Native plants · North Dakota

Native plants of Wells County

151 plant species are recorded as native to North Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wells County by USDA PLANTS. 82 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Wells County, North Dakota

Native species: 151 Typical North Dakota county: 287 (median of 53 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 82 Typical North Dakota county: 143
Share by type (all 151 native species): Percent of the 151 native species in each growth type

Tree 9% (14)
Shrub 5% (7)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (93)
Grass or grass-like 23% (35)
Vine 1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), 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 82

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wells County, North Dakota
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
alkali cordgrass Spartina gracilis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American elm Ulmus americana	Tree	120 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
American plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	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
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
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
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
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
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
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides	Tree	190 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
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
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
inland rush Juncus interior	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
Missouri River willow Salix eriocephala	Tree	52 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	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
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
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
prairie sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	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
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 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
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
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
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
Utah sweetvetch Hedysarum boreale	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	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
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 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 sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 69

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 sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
autumn dwarf gentian Gentianella amarella
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
foothill bladderpod Lesquerella ludoviciana
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii
Gmelin's buttercup Ranunculus gmelinii
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
Laxmann's milkvetch Astragalus laxmannii
lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
manybranched pepperweed Lepidium ramosissimum
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
needletip blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium mucronatum
nodding stickseed Hackelia deflexa
Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
red baneberry Actaea rubra
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
roughfruit fairybells Prosartes trachycarpa
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small-leaf pussytoes Antennaria parvifolia
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
spiny phlox Phlox hoodii
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woolly sedge Carex pellita

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, Wells County and North Dakota
Measure	Wells County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	151	287	890
Garden-ready natives	82	143	386
Tree	14	—	50
Shrub	7	—	62
Wildflower (forb)	93	—	513
Grass or grass-like	35	—	203
Vine	2	—	31
Fern	0	—	31

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wells County.

Benson County, ND 178 garden-ready
Eddy County, ND 123 garden-ready
Foster County, ND 73 garden-ready
Kidder County, ND 154 garden-ready
Pierce County, ND 100 garden-ready
Sheridan County, ND 107 garden-ready
Stutsman County, ND 193 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: Wells County (county FIPS 38103), North Dakota. 151 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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