Native plants for Fort Bend County, Texas
281 native plants recorded in Fort Bend County, Texas
The USDA plant database has 378 plants recorded growing wild in Fort Bend County. 281 of them are native to the lower 48, and 44 are introduced species that this page leaves out.
By type: 153 wildflowers and herbs, 69 grasses and sedges, 7 shrubs, 11 low woody plants, 28 trees, 13 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 74 of them (26%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Floating primrose-willow (Ludwigia peploides), Seaside brookweed (Samolus valerandi) and 4 more are also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Fort Bend County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 74 | 0 | 207 |
| Half shade | 52 | 22 | 207 |
| Under trees | 29 | 45 | 207 |
| Heavy clay | 57 | 17 | 207 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 49 | 25 | 207 |
| Never watered | 38 | 36 | 207 |
| Stays soggy | 39 | 35 | 207 |
Sun all day in Fort Bend County: 74 rated natives
24 grasses and sedges, 22 trees, 17 wildflowers and herbs, 6 vines, 4 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Climbing dayflower (Commelina diffusa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Climbing hempvine (Mikania scandens) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Golden tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Heartleaf peppervine (Ampelopsis cordata) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Purple poppymallow (Callirhoe involucrata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Spring spiderlily (Hymenocallis liriosme) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Half shade in Fort Bend County: 52 rated natives
20 grasses and sedges, 13 wildflowers and herbs, 13 trees, 3 vines, 3 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Purple poppymallow (Callirhoe involucrata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Spring spiderlily (Hymenocallis liriosme) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · toxicity: slight - Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Golden tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Under trees in Fort Bend County: 29 rated natives
9 wildflowers and herbs, 9 grasses and sedges, 8 trees, 2 shrubs, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Purple poppymallow (Callirhoe involucrata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Spring spiderlily (Hymenocallis liriosme) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Green hawthorn (Crataegus viridis) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · moderate growth · perennial - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Heavy clay in Fort Bend County: 57 rated natives
19 grasses and sedges, 17 trees, 13 wildflowers and herbs, 4 vines, 3 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Heartleaf peppervine (Ampelopsis cordata) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Climbing dayflower (Commelina diffusa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Climbing hempvine (Mikania scandens) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Golden tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Spring spiderlily (Hymenocallis liriosme) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Fort Bend County: 49 rated natives
18 trees, 16 grasses and sedges, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 3 vines, 3 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Heartleaf peppervine (Ampelopsis cordata) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Purple poppymallow (Callirhoe involucrata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Farkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Fort Bend County: 38 rated natives
12 trees, 11 grasses and sedges, 7 wildflowers and herbs, 4 shrubs, 3 vines, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Purple poppymallow (Callirhoe involucrata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Limestone wild petunia (Ruellia strepens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Fort Bend County: 39 rated natives
14 grasses and sedges, 11 wildflowers and herbs, 11 trees, 2 shrubs, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Climbing dayflower (Commelina diffusa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Climbing hempvine (Mikania scandens) vines
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Golden tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Spring spiderlily (Hymenocallis liriosme) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 0.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Limestone wild petunia (Ruellia strepens) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Tapertip rush (Juncus acuminatus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil
Natives Fort Bend County has that most of Texas does not
30 natives here are on file in no more than 13 of Texas's 254 counties. A few of them:
- Cuban bulrush (Oxycaryum cubense): 2 counties
- Smooth-Seed Pygmyweed (Crassula solieri): 3 counties
- Prairiedawn (Hymenoxys texana): 3 counties
- Purplerocket (Iodanthus pinnatifidus): 4 counties
- Whiteedge flatsedge (Cyperus flavicomus): 5 counties
- Awnless beardgrass (Bothriochloa exaristata): 6 counties
- Hairy corkwood (Leitneria pilosa): 6 counties
- Prairie plantain (Plantago elongata): 6 counties
- Leafy bladderwort (Utricularia foliosa): 6 counties
- Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata): 8 counties
Where to start in Fort Bend County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Fort Bend County gives you the most rated choice (74 plants), and Bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 29 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 207 unrated natives too.