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Native plants · North Dakota

Native plants of Pierce County

191 plant species are recorded as native to North Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Pierce County by USDA PLANTS. 100 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Pierce County, North Dakota

Native species
191 Typical North Dakota county: 287 (median of 53 counties)
Garden-ready natives
100 Typical North Dakota county: 143
Share by type (all 191 native species)
Percent of the 191 native species in each growth type
Tree 6% (12)
Shrub 6% (11)
Wildflower (forb) 64% (122)
Grass or grass-like 22% (42)
Vine 1% (2)
Fern 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (64%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).

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 3b to 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 100

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

Garden-ready native plants of Pierce County, North Dakota
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High 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 licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 4b
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
broadfruit bur-reed Sparganium eurycarpum Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High 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 goldenrod Solidago canadensis Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium 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
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 duckweed Lemna minor Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
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 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
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 12b
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium Wildflower (forb) 5.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
foothill arnica Arnica fulgens Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
green needlegrass Nassella viridula Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
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
inland sedge Carex interior Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
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
longstyle rush Juncus longistylis Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
marsh grass of Parnassus Parnassia palustris Wildflower (forb) 2.2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
narrowleaf water plantain Alisma gramineum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun High Zone 3a
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis Grass or grass-like 8 in Sun Medium Zone 5a
Nuttall's alkaligrass Puccinellia nuttalliana Grass or grass-like 10 in Sun Medium Zone 3b
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
Nuttall's sunflower Helianthus nuttallii Wildflower (forb) 10 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
pale agoseris Agoseris glauca Shrub 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
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 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
prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
purple locoweed Oxytropis lambertii Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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
Rocky Mountain beeplant Cleome serrulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12b
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
roundleaf serviceberry Amelanchier sanguinea Tree 10 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
salt heliotrope Heliotropium curassavicum Wildflower (forb) 1.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
saltgrass Distichlis spicata Grass or grass-like 1.1 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
showy locoweed Oxytropis splendens Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
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
slender bulrush Schoenoplectus heterochaetus Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
star duckweed Lemna trisulca Wildflower (forb) 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
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
tufted hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera Wildflower (forb) 3.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High 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
wheat sedge Carex atherodes Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun High 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 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
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b
yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 91

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 bugseed Corispermum americanum
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
  • autumn onion Allium stellatum
  • Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
  • brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
  • brittle pricklypear Opuntia fragilis
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
  • Drummond's campion Silene drummondii
  • fall rosette grass Dichanthelium wilcoxianum
  • falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
  • fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
  • fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
  • foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • grooved flax Linum sulcatum
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
  • Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
  • lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
  • Macoun's barley ×Elyhordeum macounii
  • manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
  • manyflower stickseed Hackelia floribunda
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
  • meadow zizia Zizia aptera
  • mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
  • mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
  • narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • neckweed Veronica peregrina
  • nodding stickseed Hackelia deflexa
  • Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
  • northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
  • prairie rose Rosa arkansana
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
  • rayless alkali aster Symphyotrichum ciliatum
  • red baneberry Actaea rubra
  • redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
  • Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
  • Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
  • Rocky Mountain fescue Festuca saximontana
  • rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
  • shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
  • small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
  • small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • spinystar Escobaria vivipara
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
  • swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
  • tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
  • tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
  • veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
  • velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
  • Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
  • woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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, Pierce County and North Dakota
MeasurePierce CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 191 287 890
Garden-ready natives 100 143 386
Tree 12 — 50
Shrub 11 — 62
Wildflower (forb) 122 — 513
Grass or grass-like 42 — 203
Vine 2 — 31
Fern 2 — 31

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Pierce 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
Pierce County (county FIPS 38069), North Dakota. 191 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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