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Native plants · North Dakota

Native plants of Foster County

119 plant species are recorded as native to North Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Foster County by USDA PLANTS. 73 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

Foster County, North Dakota

Native species
119 Typical North Dakota county: 287 (median of 53 counties)
Garden-ready natives
73 Typical North Dakota county: 143
Share by type (all 119 native species)
Percent of the 119 native species in each growth type
Tree <1% (1)
Shrub 3% (3)
Wildflower (forb) 71% (85)
Grass or grass-like 24% (29)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (71%), 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 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 73

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

Garden-ready native plants of Foster County, North Dakota
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High 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
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bog willowherb Epilobium leptophyllum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
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 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
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 4a
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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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 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
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
Lewis flax Linum lewisii Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
marsh grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
mat muhly Muhlenbergia richardsonis Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun High Zone 4b
narrowleaf water plantain Alisma gramineum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
Nuttall's sunflower Helianthus nuttallii Wildflower (forb) 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata Grass or grass-like 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida Shrub 2 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3a
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun High Zone 12b
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
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
rough bugleweed Lycopus asper Wildflower (forb) 2.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 4a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
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
silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina Wildflower (forb) 6 in Shade-tolerant High Zone 5a
slender bulrush Schoenoplectus heterochaetus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani Grass or grass-like 9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
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
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 12a
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi Grass or grass-like 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
white doll's daisy Boltonia asteroides Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun–part shade Medium 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

Other native species recorded here 46

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 mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
  • bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
  • flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
  • Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
  • Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
  • manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • Paradox cinquefoil Potentilla paradoxa
  • pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
  • rayless alkali aster Symphyotrichum ciliatum
  • Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
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 North Dakota

The typical county is the median of the 53 North Dakota 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, Foster County and North Dakota
MeasureFoster CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 119 287 890
Garden-ready natives 73 143 386
Tree 1 — 50
Shrub 3 — 62
Wildflower (forb) 85 — 513
Grass or grass-like 29 — 203
Vine 0 — 31
Fern 1 — 31

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Foster 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
Foster County (county FIPS 38031), North Dakota. 119 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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