No plants meet the strict criterion — there are no confirmed endemic plants of Louisiana
Note the definition of “endemic”: a species found naturally in one place and nowhere else. Apply that to Louisiana as a political boundary. No plant species are currently documented as occurring only inside Louisiana and nowhere beyond its state lines.
Understand why this search returns empty. State borders do not follow ecology. Plant ranges follow soil, water, and climate — not political lines. Many plants that feel “Louisiana” in habitat and culture also grow in Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas, or the Gulf Coastal Plain. Taxonomy and survey work also change what we call a species. Databases like USDA PLANTS and NatureServe group most candidates as regional endemics (Gulf Coastal Plain, Lower Mississippi Valley) rather than exclusive Louisiana endemics.
Consider close matches and useful alternatives. Look for “native to Louisiana” or “regionally endemic” species instead of state-only endemics. Examples include the Louisiana irises (Iris fulva, I. hexagona, I. giganticaerulea), which are native and iconic but extend beyond Louisiana. Also explore lists of rare and threatened plants that are heavily concentrated in Louisiana habitats (coastal marshes, bogs, and prairie remnants). Search NatureServe, state herbaria, and USDA PLANTS for verified ranges, or consult Gulf Coastal Plain endemics for species that are nearly exclusive to this region.
