NLCP Plant Lists

Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) Plant Lists

Select the desired plant list from the filters below. The menus adapt to the classes that are currently available from the chapters. After you select a class you can download it with just the information you want.

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Name

Growth Form

Height

Spread

Sun

Leaf Retention

Wildlife Interest

Seasonal Interest

Water Use

Soil Type

Wildlife Benefit

Stemless Four-nerve Daisy

Tetraneuris acaulis

Herbaceous

.75 –

1 ft

.75 –

1 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Yellow

Low

Clay, Dry, Loam, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Four-nerve Daisy

Tetraneuris scaposa

Herbaceous

0.5 –

1 ft

0.5 –

1 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Nectar

Green, Yellow

Very Low, Low

Clay, Dry, Limestone, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Nectar Insects

American Germander

Teucrium canadense

Herbaceous

1 –

3 ft

1.5 –

3 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Pink

High

Clay, Limestone, Loam, Moist, Sand

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths

Coast Germander

Teucrium cubense

Herbaceous

1 –

3 ft

1.5 –

3 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

White

Low

Dry, Sand

Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Powdery Thalia

Thalia dealbata

Herbaceous, Wetland

3 –

8 ft

1 –

2 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Larval Host

Purple, White

High

Moist, Mud, Poor Drainage, Saline, Shallow

Butterflies

Greenthread

Thelesperma filifolium

Herbaceous

1 –

2 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Larval Host, Nectar, Seeds

Yellow

Low

Calcareous, Dry, Gravelly, Sand

Birds, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Navajo Tea

Thelesperma simplicifolium

Herbaceous

1 –

2 ft

.75 –

1.5 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Seeds

Yellow

Low

Caliche, Clay, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Sand, Well Drained

Birds, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Parralena

Thymophylla pentachaeta

Herbaceous, Subshrub

.5 –

.75 ft

1 –

1.5 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

Yellow

Very Low, Low

Calcareous, Dry, Gravelly, Limestone, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Butterflies, Moths

False Dayflower

Tinantia anomala

Herbaceous

1 –

3 ft

1 –

3 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Seeds

Purple

Low, Medium

Calcareous, Granitic, Gravelly, Limestone, Moist, Rich

Bees, Birds, Small Mammals

Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

Vine

2 –

100 ft

2 –

4 ft

Part Shade, Shade

Deciduous

Fruit, Nectar

Green, Yellow

Medium

Clay, Loam, Moist, Sand

Birds, Butterflies

Trans-Pecos Spiderwort

Tradescantia brevifolia

Herbaceous

1 –

1.5 ft

2 –

3 ft

Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Pollen

Pink, Purple

Low, Medium

Dry, Moist, Rocky, Well Drained

Bees

Giant Spiderwort

Tradescantia gigantea

Herbaceous

2 –

3 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Forage, Nectar, Pollen

Blue, Pink, Purple, Violet, White

Medium

Clay, Loam, Moist, Rich, Rocky, Sand

Bees, Butterflies, Deer

Hairyflower Spiderwort

Tradescantia hirsutiflora

Groundcover, Herbaceous

1 –

1.5 ft

0.5 –

1 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

Blue, Purple

Medium

Moist, Sand

Bees, Butterflies

Texas Spiderwort

Tradescantia humilis

Herbaceous

1 –

2 ft

1 –

2 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

Blue, Pink

Medium

Loam, Rich, Rocky, Saline, Sand

Bees, Nectar Insects

Prairie Spiderwort

Tradescantia occidentalis

Herbaceous

1.5 –

3 ft

0.5 –

1 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Pollen

Blue, Pink, Purple

Low

Calcareous, Dry, Granitic, Limestone, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees

Two-flowered Trichloris

Trichloris crinita

Grass & Sedge

2 –

3 ft

.25 –

.5 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Forage, Nesting Material

Green, White

Low

Calcareous, Clay, Limestone, Loam, Sand, Silt, Well Drained

Birds, Browsers

False Pennyroyal

Trichostema brachiatum

Herbaceous

.75 –

2 ft

.5 –

1 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Flowers, Pollen

Blue, Pink, Purple

Low

Calcareous, Dry, Gravelly, Limestone, Moist, Sand, Shallow

Bees

White Tridens

Tridens albescens

Grass & Sedge

2 –

3 ft

1 –

2 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Forage, Seeds

Green

Medium

Clay, Loam, Moist

Birds, Browsers

Buckley’s fluffgrass

Tridens buckleyanus

Grass & Sedge

1 –

2 ft

.25 –

.50 ft

Deciduous

Green, Purple

Limestone, Rocky

Pink Tridens

Tridens congestus

Grass & Sedge

2 –

3 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Pink

Low, Medium

Rich, Well Drained

Purpletop Tridens

Tridens flavus

Grass & Sedge

2.5 –

7 ft

1 –

2 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Fall Color, Forage, Larval Host, Nesting Material, Seeds

