Native plants · Wisconsin

Native plants of St. Croix County

605 plant species are recorded as native to Wisconsin in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in St. Croix County by USDA PLANTS. 257 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 2 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

St. Croix County, Wisconsin

Native species: 605 Typical Wisconsin county: 653 (median of 71 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 257 Typical Wisconsin county: 272
Share by type (all 605 native species): Percent of the 605 native species in each growth type

Tree 8% (49)
Shrub 6% (37)
Wildflower (forb) 56% (337)
Grass or grass-like 21% (127)
Vine 3% (21)
Fern 6% (34)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (56%), followed by grasses and grass-like plants (21%).

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 257

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

Garden-ready native plants of St. Croix County, Wisconsin
Plant	Type	Height	Light	Water use	Hardy to
Allegheny blackberry Rubus allegheniensis	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
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 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 hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana	Tree	30 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
American licorice Glycyrrhiza lepidota	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
American plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American 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
American witchhazel Hamamelis virginiana	Tree	20 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
arborvitae Thuja occidentalis	Tree	50 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
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
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
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 huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
black maple Acer nigrum	Tree	100 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
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
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
blunt spikerush Eleocharis obtusa	Grass or grass-like	1.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
bluntleaf bedstraw Galium obtusum	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	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
broadleaf rosette grass Dichanthelium latifolium	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3a
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
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
burningbush Euonymus atropurpureus	Tree	10 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	—
butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	Low	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 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
Canadian waterweed Elodea canadensis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 4a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
catchfly grass Leersia lenticularis	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
cattail sedge Carex typhina	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
chokecherry Prunus virginiana	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea	Fern	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
coast cockspur grass Echinochloa walteri	Grass or grass-like	6.5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 10b
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 buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis	Tree	15 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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 juniper Juniperus communis	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
common ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius	Shrub	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
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 sneezeweed Helenium autumnale	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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 threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
crested sedge Carex cristatella	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
crested woodfern Dryopteris cristata	Fern	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
crookedstem aster Symphyotrichum prenanthoides	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
Dewey sedge Carex deweyana	Grass or grass-like	3.8 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
ditch stonecrop Penthorum sedoides	Wildflower (forb)	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
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
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 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
false indigo bush Amorpha fruticosa	Shrub	15 ft	Sun	Low	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
fireweed Chamerion angustifolium	Wildflower (forb)	5.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
flatstem pondweed Potamogeton zosteriformis	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
floating pondweed Potamogeton natans	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
graceful sedge Carex gracillima	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 bladder sedge Carex intumescens	Grass or grass-like	3 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
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy grama Bouteloua hirsuta	Grass or grass-like	6 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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
hardstem bulrush Schoenoplectus acutus	Grass or grass-like	9.8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
hop sedge Carex lupulina	Grass or grass-like	4.3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	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
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
knotted rush Juncus nodosus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
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
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata	Shrub	4 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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 pondweed Potamogeton nodosus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	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
marsh muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
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
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
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
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
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
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
partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata	Wildflower (forb)	2.4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 7a
Pennsylvania bittercress Cardamine pensylvanica	Wildflower (forb)	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
Pennsylvania smartweed Polygonum pensylvanicum	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
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
plains muhly Muhlenbergia cuspidata	Grass or grass-like	1.4 ft	Sun	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 cordgrass Spartina pectinata	Grass or grass-like	8 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
purple lovegrass Eragrostis spectabilis	Grass or grass-like	11 in	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
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 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
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 elderberry Sambucus racemosa	Tree	18 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
red pine Pinus resinosa	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
redosier dogwood Cornus sericea	Tree	12 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
redroot flatsedge Cyperus erythrorhizos	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 11a
reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
river bulrush Bolboschoenus fluviatilis	Grass or grass-like	6.6 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
riverbank grape Vitis riparia	Vine	45 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Robbins' pondweed Potamogeton robbinsii	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
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
sago pondweed Stuckenia pectinata	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
sand dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
sandcherry Prunus pumila	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
scarlet Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea	Wildflower (forb)	1.6 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4b
shortawn foxtail Alopecurus aequalis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
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
slender flatsedge Cyperus bipartitus	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
small enchanter's nightshade Circaea alpina	Wildflower (forb)	11 in	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
small white violet Viola macloskeyi	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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 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
stiff goldenrod Oligoneuron rigidum	Wildflower (forb)	3.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
stiff marsh bedstraw Galium tinctorium	Wildflower (forb)	10 in	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
swamp smartweed Polygonum hydropiperoides	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	Medium	Zone 10b
sweet woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
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
tamarack Larix laricina	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 1a
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
upland bentgrass Agrostis perennans	Grass or grass-like	3.5 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
variableleaf pondweed Potamogeton gramineus	Wildflower (forb)	—	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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
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
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
wheat sedge Carex atherodes	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b
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 doll's daisy Boltonia asteroides	Wildflower (forb)	8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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 prairie clover Dalea candida	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
white sagebrush Artemisia ludoviciana	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 4a
wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa	Wildflower (forb)	4.9 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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 marsh marigold Caltha palustris	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3b

