Native plants · Wisconsin

Native plants of Washington County

562 plant species are recorded as native to Wisconsin in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in Washington County by USDA PLANTS. 253 of them have growing records you can filter by light, moisture, height and estimated cold hardiness. 5 more species are listed as both native and introduced and kept in a separate section.

County summary · USDA PLANTS and Kew WCVP

Washington County, Wisconsin

Native species: 562 Typical Wisconsin county: 653 (median of 71 counties)
Garden-ready natives: 253 Typical Wisconsin county: 272
Share by type (all 562 native species): Percent of the 562 native species in each growth type

Tree 10% (58)
Shrub 7% (38)
Wildflower (forb) 54% (304)
Grass or grass-like 21% (116)
Vine 4% (25)
Fern 4% (21)

Wildflowers make up the largest share of the native list (54%), 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 zones 5a to 5b (2023 map).

The native plant list

Garden-ready natives 253

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

Garden-ready native plants of Washington 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 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 plum Prunus americana	Tree	24 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
American red raspberry Rubus idaeus	Shrub	6 ft	Shade-tolerant	—	Zone 1a
American vetch Vicia americana	Vine	1.3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
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
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 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
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
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 huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata	Shrub	4 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
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 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
bog birch Betula pumila	Shrub	20 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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
bristlystalked sedge Carex leptalea	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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
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
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	—
butternut Juglans cinerea	Tree	80 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4a
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 rush Juncus canadensis	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
cardinalflower Lobelia cardinalis	Wildflower (forb)	5.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
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 juniper Juniperus communis	Tree	10 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3a
common mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun	High	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 threesquare Schoenoplectus pungens	Grass or grass-like	4.9 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
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
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
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 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
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
fall panicgrass Panicum dichotomiflorum	Grass or grass-like	3.3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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 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
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
golden ragwort Packera aurea	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
golden sedge Carex aurea	Grass or grass-like	1.2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
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 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
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
green needlegrass Nassella viridula	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
groundnut Apios americana	Vine	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 5a
hairy sedge Carex lacustris	Grass or grass-like	5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4b
hairy white oldfield aster Symphyotrichum pilosum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
inland rush Juncus interior	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3b
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
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
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
limestone bittercress Cardamine douglassii	Wildflower (forb)	1 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
limestone meadow sedge Carex granularis	Grass or grass-like	2.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	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
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 muhly Muhlenbergia racemosa	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
Mexican muhly Muhlenbergia mexicana	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
moss phlox Phlox subulata	Wildflower (forb)	6 in	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
nannyberry Viburnum lentago	Tree	28 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
needle and thread Hesperostipa comata	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun	Low	Zone 3b
needle spikerush Eleocharis acicularis	Grass or grass-like	8 in	Sun	Medium	Zone 5a
New Jersey tea Ceanothus americanus	Shrub	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4b
nimblewill Muhlenbergia schreberi	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	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
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
oval-leaf sedge Carex cephalophora	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4a
paper birch Betula papyrifera	Tree	70 ft	Sun	High	Zone 1a
perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
Philadelphia fleabane Erigeron philadelphicus	Wildflower (forb)	2.8 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4b
pickerelweed Pontederia cordata	Wildflower (forb)	3.2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 5a
pinnate prairie coneflower Ratibida pinnata	Wildflower (forb)	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
porcupinegrass Hesperostipa spartea	Grass or grass-like	4 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
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 crab apple Malus ioensis	Tree	25 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie fleabane Erigeron strigosus	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 4b
prairie Junegrass Koeleria macrantha	Grass or grass-like	1.5 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3b
prairie wedgescale Sphenopholis obtusata	Grass or grass-like	3.2 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
pride of Ohio Dodecatheon meadia	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3b
purple avens Geum rivale	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
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 currant Ribes triste	Shrub	2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 1a
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
rice cutgrass Leersia oryzoides	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Sun	High	Zone 4a
riverbank grape Vitis riparia	Vine	45 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 4a
rough avens Geum laciniatum	Wildflower (forb)	3.1 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 5a
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
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
shagbark hickory Carya ovata	Tree	75 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa	Shrub	2.5 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 4b
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
slimstem reedgrass Calamagrostis stricta	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3a
slippery elm Ulmus rubra	Tree	85 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 3a
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
smallhead rush Juncus brachycephalus	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4b
smallspike false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica	Wildflower (forb)	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 4a
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
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
spotted St. Johnswort Hypericum punctatum	Wildflower (forb)	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
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 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 woodreed Cinna arundinacea	Grass or grass-like	4.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Low	Zone 4a
tall cottongrass Eriophorum angustifolium	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	High	Zone 3a
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
three-way sedge Dulichium arundinaceum	Grass or grass-like	2.6 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 3b
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
Torrey's rush Juncus torreyi	Grass or grass-like	3.1 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3b
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora	Wildflower (forb)	2 ft	Sun–part shade	High	Zone 4a
upright sedge Carex stricta	Grass or grass-like	4.2 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	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
western snowberry Symphoricarpos occidentalis	Shrub	3 ft	Sun–part shade	Low	Zone 3b
western wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii	Grass or grass-like	2 ft	Sun	Medium	Zone 3a
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 oak Quercus alba	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 3a
white spruce Picea glauca	Tree	100 ft	Sun–part shade	Medium	Zone 1a
whitegrass Leersia virginica	Grass or grass-like	3.9 ft	Shade-tolerant	Medium	Zone 3a
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 bluegrass Poa sylvestris	Grass or grass-like	3 ft	Shade-tolerant	High	Zone 4a
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 309

