Native plants for Ector County, Texas
181 native plants recorded in Ector County, Texas
The USDA plant database has 239 plants recorded growing wild in Ector County. 181 of them are native to the lower 48, and 13 are introduced species that this page leaves out.
By type: 93 wildflowers and herbs, 31 grasses and sedges, 15 shrubs, 36 low woody plants, 3 trees, 3 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 27 of them (15%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Little hogweed (Portulaca oleracea), Spreading amaranth (Amaranthus crassipes) and 2 more are also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Ector County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 27 | 0 | 154 |
| Half shade | 27 | 0 | 154 |
| Under trees | 26 | 1 | 154 |
| Heavy clay | 12 | 15 | 154 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 23 | 4 | 154 |
| Never watered | 23 | 4 | 154 |
| Stays soggy | 2 | 25 | 154 |
Sun all day in Ector County: 27 rated natives
11 grasses and sedges, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Green prairie coneflower (Ratibida tagetes) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Featherplume (Dalea formosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial - Golden crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth - Tanseyleaf tansyaster (Machaeranthera tanacetifolia) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth
Half shade in Ector County: 27 rated natives
11 grasses and sedges, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Green prairie coneflower (Ratibida tagetes) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · toxicity: slight - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Featherplume (Dalea formosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial · high shade tolerance - Golden crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · high shade tolerance - Tanseyleaf tansyaster (Machaeranthera tanacetifolia) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · high shade tolerance
Under trees in Ector County: 26 rated natives
11 grasses and sedges, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 1 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Green prairie coneflower (Ratibida tagetes) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Featherplume (Dalea formosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial - Golden crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth - Tanseyleaf tansyaster (Machaeranthera tanacetifolia) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth
Heavy clay in Ector County: 12 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 4 grasses and sedges, 2 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Golden crownbeard (Verbesina encelioides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Bushy bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 9 ft mature · rapid growth
Sandy, drains fast in Ector County: 23 rated natives
10 grasses and sedges, 5 wildflowers and herbs, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Green prairie coneflower (Ratibida tagetes) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Featherplume (Dalea formosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial - Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Ector County: 23 rated natives
9 grasses and sedges, 6 wildflowers and herbs, 4 shrubs, 2 low woody plants, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Scarlet globemallow (Sphaeralcea coccinea) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Green prairie coneflower (Ratibida tagetes) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance · toxicity: slight - Featherplume (Dalea formosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · perennial · high drought tolerance - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Ector County: 2 rated natives
2 grasses and sedges. The first 2, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Bushy bluestem (Andropogon glomeratus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Little barley (Hordeum pusillum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · rapid growth
Natives Ector County has that most of Texas does not
15 natives here are on file in no more than 13 of Texas's 254 counties. A few of them:
- California amaranth (Amaranthus californicus): 3 counties
- Neglected sunflower (Helianthus neglectus): 4 counties
- Sticky tansyaster (Machaeranthera viscida): 6 counties
- Wright's thelypody (Thelypodium wrightii): 7 counties
- Creeping muhly (Muhlenbergia repens): 8 counties
- Thymeleaf sandmat (Chamaesyce serpyllifolia): 10 counties
- Cory's jointfir (Ephedra coryi): 11 counties
- Texas sundrops (Calylophus tubicula): 12 counties
- Bristlecup sandmat (Chamaesyce chaetocalyx): 12 counties
- Mesa dropseed (Sporobolus flexuosus): 13 counties
Where to start in Ector County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Ector County gives you the most rated choice (27 plants), and Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) is the easiest start on that list. Stays soggy is the hard one here: 2 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 154 unrated natives too.