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Native plants · Alaska

Native plants of North Slope Borough

175 plant species are recorded as native to Alaska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in North Slope Borough by USDA PLANTS. 112 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

North Slope Borough, Alaska

Native species
175 Typical Alaska county: 237 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives
112 Typical Alaska county: 149
Share by type (all 175 native species)
Percent of the 175 native species in each growth type
Tree 6% (10)
Shrub 18% (31)
Wildflower (forb) 42% (74)
Grass or grass-like 27% (47)
Vine <1% (1)
Fern 7% (12)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (42%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (27%).

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

ZIP codes mainly in this county fall in USDA hardiness zones 2a to 3a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 112

Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.

Garden-ready native plants of North Slope Borough, Alaska
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
Alaska bog willow Salix fuscescens Shrub 20 ft — — Zone 11a
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
alpine aster Aster alpinus Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
alpine bearberry Arctostaphylos alpina Shrub 6 in Sun–part shade — Zone 1a
alpine bistort Polygonum viviparum Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Alpine Meadow-Foxtail Alopecurus magellanicus Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
alpine mountainsorrel Oxyria digyna Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
alpine sweetvetch Hedysarum alpinum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 1a
American dunegrass Leymus mollis Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 8a
arctic bluegrass Poa arctica Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun — Zone 1a
arctic dock Rumex arcticus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
arctic lupine Lupinus arcticus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade — Zone 1a
arctic poppy Papaver gorodkovii Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 2a
arctic raspberry Rubus arcticus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
arctic rush Juncus arcticus Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
arctic sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera Tree 80 ft Sun High Zone 1a
beach pea Lathyrus japonicus Vine 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Bigelow's sedge Carex bigelowii Grass or grass-like 5 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
black crowberry Empetrum nigrum Shrub 1 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
boreal sagebrush Artemisia arctica Shrub 1.5 ft — — Zone 1a
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
chestnut rush Juncus castaneus Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
cloudberry Rubus chamaemorus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common juniper Juniperus communis Tree 10 ft Sun Low Zone 3a
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
cutleaf daisy Erigeron compositus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
diamondleaf willow Salix planifolia Tree 8 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Drummond's mountain-avens Dryas drummondii Shrub 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Eschscholtz's buttercup Ranunculus eschscholtzii Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
field horsetail Equisetum arvense Fern 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
fineleaf pondweed Stuckenia filiformis Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
forked wormwood Artemisia furcata Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun Low Zone 5b
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
glaucous bluegrass Poa glauca Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun — Zone 3a
golden sedge Carex aurea Grass or grass-like 1.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
grayleaf willow Salix glauca Tree 4 ft — — Zone 9b
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green alder Alnus viridis Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 1a
hair-like sedge Carex capillaris Grass or grass-like 1.7 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
halberd willow Salix hastata Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 1a
high northern buttercup Ranunculus hyperboreus Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
Hoppner's sedge Carex subspathacea Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun — Zone 2a
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Shrub 6 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 4a
Lapland rosebay Rhododendron lapponicum Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
least willow Salix rotundifolia Shrub 2 in — — Zone 4a
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 3a
Lewis flax Linum lewisii Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea Shrub 6 in Sun — Zone 1a
littletree willow Salix arbusculoides Tree 10 ft Sun — —
livid sedge Carex livida Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
longstalk starwort Stellaria longipes Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
marsh grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
marsh Labrador tea Ledum palustre Shrub 6 in — — Zone 1a
netleaf willow Salix reticulata Shrub 2 in — — Zone 1a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern singlespike sedge Carex scirpoidea Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
Pacific anemone Anemone multifida Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 5a
pendantgrass Arctophila fulva Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun — Zone 3a
polar willow Salix polaris Shrub 2 in — — Zone 1a
prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
prickly rose Rosa acicularis Shrub 4 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Ramensk's sedge Carex ramenskii Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun — Zone 2a
red currant Ribes triste Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 1a
Richardson's willow Salix richardsonii Tree 15 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain goldenrod Solidago multiradiata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun — Zone 1a
Ross' avens Geum rossii Wildflower (forb) 5 in Sun–part shade Low Zone 10a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
russet buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
sageleaf willow Salix candida Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa Shrub 2.5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
Sierra larkspur Delphinium glaucum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
smallflowered woodrush Luzula parviflora Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
snow arnica Arnica frigida Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum Grass or grass-like 1.9 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
spiked woodrush Luzula spicata Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
squashberry Viburnum edule Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum Fern 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
sweetgrass Hierochloe odorata Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
tall cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun High Zone 3a
tall Jacob's-ladder Polemonium acutiflorum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Shade-tolerant — Zone 1a
tealeaf willow Salix pulchra Tree 3 ft Sun — Zone 1a
three-hulled rush Juncus triglumis Grass or grass-like 10 in Sun High Zone 5a
thrift seapink Armeria maritima Wildflower (forb) 11 in Sun Medium Zone 4b
Tilesius' wormwood Artemisia tilesii Wildflower (forb) 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 1a
tufted bulrush Trichophorum cespitosum Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
twoflowered rush Juncus biglumis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
umbrella starwort Stellaria umbellata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
Utah sweetvetch Hedysarum boreale Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 4a
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile Fern 3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
water sedge Carex aquatilis Grass or grass-like 2.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
wheat sedge Carex atherodes Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
white arctic mountain heather Cassiope tetragona Shrub 5 in Sun Medium Zone 3a
white spruce Picea glauca Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
whitestem pondweed Potamogeton praelongus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
wideleaf polargrass Arctagrostis latifolia Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 63

