Native plants · North Dakota

Native plants of Oliver County

234 plant species are recorded as native to North Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Oliver County by USDA PLANTS. 120 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

Oliver County, North Dakota

Native species: 234 Typical North Dakota county: 287 (median of 53 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 120 Typical North Dakota county: 143
Share by type (all 234 native species): Percent of the 234 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (17)
Shrub 6% (14)
Wildflower (forb) 60% (140)
Grass or grass-like 23% (53)
Vine 3% (6)
Fern 2% (4)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (60%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).

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

Garden-ready natives 120

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

Garden-ready native plants of Oliver County, North Dakota
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
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
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
blanketflower Gaillardia aristata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
broom snakeweed Gutierrezia sarothrae	Shrub	1.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common juniper Juniperus communis	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common rivergrass Scolochloa festucacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
creeping juniper Juniperus horizontalis	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
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
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
field horsetail Equisetum arvense	Fern	11 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
foothill arnica Arnica fulgens	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 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
green needlegrass Nassella viridula	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
leadplant Amorpha canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Lewis flax Linum lewisii	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	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
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Macoun's buttercup Ranunculus macounii	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
nannyberry Viburnum lentago	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
northern bedstraw Galium boreale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Nuttall's alkaligrass Puccinellia nuttalliana	Grass or grass-like	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	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
prairie sagewort Artemisia frigida	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	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
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
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
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
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
sand bluestem Andropogon hallii	Grass or grass-like	6.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 1a
shining willow Salix lucida	Tree	13 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
silver buffaloberry Shepherdia argentea	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
silverberry Elaeagnus commutata	Shrub	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 2a
slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
soapweed yucca Yucca glauca	Shrub	1 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4b
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	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
textile onion Allium textile	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
threadleaf sedge Carex filifolia	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Utah sweetvetch Hedysarum boreale	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	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
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
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
western white clematis Clematis ligusticifolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
wheat sedge Carex atherodes	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2a
yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 114

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 bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
Drummond's false pennyroyal Hedeoma drummondii
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
fleshy starwort Stellaria crassifolia
Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
greater water dock Rumex orbiculatus
green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
heavy sedge Carex gravida
hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
Modoc yellowcress Rorippa tenerrima
mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
Oregon cliff fern Woodsia oregana
palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
Peck's sedge Carex peckii
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
plains bluegrass Poa arida
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
prairie plantain Plantago elongata
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
red baneberry Actaea rubra
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
roughfruit fairybells Prosartes trachycarpa
rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
smooth rose Rosa blanda
spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
veiny dock Rumex venosus
veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
witchgrass Panicum capillare
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woodland draba Draba nemorosa
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly sedge Carex pellita
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.

Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

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, Oliver County and North Dakota
Measure	Oliver County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	234	287	890
Garden-ready natives	120	143	386
Tree	17	—	50
Shrub	14	—	62
Wildflower (forb)	140	—	513
Grass or grass-like	53	—	203
Vine	6	—	31
Fern	4	—	31

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Oliver County.

Mercer County, ND 140 garden-ready
Morton County, ND 149 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: Oliver County (county FIPS 38065), North Dakota. 234 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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