- Northern maidenhair fern prefers a moist environment.Kevin Schafer/Photodisc/Getty Images
Arkansas is located in the south-central United States. Arkansas has a generally mild climate, and a wide variety of physical features including several rivers and the southern extent of the Ozark Mountains. This means a wide variety of native plants grow in Arkansas, as the mild climate and variety of physical features have created numerous ecological niches encouraging species diversity. - Common prickly pear cactus (Opuntia macrorhiza) is a long-lived, relatively fast growing cacti with flat oval pads. It will bloom briefly and set fruit in the spring to early summer. It is one of the very few cacti that can handle the somewhat cold winters in Arkansas.
- Southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) will grow from 6 inches to 1 foot tall; it has delicate heart-shaped leaves. It is listed as an endangered plant species in North Carolina and Kentucky. Northern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) is a ground fern with longer fronds and smaller more elongated leaves, but it is similar in size and growth patterns to its southern cousin. It does require reasonably moist conditions to thrive.
- Buffalograss (Buchloe dactyloides) is a hardy native perennial shortgrass. It usually grows about 2 to 5 inches tall and and can spread out as much as 6 to 12 feet. It is native to the prairies of North America and is adapted to warm dry summers and cold winters.
Plains lovegrass (Eragrostis intermedia) - Plains lovegrass is a tufted, perennial bunch-type grass with narrow leaf blades. The plant can reach heights of two to three feet with a seed heas of up to 12 inches. It is reasonably drought tolerant, but does not do well in damp or wet climates. - Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is a deciduous shrub that grows up to 15 to 16 feet in height and has green to whitish blossoms. Grey dogwood tends to grow in thickets and blossoms in May and June. Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) is a small evergreen holly shrub found commonly in the southeast and south central coastal plains. It has small, glossy, elliptical leaves that can be used to make a fragrant (and stimulating) tea.
- White ash (Fraxinus americana) is a large deciduous tree with branching, pinnate leaves, and a broad canopy. It is cold tolerant but not drought tolerant. It produces early fall color and its wood is famous for being ideal for making baseball bats. Black oak (Quercus velutina) is medium to large acorn-producing oak that is found throughout the eastern and midwestern U.S. as far south as Arkansas, northeast Texas, Mississippi, and northern Louisiana. Its hard wood is often used to make furniture and flooring and is known by red oak.
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