Native plants · North Dakota
Native plants of Walsh County
193 plant species are recorded as native to North Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Walsh County by USDA PLANTS. 96 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 3 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.
County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP
Walsh County, North Dakota
- Native species
- 193 Typical North Dakota county: 287 (median of 53 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 96 Typical North Dakota county: 143
- Share by type (all 193 native species)
-
Percent of the 193 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (64%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 96
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 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 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 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 |
| beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| bigseed biscuitroot Lomatium macrocarpum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| 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 horseweed Conyza canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 12b |
| 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 |
| cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | 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 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 |
| cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| devil's darning needles Clematis virginiana | Vine | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia | Grass or grass-like | 4.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | 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 |
| giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Sun–part shade | 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 |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana | Tree | 45 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | 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 |
| jewelweed Impatiens capensis | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| knotted rush Juncus nodosus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | 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 |
| 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 |
| pale agoseris Agoseris glauca | Shrub | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus | Grass or grass-like | 5.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| 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 |
| quill sedge Carex tenera | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| red elderberry Sambucus racemosa | Tree | 18 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| red swampfire Salicornia rubra | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| rough bugleweed Lycopus asper | Wildflower (forb) | 2.1 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia | Tree | 15 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 1a |
| scratchgrass Muhlenbergia asperifolia | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| 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 |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum | Fern | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | Grass or grass-like | 9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| 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 hairgrass Deschampsia cespitosa | Grass or grass-like | 3.4 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| 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 |
| western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis | Shrub | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3b |
| white avens Geum canadense | Wildflower (forb) | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | 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 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 97
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.
- Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
- American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
- annual marsh elder Iva annua
- autumn onion Allium stellatum
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
- bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- desert goosefoot Chenopodium pratericola
- downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
- Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
- grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
- hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
- horned pondweed Zannichellia palustris
- lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
- large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
- Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- mountain tansymustard Descurainia incana
- neckweed Veronica peregrina
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- nodding stickseed Hackelia deflexa
- northern bugleweed Lycopus uniflorus
- Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
- northern water plantain Alisma triviale
- northern wildrice Zizania palustris
- Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- povertyweed Iva axillaris
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
- pygmyflower rockjasmine Androsace septentrionalis
- red baneberry Actaea rubra
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
- Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
- rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
- salt sandspurry Spergularia salina
- Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
- scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
- scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
- scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
- shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
- silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
- slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
- small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
- smooth rose Rosa blanda
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
- swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- tall blazing star Liatris aspera
- tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
- tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- water mudwort Limosella aquatica
- western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- wood bluegrass Poa nemoralis
- wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
- woodland draba Draba nemorosa
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow avens Geum aleppicum
Also listed as native and introduced here 3
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
- common reedPhragmites australis
- 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 | Walsh County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 193 | 287 | 890 |
| Garden-ready natives | 96 | 143 | 386 |
| Tree | 8 | — | 50 |
| Shrub | 7 | — | 62 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 124 | — | 513 |
| Grass or grass-like | 43 | — | 203 |
| Vine | 8 | — | 31 |
| Fern | 3 | — | 31 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Walsh County.
- Marshall County, MN 184 garden-ready
- Cavalier County, ND 130 garden-ready
- Grand Forks County, ND 172 garden-ready
- Pembina County, ND 220 garden-ready
- Ramsey County, ND 103 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
- Walsh County (county FIPS 38099), North Dakota. 193 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