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Native plants · Minnesota

Native plants of Wadena County

192 plant species are recorded as native to Minnesota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wadena County by USDA PLANTS. 86 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Wadena County, Minnesota

Native species
192 Typical Minnesota county: 435 (median of 87 counties)
Garden-ready natives
86 Typical Minnesota county: 193
Share by type (all 192 native species)
Percent of the 192 native species in each growth type
Tree 10% (20)
Shrub 8% (15)
Wildflower (forb) 58% (112)
Grass or grass-like 17% (33)
Vine 4% (7)
Fern 3% (5)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (58%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (17%).

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 zone 4a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 86

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wadena County, Minnesota
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis Tree 35 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
American basswood Tilia americana Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
American black currant Ribes americanum Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 2b
American hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
arctic sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera Tree 80 ft Sun High Zone 1a
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
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
bog birch Betula pumila Shrub 20 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa Tree 100 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun 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
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 cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High 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 serviceberry Amelanchier arborea Tree 36 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana Grass or grass-like 3.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens Shrub 6 in Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
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
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
golden ragwort Packera aurea Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
graceful sedge Carex gracillima Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana Tree 25 ft Sun–part shade High 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
jack pine Pinus banksiana Tree 80 ft Sun Low Zone 2a
jewelweed Impatiens capensis Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
marsh grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2.2 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
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
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
purple avens Geum rivale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 4a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides Tree 65 ft Sun High Zone 1a
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
roundleaf serviceberry Amelanchier sanguinea Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
sageleaf willow Salix candida Shrub 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea Wildflower (forb) 1.6 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
shining willow Salix lucida Tree 13 ft Sun–part shade High 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
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
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
tamarack Larix laricina Tree 80 ft Sun Medium Zone 1a
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
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
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 106

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.

  • alpine violet Viola labradorica
  • American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American milletgrass Milium effusum
  • American wintergreen Pyrola americana
  • autumn onion Allium stellatum
  • autumn willow Salix serissima
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • bay forget-me-not Myosotis laxa
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
  • buttonbush dodder Cuscuta cephalanthi
  • Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • cheerful sunflower Helianthus ×laetiflorus
  • common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • dryspike sedge Carex siccata
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • false melic Schizachne purpurascens
  • field thistle Cirsium discolor
  • fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
  • flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • giant sunflower Helianthus giganteus
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
  • Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
  • greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
  • hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • hemlock rosette grass Dichanthelium sabulorum
  • hoary frostweed Helianthemum bicknellii
  • hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
  • hookedspur violet Viola adunca
  • Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
  • limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
  • mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • matted spikerush Eleocharis intermedia
  • meadow zizia Zizia aptera
  • Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
  • mountain ricegrass Piptatheropsis pungens
  • narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
  • northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
  • northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
  • northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
  • northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
  • northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
  • northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
  • northern wildrice Zizania palustris
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
  • prairie goldenrod Oligoneuron album
  • prairie rose Rosa arkansana
  • prairie violet Viola pedatifida
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
  • Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
  • Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
  • sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
  • skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
  • sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
  • slender rosette grass Dichanthelium xanthophysum
  • slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • smooth blackberry Rubus canadensis
  • smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
  • smooth rose Rosa blanda
  • spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
  • spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
  • swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
  • swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
  • tall blazing star Liatris aspera
  • tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
  • threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tower rockcress Arabis glabra
  • twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
  • twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
  • veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
  • Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
  • western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
  • whitehair rosette grass Dichanthelium villosissimum
  • wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
  • wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
  • yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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.

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, Wadena County and Minnesota
MeasureWadena CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 192 435 1,506
Garden-ready natives 86 193 550
Tree 20 — 105
Shrub 15 — 96
Wildflower (forb) 112 — 824
Grass or grass-like 33 — 361
Vine 7 — 43
Fern 5 — 77

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wadena 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
Wadena County (county FIPS 27159), Minnesota. 192 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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