Native plants · Minnesota
Native plants of Freeborn County
249 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Freeborn County by USDA PLANTS. 119 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Freeborn County, Minnesota
- Native species
- 249 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 119 Typical Minnesota county: 193
- Share by type (all 249 native species)
-
Percent of the 249 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (60%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (24%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 119
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 |
| American black currant Ribes americanum | Shrub | 3 ft | — | — | Zone 2b |
| American eelgrass Vallisneria americana | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| American hazelnut Corylus americana | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American plum Prunus americana | Tree | 24 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum | Vine | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 6a |
| Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| black maple Acer nigrum | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| 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 |
| blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| broadleaf arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| chokecherry Prunus virginiana | Tree | 25 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsii | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri | Grass or grass-like | 6.5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 10b |
| common blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| common spikerush Eleocharis palustris | Grass or grass-like | 1.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| crested sedge Carex cristatella | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| cup plant Silphium perfoliatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 2b |
| devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 12a |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| downy yellow violet Viola pubescens | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| flatstem spikerush Eleocharis compressa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| fowl bluegrass Poa palustris | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| gray dogwood Cornus racemosa | Shrub | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| hop sedge Carex lupulina | Grass or grass-like | 4.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 |
| Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus | Wildflower (forb) | 9.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala | Tree | 52 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | 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 red oak Quercus rubra | Tree | 81 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata | Wildflower (forb) | 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 dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis | Grass or grass-like | 2.3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| prairie willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| purple milkvetch Astragalus agrestis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| quaking aspen Populus tremuloides | Tree | 65 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1a |
| red elderberry Sambucus racemosa | Tree | 18 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| staghorn sumac Rhus typhina | Tree | 30 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| star duckweed Lemna trisulca | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| star sedge Carex echinata | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | 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 |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| 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 |
| western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 130
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 burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
- American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
- bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
- Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
- clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- compassplant Silphium laciniatum
- cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
- Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
- downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- eastern star sedge Carex radiata
- elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
- falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
- flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
- fourflower yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadriflora
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- greater water dock Rumex orbiculatus
- groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- Hayden's sedge Carex haydenii
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- hoary frostweed Helianthemum bicknellii
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- hybrid cattail Typha ×glauca
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
- Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- manyfruit primrose-willow Ludwigia polycarpa
- marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
- Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
- northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
- northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
- northern water plantain Alisma triviale
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
- prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
- prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
- prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
- prairie violet Viola pedatifida
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
- ramp Allium tricoccum
- red baneberry Actaea rubra
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
- rosy sedge Carex rosea
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
- Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
- Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
- shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
- showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
- skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
- smartweed dodder Cuscuta polygonorum
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth rose Rosa blanda
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- stiff cowbane Oxypolis rigidior
- stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
- stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
- swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
- Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
- tobacco root Valeriana edulis
- umbrella flatsedge Cyperus diandrus
- veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
- Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
- western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
- white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
- 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
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- wild yam Dioscorea villosa
- winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
- wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
- woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow avens Geum aleppicum
- yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
Also listed as native and introduced here 3
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
- hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
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 | Freeborn County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 249 | 435 | 1,506 |
| Garden-ready natives | 119 | 193 | 550 |
| Tree | 21 | — | 105 |
| Shrub | 8 | — | 96 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 150 | — | 824 |
| Grass or grass-like | 59 | — | 361 |
| Vine | 9 | — | 43 |
| Fern | 2 | — | 77 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Freeborn County.
- Faribault County, MN 107 garden-ready
- Mower County, MN 193 garden-ready
- Steele County, MN 140 garden-ready
- Waseca County, MN 138 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
- Freeborn County (county FIPS 27047), Minnesota. 249 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