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
American burnweed Erechtites hieraciifolius
American cancer-root Conopholis americana
American dragonhead Dracocephalum parviflorum
American false pennyroyal Hedeoma pulegioides
American fly honeysuckle Lonicera canadensis
American ginseng Panax quinquefolius
American hogpeanut Amphicarpaea bracteata
American lopseed Phryma leptostachya
American mannagrass Glyceria grandis
American spikenard Aralia racemosa
American stoneseed Lithospermum latifolium
American white waterlily Nymphaea odorata
autumn coralroot Corallorhiza odontorhiza
bald spikerush Eleocharis erythropoda
bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata
bearded shorthusk Brachyelytrum erectum
beechdrops Epifagus virginiana
beggarslice Hackelia virginiana
biennial beeblossom Oenothera gaura
big devils beggartick Bidens vulgata
bigfruit hawthorn Crataegus macrosperma
blackseed plantain Plantago rugelii
blackseed ricegrass Patis racemosa
bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis
blue skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia
bottlebrush sedge Carex hystericina
bottomland aster Symphyotrichum ontarionis
bristleleaf sedge Carex eburnea
bristly greenbrier Smilax tamnoides
brittle bladderfern Cystopteris fragilis
browneyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba
brownish sedge Carex brunnescens
bulblet bladderfern Cystopteris bulbifera
bulblet-bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbifera
Canada lettuce Lactuca canadensis
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense
Canadian anemone Anemone canadensis
Canadian blacksnakeroot Sanicula canadensis
Canadian clearweed Pilea pumila
Canadian gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides
Canadian honewort Cryptotaenia canadensis
Canadian wildginger Asarum canadense
Canadian woodnettle Laportea canadensis
Carolina vetch Vicia caroliniana
carpenter's square Scrophularia marilandica
catberry Ilex mucronata
clammy groundcherry Physalis heterophylla
Clayton's sweetroot Osmorhiza claytonii
climbing false buckwheat Polygonum scandens
Columbian watermeal Wolffia columbiana
common bladderwort Utricularia macrorhiza
common boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum
common cinquefoil Potentilla simplex
common milkweed Asclepias syriaca
common moonseed Menispermum canadense
common pricklyash Zanthoxylum americanum
common woodrush Luzula multiflora
common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon
cream pea Lathyrus ochroleucus
cuckoo flower Cardamine pratensis
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum
curlycup gumweed Grindelia squarrosa
curlytop knotweed Polygonum lapathifolium
cutleaf toothwort Cardamine concatenata
Dodge's hawthorn Crataegus dodgei
dogtooth violet Erythronium americanum
dotted hawthorn Crataegus punctata
downy hawthorn Crataegus mollis
downy pagoda-plant Blephilia ciliata
downy willowherb Epilobium strictum
Dudley's rush Juncus dudleyi
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
eastern bottlebrush grass Elymus hystrix
eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
eastern false rue anemone Enemion biternatum
eastern leatherwood Dirca palustris
eastern marsh fern Thelypteris palustris
eastern prickly gooseberry Ribes cynosbati
eastern star sedge Carex radiata
eastern swamp saxifrage Saxifraga pensylvanica
eastern waterleaf Hydrophyllum virginianum
elmleaf goldenrod Solidago ulmifolia
Equisetum ×ferrissii Equisetum ×ferrissii
erect knotweed Polygonum erectum
false melic Schizachne purpurascens
false mermaidweed Floerkea proserpinacoides
feathery false lily of the valley Maianthemum racemosum
fen grass of Parnassus Parnassia glauca
feverwort Triosteum perfoliatum
fewseed sedge Carex oligosperma
fireberry hawthorn Crataegus chrysocarpa
flat-top goldentop Euthamia graminifolia
flatleaf bladderwort Utricularia intermedia
flowering spurge Euphorbia corollata
foxtail barley Hordeum jubatum
foxtail sedge Carex alopecoidea
fragrant bedstraw Galium triflorum
Fraser's marsh St. Johnswort Triadenum fraseri
Fries' pondweed Potamogeton friesii
fringed loosestrife Lysimachia ciliata
fringed willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
gaywings Polygala paucifolia
