Native plants · Alaska

Native plants of Sitka City and Borough

159 plant species are recorded as native to Alaska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Sitka City and Borough by USDA PLANTS. 105 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

Sitka City and Borough, Alaska

Native species: 159 Typical Alaska county: 237 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 105 Typical Alaska county: 149
Share by type (all 159 native species): Percent of the 159 native species in each growth type

Tree 8% (12)
Shrub 13% (21)
Wildflower (forb) 40% (63)
Grass or grass-like 28% (45)
Vine 3% (4)
Fern 9% (14)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (40%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (28%).

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 zone 7b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 105

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

Garden-ready native plants of Sitka City and Borough, Alaska
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
Alaska cedar Callitropsis nootkatensis	Tree	75 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
alpine bistort Polygonum viviparum	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
alpine laurel Kalmia microphylla	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
alpine mountainsorrel Oxyria digyna	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
American dunegrass Leymus mollis	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 8a
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
arctic bluegrass Poa arctica	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	—	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
arrowleaf ragwort Senecio triangularis	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
bearded fescue Festuca subulata	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
black crowberry Empetrum nigrum	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
blue wildrye Elymus glaucus	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
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
broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
broadlipped twayblade Listera convallarioides	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
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
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
chestnut rush Juncus castaneus	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
clasping arnica Arnica amplexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
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
copperbush Elliottia pyroliflora	Shrub	5 ft	—	—	Zone 5a
darkthroat shootingstar Dodecatheon pulchellum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Douglas aster Symphyotrichum subspicatum	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
Drummond's rush Juncus drummondii	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
dwarf bilberry Vaccinium cespitosum	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
fringed grass of Parnassus Parnassia fimbriata	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
hair-like sedge Carex capillaris	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Shrub	6 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
largeflower speargrass Poa eminens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	—	Zone 2a
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea	Shrub	6 in	Sun	—	Zone 1a
livid sedge Carex livida	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta	Tree	99 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 1a
Lyngbye's sedge Carex lyngbyei	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 2a
Mertens' rush Juncus mertensianus	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Mertens' sedge Carex mertensii	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
mountain hemlock Tsuga mertensiana	Tree	125 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
netleaf willow Salix reticulata	Shrub	2 in	—	—	Zone 1a
Nootka lupine Lupinus nootkatensis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
Nootka rose Rosa nutkana	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
northern singlespike sedge Carex scirpoidea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
Oregon crab apple Malus fusca	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 10a
oval-leaf blueberry Vaccinium ovalifolium	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
prickly currant Ribes lacustre	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red alder Alnus rubra	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
red huckleberry Vaccinium parvifolium	Shrub	12 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 6a
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
salal Gaultheria shallon	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8a
salmonberry Rubus spectabilis	Vine	12 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
sea milkwort Glaux maritima	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
seashore bluegrass Poa macrantha	Grass or grass-like	5 in	Sun	Low	Zone 9b
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Siberian springbeauty Claytonia sibirica	Wildflower (forb)	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
silvery sedge Carex canescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis	Tree	200 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Sitka willow Salix sitchensis	Tree	23 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5b
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
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
star sedge Carex echinata	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum	Fern	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
subalpine fleabane Erigeron peregrinus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
swordleaf rush Juncus ensifolius	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
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
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
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
western columbine Aquilegia formosa	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
western mountain ash Sorbus sitchensis	Tree	15 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
western swordfern Polystichum munitum	Fern	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
white marsh marigold Caltha leptosepala	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
widgeongrass Ruppia maritima	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 7a
woolly geranium Geranium erianthum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	—	Zone 5a

Other native species recorded here 54

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.

Aleutian maidenhair Adiantum aleuticum
alpine bluegrass Poa alpina
alpine milkvetch Astragalus alpinus
American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
Bering's tufted hairgrass Deschampsia beringensis
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
boreal bog sedge Carex magellanica
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
brightgreen spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes-ramosum
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
fairy slipper Calypso bulbosa
fewflower sedge Carex pauciflora
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
inundated clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
northern green rush Juncus alpinoarticulatus
northern hollyfern Polystichum lonchitis
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
red baneberry Actaea rubra
rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
seaside sandplant Honckenya peploides
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
single delight Moneses uniflora
slender bog orchid Platanthera stricta
slender-spire orchid Piperia unalascensis
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
snowline wintergreen Pyrola minor
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
swaying bulrush Schoenoplectus subterminalis
thread rush Juncus filiformis
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
twinflower Linnaea borealis
twistedstalk Streptopus lanceolatus
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba

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.

claspleaf twistedstalkStreptopus amplexifolius
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

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, Sitka City and Borough and Alaska
Measure	Sitka City and Borough	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	159	237	503
Garden-ready natives	105	149	294
Tree	12	—	40
Shrub	21	—	55
Wildflower (forb)	63	—	234
Grass or grass-like	45	—	132
Vine	4	—	8
Fern	14	—	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: Sitka City and Borough (county FIPS 02220), Alaska. 159 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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