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Find Plants:

Sun

View as: Gallery Table

  • Silver Maple
    Acer saccharinum

    Silver Maple
    Acer saccharinum

  • Common Yarrow
    Achillea millefolium

    Common Yarrow
    Achillea millefolium

  • Sweet Flag
    Acorus calamus

    Sweet Flag
    Acorus calamus

  • Ohio Buckeye
    Aesculus glabra

    Ohio Buckeye
    Aesculus glabra

  • Tall False Foxglove
    Agalinis aspera

    Tall False Foxglove
    Agalinis aspera

  • Slenderleaf False Foxglove
    Agalinis tenuifolia

    Slenderleaf False Foxglove
    Agalinis tenuifolia

  • Fragrant Hyssop
    Agastache foeniculum

    Fragrant Hyssop
    Agastache foeniculum

  • Tall Hairy Agrimony
    Agrimonia gryposepala

    Tall Hairy Agrimony
    Agrimonia gryposepala

  • Upland Bentgrass
    Agrostis perennans

    Upland Bentgrass
    Agrostis perennans

  • Large-flowered Water Plantain
    Alisma triviale

    Large-flowered Water Plantain
    Alisma triviale

  • Nodding Onion
    Allium cernuum

    Nodding Onion
    Allium cernuum

  • Wild Onion
    Allium stellatum

    Wild Onion
    Allium stellatum

  • Speckled Alder
    Alnus incana

    Speckled Alder
    Alnus incana

  • Juneberry
    Amelanchier arborea

    Juneberry
    Amelanchier arborea

  • Allegheny Serviceberry
    Amelanchier laevis

    Allegheny Serviceberry
    Amelanchier laevis

  • Leadplant
    Amorpha canescens

    Leadplant
    Amorpha canescens

  • Pearly Everlasting
    Anaphalis margaritacea

    Pearly Everlasting
    Anaphalis margaritacea

  • Big Bluestem
    Andropogon gerardii

    Big Bluestem
    Andropogon gerardii

  • Canada Anemone
    Anemone canadensis

    Canada Anemone
    Anemone canadensis

  • Thimble Flower
    Anemone cylindrica

    Thimble Flower
    Anemone cylindrica

  • Tall Thimbleweed
    Anemone virginiana L.

    Tall Thimbleweed
    Anemone virginiana L.