giant sunflower Helianthus giganteus
golden zizia Zizia aurea
goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis
grand redstem Ammannia robusta
grape honeysuckle Lonicera reticulata
great blue lobelia Lobelia siphilitica
great ragweed Ambrosia trifida
greater water dock Rumex orbiculatus
Greek valerian Polemonium reptans
hairy Solomon's seal Polygonatum pubescens
hairy wildrye Elymus villosus
hairy woodland brome Bromus pubescens
hairy woodrush Luzula acuminata
hairystem gooseberry Ribes hirtellum
heartleaf four o'clock Mirabilis nyctaginea
hemlock waterparsnip Sium suave
hoary verbena Verbena stricta
Holmes' hawthorn Crataegus holmesiana
horned bladderwort Utricularia cornuta
horsetail Equisetum ×nelsonii
Howell's pussytoes Antennaria howellii
Huron green orchid Platanthera huronensis
Illinois pondweed Potamogeton illinoensis
Indian-tobacco Lobelia inflata
Indianpipe Monotropa uniflora
inflated narrow-leaf sedge Carex grisea
intermediate woodfern Dryopteris intermedia
knotsheath sedge Carex retrorsa
lanceleaf figwort Scrophularia lanceolata
lanceleaf wild licorice Galium lanceolatum
large St. Johnswort Hypericum majus
largeflower bellwort Uvularia grandiflora
largefruit blacksnakeroot Sanicula trifoliata
Leiberg's panicum Dichanthelium leibergii
lesser clearweed Pilea fontana
lesser purple fringed orchid Platanthera psycodes
lesser yellow lady's slipper Cypripedium parviflorum
licorice bedstraw Galium circaezans
limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica
longbract frog orchid Dactylorhiza viridis
longstalk sedge Carex pedunculata
longstyle sweetroot Osmorhiza longistylis
low false bindweed Calystegia spithamaea
mapleleaf goosefoot Chenopodium simplex
marsh arrowgrass Triglochin palustris
marsh blue violet Viola cucullata
marsh pea Lathyrus palustris
marsh skullcap Scutellaria galericulata
mayapple Podophyllum peltatum
meadow garlic Allium canadense
Michaux's stitchwort Minuartia michauxii
Michigan lily Lilium michiganense
Missouri gooseberry Ribes missouriense
moccasin flower Cypripedium acaule
naked miterwort Mitella nuda
narrowleaf pondweed Potamogeton strictifolius
narrowleaf wild leek Allium burdickii
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
northern adderstongue Ophioglossum pusillum
northern bog aster Symphyotrichum boreale
northern bog violet Viola nephrophylla
northern evening primrose Oenothera parviflora
northern hawthorn Crataegus dissona
northern water plantain Alisma triviale
northern wildrice Zizania palustris
Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica
Ontario lobelia Lobelia kalmii
orangefruit horse-gentian Triosteum aurantiacum
pale dock Rumex altissimus
pale Indian plantain Arnoglossum atriplicifolium
paleleaf woodland sunflower Helianthus strumosus
palespike lobelia Lobelia spicata
parasol whitetop Doellingeria umbellata
Parlin's pussytoes Antennaria parlinii
partridgeberry Mitchella repens
pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron
Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica
pitseed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri
pointedleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium glutinosum
poison sumac Toxicodendron vernix
poverty oatgrass Danthonia spicata
prairie rosinweed Silphium terebinthinaceum
prairie threeawn Aristida oligantha
pubescent sedge Carex hirtifolia
purple chokeberry Aronia ×prunifolia
purple marshlocks Comarum palustre
purple meadow-rue Thalictrum dasycarpum
purple milkweed Asclepias purpurascens
purple pitcherplant Sarracenia purpurea
purplestem angelica Angelica atropurpurea
rabbit-tobacco Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
ramp Allium tricoccum
red columbine Aquilegia canadensis
Richardson's alumroot Heuchera richardsonii
Richardson's pondweed Potamogeton richardsonii
robin's plantain Erigeron pulchellus
rock harlequin Corydalis sempervirens
rosy sedge Carex rosea
rough barnyardgrass Echinochloa muricata
rough false pennyroyal Hedeoma hispida
roughleaf ricegrass Oryzopsis asperifolia
roundleaf sundew Drosera rotundifolia
rue anemone Thalictrum thalictroides
sand violet Viola affinis
scaldweed Cuscuta gronovii
scarlet hawthorn Crataegus pedicellata
Schuette's hawthorn Crataegus schuettei
seaside arrowgrass Triglochin maritima
