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Native plants · Nebraska

Native plants of Dawson County

173 plant species are recorded as native to Nebraska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Dawson County by USDA PLANTS. 83 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

Dawson County, Nebraska

Native species
173 Typical Nebraska county: 169 (median of 93 counties)
Garden-ready natives
83 Typical Nebraska county: 81
Share by type (all 173 native species)
Percent of the 173 native species in each growth type
Tree 5% (8)
Shrub 3% (6)
Wildflower (forb) 59% (102)
Grass or grass-like 31% (53)
Vine 2% (3)
Fern <1% (1)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (31%).

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 5b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Cold hardiness is estimated from each plant’s PLANTS minimum temperature. How we estimate it.

Garden-ready natives 83

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

Garden-ready native plants of Dawson County, Nebraska
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
alkali buttercup Ranunculus cymbalaria Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
American plum Prunus americana Tree 24 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
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
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 horseweed Conyza canadensis Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 12b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris Grass or grass-like 1.3 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
cosmopolitan bulrush Bolboschoenus maritimus Grass or grass-like 3.2 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
crested pricklypoppy Argemone polyanthemos Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
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
eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides Tree 190 ft Sun High Zone 3a
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 11b
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea Wildflower (forb) 8.2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
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 grama Bouteloua hirsuta Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Low Zone 3b
Illinois bundleflower Desmanthus illinoensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5b
Indiangrass Sorghastrum nutans Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
Indianhemp Apocynum cannabinum Wildflower (forb) 3.3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
lesser bladderwort Utricularia minor Wildflower (forb) 2 in Sun High Zone 3a
Malabar sprangletop Leptochloa fusca Grass or grass-like 3.3 ft Sun High Zone 3a
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
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
Nuttall's povertyweed Monolepis nuttalliana Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun Medium Zone 12a
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
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 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 poppymallow Callirhoe involucrata Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
riverbank grape Vitis riparia Vine 45 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
rough bugleweed Lycopus asper Wildflower (forb) 2.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
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
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — 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
skunkbush sumac Rhus trilobata Shrub 4 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 2a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia Wildflower (forb) 25 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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
stalkless yellowcress Rorippa sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum Wildflower (forb) 3.6 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
switchgrass Panicum virgatum Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
toad rush Juncus bufonius Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium 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
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
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum Wildflower (forb) 6 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 4a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii Shrub 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a

Other native species recorded here 90

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.

  • aridland goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum
  • bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
  • bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
  • buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
  • Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • Crawe's sedge Carex crawei
  • curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
  • Drummond's halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha drummondii
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fragrant sumac Rhus aromatica
  • great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • hairy fimbry Fimbristylis puberula
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • Hopi tea greenthread Thelesperma megapotamicum
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
  • long-stolon sedge Carex inops
  • longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
  • marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
  • Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
  • Mead's sedge Carex meadii
  • minute duckweed Lemna perpusilla
  • Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
  • Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
  • narrowleaf four o'clock Mirabilis linearis
  • narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • needleleaf sedge Carex duriuscula
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • Nuttall's sensitive-briar Mimosa nuttallii
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
  • Paradox cinquefoil Potentilla paradoxa
  • plains bluegrass Poa arida
  • pony beebalm Monarda pectinata
  • povertyweed Iva axillaris
  • prairie cupgrass Eriochloa contracta
  • prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
  • prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
  • prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
  • redwool plantain Plantago eriopoda
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • River Broom-Rape Orobanche riparia
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • sandhill amaranth Amaranthus arenicola
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • shortstalk chickweed Cerastium brachypodum
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
  • slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
  • slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
  • snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
  • soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
  • spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
  • spreading fleabane Erigeron divergens
  • stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
  • swamp verbena Verbena hastata
  • Texas croton Croton texensis
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • tumble windmill grass Chloris verticillata
  • tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
  • umbrella flatsedge Cyperus diandrus
  • velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
  • western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
  • woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
  • 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 Nebraska

The typical county is the median of the 93 Nebraska 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, Dawson County and Nebraska
MeasureDawson CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 173 169 1,131
Garden-ready natives 83 81 452
Tree 8 — 68
Shrub 6 — 48
Wildflower (forb) 102 — 687
Grass or grass-like 53 — 253
Vine 3 — 46
Fern 1 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Dawson 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
Dawson County (county FIPS 31047), Nebraska. 173 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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