Native plants · Minnesota

Native plants of Le Sueur County

354 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Le Sueur County by USDA PLANTS. 172 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 4 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Le Sueur County, Minnesota

Native species: 354 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 172 Typical Minnesota county: 193
Share by type (all 354 native species): Percent of the 354 native species in each growth type

Tree 8% (30)
Shrub 3% (11)
Wildflower (forb) 56% (200)
Grass or grass-like 24% (85)
Vine 4% (15)
Fern 4% (13)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), 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 4b to 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 172

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

Garden-ready native plants of Le Sueur County, Minnesota
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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 black currant Ribes americanum	Shrub	3 ft	—	—	Zone 2b
American eelgrass Vallisneria americana	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
American plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	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
arctic brome Bromus kalmii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
bigtooth aspen Populus grandidentata	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
black ash Fraxinus nigra	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blister sedge Carex vesicaria	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
bog willowherb Epilobium leptophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	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
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common blue violet Viola sororia	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Low	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 juniper Juniperus communis	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
crested sedge Carex cristatella	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana	Grass or grass-like	3.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
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
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
hairy sedge Carex lacustris	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	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
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus	Tree	100 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
leadplant Amorpha canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 3a
lesser panicled sedge Carex diandra	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
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
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
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
paper birch Betula papyrifera	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	Low	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 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 Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	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
pussy willow Salix discolor	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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 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
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
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
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
slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia	Wildflower (forb)	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
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
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile	Fern	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	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 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
wild sweetwilliam Phlox maculata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5b
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

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.

Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
autumn onion Allium stellatum
Back's sedge Carex backii
balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bog willow Salix pedicellaris
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina draba Draba reptans
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
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
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
dioecious sedge Carex sterilis
downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf red blackberry Rubus pubescens
dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
fall rosette grass Dichanthelium wilcoxianum
false Indian plantain Hasteola suaveolens
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
field thistle Cirsium discolor
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
forked threeawn Aristida basiramea
fourflower yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadriflora
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fraser's marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri
Fries' pondweed Potamogeton friesii
Geyer's sandmat Chamaesyce geyeri
Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
golden zizia Zizia aurea
grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
Hitchcock's sedge Carex hitchcockiana
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
lesser clearweed Pilea fontana
limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
nodding onion Allium cernuum
northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
northern wildrice Zizania palustris
Ontario lobelia Lobelia kalmii
parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
Peck's sedge Carex peckii
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
prairie sedge Carex prairea
prairie violet Viola pedatifida
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
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 pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
smooth rose Rosa blanda
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
umbrella flatsedge Cyperus diandrus
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
water arum Calla palustris
watershield Brasenia schreberi
western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly sedge Carex pellita
woollyfruit sedge Carex lasiocarpa
yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris

Also listed as native and introduced here 4

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
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.

Native species counts, Le Sueur County and Minnesota
Measure	Le Sueur County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	354	435	1,506
Garden-ready natives	172	193	550
Tree	30	—	105
Shrub	11	—	96
Wildflower (forb)	200	—	824
Grass or grass-like	85	—	361
Vine	15	—	43
Fern	13	—	77

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Le Sueur County.

Blue Earth County, MN 261 garden-ready
Nicollet County, MN 137 garden-ready
Rice County, MN 197 garden-ready
Scott County, MN 209 garden-ready
Sibley County, MN 55 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: Le Sueur County (county FIPS 27079), Minnesota. 354 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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