Native plants · Nebraska
Native plants of Otoe County
384 plant species are recorded as native to Nebraska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Otoe County by USDA PLANTS. 168 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
Otoe County, Nebraska
- Native species
- 384 Typical Nebraska county: 169 (median of 93 counties)
- Garden-ready natives
- 168 Typical Nebraska county: 81
- Share by type (all 384 native species)
-
Percent of the 384 native species in each growth type
Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (59%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).
The native plant list
Garden-ready natives 168
Native species with PLANTS growing records (height, light, moisture, minimum temperature). “—” means PLANTS has no value.
| Plant | Type | Height | Light | Water use | Hardy to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American basswood Tilia americana | Tree | 100 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| American bellflower Campanulastrum americanum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 12b |
| American bittersweet Celastrus scandens | Vine | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3b |
| American elm Ulmus americana | Tree | 120 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 2b |
| American hazelnut Corylus americana | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American pokeweed Phytolacca americana | Wildflower (forb) | 7.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| American sycamore Platanus occidentalis | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| American water plantain Alisma subcordatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii | Grass or grass-like | 3.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| big bluestem Andropogon gerardii | Grass or grass-like | 6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 2b |
| bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis | Tree | 75 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2b |
| black cherry Prunus serotina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black oak Quercus velutina | Tree | 80 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| black raspberry Rubus occidentalis | Shrub | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| black walnut Juglans nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4b |
| black willow Salix nigra | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | High | Zone 1b |
| blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 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 |
| broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3b |
| bur oak Quercus macrocarpa | Tree | 100 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| bur-reed sedge Carex sparganioides | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus | Tree | 10 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | — |
| butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensis | Wildflower (forb) | 6 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| chinquapin oak Quercus muehlenbergii | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 blue violet Viola sororia | Wildflower (forb) | 4 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4b |
| common blue wood aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| common buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis | Tree | 15 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| common duckweed Lemna minor | Wildflower (forb) | — | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| common evening primrose Oenothera biennis | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4b |
| common hackberry Celtis occidentalis | Tree | 60 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 2b |
| common selfheal Prunella vulgaris | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | 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 |
| coralberry Symphoricarpos orbiculatus | Shrub | 2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| cup plant Silphium perfoliatum | Wildflower (forb) | 6 ft | Sun–part shade | — | Zone 2b |
| 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 |
| ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
| dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 10b |
| eastern cottonwood Populus deltoides | Tree | 190 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| eastern gamagrass Tripsacum dactyloides | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | High | Zone 5a |
| eastern redbud Cercis canadensis | Tree | 30 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum | Grass or grass-like | 3.3 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3a |
| false daisy Eclipta prostrata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| field horsetail Equisetum arvense | Fern | 11 in | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11b |
| frost grape Vitis vulpina | Vine | 83 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 5a |
| 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 |
| gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis | Wildflower (forb) | 2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| graybark grape Vitis cinerea | Vine | 50 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 6b |
| green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica | Tree | 80 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 2b |
| green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens | Grass or grass-like | 5.9 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 2a |
| groundnut Apios americana | Vine | 1 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 5a |
| hairy sedge Carex lacustris | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4b |
| hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus | Grass or grass-like | 9.8 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| heartleaf peppervine Ampelopsis cordata | Vine | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 6b |
| honeylocust Gleditsia triacanthos | Tree | 70 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| inland rush Juncus interior | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum | Wildflower (forb) | 1.5 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 5b |
| Jerusalem artichoke Helianthus tuberosus | Wildflower (forb) | 9.8 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 3a |
| Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus | Tree | 100 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| leadplant Amorpha canescens | Shrub | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 3b |
| littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus | Wildflower (forb) | 2.8 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | 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 |
| needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis | Grass or grass-like | 8 in | Sun | Medium | Zone 5a |
| New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus | Shrub | 3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4b |
| nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| nodding beggartick Bidens cernua | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 3b |
| northern maidenhair Adiantum pedatum | Fern | 1.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| northern red oak Quercus rubra | Tree | 81 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora | Grass or grass-like | 2.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4a |
| pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida | Wildflower (forb) | 8.2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 10b |
| partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 7a |
| pawpaw Asimina triloba | Tree | 25 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4b |
| peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides | Tree | 60 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea | Grass or grass-like | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| poverty rush Juncus tenuis | Grass or grass-like | 1.5 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3b |
| prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| 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 willow Salix humilis | Shrub | 10 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 3a |
| purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis | Grass or grass-like | 11 in | Sun | Low | Zone 3a |
| purple poppymallow Callirhoe involucrata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| purplestem beggarticks Bidens connata | Wildflower (forb) | 3.2 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| purpletop tridens Tridens flavus | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 5a |
| rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum | Fern | 1.4 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| red mulberry Morus rubra | Tree | 70 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 4a |
| redosier dogwood Cornus sericea | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos | Grass or grass-like | 2.5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 11a |
| 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 |
| river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis | Grass or grass-like | 6.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| riverbank grape Vitis riparia | Vine | 45 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus | Wildflower (forb) | 6.6 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii | Tree | 20 ft | Sun–part shade | Low | Zone 4b |
| roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata | Wildflower (forb) | 2.6 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4b |
| 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 |
| sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus | Wildflower (forb) | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| shagbark hickory Carya ovata | Tree | 75 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| silver maple Acer saccharinum | Tree | 90 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 2b |
| slippery elm Ulmus rubra | Tree | 85 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 3a |
| smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Sun | Medium | 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 |
| smooth sumac Rhus glabra | Tree | 12 ft | Sun | Low | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| spreading yellowcress Rorippa sinuata | Wildflower (forb) | 1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum | Wildflower (forb) | 3.6 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 3a |
| strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus | Grass or grass-like | 3.2 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 4a |
| swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea | Grass or grass-like | 4.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Low | Zone 4a |
| switchgrass Panicum virgatum | Grass or grass-like | 5 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3a |
| teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides | Grass or grass-like | 4 in | Sun | High | Zone 3b |
| threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita | Wildflower (forb) | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 12a |
| Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi | Grass or grass-like | 3.1 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| troublesome sedge Carex molesta | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| valley redstem Ammannia coccinea | Wildflower (forb) | 1.6 ft | Sun | Medium | Zone 3b |
| Virginia iris Iris virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3.3 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 8b |
| Virginia threeseed mercury Acalypha virginica | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 10b |
| Virginia water horehound Lycopus virginicus | Wildflower (forb) | 4 ft | Shade-tolerant | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| white ash Fraxinus americana | Tree | 90 ft | Sun | High | Zone 4a |
| 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 |
| whitegrass Leersia virginica | Grass or grass-like | 3.9 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3a |
| wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Wildflower (forb) | 4.9 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| wild blue phlox Phlox divaricata | Wildflower (forb) | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4a |
| winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis | Grass or grass-like | 3.5 ft | Sun–part shade | High | Zone 4a |
| wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa | Grass or grass-like | 2 ft | Shade-tolerant | Medium | Zone 3b |
| woodland muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica | Grass or grass-like | 3 ft | Sun–part shade | Medium | Zone 4b |
No garden-ready natives match these filters. Try clearing one.
