Native plants · Wisconsin

Native plants of Forest County

593 plant species are recorded as native to Wisconsin in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Forest County by USDA PLANTS. 248 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

Forest County, Wisconsin

Native species: 593 Typical Wisconsin county: 653 (median of 71 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 248 Typical Wisconsin county: 272
Share by type (all 593 native species): Percent of the 593 native species in each growth type

Tree 9% (52)
Shrub 8% (49)
Wildflower (forb) 50% (298)
Grass or grass-like 23% (139)
Vine 3% (15)
Fern 7% (40)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (50%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (23%).

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 248

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

Garden-ready native plants of Forest County, Wisconsin
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
alderleaf buckthorn Rhamnus alnifolia	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Allegheny serviceberry Amelanchier laevis	Tree	35 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
alternateleaf dogwood Cornus alternifolia	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American basswood Tilia americana	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
American beech Fagus grandifolia	Tree	80 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
American bittersweet Celastrus scandens	Vine	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
American bur-reed Sparganium americanum	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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 mountain ash Sorbus americana	Tree	40 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
American speedwell Veronica americana	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	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
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
annual wildrice Zizania aquatica	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
arborvitae Thuja occidentalis	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
arctic sweet coltsfoot Petasites frigidus	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
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
balsam fir Abies balsamea	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
balsam poplar Populus balsamifera	Tree	80 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
beaked sedge Carex rostrata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
bigleaf aster Eurybia macrophylla	Wildflower (forb)	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2b
black ash Fraxinus nigra	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black spruce Picea mariana	Tree	65 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 1a
blackeyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
blister sedge Carex vesicaria	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
blue cohosh Caulophyllum thalictroides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bluebead Clintonia borealis	Wildflower (forb)	1.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
bog birch Betula pumila	Shrub	20 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
bog goldenrod Solidago uliginosa	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
bog laurel Kalmia polifolia	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
bog willowherb Epilobium leptophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	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
buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
bulbous bittercress Cardamine bulbosa	Wildflower (forb)	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
bunchberry dogwood Cornus canadensis	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
bur oak Quercus macrocarpa	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	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 yew Taxus canadensis	Shrub	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
Canadian horseweed Conyza canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12b
Canadian lousewort Pedicularis canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Canadian rush Juncus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common evening primrose Oenothera biennis	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
common rush Juncus effusus	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common selfheal Prunella vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
common serviceberry Amelanchier arborea	Tree	36 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus	Shrub	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
common spikerush Eleocharis palustris	Grass or grass-like	1.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
crested woodfern Dryopteris cristata	Fern	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana	Grass or grass-like	3.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 yellow violet Viola pubescens	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
drooping woodreed Cinna latifolia	Grass or grass-like	4.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
Drummond's rockcress Arabis drummondii	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
dwarf bilberry Vaccinium cespitosum	Shrub	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis	Tree	105 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern teaberry Gaultheria procumbens	Shrub	6 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
eastern white pine Pinus strobus	Tree	150 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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
fringed brome Bromus ciliatus	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
fringed sedge Carex crinita	Grass or grass-like	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
golden ragwort Packera aurea	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
gray alder Alnus incana	Tree	25 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
gray goldenrod Solidago nemoralis	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
great St. Johnswort Hypericum ascyron	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
greater bladder sedge Carex intumescens	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greater creeping spearwort Ranunculus flammula	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
greater straw sedge Carex normalis	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
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
hooded lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana	Tree	45 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
Indian woodoats Chasmanthium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	4.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
inland sedge Carex interior	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
interrupted fern Osmunda claytoniana	Fern	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Jack in the pulpit Arisaema triphyllum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5b
jack pine Pinus banksiana	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2a
jewelweed Impatiens capensis	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi	Shrub	6 in	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
