Native plants · Alaska

Native plants of Northwest Arctic Borough

233 plant species are recorded as native to Alaska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Northwest Arctic Borough by USDA PLANTS. 139 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska

Native species: 233 Typical Alaska county: 237 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 139 Typical Alaska county: 149
Share by type (all 233 native species): Percent of the 233 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (17)
Shrub 14% (33)
Wildflower (forb) 41% (95)
Grass or grass-like 29% (67)
Vine <1% (2)
Fern 8% (19)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (41%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (29%).

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 1b to 3a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 139

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

Garden-ready native plants of Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy 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 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 alpine speedwell Veronica wormskjoldii	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
American dunegrass Leymus mollis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
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 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
Barclay's willow Salix barclayi	Tree	15 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
beach pea Lathyrus japonicus	Vine	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
beaked sedge Carex rostrata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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
black spruce Picea mariana	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 1a
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
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
bunchberry dogwood Cornus canadensis	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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 duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	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
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
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
forked wormwood Artemisia furcata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 5b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
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
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 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
Greene's mountain ash Sorbus scopulina	Tree	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
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
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
largeflower speargrass Poa eminens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	—	Zone 2a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
lesser panicled sedge Carex diandra	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Lewis flax Linum lewisii	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea	Shrub	6 in	Sun	—	Zone 1a
little green sedge Carex viridula	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
littletree willow Salix arbusculoides	Tree	10 ft	Sun	—	—
livid sedge Carex livida	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
longstalk starwort Stellaria longipes	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Lyngbye's sedge Carex lyngbyei	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 2a
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
mud sedge Carex limosa	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
netleaf willow Salix reticulata	Shrub	2 in	—	—	Zone 1a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
northern black currant Ribes hudsonianum	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
northern singlespike sedge Carex scirpoidea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
northern water-starwort Callitriche hermaphroditica	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
paper birch Betula papyrifera	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
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
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
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
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
showy locoweed Oxytropis splendens	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	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
silvery sedge Carex canescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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 trisetum Trisetum spicatum	Grass or grass-like	1.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
squashberry Viburnum edule	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
star duckweed Lemna trisulca	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum	Fern	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
sweetgale Myrica gale	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
threadleaf sedge Carex filifolia	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
three-hulled rush Juncus triglumis	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum	Vine	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
water birch Betula occidentalis	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 1a
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile	Fern	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
western water hemlock Cicuta douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
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
woodland horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum	Fern	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 94

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 bulrush Trichophorum alpinum
alpine fescue Festuca brachyphylla
alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
alpine pondweed Potamogeton alpinus
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
barrenground willow Salix niphoclada
beautiful sandwort Minuartia rubella
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
bitter fleabane Erigeron acris
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
Crawford's sedge Carex crawfordii
creeping sedge Carex chordorrhiza
dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
elk sedge Carex garberi
English sundew Drosera anglica
false melic Schizachne purpurascens
feltleaf willow Salix alaxensis
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
fleshy starwort Stellaria crassifolia
fragile rockbrake Cryptogramma stelleri
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
groundcedar Lycopodium complanatum
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
Lapland sedge Carex lapponica
lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre
marsh willowherb Epilobium palustre
meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
Mingan moonwort Botrychium minganense
moss campion Silene acaulis
mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
northern bog sedge Carex gynocrates
northern green orchid Platanthera aquilonis
northern green rush Juncus alpinoarticulatus
northern hollyfern Polystichum lonchitis
northern sedge Carex deflexa
northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
one-cone clubmoss Lycopodium lagopus
Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
pimpernel willowherb Epilobium anagallidifolium
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
purple reedgrass Calamagrostis purpurascens
pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
resin birch Betula glandulosa
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
rock harlequin Corydalis sempervirens
Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
seaside sandplant Honckenya peploides
sheathed pondweed Stuckenia vaginata
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
single delight Moneses uniflora
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
snowline wintergreen Pyrola minor
thinleaf cottonsedge Eriophorum viridicarinatum
thread rush Juncus filiformis
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
tussock cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum
twinflower Linnaea borealis
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
water arum Calla palustris
waterawlwort Subularia aquatica
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
whorl-leaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum
yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida

Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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.

Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
wild chivesAllium schoenoprasum

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, Northwest Arctic Borough and Alaska
Measure	Northwest Arctic Borough	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	233	237	503
Garden-ready natives	139	149	294
Tree	17	—	40
Shrub	33	—	55
Wildflower (forb)	95	—	234
Grass or grass-like	67	—	132
Vine	2	—	8
Fern	19	—	34

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: Northwest Arctic Borough (county FIPS 02188), Alaska. 233 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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