Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Minnesota

Native plants of Nobles County

233 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Nobles County by USDA PLANTS. 99 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

Nobles County, Minnesota

Native species
233 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
Garden-ready natives
99 Typical Minnesota county: 193
Share by type (all 233 native species)
Percent of the 233 native species in each growth type
Tree 3% (7)
Shrub 2% (4)
Wildflower (forb) 67% (157)
Grass or grass-like 24% (57)
Vine 3% (6)
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 4b to 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 99

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

Garden-ready native plants of Nobles County, Minnesota
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy 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 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
arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
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
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
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 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
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 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 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
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
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
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
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
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High 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
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
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
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
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
paper birch Betula papyrifera Tree 70 ft Sun High Zone 1a
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4b
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 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
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
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
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
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
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
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
upright sedge Carex stricta Grass or grass-like 4.2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 5a
white avens Geum canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
white doll's daisy Boltonia asteroides Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
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
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a

Other native species recorded here 134

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 hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • autumn onion Allium stellatum
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
  • bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • compassplant Silphium laciniatum
  • Crawe's sedge Carex crawei
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
  • Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
  • falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
  • fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
  • flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
  • fourflower yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadriflora
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • grooved flax Linum sulcatum
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • heavy sedge Carex gravida
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
  • large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
  • Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
  • lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
  • longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
  • longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
  • marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
  • marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • meadow zizia Zizia aptera
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • needle beaksedge Rhynchospora capillacea
  • needletip blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum
  • nodding onion Allium cernuum
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • Ontario lobelia Lobelia kalmii
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
  • prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
  • prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
  • prairie rose Rosa arkansana
  • prairie sedge Carex prairea
  • 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
  • Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
  • shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
  • showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
  • showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
  • shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
  • slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
  • smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
  • smooth rose Rosa blanda
  • soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
  • strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
  • swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • tall blazing star Liatris aspera
  • tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
  • Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
  • threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
  • veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
  • Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • warty spurge Euphorbia spathulata
  • western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
  • widowsfrill Silene stellata
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
  • wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
  • woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
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.

Native species counts, Nobles County and Minnesota
MeasureNobles CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 233 435 1,506
Garden-ready natives 99 193 550
Tree 7 — 105
Shrub 4 — 96
Wildflower (forb) 157 — 824
Grass or grass-like 57 — 361
Vine 6 — 43
Fern 2 — 77

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Nobles County.

Look up another ZIP

Matches your ZIP to the county it mostly lies in, then lists the plants recorded as native to your state (Kew’s World Checklist and USDA PLANTS) and recorded in that county by USDA PLANTS.

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
Nobles County (county FIPS 27105), Minnesota. 233 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.