
| dotted blazing star Liatris punctata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| 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 |
| green sprangletop Leptochloa dubia | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| 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 |
| lemonscent Pectis angustifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| mule-fat Baccharis salicifolia | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 7a |
| 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 |
| pecan Carya illinoinensis | Tree | 120 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| roving sailor Maurandella antirrhiniflora | Vine | 10 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 6b |
| salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| sugarberry Celtis laevigata | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| sweetscent Pluchea odorata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| tanglehead Heteropogon contortus | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Low | Zone 8a |
| tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| tobosagrass Pleuraphis mutica | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 7b |
| 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 |
| valley redstem Ammannia coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| wild tantan Desmanthus virgatus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 9a |
| yellow trumpetbush Tecoma stans | Tree | 20 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 9a |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 80
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 bugseed Corispermum americanum
- American star-thistle Centaurea americana
- American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
- bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
- bluestem pricklypoppy Argemone albiflora
- bristly scaleseed Spermolepis echinata
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
- desert horsepurslane Trianthema portulacastrum
- Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
- feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
- gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
- hairy clustervine Jacquemontia tamnifolia
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
- herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
- hogwort Croton capitatus
- ivyleaf groundcherry Physalis hederifolia
- juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
- kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
- Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
- Madagascar dropseed Sporobolus pyramidatus
- manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- Pennsylvania everlasting Gamochaeta pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- poorjoe Diodia teres
- prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- sand spikerush Eleocharis montevidensis
- scarlet spiderling Boerhavia coccinea
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- slender plantain Plantago heterophylla
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
- southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
- southern cattail Typha domingensis
- southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
- southern sandbur Cenchrus echinatus
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
- Texas signalgrass Urochloa texana
- Texas vervain Verbena halei
- thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
- tiny bluet Houstonia pusilla
- toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wedgeleaf draba Draba cuneifolia
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
- woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
Also listed as native and introduced here 5
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.
- cayenne pepperCapsicum annuum
- common reedPhragmites australis
- 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 | Webb County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 136 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 56 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 7 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 7 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 80 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 34 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 7 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 1 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Webb County.
- La Salle County, TX 60 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
- Webb County (county FIPS 48479), Texas. 136 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