Native plants · Minnesota
Native plants of Dodge County
260 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Dodge County by USDA PLANTS. 112 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 5 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Dodge County, Minnesota
- Native species
- 260 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 112 Typical Minnesota county: 193
- Share by type (all 260 native species)
-
Percent of the 260 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 112
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia | Tree | 25 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 black currant Ribes americanum | Shrub | 3 ft | — | — | Zone 2b |
| American hazelnut Corylus americana | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| awlfruit sedge Carex stipata | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii | Grass or grass-like | 3.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 ash Fraxinus nigra | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 2b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| bog birch Betula pumila | Shrub | 20 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| boxelder Acer negundo | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| butternut Juglans cinerea | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsii | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | 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 goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta | Wildflower (forb) | 10 in | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| crested sedge Carex cristatella | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum | Shrub | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3a |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | 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 |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fringed brome Bromus ciliatus | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| gray dogwood Cornus racemosa | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| great St. Johnswort Hypericum ascyron | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| greater straw sedge Carex normalis | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| groundnut Apios americana | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| inland sedge Carex interior | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana | Fern | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| knotted rush Juncus nodosus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| northern bedstraw Galium boreale | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| old man's whiskers Geum triflorum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| 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 willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum | Wildflower (forb) | 8.1 ft | Sun | High | 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 |
| 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 |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| sageleaf willow Salix candida | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| spiked muhly Muhlenbergia glomerata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| spotted joe pye weed Eutrochium maculatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| swamp white oak Quercus bicolor | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| upright sedge Carex stricta | Grass or grass-like | 4.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | 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 panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| whitegrass Leersia virginica | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| wild sweetwilliam Phlox maculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5b |
| yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 148
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.
- agueweed Gentianella quinquefolia
- American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
- Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
- beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
- bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- compassplant Silphium laciniatum
- Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
- dioecious sedge Carex sterilis
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
- eastern star sedge Carex radiata
- eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
- Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
- false melic Schizachne purpurascens
- falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
- feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
- fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
- field thistle Cirsium discolor
- flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
- fourflower yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadriflora
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- fragile rockbrake Cryptogramma stelleri
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- giant sunflower Helianthus giganteus
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- grape honeysuckle Lonicera reticulata
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- Great Plains lady's tresses Spiranthes magnicamporum
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- greater fringed gentian Gentianopsis crinita
- Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
- groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
- harlequin blueflag Iris versicolor
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- Kalm's hawkweed Hieracium kalmii
- lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
- Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
- marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- meadow garlic Allium canadense
- meadow willow Salix petiolaris
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
- northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
- northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
- Ontario lobelia Lobelia kalmii
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
- pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
- poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
- prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
- prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie sedge Carex prairea
- prairie violet Viola pedatifida
- purple giant hyssop Agastache scrophulariifolia
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
- rigid sedge Carex tetanica
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
- seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
- Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
- showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
- shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
- skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
- slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth rose Rosa blanda
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- stiff cowbane Oxypolis rigidior
- stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
- stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
- swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
- swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
- tobacco root Valeriana edulis
- veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
- violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
- Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
- Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow avens Geum aleppicum
Also listed as native and introduced here 5
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.
- annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- common pepperweedLepidium densiflorum
- common reedPhragmites australis
- hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
- 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 | Dodge County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 260 | 435 | 1,506 |
| Garden-ready natives | 112 | 193 | 550 |
| Tree | 20 | — | 105 |
| Shrub | 14 | — | 96 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 146 | — | 824 |
| Grass or grass-like | 59 | — | 361 |
| Vine | 15 | — | 43 |
| Fern | 6 | — | 77 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Dodge County.
- Goodhue County, MN 275 garden-ready
- Mower County, MN 193 garden-ready
- Olmsted County, MN 148 garden-ready
- Steele County, MN 140 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
- Dodge County (county FIPS 27039), Minnesota. 260 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