Purple

Low

Dry, Loam, Saline, Sand

Birds, Butterflies, Small Mammals

Longspike Tridens

Tridens strictus

Grass & Sedge

2 –

4 ft

1.5 –

2.5 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Seeds

Brown

Low, Medium

Clay, Loam, Sand, Well Drained

Birds, Small Mammals

Eastern Gamagrass

Tripsacum dactyloides

Grass & Sedge

1 –

3 ft

1 –

2 ft

Part Shade

Evergreen

Larval Host, Nectar, Seeds

Brown

High

Calcareous, Clay, Loam, Moist, Poor Drainage, Saline, Sand

Birds, Butterflies, Deer

Mexican Trixis

Trixis inula

Shrub

2 –

6 ft

2 –

6 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Nectar

Yellow

Low

Clay, Dry, Loam, Sand

Butterflies

Southern Cattail

Typha domingensis

Herbaceous, Wetland

8 –

12 ft

.5 –

1 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Nesting Material, Seeds

Brown

Low

Loam, Moist, Rich

Aquatic Wildlife, Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Winged Elm

Ulmus alata

Tree

30 –

40 ft

30 –

40 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Fall Color, Forage, Larval Host, Nectar, Nesting Material, Seeds

Green, Yellow

Medium

Clay, Loam, Moist, Sand

Birds, Browsers, Butterflies, Small Mammals

American Elm

Ulmus americana

Tree

72 –

100 ft

40 –

70 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Fall Color, Larval Host, Seeds

Green, Red

Medium, High

Clay, Loam, Moist, Sand, Well Drained

Birds, Butterflies, Moths

Cedar Elm

Ulmus crassifolia

Tree

50 –

75 ft

25 –

35 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Fall Color, Larval Host, Nectar, Nesting Material, Seeds

Green

Very Low, Low

Caliche, Clay, Dry, Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand

Birds, Butterflies, Small Mammals

Mexican Buckeye

Ungnadia speciosa

Tree

8 –

20 ft

12 –

20 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Fall Color, Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Pink

Low

Caliche, Clay, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Moths, Small Mammals

Sea Oats

Uniola paniculata

Grass & Sedge

3 –

7 ft

.5 –

1 ft

Sun

Evergreen

Nesting Material, Seeds

Brown, Green

Low

Calcareous, Loam, Saline, Sand

Birds, Small Mammals

Farkleberry

Vaccinium arboreum

Tree

12 –

15 ft

10 –

12 ft

Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Fall Color, Fruit, Larval Host, Pollen

White

Medium

Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Small Mammals

White Thorn Acacia

Vachellia constricta

Shrub

7 –

10 ft

4 –

5 ft

Sun

Evergreen

Forage, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

White, Yellow

Low

Caliche, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Browsers, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Huisache

Vachellia farnesiana

Tree

15 –

25 ft

15 –

20 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Flowers, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Orange, Yellow

Low

Caliche, Clay, Dry, Limestone, Sand

Birds, Butterflies, Deer, Moths, Nectar Insects, Small Mammals

Blackbrush Acacia

Vachellia rigidula

Tree

6 –

19 ft

2 –

4 ft

Part Shade

Deciduous

Forage, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

White, Yellow

Medium

Clay, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Sand

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Deer, Moths

Viscid Acacia

Vachellia vernicosa

Shrub

8 –

10 ft

6 –

8 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Pollen

Yellow

Very Low, Low

Calcareous, Dry, Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees

American Eelgrass

Vallisneria americana

Herbaceous, Wetland

4 –

6 ft

.5 –

1 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Forage, Seeds

White

High

Moist, Mud, Rich, Sand

Aquatic Wildlife, Birds

Gray Vervain

Verbena canescens

Herbaceous

0.8 –

1.6 ft

1 –

1 ft

Sun

Semi Evergreen

Fruit, Nectar, Pollen

Blue, Purple, White

Low

Dry, Limestone, Moist, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Texas Verbena

