Native plants · South Dakota

Native plants of Roberts County

345 plant species are recorded as native to South Dakota in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Roberts County by USDA PLANTS. 160 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

Roberts County, South Dakota

Native species: 345 Typical South Dakota county: 110 (median of 65 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 160 Typical South Dakota county: 59
Share by type (all 345 native species): Percent of the 345 native species in each growth type

Tree 7% (23)
Shrub 5% (18)
Wildflower (forb) 62% (214)
Grass or grass-like 20% (69)
Vine 4% (14)
Fern 2% (7)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (62%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (20%).

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 4b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 160

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

Garden-ready native plants of Roberts County, South Dakota
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy 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 black currant Ribes americanum	Shrub	3 ft	—	—	Zone 2b
American eelgrass Vallisneria americana	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
American vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
arumleaf arrowhead Sagittaria cuneata	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
blue wildrye Elymus glaucus	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
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 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
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
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 lousewort Pedicularis canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 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
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 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 cowparsnip Heracleum maximum	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
common goldstar Hypoxis hirsuta	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
creeping barberry Mahonia repens	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 2b
cursed buttercup Ranunculus sceleratus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 12b
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
dotted blazing star Liatris punctata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
dotted smartweed Polygonum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
fiddleleaf hawksbeard Crepis runcinata	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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
fragrant flatsedge Cyperus odoratus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11b
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
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
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
jointleaf rush Juncus articulatus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
lambstongue ragwort Senecio integerrimus	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
leadplant Amorpha canescens	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
leafy pondweed Potamogeton foliosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
longleaf pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Missouri goldenrod Solidago missouriensis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
nannyberry Viburnum lentago	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
narrowleaf water plantain Alisma gramineum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
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
nodding waternymph Najas flexilis	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
northern bedstraw Galium boreale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
peachleaf willow Salix amygdaloides	Tree	60 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
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 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 sagewort Artemisia frigida	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
prairie willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
prickly rose Rosa acicularis	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum	Wildflower (forb)	8.1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
purplestem beggarticks Bidens connata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
pussy willow Salix discolor	Tree	40 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
quaking aspen Populus tremuloides	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
quill sedge Carex tenera	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 12b
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
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
rufous bulrush Scirpus pendulus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sandbar willow Salix interior	Tree	30 ft	Sun	—	Zone 1a
Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia	Tree	15 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 1a
seep monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
showy milkweed Asclepias speciosa	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
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 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
star duckweed Lemna trisulca	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum	Vine	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
upright prairie coneflower Ratibida columnifera	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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
water knotweed Polygonum amphibium	Wildflower (forb)	1 in	Sun	High	Zone 5a
water sedge Carex aquatilis	Grass or grass-like	2.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
whitestem pondweed Potamogeton praelongus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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 horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum	Fern	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
Woods' rose Rosa woodsii	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
yellow marsh marigold Caltha palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
zigzag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5b

Other native species recorded here 185

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.

alpine pondweed Potamogeton alpinus
American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American sloughgrass Beckmannia syzigachne
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
biannual lettuce Lactuca ludoviciana
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cusp dodder Cuscuta cuspidata
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf red blackberry Rubus pubescens
early wildrye Elymus macgregorii
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
fall rosette grass Dichanthelium wilcoxianum
falsegold groundsel Packera pseudaurea
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
fleshy starwort Stellaria crassifolia
Flodman's thistle Cirsium flodmanii
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
golden zizia Zizia aurea
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
Great Plains lady's tresses Spiranthes magnicamporum
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
hairy hedgenettle Stachys pilosa
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heavy sedge Carex gravida
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
hogwort Croton capitatus
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
long-stolon sedge Carex inops
longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
low serviceberry Amelanchier humilis
lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
Mead's sedge Carex meadii
meadow deathcamas Zigadenus venenosus
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
meadow willow Salix petiolaris
Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
mountain deathcamas Zigadenus elegans
narrowleaf purple coneflower Echinacea angustifolia
nodding chickweed Cerastium nutans
nodding stickseed Hackelia deflexa
nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
Northern Idaho biscuitroot Lomatium orientale
northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
northern wildrice Zizania palustris
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
oneseed bur cucumber Sicyos angulatus
pale dock Rumex altissimus
pale spikerush Eleocharis macrostachya
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 goldenrod Oligoneuron album
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
prairie violet Viola pedatifida
purple giant hyssop Agastache scrophulariifolia
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
Pursh seepweed Suaeda calceoliformis
ramp Allium tricoccum
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
Rocky Mountain sedge Carex saximontana
rough rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes aspera
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
rush skeletonplant Lygodesmia juncea
Sartwell's sedge Carex sartwellii
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
scarlet beeblossom Oenothera suffrutescens
scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
silverleaf Indian breadroot Pediomelum argophyllum
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth rose Rosa blanda
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
spiral ditchgrass Ruppia cirrhosa
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
tarragon Artemisia dracunculus
veiny meadow-rue Thalictrum venulosum
veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
witchgrass Panicum capillare
wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
wood bluegrass Poa nemoralis
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woodland draba Draba nemorosa
woolly sedge Carex pellita
yellow avens Geum aleppicum
yellow widelip orchid Liparis loeselii

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.

Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

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, Roberts County and South Dakota
Measure	Roberts County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	345	110	1,092
Garden-ready natives	160	59	473
Tree	23	—	61
Shrub	18	—	69
Wildflower (forb)	214	—	640
Grass or grass-like	69	—	243
Vine	14	—	34
Fern	7	—	45

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Roberts County.

Big Stone County, MN 171 garden-ready
Traverse County, MN 154 garden-ready
Richland County, ND 235 garden-ready
Day County, SD 143 garden-ready
Grant County, SD 43 garden-ready
Marshall County, SD 126 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: Roberts County (county FIPS 46109), South Dakota. 345 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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