Native plants · Wisconsin

Native plants of Lafayette County

562 plant species are recorded as native to Wisconsin in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Lafayette County by USDA PLANTS. 208 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

Lafayette County, Wisconsin

Native species: 562 Typical Wisconsin county: 653 (median of 71 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 208 Typical Wisconsin county: 272
Share by type (all 562 native species): Percent of the 562 native species in each growth type

Tree 9% (49)
Shrub 6% (36)
Wildflower (forb) 60% (335)
Grass or grass-like 15% (85)
Vine 5% (28)
Fern 5% (29)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (60%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (15%).

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

Garden-ready natives 208

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

Garden-ready native plants of Lafayette County, Wisconsin
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
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 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 black currant Ribes americanum	Shrub	3 ft	—	—	Zone 2b
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 hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	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 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 water plantain Alisma subcordatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	High	Zone 4a
arctic brome Bromus kalmii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
arrowleaf tearthumb Polygonum sagittatum	Vine	1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 6a
Atlantic camas Camassia scilloides	Wildflower (forb)	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
awlfruit sedge Carex stipata	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Bebb's sedge Carex bebbii	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
Bicknell's sedge Carex bicknellii	Grass or grass-like	3.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
big bluestem Andropogon gerardii	Grass or grass-like	6 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 2b
bitternut hickory Carya cordiformis	Tree	75 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2b
black ash Fraxinus nigra	Tree	65 ft	Sun	High	Zone 2b
black cherry Prunus serotina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 9b
black maple Acer nigrum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
black oak Quercus velutina	Tree	80 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
black raspberry Rubus occidentalis	Shrub	6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
black walnut Juglans nigra	Tree	100 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4b
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
bluejoint Calamagrostis canadensis	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
blunt broom sedge Carex tribuloides	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
bog willowherb Epilobium leptophyllum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	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
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
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
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 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 wildrye Elymus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	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 milkvetch Astragalus canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
Carolina rose Rosa carolina	Shrub	5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsii	Wildflower (forb)	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 duckweed Lemna minor	Wildflower (forb)	—	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 hackberry Celtis occidentalis	Tree	60 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 2b
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
common sneezeweed Helenium autumnale	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
common winterberry Ilex verticillata	Tree	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
composite dropseed Sporobolus compositus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
coon's tail Ceratophyllum demersum	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
crested sedge Carex cristatella	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
cup plant Silphium perfoliatum	Wildflower (forb)	6 ft	Sun–part shade	—	Zone 2b
cutleaf coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
devil's beggartick Bidens frondosa	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 12a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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
downy yellow violet Viola pubescens	Wildflower (forb)	1.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
eastern redcedar Juniperus virginiana	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
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
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
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5.5 ft	Sun–part shade	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
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
gray dogwood Cornus racemosa	Shrub	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
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 straw sedge Carex normalis	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens	Grass or grass-like	5.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 2a
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
hairyfruit sedge Carex trichocarpa	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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
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 starwort Stellaria longifolia	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
lowbush blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium	Shrub	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	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
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
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 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
old man's whiskers Geum triflorum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
pale touch-me-not Impatiens pallida	Wildflower (forb)	8.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 10b
paper birch Betula papyrifera	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
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
pin cherry Prunus pensylvanica	Tree	30 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata	Shrub	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 3b
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
poverty rush Juncus tenuis	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
prairie blazing star Liatris pycnostachya	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
prairie cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
prairie crab apple Malus ioensis	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie dropseed Sporobolus heterolepis	Grass or grass-like	2.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
prairie willow Salix humilis	Shrub	10 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
purple prairie clover Dalea purpurea	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
purpleleaf willowherb Epilobium coloratum	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
purplestem beggarticks Bidens connata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum	Fern	1.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
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
river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
riverbank grape Vitis riparia	Vine	45 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
rough bentgrass Agrostis scabra	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	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
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
sandcherry Prunus pumila	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus	Wildflower (forb)	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
shagbark hickory Carya ovata	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
sideoats grama Bouteloua curtipendula	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
silver maple Acer saccharinum	Tree	90 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 2b
skunk cabbage Symplocarpus foetidus	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
smooth blue aster Symphyotrichum laeve	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
smooth hedgenettle Stachys tenuifolia	Wildflower (forb)	25 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
smooth horsetail Equisetum laevigatum	Fern	5 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
smooth sumac Rhus glabra	Tree	12 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
softstem bulrush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani	Grass or grass-like	9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
strawcolored flatsedge Cyperus strigosus	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
sugar maple Acer saccharum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 2b
summer grape Vitis aestivalis	Vine	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
swamp white oak Quercus bicolor	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
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
tall hairy agrimony Agrimonia gryposepala	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
teal lovegrass Eragrostis hypnoides	Grass or grass-like	4 in	Sun	High	Zone 3b
threelobe beggarticks Bidens tripartita	Wildflower (forb)	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 12a
troublesome sedge Carex molesta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Virginia bluebells Mertensia virginica	Wildflower (forb)	2.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
Virginia creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Vine	1 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
Virginia iris Iris virginica	Wildflower (forb)	3.3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 8b
Virginia wildrye Elymus virginicus	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
white ash Fraxinus americana	Tree	90 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
white avens Geum canadense	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
white meadowsweet Spiraea alba	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	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 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
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
woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
woolly plantain Plantago patagonica	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 12b
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

