Native plants · Texas

Native plants of Williamson County

262 plant species are recorded as native to Texas in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Williamson County by USDA PLANTS. 99 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Williamson County, Texas

Native species: 262 Typical Texas county: 145 (median of 254 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 99 Typical Texas county: 61
Share by type (all 262 native species): Percent of the 262 native species in each growth type

Tree 9% (24)
Shrub 2% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 59% (154)
Grass or grass-like 20% (53)
Vine 8% (20)
Fern 2% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (20%).

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 99

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

Garden-ready native plants of Williamson County, Texas
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American pokeweed Phytolacca americana	Wildflower (forb)	7.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American sycamore Platanus occidentalis	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
American water horehound Lycopus americanus	Wildflower (forb)	1.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American water-willow Justicia americana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Arizona walnut Juglans major	Tree	50 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
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
blue mistflower Conoclinium coelestinum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
boxelder Acer negundo	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Canada germander Teucrium canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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
Carolina buckthorn Frangula caroliniana	Tree	20 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 4b
clasping coneflower Dracopis amplexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	2 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
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
cucumberleaf sunflower Helianthus debilis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 9b
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
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
forked rush Juncus dichotomus	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 8b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
giant cutgrass Zizaniopsis miliacea	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 8b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
grassleaf rush Juncus marginatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
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
green hawthorn Crataegus viridis	Tree	30 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
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
heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata	Vine	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
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
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
knotgrass Paspalum distichum	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 6a
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
leadplant Amorpha canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
lemonscent Pectis angustifolia	Wildflower (forb)	8 in	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
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
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
mescal bean Sophora secundiflora	Tree	15 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
Missouri gourd Cucurbita foetidissima	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
northern spicebush Lindera benzoin	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
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
pecan Carya illinoinensis	Tree	120 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
peppervine Nekemias arborea	Vine	1 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 6a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
plains lovegrass Eragrostis intermedia	Grass or grass-like	2.7 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5a
possumhaw Ilex decidua	Tree	33 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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
red buckeye Aesculus pavia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis	Wildflower (forb)	1 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
switchgrass Panicum virgatum	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
tapertip flatsedge Cyperus acuminatus	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
twoheaded water-starwort Callitriche heterophylla	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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
vine mesquite Panicum obtusum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
water hickory Carya aquatica	Tree	85 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
woodland bluegrass Poa sylvestris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 163

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
Alabama supplejack Berchemia scandens
American star-thistle Centaurea americana
American wild carrot Daucus pusillus
annual phlox Phlox drummondii
azure blue sage Salvia azurea
Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
beaked cornsalad Valerianella radiata
bighead pygmycudweed Evax prolifera
bigpod sesbania Sesbania herbacea
bigseed alfalfa dodder Cuscuta indecora
blackstem spleenwort Asplenium resiliens
blue mudplantain Heteranthera limosa
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
branched foldwing Dicliptera brachiata
buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
Canada spikesedge Eleocharis geniculata
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
carelessweed Amaranthus palmeri
Carolina canarygrass Phalaris caroliniana
Carolina clover Trifolium carolinianum
Carolina coralbead Cocculus carolinus
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina woollywhite Hymenopappus scabiosaeus
chickenthief Mentzelia oligosperma
creeping lovegrass Neeragrostis reptans
creeping primrose-willow Ludwigia repens
crowpoison Nothoscordum bivalve
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf evening primrose Oenothera laciniata
Dakota mock vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida
diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
erect spiderling Boerhavia erecta
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides
feather fingergrass Chloris virgata
fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
Great Plains lady's tresses Spiranthes magnicamporum
green antelopehorn Asclepias viridis
green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
Guadeloupe cucumber Melothria pendula
gum bully Sideroxylon lanuginosum
hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
hairy pinweed Lechea mucronata
hairy small-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium ciliare
hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
hairyseed paspalum Paspalum pubiflorum
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
herb of grace Bacopa monnieri
hogwort Croton capitatus
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
husk tomato Physalis pubescens
hyssopleaf sandmat Chamaesyce hyssopifolia
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Java-bean Senna obtusifolia
Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
Juda's bush Iresine rhizomatosa
juniper leaf Polypremum procumbens
kiss me quick Portulaca pilosa
lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
largeseed forget-me-not Myosotis macrosperma
lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
lax hornpod Mitreola petiolata
lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
lesser duckweed Lemna aequinoctialis
limestone calamint Clinopodium arkansanum
Louisiana vetch Vicia ludoviciana
manyflower marshpennywort Hydrocotyle umbellata
marsh bristlegrass Setaria parviflora
matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Mexican plum Prunus mexicana
Missouri foxtail cactus Escobaria missouriensis
mucronate sprangletop Leptochloa panicea
narrowleaf gumweed Grindelia lanceolata
narrowleaf paleseed Leucospora multifida
narrowleaf pinweed Lechea tenuifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
pasture heliotrope Heliotropium tenellum
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
Pickering's dawnflower Stylisma pickeringii
pineland threeseed mercury Acalypha ostryifolia
pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie tea Croton monanthogynus
prostrate sandmat Chamaesyce prostrata
purple cliffbrake Pellaea atropurpurea
queen's-delight Stillingia sylvatica
ram's horn Proboscidea louisianica
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
Red River scaleseed Spermolepis inermis
redseed plantain Plantago rhodosperma
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
rough dropseed Sporobolus clandestinus
rusty blackhaw Viburnum rufidulum
sessileleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium sessilifolium
silverleaf nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium
silvery everlasting Gamochaeta argyrinea
sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
slender threeseed mercury Acalypha gracilens
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
slimpod Venus' looking-glass Triodanis leptocarpa
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small Venus' looking-glass Triodanis biflora
sneezeweed Helenium amarum
snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
sorrelvine Cissus trifoliata
southern annual saltmarsh aster Symphyotrichum divaricatum
southern dewberry Rubus trivialis
Spanish gold Grindelia papposa
spoonleaf purple everlasting Gamochaeta purpurea
spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
standing-cypress Ipomopsis rubra
stemless evening primrose Oenothera triloba
stretchberry Forestiera pubescens
tapered rosette grass Dichanthelium acuminatum
Texas bergia Bergia texana
Texas bluegrass Poa arachnifera
Texas croton Croton texensis
threeflower melicgrass Melica nitens
toothed spurge Euphorbia dentata
tropical flatsedge Cyperus surinamensis
tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
Virginia winged rockcress Sibara virginica
warty caltrop Kallstroemia parviflora
warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
western horsenettle Solanum dimidiatum
white crownbeard Verbesina virginica
white four o'clock Mirabilis albida
white prairie aster Symphyotrichum falcatum
whitemouth dayflower Commelina erecta
whitestar Ipomoea lacunosa
whorled marshpennywort Hydrocotyle verticillata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
Wright's plantain Plantago wrightiana

Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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

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, Williamson County and Texas
Measure	Williamson County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	262	145	1,683
Garden-ready natives	99	61	656
Tree	24	—	164
Shrub	6	—	90
Wildflower (forb)	154	—	877
Grass or grass-like	53	—	431
Vine	20	—	83
Fern	5	—	38

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Williamson County.

Bastrop County, TX 156 garden-ready
Bell County, TX 135 garden-ready
Burnet County, TX 91 garden-ready
Milam County, TX 100 garden-ready
Travis County, TX 195 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: Williamson County (county FIPS 48491), Texas. 262 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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