Native plants · South Dakota

Native plants of Lincoln County

266 plant species are recorded as native to South Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Lincoln County by USDA PLANTS. 118 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 1 more species is listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Lincoln County, South Dakota

Native species
266 Typical South Dakota county: 110 (median of 65 counties)
Garden-ready natives
118 Typical South Dakota county: 59
Share by type (all 266 native species)
Percent of the 266 native species in each growth type
Tree 8% (21)
Shrub 2% (5)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (166)
Grass or grass-like 22% (58)
Vine 5% (14)
Fern <1% (2)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (22%).

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 118

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

Garden-ready native plants of Lincoln County, South Dakota
PlantType HeightLight Water useHardy 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 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 hazelnut Corylus americana Shrub 10 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
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
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
arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata Wildflower (forb) 2.6 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata Grass or grass-like 3.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii Grass or grass-like 6 ft Sun Low Zone 2b
black walnut Juglans nigra Tree 100 ft Sun High Zone 4b
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
blue grama Bouteloua gracilis Grass or grass-like 1 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 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
chokecherry Prunus virginiana Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidus Grass or grass-like 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3b
clustered field sedge Carex praegracilis Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
common cowparsnip Heracleum maximum Wildflower (forb) 8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta Wildflower (forb) 10 in Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius Shrub 10 ft Sun Low Zone 4a
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
crested sedge Carex cristatella Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
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
disk waterhyssop Bacopa rotundifolia Wildflower (forb) 1 in Sun High Zone 4a
downy arrowwood Viburnum rafinesqueanum Shrub 6 ft Shade-tolerant Low Zone 3a
downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora Wildflower (forb) 1.3 ft Sun Low 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
field pussytoes Antennaria neglecta Wildflower (forb) 1 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
fowl bluegrass Poa palustris Grass or grass-like 4 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata Grass or grass-like 5.7 ft Shade-tolerant 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
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
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus Grass or grass-like 9.8 ft Sun High Zone 3b
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
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 5b
jewelweed Impatiens capensis Wildflower (forb) 4.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 10b
Kentucky coffeetree Gymnocladus dioicus Tree 100 ft Sun Medium Zone 4a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus Grass or grass-like 2 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus Wildflower (forb) — Sun High Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus Wildflower (forb) 2.8 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3a
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus Wildflower (forb) — 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
nodding fescue Festuca subverticillata Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4a
northern catalpa Catalpa speciosa Tree 60 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
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
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
prairie crab apple Malus ioensis Tree 25 ft Sun Medium Zone 4b
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 locoweed Oxytropis lambertii Wildflower (forb) 1.4 ft Sun Low Zone 3b
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum Fern 1.4 ft Shade-tolerant Medium 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
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
roughleaf dogwood Cornus drummondii Tree 20 ft Sun–part shade Low Zone 4b
sandbar willow Salix interior Tree 30 ft Sun — Zone 1a
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia Tree 15 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 1a
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus Wildflower (forb) 5 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus Wildflower (forb) 2.5 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis Grass or grass-like 2.5 ft Sun–part shade High Zone 3b
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun Medium Zone 3a
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
slippery elm Ulmus rubra Tree 85 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 3a
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
southern waternymph Najas guadalupensis Wildflower (forb) 1 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
sugar maple Acer saccharum Tree 100 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 2b
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
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta Wildflower (forb) 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 3b
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides Grass or grass-like 4 in Sun High Zone 3b
tenpetal blazingstar Mentzelia decapetala Wildflower (forb) 3.5 ft Sun Medium 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
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
white avens Geum canadense Wildflower (forb) 3.9 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 4a
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 sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis Wildflower (forb) 1.5 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
wirestem muhly Muhlenbergia frondosa Grass or grass-like 2 ft Shade-tolerant Medium Zone 3b
woodland bluegrass Poa sylvestris Grass or grass-like 3 ft Shade-tolerant High Zone 4a
woodland muhly Muhlenbergia sylvatica Grass or grass-like 3 ft Sun–part shade Medium Zone 4b

Other native species recorded here 148

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.

  • Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
  • American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
  • American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
  • American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
  • Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
  • autumn onion Allium stellatum
  • bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
  • bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
  • beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
  • big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
  • bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
  • blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
  • blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
  • bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
  • blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
  • bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
  • bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
  • bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
  • bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
  • Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
  • Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
  • Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
  • Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
  • candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
  • Carolina draba Draba reptans
  • Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
  • Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
  • clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
  • climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
  • clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
  • common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
  • common moonseed Menispermum canadense
  • common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
  • common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
  • Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
  • curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
  • downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
  • downy phlox Phlox pilosa
  • Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
  • dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
  • eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
  • eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
  • eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
  • eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
  • feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
  • Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
  • foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
  • fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
  • fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
  • golden zizia Zizia aurea
  • great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
  • green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
  • groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
  • hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
  • hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
  • hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
  • hazel dodder Cuscuta coryli
  • heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
  • heavy sedge Carex gravida
  • hedge false bindweed Calystegia sepium
  • hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
  • hoary verbena Verbena stricta
  • inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
  • lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
  • lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
  • large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
  • large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
  • largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
  • leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
  • Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
  • limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
  • longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
  • longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
  • mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
  • marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
  • Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
  • mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
  • meadow garlic Allium canadense
  • Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
  • Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
  • narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
  • narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
  • nodding stickseed Hackelia deflexa
  • northern water plantain Alisma triviale
  • Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
  • pale dock Rumex altissimus
  • palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
  • Paradox cinquefoil Potentilla paradoxa
  • Peck's sedge Carex peckii
  • Pennsylvania cinquefoil Potentilla pensylvanica
  • Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
  • Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
  • prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
  • prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
  • prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
  • prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
  • prairie sedge Carex prairea
  • prairie violet Viola pedatifida
  • purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
  • ramp Allium tricoccum
  • red baneberry Actaea rubra
  • red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
  • ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
  • Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
  • rope dodder Cuscuta glomerata
  • rosy sedge Carex rosea
  • rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
  • rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
  • scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
  • Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
  • shortbeak arrowhead Sagittaria brevirostra
  • shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
  • silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
  • small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
  • smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
  • smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
  • smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
  • snow on the mountain Euphorbia marginata
  • snow trillium Trillium nivale
  • soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
  • soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
  • spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
  • spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
  • Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
  • Standley's goosefoot Chenopodium standleyanum
  • starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
  • stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
  • stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
  • stiffstem flax Linum rigidum
  • swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
  • tall blazing star Liatris aspera
  • tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
  • tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
  • tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
  • upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
  • violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
  • Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
  • wavyleaf thistle Cirsium undulatum
  • white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
  • white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
  • white vervain Verbena urticifolia
  • whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
  • widowsfrill Silene stellata
  • wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
  • winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
  • witchgrass Panicum capillare
  • woolly sedge Carex pellita
  • yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
Also listed as native and introduced here 1

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 South Dakota

The typical county is the median of the 65 South 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, Lincoln County and South Dakota
MeasureLincoln CountyTypical countyStatewide
Native species 266 110 1,092
Garden-ready natives 118 59 473
Tree 21 — 61
Shrub 5 — 69
Wildflower (forb) 166 — 640
Grass or grass-like 58 — 243
Vine 14 — 34
Fern 2 — 45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Lincoln 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
Lincoln County (county FIPS 46083), South Dakota. 266 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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