Native plants · Minnesota

Native plants of Grant County

141 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Grant County by USDA PLANTS. 58 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

Grant County, Minnesota

Native species: 141 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 58 Typical Minnesota county: 193
Share by type (all 141 native species): Percent of the 141 native species in each growth type

Tree 3% (4)
Shrub 2% (3)
Wildflower (forb) 67% (95)
Grass or grass-like 24% (34)
Vine 2% (3)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (67%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (24%).

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 4a to 4b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 58

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

Garden-ready native plants of Grant County, Minnesota
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
American black currant Ribes americanum	Shrub	3 ft	—	—	Zone 2b
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
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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
Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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 duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata	Grass or grass-like	5.7 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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 locoweed Oxytropis lambertii	Wildflower (forb)	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
purple milkvetch Astragalus agrestis	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia	Vine	45 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
rough bugleweed Lycopus asper	Wildflower (forb)	2.1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 83

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.

American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
golden zizia Zizia aurea
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heavy sedge Carex gravida
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
nodding onion Allium cernuum
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
prairie violet Viola pedatifida
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
ramp Allium tricoccum
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
red baneberry Actaea rubra
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
witchgrass Panicum capillare
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly sedge Carex pellita

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 reedPhragmites australis
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.

Native species counts, Grant County and Minnesota
Measure	Grant County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	141	435	1,506
Garden-ready natives	58	193	550
Tree	4	—	105
Shrub	3	—	96
Wildflower (forb)	95	—	824
Grass or grass-like	34	—	361
Vine	3	—	43
Fern	2	—	77

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Grant County.

Douglas County, MN 190 garden-ready
Otter Tail County, MN 252 garden-ready
Stevens County, MN 76 garden-ready
Traverse County, MN 154 garden-ready
Wilkin County, MN 173 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: Grant County (county FIPS 27051), Minnesota. 141 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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