Natives by ZIP

Native plants recorded in your state and county

Native plants · Nebraska

Native plants of Wheeler County

150 plant species are recorded as native to Nebraska in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Wheeler County by USDA PLANTS. 76 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Wheeler County, Nebraska

Native species
150 Typical Nebraska county: 169 (median of 93 counties)
Garden-ready natives
76 Typical Nebraska county: 81
Share by type (all 150 native species)
Percent of the 150 native species in each growth type
Tree 3% (4)
Shrub 3% (4)
Wildflower (forb) 59% (89)
Grass or grass-like 31% (46)
Vine 3% (4)
Fern 2% (3)

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 5a (2023 map).

The native plant list

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

Garden-ready natives 76

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

Garden-ready native plants of Wheeler County, Nebraska
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy to
American black currant Ribes americanum Shrub 3 ft — — Zone 2b
American vetch Vicia americana Vine 1.3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
American water plantain Alisma subcordatum Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun High Zone 4a
arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum Vine 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 6a
Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii Grass or grass-like 3.4 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4b
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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
broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
broom sedge Carex scoparia Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
Canada goldenrod Solidago altissima Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b
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
cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
common threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens Grass or grass-like 4.9 ft Sun High Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum Wildflower (forb) — Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa Wildflower (forb) 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 12a
golden tickseed Coreopsis tinctoria Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12b
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens Grass or grass-like 5.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 2a
hairy false goldenaster Heterotheca villosa Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta Grass or grass-like 6 in Sun Low Zone 3b
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
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
longstyle rush Juncus longistylis Grass or grass-like 1.8 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides Wildflower (forb) 2 ft Sun High Zone 3b
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 3b
nodding beggartick Bidens cernua Wildflower (forb) 3.2 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 12a
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata Wildflower (forb) 2.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 7a
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides Tree 60 ft Sun High Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Sun Medium Zone 10b
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 sandreed Calamovilfa longifolia Grass or grass-like 4.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis Grass or grass-like 11 in Sun Low Zone 3a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea Tree 12 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
rough bugleweed Lycopus asper Wildflower (forb) 2.1 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
roughfruit amaranth Amaranthus tuberculatus Wildflower (forb) 6.6 ft Sun High Zone 4a
roundhead lespedeza Lespedeza capitata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Low Zone 4b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
sand bluestem Andropogon hallii Grass or grass-like 6.1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
sand lovegrass Eragrostis trichodes Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
sandcherry Prunus pumila Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 4a
sandhill muhly Muhlenbergia pungens Grass or grass-like 1.5 ft Sun Low Zone 5a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum Fern 5 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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
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
threetooth ragwort Packera tridenticulata Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 5a
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
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
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
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica Wildflower (forb) 6 in Sun Low Zone 12b

Other native species recorded here 74

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 hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
  • annual buckwheat Eriogonum annuum
  • aridland goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum
  • bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
  • bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
  • bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • Crawe's sedge Carex crawei
  • Cuman ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya
  • downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
  • Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
  • Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
  • fourpoint evening primrose Oenothera rhombipetala
  • Geyer's sandmat Chamaesyce geyeri
  • green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
  • hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
  • hairy waterclover Marsilea vestita
  • heavy sedge Carex gravida
  • Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
  • hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • lacy tansyaster Machaeranthera pinnatifida
  • lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
  • long-stolon sedge Carex inops
  • longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
  • lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
  • mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
  • Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
  • narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
  • northern green rush Juncus alpinoarticulatus
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • northern wildrice Zizania palustris
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
  • prairie sandmat Chamaesyce missurica
  • prairie sunflower Helianthus petiolaris
  • prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
  • purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
  • sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
  • shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
  • silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
  • sixangle spurge Euphorbia hexagona
  • sixweeks fescue Vulpia octoflora
  • slender snakecotton Froelichia gracilis
  • slimleaf milkweed Asclepias stenophylla
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • sunbright Phemeranthus parviflorus
  • tall blazing star Liatris aspera
  • Texas goldentop Euthamia gymnospermoides
  • thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • veiny dock Rumex venosus
  • Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
  • western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • yellow water buttercup Ranunculus flabellaris

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, Wheeler County and Nebraska
MeasureWheeler CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 150 169 1,131
Garden-ready natives 76 81 452
Tree 4 — 68
Shrub 4 — 48
Wildflower (forb) 89 — 687
Grass or grass-like 46 — 253
Vine 4 — 46
Fern 3 — 29

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Wheeler 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
Wheeler County (county FIPS 31183), Nebraska. 150 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

Independent reference site. No government affiliation or endorsement.