Seneca snakeroot Polygala senega
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis
sessilefruit arrowhead Sagittaria rigida
shining bedstraw Galium concinnum
Short's aster Symphyotrichum shortii
showy goldenrod Solidago speciosa
showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae
showy ticktrefoil Desmodium canadense
shy wallflower Erysimum inconspicuum
sicklepod Arabis canadensis
silky dogwood Cornus obliqua
skullcap speedwell Veronica scutellata
skunk currant Ribes glandulosum
slender wedgescale Sphenopholis intermedia
slender yellow woodsorrel Oxalis dillenii
slenderleaf false foxglove Agalinis tenuifolia
slimflower muhly Muhlenbergia tenuiflora
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos
smallflower false foxglove Agalinis paupercula
smooth oxeye Heliopsis helianthoides
smooth rockcress Arabis laevigata
smooth rose Rosa blanda
smooth sawgrass Cladium mariscoides
smooth Solomon's seal Polygonatum biflorum
snakemouth orchid Pogonia ophioglossoides
spinulose woodfern Dryopteris carthusiana
spiny naiad Najas marina
spoonleaf sundew Drosera intermedia
spotted geranium Geranium maculatum
spotted water hemlock Cicuta maculata
spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium
Sprengel's sedge Carex sprengelii
starflower Trientalis borealis
starry false lily of the valley Maianthemum stellatum
stiff cowbane Oxypolis rigidior
summer coralroot Corallorhiza maculata
swamp dock Rumex verticillatus
swamp lousewort Pedicularis lanceolata
swamp thistle Cirsium muticum
swamp verbena Verbena hastata
tall blue lettuce Lactuca biennis
thinleaf sunflower Helianthus decapetalus
threadleaf crowfoot Ranunculus trichophyllus
threeleaf false lily of the valley Maianthemum trifolium
threeleaf goldthread Coptis trifolia
tiny trumpet Collomia linearis
tufted lovegrass Eragrostis pectinacea
turion duckweed Lemna turionifera
tussock cottongrass Eriophorum vaginatum
twinflower Linnaea borealis
twoflower dwarfdandelion Krigia biflora
twoleaf miterwort Mitella diphylla
umbrella flatsedge Cyperus diandrus
upland brittle bladderfern Cystopteris tenuis
upright carrionflower Smilax ecirrhata
veiny pea Lathyrus venosus
velvetleaf huckleberry Vaccinium myrtilloides
velvety goldenrod Solidago mollis
vervain Verbena ×engelmannii
Virginia mountainmint Pycnanthemum virginianum
Virginia pepperweed Lepidium virginicum
Virginia springbeauty Claytonia virginica
Virginia strawberry Fragaria virginiana
water arum Calla palustris
waxflower shinleaf Pyrola elliptica
waxyfruit hawthorn Crataegus pruinosa
western oakfern Gymnocarpium dryopteris
western waterweed Elodea nuttallii
whip-poor-will flower Trillium cernuum
white beaksedge Rhynchospora alba
white fawnlily Erythronium albidum
white rattlesnakeroot Prenanthes alba
white snakeroot Ageratina altissima
white trillium Trillium grandiflorum
white turtlehead Chelone glabra
white vervain Verbena urticifolia
whiteflower leafcup Polymnia canadensis
whorl-leaf watermilfoil Myriophyllum verticillatum
whorled milkweed Asclepias verticillata
wild cucumber Echinocystis lobata
wild yam Dioscorea villosa
wood anemone Anemone quinquefolia
woodbine Parthenocissus vitacea
woodfern Dryopteris ×triploidea
woodland strawberry Fragaria vesca
woolly sedge Carex pellita
yellow avens Geum aleppicum
yellow pimpernel Taenidia integerrima
yellow widelip orchid Liparis loeselii

Also listed as native and introduced here 5

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
Kentucky bluegrassPoa pratensis
wood bluegrassPoa nemoralis

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, Washington County and Wisconsin
Measure	Washington County	Typical county	Statewide
Native species	562	653	1,568
Garden-ready natives	253	272	551
Tree	58	—	125
Shrub	38	—	102
Wildflower (forb)	304	—	853
Grass or grass-like	116	—	361
Vine	25	—	46
Fern	21	—	81

Neighboring counties

Counties that share a ZIP code with Washington County.

Dodge County, WI 355 garden-ready
Fond du Lac County, WI 257 garden-ready
Ozaukee County, WI 225 garden-ready
Sheboygan County, WI 313 garden-ready
Waukesha County, WI 328 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: Washington County (county FIPS 55131), 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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