PLANTS has no growing records for these, so light, moisture, height and zone filters cannot include them. Many are wild species seldom sold by nurseries.

  • alpine bluegrass Poa alpina
  • alpine fescue Festuca brachyphylla
  • alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
  • American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
  • barrenground willow Salix niphoclada
  • beautiful sandwort Minuartia rubella
  • bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
  • bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
  • bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
  • brightgreen spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes-ramosum
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • common woodrush Luzula multiflora
  • creeping sedge Carex chordorrhiza
  • dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
  • elk sedge Carex garberi
  • feltleaf willow Salix alaxensis
  • flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • fleshy starwort Stellaria crassifolia
  • fragile rockbrake Cryptogramma stelleri
  • Fries' pondweed Potamogeton friesii
  • Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
  • Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
  • liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
  • lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
  • marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
  • marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre
  • marsh willowherb Epilobium palustre
  • meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
  • meadow sedge Carex praticola
  • Mingan moonwort Botrychium minganense
  • moss campion Silene acaulis
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • northern bog sedge Carex gynocrates
  • northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
  • pimpernel willowherb Epilobium anagallidifolium
  • purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
  • purple reedgrass Calamagrostis purpurascens
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • resin birch Betula glandulosa
  • Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
  • rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • seaside sandplant Honckenya peploides
  • sheathed pondweed Stuckenia vaginata
  • shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • single delight Moneses uniflora
  • small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
  • snowline wintergreen Pyrola minor
  • threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
  • tussock cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum
  • twinflower Linnaea borealis
  • variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
  • whorl-leaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum
  • wild chives Allium schoenoprasum
  • woodland draba Draba nemorosa
  • yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

Compared with Alaska

The typical county is the median of the 24 Alaska counties with PLANTS county records; the statewide figure counts every species native anywhere in the state. More species is not better or worse: counties differ in size, habitat and how thoroughly they have been surveyed.

Native species counts, North Slope Borough and Alaska
MeasureNorth Slope BoroughTypical countyStatewide
Native species 175 237 503
Garden-ready natives 112 149 294
Tree 10 — 40
Shrub 31 — 55
Wildflower (forb) 74 — 234
Grass or grass-like 47 — 132
Vine 1 — 8
Fern 12 — 34

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

Source & data date

Source
USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).
Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.
USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation
USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.
Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date
Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Zones
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) ZIP table: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed November 3, 2026. Plant zones on this site are our estimate, not the official map.
Scope
North Slope Borough (county FIPS 02185), Alaska. 175 native species from PLANTS county distribution records; garden-ready = species with a PLANTS characteristics record.
Method
A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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