Verbena halei

Shrub

1 –

3 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

Blue, Purple

Low

Clay, Dry, Loam, Sand

Bees, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Hoary Verbena

Verbena stricta

Herbaceous

2 –

6 ft

1.5 –

2 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Purple

Very Low, Low

Dry, Sand

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Small Mammals

Gulf Vervain

Verbena xutha

Herbaceous

4 –

6 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Semi Evergreen

Flowers, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Blue, Purple, White

Low

Dry, Sand, Well Drained

Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Nectar Insects, Small Mammals

Cowpen Daisy

Verbesina encelioides

Herbaceous

1 –

5 ft

1 –

3 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Yellow

Low

Clay, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Rocky, Sand

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Moths, Nectar Insects, Small Mammals

Gravelweed

Verbesina helianthoides

Herbaceous

2 –

4 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen

Yellow

Low

Dry, Moist, Rocky, Sand

Bees, Butterflies, Moths

Lindheimer’s Crownbeard

Verbesina lindheimeri

Herbaceous

1.5 –

2 ft

.25 –

.5 ft

Sun, Part Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

Yellow

Medium, High

Limestone, Loam, Moist, Rich, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Butterflies

Frostweed

Verbesina microptera

Herbaceous

1 –

6 ft

1 –

3 ft

Part Shade, Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

White

Low

Dry, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Frostweed

Verbesina virginica

Herbaceous

3 –

6 ft

1 –

2 ft

Part Shade, Shade

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

White

Low, Medium

Calcareous, Dry, Loam, Moist, Well Drained

Bees, Butterflies

Western Ironweed

Vernonia baldwinii

Herbaceous

3 –

5 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Purple, Red

Low, Medium

Caliche, Clay, Dry, Limestone, Loam, Moist, Rocky, Sand, Well Drained

Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Woolly Ironweed

Vernonia lindheimeri

Herbaceous

1 –

3 ft

1 –

3 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen

Purple

Low

Caliche, Dry, Loam, Sand

Bees, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Missouri ironweed

Vernonia missurica

Herbaceous

2 –

6 ft

1 –

2 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Purple

Medium, High

Clay, Loam, Moist, Poor Drainage, Sand

Bees, Birds, Butterflies

Texas Ironweed

Vernonia texana

Herbaceous

2 –

3 ft

1.5 –

2.6 ft

Sun

Deciduous

Pollen

Pink, White, Yellow

Low, Medium

Clay, Sand, Well Drained

Bees

Arrowwood Viburnum

Viburnum dentatum

Shrub

6 –

10 ft

6 –

10 ft

Sun, Part Shade, Shade

Deciduous

Berry, Fall Color, Larval Host, Nectar, Pollen

White

Low, Medium

Dry, Loam, Moist, Poor Drainage, Sand

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Small Mammals

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This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason

About the Native Plant Society of Texas

Membership

News

Events

2024 Fall Symposium

2026 Spring Symposium

CHapter Information

Chapters

Native Plant Information

Native Plant Database

Top Plant Searches

Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP)

Monarch Conservation

Additional Programs

Publications

Invasive Plants

Speakers Bureau

Landscaping

Reading and Reference

Native Plant Society of Texas

NLCP Plant Lists

Level 1 List

Level 2 List

Level 3 List

Birds List

Name

Growth Form

Height

Spread

Sun

Leaf Retention

Wildlife Interest

Seasonal Interest

Water Use

Soil Type

Wildlife Benefit

About the Native Plant Society of Texas

Membership

News

Events

2024 Fall Symposium

2026 Spring Symposium

CHapter Information

Chapters

Native Plant Information

Native Plant Database

Top Plant Searches

Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP)

Monarch Conservation

Additional Programs

Publications

Invasive Plants

Speakers Bureau

Landscaping

Reading and Reference

NLCP Plant Lists

Level 1 List

Level 2 List

Level 3 List

Birds List

Name

Growth Form

Height

Spread

Sun

Leaf Retention

Wildlife Interest

Seasonal Interest

Water Use

Soil Type

Wildlife Benefit

About the Region