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Native plants · Michigan

Native plants of Wexford County

253 plant species are recorded as native to Michigan in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wexford County by USDA PLANTS. 107 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

Wexford County, Michigan

Native species
253 Typical Michigan county: 495 (median of 83 counties)
Garden-ready natives
107 Typical Michigan county: 227
Share by type (all 253 native species)
Percent of the 253 native species in each growth type
Tree 9% (24)
Shrub 12% (31)
Wildflower (forb) 54% (137)
Grass or grass-like 23% (58)
Vine 1% (3)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).

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 5a to 5b (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 107

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wexford County, Michigan
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
American beech Fagus grandifolia Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
American black currant Ribes americanum Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 2b
American water horehound Lycopus americanus Wildflower (forb) 1.8 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
arborvitae Thuja occidentalis Tree 50 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
black spruce Picea mariana Tree 65 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 1a
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
bluebead Clintonia borealis Wildflower (forb) 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bog birch Betula pumila Shrub 20 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
bog laurel Kalmia polifolia Shrub 1 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bristly dewberry Rubus hispidus Shrub 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
broom sedge Carex scoparia Grass or grass-like 2.5 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
bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
Canada yew Taxus canadensis Shrub 5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
Canadian rush Juncus canadensis Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
Carolina rose Rosa carolina Shrub 5 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
common blue violet Viola sororia Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
common rush Juncus effusus Grass or grass-like 6.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus Shrub 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata Tree 10 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana Vine 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana Grass or grass-like 3.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis Tree 105 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens Shrub 6 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis Wildflower (forb) — Sun 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
graceful sedge Carex gracillima Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica Tree 80 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
inland sedge Carex interior Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
jack pine Pinus banksiana Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 6b
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium Shrub 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala Tree 52 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
necklace sedge Carex projecta Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus Shrub 3 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4b
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
northern bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera Shrub 2.4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 5a
northern red oak Quercus rubra Tree 81 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
northern St. Johnswort Hypericum boreale Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
purple avens Geum rivale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
quill sedge Carex tenera Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
rattlesnake mannagrass Glyceria canadensis Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
red currant Ribes triste Shrub 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 1a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa Tree 18 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
ribbonleaf pondweed Potamogeton epihydrus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
Robbins' pondweed Potamogeton robbinsii Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
rock elm Ulmus thomasii Tree 90 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 2b
rough bedstraw Galium asprellum Wildflower (forb) 5.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
shining willow Salix lucida Tree 13 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
small white violet Viola macloskeyi Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium Wildflower (forb) 10 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
swamp rose Rosa palustris Shrub 8.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
sweet fern Comptonia peregrina Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
sweetgale Myrica gale Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
tamarack Larix laricina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 1a
tapertip rush Juncus acuminatus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
Virginia iris Iris virginica Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 8b
wavy hairgrass Deschampsia flexuosa Grass or grass-like 2.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
white spruce Picea glauca Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
whitestem pondweed Potamogeton praelongus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis Tree 75 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 2b
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 146

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 bulrush Trichophorum alpinum
  • alpine violet Viola labradorica
  • American fly honeysuckle Lonicera canadensis
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium americanum
  • American milletgrass Milium effusum
  • balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
  • beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • Blue Ridge sedge Carex lucorum
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
  • bog white violet Viola lanceolata
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • boreal bog sedge Carex magellanica
  • bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
  • bristly sarsaparilla Aralia hispida
  • broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
  • brownfruit rush Juncus pelocarpus
  • brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
  • Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
  • catberry Ilex mucronata
  • chairmaker's bulrush Schoenoplectus americanus
  • Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
  • coastal jointweed Polygonella articulata
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
  • crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • cypress-like sedge Carex pseudocyperus
  • devil's bite Liatris scariosa
  • Dodge's hawthorn Crataegus dodgei
  • dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
  • downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
  • dragon's mouth Arethusa bulbosa
  • drooping woodland sedge Carex arctata
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • earth loosestrife Lysimachia terrestris
  • eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
  • eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
  • false melic Schizachne purpurascens
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
  • fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
  • flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • Fraser's marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • gaywings Polygala paucifolia
  • hairy bedstraw Galium pilosum
  • hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
  • hairystem gooseberry Ribes hirtellum
  • Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
  • Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
  • Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
  • longbranch frostweed Helianthemum canadense
  • longspur violet Viola rostrata
  • Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
  • marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
  • matting rosette grass Dichanthelium meridionale
  • mountain woodsorrel Oxalis montana
  • narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
  • narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
  • narrowpanicle rush Juncus brevicaudatus
  • northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
  • northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
  • northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • oldpasture bluegrass Poa saltuensis
  • Ontario blazing star Liatris cylindracea
  • orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
  • Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
  • partridgeberry Mitchella repens
  • Peck's sedge Carex peckii
  • plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
  • poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
  • purple chokeberry Aronia ×prunifolia
  • purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
  • purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
  • racemed milkwort Polygala polygama
  • ramp Allium tricoccum
  • rattlesnakeweed Hieracium venosum
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
  • Robert geranium Geranium robertianum
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
  • sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • slender fimbry Fimbristylis autumnalis
  • slender watermilfoil Myriophyllum tenellum
  • slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
  • small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
  • smooth sawgrass Cladium mariscoides
  • spiral pondweed Potamogeton spirillus
  • spoonleaf sundew Drosera intermedia
  • spotted beebalm Monarda punctata
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
  • starflower Trientalis borealis
  • sweet white violet Viola blanda
  • thinleaf cottonsedge Eriophorum viridicarinatum
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • Tuckerman's sedge Carex tuckermanii
  • twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
  • Virginia dwarfdandelion Krigia virginica
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • water arum Calla palustris
  • waxflower shinleaf Pyrola elliptica
  • whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
  • white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
  • white bear sedge Carex albursina
  • white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
  • white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
  • white turtlehead Chelone glabra
  • whorl-leaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum
  • wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
  • wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
  • woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • woollyfruit sedge Carex lasiocarpa
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.

Compared with Michigan

The typical county is the median of the 83 Michigan 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, Wexford County and Michigan
MeasureWexford CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 253 495 1,641
Garden-ready natives 107 227 595
Tree 24 — 136
Shrub 31 — 104
Wildflower (forb) 137 — 870
Grass or grass-like 58 — 398
Vine 3 — 48
Fern 0 — 85

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wexford County.

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
Wexford County (county FIPS 26165), Michigan. 253 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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