Quick answer: 142 drought-tolerant native plants are native to Oklahoma, 111 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
142 species
- Alderleaf mountain mahogany Cercocarpus montanus · 15 states
- Allegheny chinquapin Castanea pumila · 21 states
- American basswood Tilia americana · 37 states
- American beautyberry Callicarpa americana · 13 states
- American bittersweet Celastrus scandens · 33 states
- American hazelnut Corylus americana · 34 states
- American holly Ilex opaca · 28 states
- Apache plume Fallugia paradoxa · 8 states
- Big bluestem Andropogon gerardii · 41 states
- Birdfoot violet Viola pedata · 34 states
- Black cherry Prunus serotina · 35 states
- Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta · 44 states
- Blackfoot daisy Melampodium leucanthum · 6 states
- Blackjack oak Quercus marilandica · 24 states
- Blue grama Bouteloua gracilis · 19 states
- Buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides · 19 states
- Bur oak Quercus macrocarpa · 33 states
- Butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa · 40 states
- Chocolate flower Berlandiera lyrata · 6 states
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · 44 states
- Climbing prairie rose Rosa setigera · 27 states
- Cockspur hawthorn Crataegus crus-galli · 25 states
- Common elderberry Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis · 36 states
- Common evening primrose Oenothera biennis · 30 states
- Common hackberry Celtis occidentalis · 33 states
- Common hoptree Ptelea trifoliata · 28 states
- Common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius · 30 states
- Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana · 26 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Common yarrow Achillea millefolium · 47 states
- Compass plant Silphium laciniatum · 20 states
- Coral bean Erythrina herbacea · 10 states
- Coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus · 30 states
- Cup plant Silphium perfoliatum · 27 states
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · 43 states
- Deerberry Vaccinium stamineum · 22 states
- Desert willow Chilopsis linearis · 5 states
- Downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis · 24 states
- Downy serviceberry Amelanchier arborea · 37 states
- Eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides · 42 states
- Eastern hop-hornbeam Ostrya virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris · 25 states
- Eastern purple coneflower Echinacea purpurea · 24 states
- Eastern red cedar Juniperus virginiana · 37 states
- Eastern red columbine Aquilegia canadensis · 36 states
- Eastern redbud Cercis canadensis · 32 states
- Fall obedient plant Physostegia virginiana · 37 states
- Farkleberry Vaccinium arboreum · 16 states
- Fire pink Silene virginica · 26 states
- Flowering dogwood Cornus florida · 31 states
- Flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata · 29 states
- Foxglove beardtongue Penstemon digitalis · 35 states
- Fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica · 30 states
- Fringed bluestar Amsonia ciliata · 2 states
- Gambel oak Quercus gambelii · 8 states
- Grayhead coneflower Ratibida pinnata · 26 states
- Great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica · 36 states
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · 43 states
- Gulf muhly Muhlenbergia capillaris · 16 states
- Hollow Joe-pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum · 24 states
- Honey locust Gleditsia triacanthos · 13 states
- Honey mesquite Prosopis glandulosa · 4 states
- Indian blanket Gaillardia pulchella · 17 states
- Indian ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides · 17 states
- Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans · 37 states
- Indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa · 37 states
- Jacob's ladder Polemonium reptans · 31 states
- Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus · 15 states
- Lanceleaf coreopsis Coreopsis lanceolata · 35 states
- Leadplant Amorpha canescens · 16 states
- Lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora · 10 states
- Lewis flax (blue flax) Linum lewisii · 17 states
- Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium · 42 states
- Loblolly pine Pinus taeda · 18 states
- Low prickly pear Opuntia humifusa · 31 states
- Lyreleaf sage Salvia lyrata · 22 states
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani · 3 states
- Maypop passionflower Passiflora incarnata · 21 states
- Mexican hat Ratibida columnifera · 17 states
- Mexican plum Prunus mexicana · 10 states
- Narrow-leaf coneflower Echinacea angustifolia · 11 states
- New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus · 35 states
- Northern red oak Quercus rubra · 33 states
- Northern spicebush Lindera benzoin · 31 states
- Pale purple coneflower Echinacea pallida · 17 states
- Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata · 30 states
- Partridgeberry Mitchella repens · 31 states
- Pignut hickory Carya glabra · 31 states
- Pincushion daisy (perfumeballs) Gaillardia suavis · 1 states
- Pink evening primrose Oenothera speciosa · 8 states
- Pink-scale blazing star Liatris elegans · 9 states
- Ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa · 16 states
- Prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya · 19 states
- Prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre · 11 states
- Prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis · 19 states
- Purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea · 18 states
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii · 11 states
- Rocky Mountain bee plant Peritoma serrulata · 26 states
- Rocky Mountain zinnia Zinnia grandiflora · 6 states
- Roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii · 11 states
- Roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata · 30 states
- Rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa · 17 states
- Rusty blackhaw viburnum Viburnum rufidulum · 18 states
- Sassafras Sassafras albidum · 22 states
- Scaly blazing star Liatris squarrosa · 22 states
- Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata · 13 states
- Scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea · 12 states
- Scarlet sage Salvia coccinea · 3 states
- Shagbark hickory Carya ovata · 34 states
- Shortleaf pine Pinus echinata · 22 states
- Showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa · 17 states
- Showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense · 29 states
- Shrubby St. John's-wort Hypericum prolificum · 33 states
- Shumard oak Quercus shumardii · 22 states
- Sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula · 38 states
- Smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum · 34 states
- Smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides · 30 states
- Smooth sumac Rhus glabra · 42 states
- Southern red oak Quercus falcata · 23 states
- Spotted beebalm Monarda punctata · 29 states
- Standing cypress Ipomopsis rubra · 6 states
- Stiff greenthread Thelesperma filifolium · 1 states
- Sugar maple Acer saccharum · 34 states
- Switchgrass Panicum virgatum · 43 states
- Tall blazing star Liatris aspera · 26 states
- Texas bluebonnet (state flower) Lupinus texensis · 2 states
- Trumpet vine Campsis radicans · 33 states
- Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia · 40 states
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana · 30 states
- Western ironweed Vernonia baldwinii · 1 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
- White ash Fraxinus americana · 35 states
- White heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides var. ericoides · 26 states
- White wild indigo Baptisia alba · 23 states
- Whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata · 30 states
- Winecup Callirhoe involucrata · 16 states
- Winged sumac Rhus copallinum · 30 states
- Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata · 12 states
- Witch-hazel Hamamelis virginiana · 33 states
- Woodland pinkroot Spigelia marilandica · 16 states
- Woolly paperflower Psilostrophe tagetina · 7 states
- Yaupon holly Ilex vomitoria · 11 states
Drought-tolerant native plants in Oklahoma: what to know
142 of the 247 plants native to Oklahoma in this directory fit this need: 57% of the state's list, close to the 56% share across all species.
Between them they flower from February through December, with the most in bloom in May. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 124 are also good for pollinators, 93 are also good for birds, 64 are also shade-tolerant.
113 of them grow in full or partial sun and 64 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Birdfoot violet and Black-eyed Susan to trees such as Alderleaf mountain mahogany and Allegheny chinquapin. For wildlife, 124 support pollinators, 93 provide food or cover for birds and 54 are caterpillar host plants.
111 of the 142 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Apache plume, Black-eyed Susan, Common yarrow: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Chokecherry Prunus virginiana · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jul
- Cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Jul-Oct
- Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Apr-Jun