Other native species recorded here 216
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
- amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
- American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
- American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
- American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
- American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
- American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
- American spikenard Aralia racemosa
- aridland goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum
- arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
- Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
- azure blue sage Salvia azurea
- bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
- Baldwin's ironweed Vernonia baldwinii
- bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
- bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
- beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
- biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
- big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
- bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
- blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
- blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
- bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
- bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
- bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
- buffalobur nightshade Solanum rostratum
- bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
- Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
- Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
- Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
- Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
- Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
- Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
- candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
- carelessweed Cyclachaena xanthiifolia
- Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
- Carolina draba Draba reptans
- Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
- Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
- carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
- clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
- Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
- climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
- clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
- common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
- common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
- common moonseed Menispermum canadense
- common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
- common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- compassplant Silphium laciniatum
- Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
- curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
- curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
- cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
- cutleaf nightshade Solanum triflorum
- Davis' sedge Carex davisii
- desert biscuitroot Lomatium foeniculaceum
- diamond-flowers Stenaria nigricans
- downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
- downy phlox Phlox pilosa
- Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
- Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
- dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
- dwarf horseweed Conyza ramosissima
- dwarf larkspur Delphinium tricorne
- eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
- eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
- Engelmann's spikerush Eleocharis engelmannii
- eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
- fetid marigold Dyssodia papposa
- feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
- fire on the mountain Euphorbia cyathophora
- fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
- flatspine stickseed Lappula occidentalis
- flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
- foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
- foxtail prairie clover Dalea leporina
- fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
- fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
- fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
- glomerate sedge Carex aggregata
- golden zizia Zizia aurea
- great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
- great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
- grooved flax Linum sulcatum
- groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
- groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
- hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
- hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
- hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
- hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
- heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
- heavy sedge Carex gravida
- hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
- Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
- hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
- hoary ticktrefoil Desmodium canescens
- hoary verbena Verbena stricta
- honeyvine Cynanchum laeve
- Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
- inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
- Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
- jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
- lanceleaf buckthorn Rhamnus lanceolata
- lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
- lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
- large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
- lateflowering thoroughwort Eupatorium serotinum
- leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
- lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
- light poppymallow Callirhoe alcaeoides
- long-stolon sedge Carex inops
- longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
- longflower beeblossom Oenothera filiformis
- longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
- longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
- lowland bladderfern Cystopteris protrusa
- mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
- Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
- mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
- matted sandmat Chamaesyce serpens
- Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
- mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
- Mead's sedge Carex meadii
- mealy goosefoot Chenopodium incanum
- Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
- minute duckweed Lemna perpusilla
- Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
- Missouri violet Viola missouriensis
- Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
- narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
- narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
- New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
- nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
- obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
- oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
- pale dock Rumex altissimus
- pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
- pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
- palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
- Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
- pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
- poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
- prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
- prairie groundcherry Physalis hispida
- prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
- prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
- prairie milkweed Asclepias sullivantii
- prairie rose Rosa arkansana
- prairie violet Viola pedatifida
- purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
- rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
- red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
- richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
- rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
- rosy sedge Carex rosea
- rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
- rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
- sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
- shortbeak arrowhead Sagittaria brevirostra
- shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
- showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
- sicklepod Arabis canadensis
- silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
- silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
- skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
- slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
- slimflower scurfpea Psoralidium tenuiflorum
- small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
- smallflower halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha micrantha
- smartweed dodder Cuscuta polygonorum
- smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
- smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
- snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
- soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
- soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
- spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
- spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
- Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
- spring lady's tresses Spiranthes vernalis
- Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
- starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
- stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
- stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
- swamp verbena Verbena hastata
- sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
- tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
- tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
- tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
- tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
- tumblegrass Schedonnardus paniculatus
- upright burhead Echinodorus berteroi
- velvetweed Oenothera curtiflora
- Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
- wedgeleaf Phyla cuneifolia
- western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
- western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
- western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
- white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
- white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
- white vervain Verbena urticifolia
- white wand beardtongue Penstemon tubaeflorus
- whitetinge sedge Carex albicans
- wholeleaf rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
- whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
- widowsfrill Silene stellata
- wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
- willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
- wingstem Verbesina alternifolia
- witchgrass Panicum capillare
- woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
- woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
- woolly sedge Carex pellita
- yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
- yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia
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 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.
| Measure | Otoe County | Typical county | Statewide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native species | 384 | 169 | 1,131 |
| Garden-ready natives | 168 | 81 | 452 |
| Tree | 36 | — | 68 |
| Shrub | 11 | — | 48 |
| Wildflower (forb) | 228 | — | 687 |
| Grass or grass-like | 79 | — | 253 |
| Vine | 24 | — | 46 |
| Fern | 6 | — | 29 |
Neighboring counties
Counties that share a ZIP code with Otoe County.
- Cass County, NE 189 garden-ready
- Gage County, NE 76 garden-ready
- Johnson County, NE 62 garden-ready
- Lancaster County, NE 213 garden-ready
- Nemaha County, NE 124 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
- Otoe County (county FIPS 31131), Nebraska. 384 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