Other native species recorded here 354

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.

Adam and Eve Aplectrum hyemale
agueweed Gentianella quinquefolia
Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
American wintergreen Pyrola americana
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
balsam groundsel Packera paupercula
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
Bernard violet Viola ×bernardii
biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
bloody butcher Trillium recurvatum
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bluntlobe cliff fern Woodsia obtusa
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
brown widelip orchid Liparis liliifolia
browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
button eryngo Eryngium yuccifolium
buttonbush dodder Cuscuta cephalanthi
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
candle anemone Anemone cylindrica
Carolina draba Draba reptans
Carolina horsenettle Solanum carolinense
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
cheerful sunflower Helianthus ×laetiflorus
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
compassplant Silphium laciniatum
cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
dotted hawthorn Crataegus punctata
downy gentian Gentiana puberulenta
downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
earleaf false foxglove Agalinis auriculata
early buttercup Ranunculus fascicularis
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
ebony spleenwort Asplenium platyneuron
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
evening campion Silene nivea
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis
field thistle Cirsium discolor
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
fleshy hawthorn Crataegus succulenta
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
fluxweed Trichostema brachiatum
forked threeawn Aristida basiramea
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
fragile rockbrake Cryptogramma stelleri
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
golden zizia Zizia aurea
grape honeysuckle Lonicera reticulata
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
great Indian plantain Arnoglossum reniforme
Great Plains flatsedge Cyperus lupulinus
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
great waterleaf Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
greater fringed gentian Gentianopsis crinita
Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
green adder's-mouth orchid Malaxis unifolia
green comet milkweed Asclepias viridiflora
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groovestem Indian plantain Arnoglossum plantagineum
hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
hairy sunflower Helianthus hirsutus
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
hazel dodder Cuscuta coryli
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heartleaf skullcap Scutellaria ovata
heavy sedge Carex gravida
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hoary frostweed Helianthemum bicknellii
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
Illinois ticktrefoil Desmodium illinoense
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
Kalm's hawkweed Hieracium kalmii
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
lanceleaf fogfruit Phyla lanceolata
lanceleaf sage Salvia reflexa
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
largebract ticktrefoil Desmodium cuspidatum
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
long-stolon sedge Carex inops
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
Mead's sedge Carex meadii
meadow garlic Allium canadense
meadow zizia Zizia aptera
Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
narrowleaf stoneseed Lithospermum incisum
narrowleaf vervain Verbena simplex
narrowleaf wild leek Allium burdickii
neckweed Veronica peregrina
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
nodding onion Allium cernuum
nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
northern bog bedstraw Galium labradoricum
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
northern evening primrose Oenothera parviflora
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
northern sweetgrass Hierochloe hirta
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
Nuttall's prairie parsley Polytaenia nuttallii
Oakes' evening primrose Oenothera oakesiana
obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
obovate beakgrain Diarrhena obovata
oneflowered broomrape Orobanche uniflora
Ontario blazing star Liatris cylindracea
orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
pale dock Rumex altissimus
paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
plain gentian Gentiana alba
plaitleaf dewberry Rubus plicatifolius
pleatleaf knotweed Polygonum tenue
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
poke milkweed Asclepias exaltata
poverty dropseed Sporobolus vaginiflorus
prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
