Native plants · Alaska

Native plants of Yakutat City and Borough

238 plant species are recorded as native to Alaska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Yakutat City and Borough by USDA PLANTS. 151 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

Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska

Native species: 238 Typical Alaska county: 237 (median of 24 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 151 Typical Alaska county: 149
Share by type (all 238 native species): Percent of the 238 native species in each growth type

Tree 6% (15)
Shrub 10% (23)
Wildflower (forb) 47% (113)
Grass or grass-like 28% (67)
Vine 2% (5)
Fern 6% (15)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (47%), 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 6b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 151

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

Garden-ready native plants of Yakutat City and Borough, Alaska
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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 laurel Kalmia microphylla	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
alpine timothy Phleum alpinum	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
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 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 dock Rumex arcticus	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
arctic pearlwort Sagina saginoides	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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
beaked sedge Carex rostrata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 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
bluntseed sweetroot Osmorhiza depauperata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	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
broadleaf arnica Arnica latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	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
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Chamisso arnica Arnica chamissonis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
chamisso sedge Carex pachystachya	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 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
deer fern Blechnum spicant	Fern	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
Douglas aster Symphyotrichum subspicatum	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 6b
drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
fineleaf pondweed Stuckenia filiformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	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
fringed grass of Parnassus Parnassia fimbriata	Wildflower (forb)	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
glaucous bluegrass Poa glauca	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	—	Zone 3a
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
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
lanceleaf grapefern Botrychium lanceolatum	Fern	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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
livid sedge Carex livida	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
lodgepole pine Pinus contorta	Tree	99 ft	Sun	Medium	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 bluegrass Poa leptocoma	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
marsh grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
meadow barley Hordeum brachyantherum	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
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
Nootka lupine Lupinus nootkatensis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
orange agoseris Agoseris aurantiaca	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
Pacific anemone Anemone multifida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pendantgrass Arctophila fulva	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	—	Zone 3a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Richardson's willow Salix richardsonii	Tree	15 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
Rocky Mountain goldenrod Solidago multiradiata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
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
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
softleaf sedge Carex disperma	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
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
tall Jacob's-ladder Polemonium acutiflorum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
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
Tilesius' wormwood Artemisia tilesii	Wildflower (forb)	36 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 1a
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
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
twinberry honeysuckle Lonicera involucrata	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
twoflowered rush Juncus biglumis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
undergreen willow Salix commutata	Shrub	3 ft	—	—	Zone 3b
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 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 columbine Aquilegia formosa	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
western hemlock Tsuga heterophylla	Tree	170 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
western mountain ash Sorbus sitchensis	Tree	15 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
western pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
western water hemlock Cicuta douglasii	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
white marsh marigold Caltha leptosepala	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
wideleaf polargrass Arctagrostis latifolia	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
woolly geranium Geranium erianthum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	—	Zone 5a
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 87

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
alpine pondweed Potamogeton alpinus
American rockbrake Cryptogramma acrostichoides
American yellowrocket Barbarea orthoceras
autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
beautiful sandwort Minuartia rubella
Bering's tufted hairgrass Deschampsia beringensis
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
bride's feathers Aruncus dioicus
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
dune willow Salix hookeriana
elk sedge Carex garberi
English sundew Drosera anglica
feltleaf willow Salix alaxensis
fewflower sedge Carex pauciflora
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fries' pondweed Potamogeton friesii
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
giant red Indian paintbrush Castilleja miniata
green false hellebore Veratrum viride
heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
hookedspur violet Viola adunca
Hornemann's willowherb Epilobium hornemannii
Huron green orchid Platanthera huronensis
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
marsh willowherb Epilobium palustre
milkflower willowherb Epilobium lactiflorum
Mingan moonwort Botrychium minganense
moss campion Silene acaulis
mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
northern bentgrass Agrostis mertensii
northern green orchid Platanthera aquilonis
northern green rush Juncus alpinoarticulatus
northern hollyfern Polystichum lonchitis
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
pimpernel willowherb Epilobium anagallidifolium
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris
red baneberry Actaea rubra
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
seaside sandplant Honckenya peploides
seawrack Zostera marina
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
single delight Moneses uniflora
slender bog orchid Platanthera stricta
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
snowline wintergreen Pyrola minor
spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
sticky tofieldia Triantha glutinosa
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
sweetcicely Osmorhiza berteroi
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
water minerslettuce Montia chamissoi
water mudwort Limosella aquatica
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
western rattlesnake plantain Goodyera oblongifolia
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
whorl-leaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum
wild chives Allium schoenoprasum
yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
yellow sedge Carex flava

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, Yakutat City and Borough and Alaska
Measure	Yakutat City and Borough	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	238	237	503
Garden-ready natives	151	149	294
Tree	15	—	40
Shrub	23	—	55
Wildflower (forb)	113	—	234
Grass or grass-like	67	—	132
Vine	5	—	8
Fern	15	—	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: Yakutat City and Borough (county FIPS 02282), Alaska. 238 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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