Other native species recorded here 348

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
Allegheny monkeyflower Mimulus ringens
alpine violet Viola labradorica
amberique-bean Strophostyles helvola
American bladdernut Staphylea trifolia
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American marshpennywort Hydrocotyle americana
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
aromatic aster Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
arrowhead rattlebox Crotalaria sagittalis
arrowleaf violet Viola sagittata
Aunt Lucy Ellisia nyctelea
autumn onion Allium stellatum
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus
Beck's water-marigold Bidens beckii
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
Bicknell's cranesbill Geranium bicknellii
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
bigbract verbena Verbena bracteata
bigfruit hawthorn Crataegus macrosperma
birdfoot violet Viola pedata
blackgirdle bulrush Scirpus atrocinctus
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue giant hyssop Agastache foeniculum
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bluejacket Tradescantia ohiensis
bluntleaf sandwort Moehringia lateriflora
bog yellowcress Rorippa palustris
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
brome-like sedge Carex bromoides
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
bushy knotweed Polygonum ramosissimum
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
Carolina anemone Anemone caroliniana
Carolina draba Draba reptans
Carolina larkspur Delphinium carolinianum
Carolina puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
clammy hedgehyssop Gratiola neglecta
clasping Venus' looking-glass Triodanis perfoliata
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
clustered blacksnakeroot Sanicula odorata
coastal jointweed Polygonella articulata
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
common threeseed mercury Acalypha rhomboidea
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf grapefern Botrychium dissectum
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
cypress panicgrass Dichanthelium dichotomum
dotted hawthorn Crataegus punctata
downy phlox Phlox pilosa
downy rattlesnake plantain Goodyera pubescens
Drummond's aster Symphyotrichum drummondii
Drummond's halfchaff sedge Lipocarpha drummondii
dryspike sedge Carex siccata
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria
dwarf red blackberry Rubus pubescens
dwarf scouringrush Equisetum scirpoides
early goldenrod Solidago juncea
earlyleaf brome Bromus latiglumis
earth loosestrife Lysimachia terrestris
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Emory's sedge Carex emoryi
Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
eyebane Chamaesyce nutans
fan clubmoss Lycopodium digitatum
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
fewleaf sunflower Helianthus occidentalis
fewseed sedge Carex oligosperma
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
fiveangled dodder Cuscuta pentagona
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
fleshy hawthorn Crataegus succulenta
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
forked threeawn Aristida basiramea
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
fragile rockbrake Cryptogramma stelleri
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fraser's marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
giant sunflower Helianthus giganteus
Goldie's woodfern Dryopteris goldieana
grassleaf mudplantain Heteranthera dubia
grassy arrowhead Sagittaria graminea
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
great Indian plantain Arnoglossum reniforme
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
greater water dock Rumex orbiculatus
Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
green carpetweed Mollugo verticillata
green dragon Arisaema dracontium
green fringed orchid Platanthera lacera
Greene's rush Juncus greenei
grooved flax Linum sulcatum
groundplum milkvetch Astragalus crassicarpus
hairy evening primrose Oenothera villosa
hairy four o'clock Mirabilis hirsuta
hairy hawkweed Hieracium longipilum
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
harlequin blueflag Iris versicolor
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
heavy sedge Carex gravida
Heller's rosette grass Dichanthelium oligosanthes
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
hoary puccoon Lithospermum canescens
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
Holmes' hawthorn Crataegus holmesiana
hookedspur violet Viola adunca
Hooker's orchid Platanthera hookeri
hybrid cattail Typha ×glauca
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
inundated clubmoss Lycopodiella inundata
Jersey tea Ceanothus herbaceus
jumpseed Polygonum virginianum
Kalm's hawkweed Hieracium kalmii
kinnickinnick dewberry Rubus multifer
knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
large beardtongue Penstemon grandiflorus
large Indian breadroot Pediomelum esculentum
large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
leathery grapefern Botrychium multifidum
Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
lesser roundleaved orchid Platanthera orbiculata
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
lilac penstemon Penstemon gracilis
limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
little evening primrose Oenothera perennis
liverleaf wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia
long-stolon sedge Carex inops
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
longbract spiderwort Tradescantia bracteata
longleaf groundcherry Physalis longifolia
longleaf summer bluet Houstonia longifolia
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
lowland yellow loosestrife Lysimachia hybrida
lyrate rockcress Arabis lyrata
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
Maryland sanicle Sanicula marilandica
mat sandbur Cenchrus longispinus
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense
Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
mountain ricegrass Piptatheropsis pungens
Muhlenberg's sedge Carex muehlenbergii
narrowleaf bur-reed Sparganium angustifolium
narrowleaf pondweed Potamogeton strictifolius
narrowleaf wild leek Allium burdickii
neckweed Veronica peregrina
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
nodding wakerobin Trillium flexipes
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
northern dewberry Rubus flagellaris
northern panicgrass Dichanthelium boreale
northern selaginella Selaginella rupestris
northern slender lady's tresses Spiranthes lacera
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
northern watermeal Wolffia borealis
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
obedient plant Physostegia virginiana
Ontario blazing star Liatris cylindracea
paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
parasol sedge Carex umbellata
parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
Peck's sedge Carex peckii
Pennsylvania clubmoss Lycopodium hickeyi
Pennsylvania pellitory Parietaria pensylvanica
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
plain gentian Gentiana alba
plains snakecotton Froelichia floridana
plaitleaf dewberry Rubus plicatifolius
pleatleaf knotweed Polygonum tenue
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
prairie blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium campestre
prairie false dandelion Nothocalais cuspidata
prairie groundsel Packera plattensis
prairie ironweed Vernonia fasciculata
prairie rose Rosa arkansana
prairie violet Viola pedatifida
pretty sedge Carex woodii
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
puffsheath dropseed Sporobolus neglectus
purple chokeberry Aronia ×prunifolia
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
purple milkwort Polygala sanguinea
purplestem angelica Angelica atropurpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
ramp Allium tricoccum
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
redwhisker clammyweed Polanisia dodecandra
ribseed sandmat Chamaesyce glyptosperma
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
rock polypody Polypodium virginianum
rose blackberry Rubus rosa
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
rough hawkweed Hieracium scabrum
rough rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes aspera
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
running clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum
running serviceberry Amelanchier stolonifera
rusty woodsia Woodsia ilvensis
sand violet Viola affinis
scarlet hawthorn Crataegus pedicellata
Schweinitz's flatsedge Cyperus schweinitzii
scrambled eggs Corydalis aurea
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
shining clubmoss Huperzia lucidula
Short's rockcress Arabis shortii
shortspike watermilfoil Myriophyllum sibiricum
showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
showy orchid Galearis spectabilis
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
silky prairie clover Dalea villosa
skyblue aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
sleepy silene Silene antirrhina
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
slickseed fuzzybean Strophostyles leiosperma
small green wood orchid Platanthera clavellata
small pondweed Potamogeton pusillus
small skullcap Scutellaria parvula
smooth cliffbrake Pellaea glabella
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth rose Rosa blanda
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
snow trillium Trillium nivale
soft agrimony Agrimonia pubescens
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
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff sunflower Helianthus pauciflorus
stiff tickseed Coreopsis palmata
sundial lupine Lupinus perennis
swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
sweetscented joe pye weed Eutrochium purpureum
tall blazing star Liatris aspera
tall thistle Cirsium altissimum
thin paspalum Paspalum setaceum
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
tree groundpine Lycopodium dendroideum
Tuckerman's sedge Carex tuckermanii
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
violet woodsorrel Oxalis violacea
Virginia groundcherry Physalis virginiana
Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
Virginia tephrosia Tephrosia virginiana
walking fern Asplenium rhizophyllum
water whorlgrass Catabrosa aquatica
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
western poison ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii
western rockjasmine Androsace occidentalis
western silver aster Symphyotrichum sericeum
western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
white bear sedge Carex albursina
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
whorl-leaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
winged lythrum Lythrum alatum
winged pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolium
woman's tobacco Antennaria plantaginifolia
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly sedge Carex pellita
woollyfruit sedge Carex lasiocarpa
yellowseed false pimpernel Lindernia dubia

Also listed as native and introduced here 2

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

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, St. Croix County and Wisconsin
Measure	St. Croix County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	605	653	1,568
Garden-ready natives	257	272	551
Tree	49	—	125
Shrub	37	—	102
Wildflower (forb)	337	—	853
Grass or grass-like	127	—	361
Vine	21	—	46
Fern	34	—	81

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with St. Croix County.

Dunn County, WI 211 garden-ready
Pierce County, WI 207 garden-ready
Polk County, WI 278 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: St. Croix County (county FIPS 55109), Wisconsin. 605 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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