prairie goldenrod Oligoneuron album
prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
prairie violet Viola pedatifida
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple chokeberry Aronia ×prunifolia
purple giant hyssop Agastache scrophulariifolia
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
purple meadowparsnip Thaspium trifoliatum
purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
purple rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes racemosa
purplestem angelica Angelica atropurpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
ramp Allium tricoccum
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
richwoods sedge Carex oligocarpa
robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rose blackberry Rubus rosa
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
roundstem false foxglove Agalinis gattingeri
running serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera
rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
Schuette's hawthorn Crataegus schuettei
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
shortbeak sedge Carex brevior
showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
sicklepod Arabis canadensis
sidebells wintergreen Orthilia secunda
silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
silver false spleenwort Deparia acrostichoides
skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender lipfern Cheilanthes feei
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
slimflower muhly Muhlenbergia tenuiflora
slimleaf panicgrass Dichanthelium linearifolium
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
smallflower fumewort Corydalis micrantha
smartweed dodder Cuscuta polygonorum
smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
smooth forked nailwort Paronychia canadensis
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth rose Rosa blanda
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
soft-hair marbleseed Onosmodium bejariense
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spotted sandmat Chamaesyce maculata
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
spring forget-me-not Myosotis verna
starflower Trientalis borealis
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff cowbane Oxypolis rigidior
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
sweet coneflower Rudbeckia subtomentosa
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
tall thoroughwort Eupatorium altissimum
thinleaf sedge Carex cephaloidea
tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
twinflower Linnaea borealis
twinleaf Jeffersonia diphylla
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
velvetleaf huckleberry Vaccinium myrtilloides
vervain Verbena ×engelmannii
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia plantain Plantago virginica
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
waxflower shinleaf Pyrola elliptica
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
western tansymustard Descurainia pinnata
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white bear sedge Carex albursina
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white heath aster Symphyotrichum ericoides
white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
wholeleaf rosinweed Silphium integrifolium
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
whorled milkwort Polygala verticillata
whorled yellow loosestrife Lysimachia quadrifolia
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
wild quinine Parthenium integrifolium
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
wood lily Lilium philadelphicum
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodland lettuce Lactuca floridana
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly sedge Carex pellita
yellow giant hyssop Agastache nepetoides
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
yellowfruit sedge Carex annectens

Also listed as native and introduced here 3

PLANTS labels these species both native and introduced in this state: some forms are native and others were brought in from elsewhere. Most gardeners should choose plants from the main list.

annual ragweedAmbrosia artemisiifolia
common reedPhragmites australis
hedge false bindweedCalystegia sepium

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, Lafayette County and Wisconsin
Measure	Lafayette County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	562	653	1,568
Garden-ready natives	208	272	551
Tree	49	—	125
Shrub	36	—	102
Wildflower (forb)	335	—	853
Grass or grass-like	85	—	361
Vine	28	—	46
Fern	29	—	81

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Lafayette County.

Dane County, WI 385 garden-ready
Grant County, WI 325 garden-ready
Green County, WI 272 garden-ready
Iowa County, WI 313 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: Lafayette County (county FIPS 55065), Wisconsin. 562 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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