Native plants · Minnesota
Native plants of Brown County
330 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Brown County by USDA PLANTS. 148 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
Brown County, Minnesota
- Native species
- 330 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 148 Typical Minnesota county: 193
- Share by type (all 330 native species)
-
Percent of the 330 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 148
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 12b |
| American bittersweet Celastrus scandens | Vine | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American red raspberry Rubus idaeus | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | — | Zone 1a |
| American vetch Vicia americana | Vine | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| American water horehound Lycopus americanus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American water plantain Alisma subcordatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| annual wildrice Zizania aquatica | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 10b |
| arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black maple Acer nigrum | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black raspberry Rubus occidentalis | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| broom sedge Carex scoparia | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| butternut Juglans cinerea | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Carolina foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus | Grass or grass-like | 1.7 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum | Wildflower (forb) | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common evening primrose Oenothera biennis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common rivergrass Scolochloa festucacea | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| cup plant Silphium perfoliatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 2b |
| cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 12b |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana | Tree | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa | Shrub | 15 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| fowl bluegrass Poa palustris | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata | Grass or grass-like | 5.7 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| gray dogwood Cornus racemosa | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| great St. Johnswort Hypericum ascyron | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus | Wildflower (forb) | 9.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| knotted rush Juncus nodosus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.1 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| little barley Hordeum pusillum | Grass or grass-like | 1.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| longhair sedge Carex comosa | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| nannyberry Viburnum lentago | Tree | 28 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 |
| nodding waternymph Najas flexilis | Wildflower (forb) | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| northern bedstraw Galium boreale | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum | Fern | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| northern red oak Quercus rubra | Tree | 81 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| poverty rush Juncus tenuis | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata | Grass or grass-like | 8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia | Grass or grass-like | 4.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| quaking aspen Populus tremuloides | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1a |
| quill sedge Carex tenera | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 12b |
| redosier dogwood Cornus sericea | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| roundleaf dogwood Cornus rugosa | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| roundleaf serviceberry Amelanchier sanguinea | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea | Tree | 18 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| slender bulrush Schoenoplectus heterochaetus | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spotted joe pye weed Eutrochium maculatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| star duckweed Lemna trisulca | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| tall cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| tall hairy agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala | Wildflower (forb) | 5.9 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides | Grass or grass-like | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| Virginia iris Iris virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 8b |
| water knotweed Polygonum amphibium | Wildflower (forb) | 1 in | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| wheat sedge Carex atherodes | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| white meadowsweet Spiraea alba | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| white prairie clover Dalea candida | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| woolly plantain Plantago patagonica | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 12b |
| yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 182
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American spikenard Aralia racemosa
- Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
- autumn onion Allium stellatum
- Back's sedge Carex backii
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- buttonbush dodder Cuscuta cephalanthi
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
- Carolina geranium Geranium carolinianum
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
- downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
- dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
- eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
- hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
- Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
- lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
- large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
- largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
- longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
- mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
- marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
- Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
- mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
- needletip blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- nodding onion Allium cernuum
- Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
- northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
- northern water plantain Alisma triviale
- northern wildrice Zizania palustris
- Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
- Peck's sedge Carex peckii
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
- pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
- prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
- prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
- prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- prairie violet Viola pedatifida
- pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- ramp Allium tricoccum
- red baneberry Actaea rubra
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
- Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
- rigid sedge Carex tetanica
- rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
- rosy sedge Carex rosea
- rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
- Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
- scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
- Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
- silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
- sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
- slender rosette grass Dichanthelium xanthophysum
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
- smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth rose Rosa blanda
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- snow trillium Trillium nivale
- soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
- stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
- sunbright Phemeranthus parviflorus
- swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- tall blazing star Liatris aspera
- Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
- threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
- veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
- Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
- western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
- whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
- white bear sedge Carex albursina
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
- white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
- woodland draba Draba nemorosa
- woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow avens Geum aleppicum
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.
- common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
- Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
Compared with Minnesota
The typical county is the median of the 87 Minnesota 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.
| Measure | Brown County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 330 | 435 | 1,506 |
| Garden-ready natives | 148 | 193 | 550 |
| Tree | 32 | — | 105 |
| Shrub | 11 | — | 96 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 194 | — | 824 |
| Grass or grass-like | 71 | — | 361 |
| Vine | 13 | — | 43 |
| Fern | 9 | — | 77 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Brown County.
- Blue Earth County, MN 261 garden-ready
- Cottonwood County, MN 106 garden-ready
- Nicollet County, MN 137 garden-ready
- Redwood County, MN 136 garden-ready
- Renville County, MN 83 garden-ready
- Watonwan County, MN 49 garden-ready
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
- Brown County (county FIPS 27015), Minnesota. 330 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