knotted rush Juncus nodosus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
lanceleaf tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6b
largeleaf avens Geum macrophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
largeleaf pondweed Potamogeton amplifolius	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
lesser panicled sedge Carex diandra	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea	Shrub	6 in	Sun	—	Zone 1a
little green sedge Carex viridula	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
littleleaf buttercup Ranunculus abortivus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
longhair sedge Carex comosa	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
longleaf starwort Stellaria longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
mapleleaf viburnum Viburnum acerifolium	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
marsh seedbox Ludwigia palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
mountain maple Acer spicatum	Tree	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
mud sedge Carex limosa	Grass or grass-like	1.8 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
nannyberry Viburnum lentago	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
narrowleaf blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 7a
necklace sedge Carex projecta	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
nerveless woodland sedge Carex leptonervia	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
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
northern black currant Ribes hudsonianum	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
northern bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera	Shrub	2.4 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 5a
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
northern St. Johnswort Hypericum boreale	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
Northwest Territory sedge Carex utriculata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
panicled bulrush Scirpus microcarpus	Grass or grass-like	5.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
paper birch Betula papyrifera	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania buttercup Ranunculus pensylvanicus	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata	Shrub	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
prickly currant Ribes lacustre	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
purplestem aster Symphyotrichum puniceum	Wildflower (forb)	8.1 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
rattlesnake mannagrass Glyceria canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
red currant Ribes triste	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 1a
red elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
red maple Acer rubrum	Tree	68 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
red pine Pinus resinosa	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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
ribbonleaf pondweed Potamogeton epihydrus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
roadside agrimony Agrimonia striata	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
Robbins' pondweed Potamogeton robbinsii	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
rock elm Ulmus thomasii	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 2b
rough bedstraw Galium asprellum	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
roundleaf dogwood Cornus rugosa	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
roundleaf serviceberry Amelanchier sanguinea	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
shining willow Salix lucida	Tree	13 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
silver maple Acer saccharinum	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
silverweed cinquefoil Argentina anserina	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 5a
silvery sedge Carex canescens	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
slender cottongrass Eriophorum gracile	Grass or grass-like	1.7 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
small beggarticks Bidens discoidea	Wildflower (forb)	5.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12b
small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
small floating mannagrass Glyceria borealis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
small white violet Viola macloskeyi	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
softleaf sedge Carex disperma	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
spiked muhly Muhlenbergia glomerata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
spotted joe pye weed Eutrochium maculatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
staghorn sumac Rhus typhina	Tree	30 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
star duckweed Lemna trisulca	Wildflower (forb)	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
star sedge Carex echinata	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
steeplebush Spiraea tomentosa	Shrub	4 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
stiff clubmoss Lycopodium annotinum	Fern	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
swamp loosestrife Decodon verticillatus	Shrub	8 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 5a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sweet fern Comptonia peregrina	Shrub	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
sweetgale Myrica gale	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
tall cinquefoil Potentilla arguta	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
tall hairy agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
tamarack Larix laricina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 1a
tawny cottongrass Eriophorum virginicum	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
threepetal bedstraw Galium trifidum	Vine	10 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
threeseeded sedge Carex trisperma	Grass or grass-like	1.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
toad rush Juncus bufonius	Grass or grass-like	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 12a
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 sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
vernal water-starwort Callitriche palustris	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
water horsetail Equisetum fluviatile	Fern	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
white ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
white oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
white panicle aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
white spruce Picea glauca	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 1a
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 blue phlox Phlox divaricata	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
winter bentgrass Agrostis hyemalis	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
woodland horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum	Fern	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3a
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
yellow birch Betula alleghaniensis	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
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 345

