Native plants · North Dakota
Native plants of Sheridan County
194 plant species are recorded as native to North Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Sheridan County by USDA PLANTS. 107 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
Sheridan County, North Dakota
- Native species
- 194 Typical North Dakota county: 287 (median of 53 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 107 Typical North Dakota county: 143
- Share by type (all 194 native species)
-
Percent of the 194 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (63%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (24%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 107
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| alkali cordgrass Spartina gracilis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| American black currant Ribes americanum | Shrub | 3 ft | — | — | Zone 2b |
| 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 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 |
| balsam poplar Populus balsamifera | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1a |
| 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 |
| blanketflower Gaillardia aristata | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| Canada germander Teucrium canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| Canada wildrye Elymus canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | 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 duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Sun | 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 |
| 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 |
| downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora | Wildflower (forb) | 1.3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| fowl bluegrass Poa palustris | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Gardner's saltbush Atriplex gardneri | Shrub | 4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus | Wildflower (forb) | 9.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| plains pricklypear Opuntia polyacantha | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| 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 milkvetch Astragalus agrestis | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| red swampfire Salicornia rubra | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| saltgrass Distichlis spicata | Grass or grass-like | 1.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| sandbar willow Salix interior | Tree | 30 ft | Sun | — | Zone 1a |
| Sandberg bluegrass Poa secunda | Grass or grass-like | 1.4 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia | Tree | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 1a |
| scarlet globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| silverberry Elaeagnus commutata | Shrub | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5a |
| slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | 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 |
| 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 |
| threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum | Vine | 10 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| tufted evening primrose Oenothera caespitosa | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 6a |
| upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera | Wildflower (forb) | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| 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 |
| 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 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 panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | High | 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 |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Woods' rose Rosa woodsii | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| woolly groundsel Packera cana | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| yellow owl's-clover Orthocarpus luteus | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 12b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 87
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.
Hidden while “Garden-ready only” is on.
- American bird's-foot trefoil Lotus unifoliolatus
- American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
- Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
- autumn onion Allium stellatum
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
- brook cinquefoil Potentilla rivalis
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
- desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
- Drummond's campion Silene drummondii
- earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
- Engelmann's spikerush Eleocharis engelmannii
- fall rosette grass Dichanthelium wilcoxianum
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
- large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
- Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
- leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
- Macoun's barley ×Elyhordeum macounii
- manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
- mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
- Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- meadow zizia Zizia aptera
- mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
- northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
- Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
- Paradox cinquefoil Potentilla paradoxa
- Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- plains bluegrass Poa arida
- povertyweed Iva axillaris
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
- red baneberry Actaea rubra
- redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
- rigid sedge Carex tetanica
- rosy pussytoes Antennaria rosea
- roughfruit fairybells Prosartes trachycarpa
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
- silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
- silverscale saltbush Atriplex argentea
- small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
- strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
- tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
- wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
- 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.
- annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
- 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.
| Measure | Sheridan County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 194 | 287 | 890 |
| Garden-ready natives | 107 | 143 | 386 |
| Tree | 9 | — | 50 |
| Shrub | 11 | — | 62 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 122 | — | 513 |
| Grass or grass-like | 47 | — | 203 |
| Vine | 4 | — | 31 |
| Fern | 1 | — | 31 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Sheridan County.
- McHenry County, ND 143 garden-ready
- McLean County, ND 149 garden-ready
- Pierce County, ND 100 garden-ready
- Wells County, ND 82 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
- Sheridan County (county FIPS 38083), North Dakota. 194 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