Native plants · Washington

Native plants of Douglas County

219 plant species are recorded as native to Washington in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Douglas County by USDA PLANTS. 151 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

Douglas County, Washington

Native species
219 Typical Washington county: 300 (median of 39 counties)
Garden-ready natives
151 Typical Washington county: 219
Share by type (all 219 native species)
Percent of the 219 native species in each growth type
Tree 4% (8)
Shrub 9% (19)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (136)
Grass or grass-like 21% (47)
Vine <1% (2)
Fern 3% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 6b to 7a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 151

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

Garden-ready native plants of Douglas County, Washington
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
alkali cordgrass Spartina gracilis Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
American speedwell Veronica americana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
annual hairgrass Deschampsia danthonioides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
ballhead waterleaf Hydrophyllum capitatum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
basalt milkvetch Astragalus filipes Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
basin wildrye Leymus cinereus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata Tree 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 4b
bitter cherry Prunus emarginata Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
black hawthorn Crataegus douglasii Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Blue Mountain buckwheat Eriogonum strictum Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
broadleaf lupine Lupinus latifolius Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
broadlipped twayblade Listera convallarioides Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Canada germander Teucrium canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
Canby's biscuitroot Lomatium canbyi Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Low Zone 4b
Carey's balsamroot Balsamorhiza careyana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Columbia needlegrass Achnatherum nelsonii Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
darkthroat shootingstar Dodecatheon pulchellum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
desert yellow fleabane Erigeron linearis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Douglas' dustymaiden Chaenactis douglasii Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Douglas' sedge Carex douglasii Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fernleaf biscuitroot Lomatium dissectum Wildflower (forb) 15 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 8a
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
foothill deathcamas Zigadenus paniculatus Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata Grass or grass-like 5.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
freckled milkvetch Astragalus lentiginosus Shrub 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Gairdner's beardtongue Penstemon gairdneri Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
golden currant Ribes aureum Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
gooseberryleaf globemallow Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Hooker's balsamroot Balsamorhiza hookeri Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 5b
Idaho blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium idahoense Wildflower (forb) 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Idaho fescue Festuca idahoensis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
largeflower hawksbeard Crepis occidentalis Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Low Zone 5a
largeflower triteleia Triteleia grandiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Lewis' mock orange Philadelphus lewisii Shrub 12 ft Sun Low Zone 8a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
longleaf phlox Phlox longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
longstyle rush Juncus longistylis Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
low pussytoes Antennaria dimorpha Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
maiden blue eyed Mary Collinsia parviflora Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
Modoc hawksbeard Crepis modocensis Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
Munro's globemallow Sphaeralcea munroana Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
narrowleaf water plantain Alisma gramineum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
nineleaf biscuitroot Lomatium triternatum Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
nodding microseris Microseris nutans Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana Shrub 10 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8a
oneflower helianthella Helianthella uniflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
oniongrass Melica bulbosa Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
Oregon checkerbloom Sidalcea oregana Wildflower (forb) 4.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
pale evening primrose Oenothera pallida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus Grass or grass-like 5.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
pinkfairies Clarkia pulchella Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
purple milkvetch Astragalus agrestis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
purple sage Salvia dorrii Shrub 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
rock buckwheat Eriogonum sphaerocephalum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
Rocky Mountain iris Iris missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
roundleaf alumroot Heuchera cylindrica Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 6a
royal penstemon Penstemon speciosus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa Shrub 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
rush pussytoes Antennaria luzuloides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sagebrush mariposa lily Calochortus macrocarpus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
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
Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda Grass or grass-like 1.4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
scabland penstemon Penstemon deustus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
scabland sagebrush Artemisia rigida Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
sharpleaf penstemon Penstemon acuminatus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
sickle saltbush Atriplex falcata Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
sicklekeel lupine Lupinus albicaulis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
Sierra rush Juncus nevadensis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
silky lupine Lupinus sericeus Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
silverleaf phacelia Phacelia hastata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
silvery lupine Lupinus argenteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra Tree 12 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
snow buckwheat Eriogonum niveum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
spineless horsebrush Tetradymia canescens Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 9a
spiny hopsage Grayia spinosa Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
spreading phlox Phlox diffusa Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
squirreltail Elymus elymoides Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
sticky purple geranium Geranium viscosissimum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 6a
Suksdorf's monkeyflower Mimulus suksdorfii Wildflower (forb) 7 in Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 12b
sulphur lupine Lupinus sulphureus Wildflower (forb) 10 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
tall woolly buckwheat Eriogonum elatum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
tapertip hawksbeard Crepis acuminata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
tapertip onion Allium acuminatum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
thinleaved owl's-clover Orthocarpus tenuifolius Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 12b
threadleaf fleabane Erigeron filifolius Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 6a
threadleaf sedge Carex filifolia Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
threetip sagebrush Artemisia tripartita Shrub 4 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
Thurber's needlegrass Achnatherum thurberianum Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
thymeleaf buckwheat Eriogonum thymoides Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
tinker's penny Hypericum anagalloides Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 4a
water birch Betula occidentalis Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 1a
wax currant Ribes cereum Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
western columbine Aquilegia formosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
western needlegrass Achnatherum occidentale Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
western stoneseed Lithospermum ruderale Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Vine 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
wheat sedge Carex atherodes Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata Shrub 2 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
woolly groundsel Packera cana Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
woollypod milkvetch Astragalus purshii Wildflower (forb) 7 in Sun Low Zone 4a
yellow penstemon Penstemon confertus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
yellow rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Shrub 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
yellow spiderflower Cleome lutea Wildflower (forb) 2.7 ft Sun Low Zone 12a

Other native species recorded here 68

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.

  • alpine lewisia Lewisia pygmaea
  • American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bigleaf lupine Lupinus polyphyllus
  • bluntleaf yellowcress Rorippa curvipes
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
  • brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
  • Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
  • Douglas' knotweed Polygonum douglasii
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • Engelmann's spikerush Eleocharis engelmannii
  • entireleaved thelypody Thelypodium integrifolium
  • false mermaidweed Floerkea proserpinacoides
  • fewflower spikerush Eleocharis quinqueflora
  • fineleaf hymenopappus Hymenopappus filifolius
  • flatspine bur ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
  • hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • lemon scurfpea Psoralidium lanceolatum
  • lesser wirelettuce Stephanomeria minor
  • manyflowered monkeyflower Mimulus floribundus
  • meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
  • Menzies' campion Silene menziesii
  • Menzies' fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii
  • narrowleaf minerslettuce Montia linearis
  • needleleaf navarretia Navarretia intertexta
  • northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • pleated gentian Gentiana affinis
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • Rocky Mountain rush Juncus saximontanus
  • scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
  • shaggy fleabane Erigeron pumilus
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • slender phlox Microsteris gracilis
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
  • spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • stream orchid Epipactis gigantea
  • tall annual willowherb Epilobium brachycarpum
  • threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • veiny dock Rumex venosus
  • Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre
  • western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whitestem blazingstar Mentzelia albicaulis
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
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.

Compared with Washington

The typical county is the median of the 39 Washington 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, Douglas County and Washington
MeasureDouglas CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 219 300 1,015
Garden-ready natives 151 219 621
Tree 8 — 74
Shrub 19 — 99
Wildflower (forb) 136 — 547
Grass or grass-like 47 — 234
Vine 2 — 16
Fern 7 — 45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Douglas 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
Douglas County (county FIPS 53017), Washington. 219 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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