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
alpine pondweed Potamogeton alpinus
alpine violet Viola labradorica
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American fly honeysuckle Lonicera canadensis
American golden saxifrage Chrysosplenium americanum
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American milletgrass Milium effusum
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
Bebb willow Salix bebbiana
Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
Bicknell's cranesbill Geranium bicknellii
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
bigleaf lupine Lupinus polyphyllus
blackgirdle bulrush Scirpus atrocinctus
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blisterwort Ranunculus recurvatus
blite goosefoot Chenopodium capitatum
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluntleaf pondweed Potamogeton obtusifolius
bluntleaved orchid Platanthera obtusata
bluntlobe grapefern Botrychium oneidense
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
bog willow Salix pedicellaris
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
boreal bog sedge Carex magellanica
boreal starwort Stellaria borealis
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
branched bur-reed Sparganium androcladum
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
bristly sarsaparilla Aralia hispida
broad looseflower sedge Carex laxiflora
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
brownfruit rush Juncus pelocarpus
brownish beaksedge Rhynchospora capitellata
brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
Buxbaum's sedge Carex buxbaumii
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian white violet Viola canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
Carolina springbeauty Claytonia caroliniana
catberry Ilex mucronata
checkered rattlesnake plantain Goodyera tesselata
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
clubmoss Lycopodium ×habereri
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
Crawford's sedge Carex crawfordii
cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
creeping sedge Carex chordorrhiza
crinkleroot Cardamine diphylla
cuckoo flower Cardamine pratensis
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
cypress-like sedge Carex pseudocyperus
deeproot clubmoss Lycopodium tristachyum
densetuft hairsedge Bulbostylis capillaris
Dortmann's cardinalflower Lobelia dortmanna
downy willowherb Epilobium strictum
dragon's mouth Arethusa bulbosa
drooping woodland sedge Carex arctata
dryspike sedge Carex siccata
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf ginseng Panax trifolius
dwarf red blackberry Rubus pubescens
dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
early meadow-rue Thalictrum dioicum
earth loosestrife Lysimachia terrestris
eastern blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium atlanticum
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
fairy slipper Calypso bulbosa
false melic Schizachne purpurascens
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fescue sedge Carex festucacea
feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
fewflower sedge Carex pauciflora
fewflower spikerush Eleocharis quinqueflora
fewnerved cottongrass Eriophorum tenellum
fewseed sedge Carex oligosperma
fibrousroot sedge Carex communis
field thistle Cirsium discolor
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
floating bur-reed Sparganium fluctuans
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fraser's marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
gaywings Polygala paucifolia
giant sunflower Helianthus giganteus
golden hedgehyssop Gratiola aurea
golden zizia Zizia aurea
Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
greater poverty rush Juncus anthelatus
greater water dock Rumex orbiculatus
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
greenflowered wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha
groundcedar Lycopodium complanatum
grove bluegrass Poa alsodes
hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
hairystem gooseberry Ribes hirtellum
harlequin blueflag Iris versicolor
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heartleaf twayblade Listera cordata
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
hiddenfruit bladderwort Utricularia geminiscapa
hooded coralroot Corallorhiza striata
hookedspur violet Viola adunca
Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
Huron green orchid Platanthera huronensis
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
Kalm's hawkweed Hieracium kalmii
knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
lanceleaf wild licorice Galium lanceolatum
large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
large toothwort Cardamine maxima
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
lavender bladderwort Utricularia resupinata
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
leathery knotweed Polygonum achoreum
lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
lesser rattlesnake plantain Goodyera repens
lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
little grapefern Botrychium simplex
liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
long beechfern Phegopteris connectilis
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
Macoun's cudweed Pseudognaphalium macounii
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
marsh horsetail Equisetum palustre
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
marsh willowherb Epilobium palustre
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
matricary grapefern Botrychium matricariifolium
matting rosette grass Dichanthelium meridionale
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
meadow willow Salix petiolaris
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
