Native plants · Texas
Native plants of Wheeler County
182 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wheeler County by USDA PLANTS. 77 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
Wheeler County, Texas
- Native species
- 182 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 77 Typical Texas county: 61
- Share by type (all 182 native species)
-
Percent of the 182 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (66%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (20%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 77
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 licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| American pokeweed Phytolacca americana | Wildflower (forb) | 7.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American vetch Vicia americana | Vine | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| beaked spikerush Eleocharis rostellata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| blue grama Bouteloua gracilis | Grass or grass-like | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| Chickasaw plum Prunus angustifolia | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 12b |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| dotted blazing star Liatris punctata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| inland rush Juncus interior | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| longbeak buttercup Ranunculus longirostris | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| lyreleaf greeneyes Berlandiera lyrata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| narrowleaf willow Salix exigua | Tree | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| needlepod rush Juncus scirpoides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 7a |
| Osage-orange Maclura pomifera | Tree | 35 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| post oak Quercus stellata | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata | Grass or grass-like | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii | Wildflower (forb) | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purple threeawn Aristida purpurea | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sand bluestem Andropogon hallii | Grass or grass-like | 6.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| sweetscent Pluchea odorata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 105
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.
- amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
- American bugseed Corispermum americanum
- annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
- annual marsh elder Iva annua
- azure blue sage Salvia azurea
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- blue wild indigo Baptisia australis
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- camphorweed Heterotheca subaxillaris
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
- Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
- catchfly prairie gentian Eustoma exaltatum
- chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- coastal sandbur Cenchrus spinifex
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- deadly nightshade Solanum interius
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- fourpoint evening primrose Oenothera rhombipetala
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
- Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
- James' cryptantha Cryptantha cinerea
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
- narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
- Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- plains bluegrass Poa arida
- plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
- prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
- prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
- prairie spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
- purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
- queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
- red lovegrass Eragrostis secundiflora
- redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- River Broom-Rape Orobanche riparia
- rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
- sand sagebrush Artemisia filifolia
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
- shaggy dwarf morning-glory Evolvulus nuttallianus
- showy evening primrose Oenothera grandis
- showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
- silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
- silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
- sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
- sixweeks threeawn Aristida adscensionis
- slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- stemless four-nerve daisy Tetraneuris acaulis
- stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
- tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
- Texas croton Croton texensis
- thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
- trailing fleabane Erigeron flagellaris
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- twistspine pricklypear Opuntia macrorhiza
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
- Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
- winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woolly tidestromia Tidestromia lanuginosa
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.
- climbing false buckwheatPolygonum scandens
- common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
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 | Wheeler County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 182 | 145 | 1,683 |
| Garden-ready natives | 77 | 61 | 656 |
| Tree | 10 | — | 164 |
| Shrub | 7 | — | 90 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 120 | — | 877 |
| Grass or grass-like | 37 | — | 431 |
| Vine | 6 | — | 83 |
| Fern | 2 | — | 38 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Wheeler County.
- Collingsworth County, TX 37 garden-ready
- Gray County, TX 54 garden-ready
- Hemphill County, TX 141 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
- Wheeler County (county FIPS 48483), Texas. 182 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