mountain ricegrass Piptatheropsis pungens
mountain woodsorrel Oxalis montana
naked miterwort Mitella nuda
narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
narrowleaf cowwheat Melampyrum lineare
narrowleaf hawkweed Hieracium umbellatum
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
narrowleaf wild leek Allium burdickii
narrowpanicle rush Juncus brevicaudatus
neckweed Veronica peregrina
needle beaksedge Rhynchospora capillacea
nodding sedge Carex gynandra
northeastern sedge Carex cryptolepis
northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
northern bog bedstraw Galium labradoricum
northern cluster sedge Carex arcta
northern evening primrose Oenothera parviflora
northern panicgrass Dichanthelium boreale
northern sedge Carex deflexa
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
northern shorthusk Brachyelytrum aristosum
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
northern wildrice Zizania palustris
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
oldpasture bluegrass Poa saltuensis
orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
pale false mannagrass Torreyochloa pallida
pale St. Johnswort Hypericum ellipticum
paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
Peck's sedge Carex peckii
Pennsylvania clubmoss Lycopodium hickeyi
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pinesap Monotropa hypopitys
plantainleaf sedge Carex plantaginea
poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
prairie sedge Carex prairea
pretty sedge Carex woodii
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
purple chokeberry Aronia ×prunifolia
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
ramp Allium tricoccum
rannoch-rush Scheuchzeria palustris
rare clubmoss Lycopodium obscurum
red baneberry Actaea rubra
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
rock harlequin Corydalis sempervirens
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
scentbottle Platanthera dilatata
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
Selkirk's violet Viola selkirkii
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sevenangle pipewort Eriocaulon aquaticum
shaved sedge Carex tonsa
shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
single delight Moneses uniflora
skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
skunk currant Ribes glandulosum
slender rosette grass Dichanthelium xanthophysum
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small waterwort Elatine minima
smooth blackberry Rubus canadensis
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth rose Rosa blanda
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
southwestern waterwort Elatine rubella
spineless hornwort Ceratophyllum echinatum
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spoonleaf sundew Drosera intermedia
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
spreading sedge Carex laxiculmis
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
squirrel corn Dicentra canadensis
starflower Trientalis borealis
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
strict blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium montanum
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
swaying bulrush Schoenoplectus subterminalis
tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
tall thimbleweed Anemone virginiana
thinleaf sedge Carex cephaloidea
threeleaf false lily of the valley Maianthemum trifolium
threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
Torrey's bulrush Schoenoplectus torreyi
tower rockcress Arabis glabra
trailing arbutus Epigaea repens
tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
tuberous grasspink Calopogon tuberosus
Tuckerman's pondweed Potamogeton confervoides
Tuckerman's sedge Carex tuckermanii
turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
tussock cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum
twinflower Linnaea borealis
twistedstalk Streptopus lanceolatus
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
variegated scouringrush Equisetum variegatum
velvetleaf huckleberry Vaccinium myrtilloides
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
water arum Calla palustris
watershield Brasenia schreberi
waxflower shinleaf Pyrola elliptica
weakstalk bulrush Schoenoplectiella purshiana
western blue virginsbower Clematis occidentalis
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis brachypoda
white baneberry Actaea pachypoda
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
willowleaf aster Symphyotrichum praealtum
winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodfern Dryopteris ×boottii
woodfern Dryopteris ×triploidea
woodfern Dryopteris ×uliginosa
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woollyfruit sedge Carex lasiocarpa
yellow avens Geum aleppicum
yellow coralroot Corallorhiza trifida
yellow sedge Carex flava
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
hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis

Compared with Wisconsin

The typical county is the median of the 71 Wisconsin 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, Forest County and Wisconsin
Measure	Forest County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	593	653	1,568
Garden-ready natives	248	272	551
Tree	52	—	125
Shrub	49	—	102
Wildflower (forb)	298	—	853
Grass or grass-like	139	—	361
Vine	15	—	46
Fern	40	—	81

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Forest County.

Florence County, WI 222 garden-ready
Langlade County, WI 210 garden-ready
Marinette County, WI 338 garden-ready
Oneida County, WI 229 garden-ready
Vilas County, WI 240 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: Forest County (county FIPS 55041), Wisconsin. 593 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.