  • Angelica
    Angelica atropurpurea

    Angelica
    Angelica atropurpurea

  • Pussytoes
    Antennaria neglecta

    Pussytoes
    Antennaria neglecta

  • Columbine
    Aquilegia canadensis

    Columbine
    Aquilegia canadensis

  • Black Chokeberry
    Aronia melanocarpa

    Black Chokeberry
    Aronia melanocarpa

  • Beach Wormwood
    Artemisia caudata

    Beach Wormwood
    Artemisia caudata

  • Prairie Sage
    Artemisia ludoviciana

    Prairie Sage
    Artemisia ludoviciana

  • Showy Milkweed
    Asclepia speciosa

    Showy Milkweed
    Asclepia speciosa

  • Marsh Milkweed
    Asclepias incarnata

    Marsh Milkweed
    Asclepias incarnata

  • Common Milkweed
    Asclepias syriaca

    Common Milkweed
    Asclepias syriaca

  • Butterfly Weed
    Asclepias tuberosa

    Butterfly Weed
    Asclepias tuberosa

  • Whorled Milkweed
    Asclepias verticillata

    Whorled Milkweed
    Asclepias verticillata

  • Aromatic Aster
    Aster oblongifolius

    Aromatic Aster
    Aster oblongifolius

  • Azure Sky (Blue) Aster
    Aster oolentangiensis

    Azure Sky (Blue) Aster
    Aster oolentangiensis

  • Crooked-stemmed Aster
    Aster prenanthoides

    Crooked-stemmed Aster
    Aster prenanthoides

  • Purple-stemmed Aster
    Aster puniceus

    Purple-stemmed Aster
    Aster puniceus

  • Silky Aster
    Aster sericeus

    Silky Aster
    Aster sericeus

  • Panicled Aster
    Aster simplex

    Panicled Aster
    Aster simplex

  • Canada Milkvetch
    Astragalus canadensis

    Canada Milkvetch
    Astragalus canadensis

  • Ground Plum
    Astragalus crassicarpus

    Ground Plum
    Astragalus crassicarpus

  • White Wild Indigo
    Baptisia alba

    White Wild Indigo
    Baptisia alba

  • Cream Wild Indigo
    Baptisia bracteata

    Cream Wild Indigo
    Baptisia bracteata

  • Downy Wood Mint
    Blephilia ciliata

    Downy Wood Mint
    Blephilia ciliata

  • Hairy Wood Mint
    Blephilia hirsuta

    Hairy Wood Mint
    Blephilia hirsuta

  • Side Oats Grama
    Bouteloua curtipendula

    Side Oats Grama
    Bouteloua curtipendula

  • Blue Grama
    Bouteloua gracilis

    Blue Grama
    Bouteloua gracilis

  • Kalm's Brome
    Bromus kalmii

    Kalm's Brome
    Bromus kalmii

  • Blue-joint Grass
    Calamagrostis canadensis

    Blue-joint Grass
    Calamagrostis canadensis

  • Oklahoma Grasspink
    Calopogon oklahomensis

    Oklahoma Grasspink
    Calopogon oklahomensis

  • Marsh Marigold
    Caltha palustris

    Marsh Marigold
    Caltha palustris

  • Tall Bellflower
    Campanula americana

    Tall Bellflower
    Campanula americana

  • Harebell
    Campanula rotundifolia

    Harebell
    Campanula rotundifolia

  • Bebbs Sedge
    Carex bebbii

    Bebbs Sedge
    Carex bebbii

  • Bottlebrush Sedge
    Carex comosa

    Bottlebrush Sedge
    Carex comosa

  • Fringed Sedge
    Carex crinita

    Fringed Sedge
    Carex crinita

  • Porcupine Sedge
    Carex hystericina

    Porcupine Sedge
    Carex hystericina

  • Lake Sedge
    Carex lacustris

    Lake Sedge
    Carex lacustris

  • Sand Sedge
    Carex muhlenbergii

    Sand Sedge
    Carex muhlenbergii

  • Pennsylvania sedge
    Carex pensylvanica

    Pennsylvania sedge
    Carex pensylvanica

  • Upright Sedge
    Carex stricta Lam

    Upright Sedge
    Carex stricta Lam

  • Northwest Territory Sedge
    Carex utriculata

    Northwest Territory Sedge
    Carex utriculata

  • Fox Sedge
    Carex vulpinoidea

    Fox Sedge
    Carex vulpinoidea

  • New Jersey Tea
    Ceanothus americanus

    New Jersey Tea
    Ceanothus americanus

  • Hackberry
    Celtis occidentalis

    Hackberry
    Celtis occidentalis

  • Buttonbush
    Cephalanthus occidentalis

    Buttonbush
    Cephalanthus occidentalis

  • Partridge Pea
    Chamaecrista fasciculata

    Partridge Pea
    Chamaecrista fasciculata

  • Turtlehead
    Chelone glabra

    Turtlehead
    Chelone glabra

  • Virgin's Bower
    Clematis virginiana

    Virgin's Bower
    Clematis virginiana

  • Prairie Coreopsis
    Coreopsis palmata

    Prairie Coreopsis
    Coreopsis palmata

  • Red Osier Dogwood
    Cornus sericea

    Red Osier Dogwood
    Cornus sericea

  • Hazelnut
    Corylus americana

    Hazelnut
    Corylus americana

  • Water Pygmyweed
    Crassula aquatica

    Water Pygmyweed
    Crassula aquatica

  • Quebec Hawthorn
    Crataegus submollis

    Quebec Hawthorn
    Crataegus submollis

  • Umbrella Flatsedge
    Cyperus diandrus

    Umbrella Flatsedge
    Cyperus diandrus

  • White Prairie Clover
    Dalea candidum

    White Prairie Clover
    Dalea candidum

  • Purple Prairie Clover
    Dalea purpureum

    Purple Prairie Clover
    Dalea purpureum

  • Silky Prairie Clover
    Dalea villosum

    Silky Prairie Clover
    Dalea villosum

  • Prairie Larkspur
    Delphinium virescens

    Prairie Larkspur
    Delphinium virescens

  • Showy Tick-Trefoil
    Desmodium canadense

    Showy Tick-Trefoil
    Desmodium canadense

  • Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
    Diervilla lonicera

    Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
    Diervilla lonicera

  • Shooting-Star
    Dodecatheon meadia

    Shooting-Star
    Dodecatheon meadia

  • Flat Topped Aster
    Doellingeria umbellata

    Flat Topped Aster
    Doellingeria umbellata

  • Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower
    Echinacea angustifolia

    Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower
    Echinacea angustifolia

  • Pale Purple Coneflower
    Echinacea pallida

    Pale Purple Coneflower
    Echinacea pallida

  • Purple Coneflower
    Echinacea purpurea

    Purple Coneflower
    Echinacea purpurea

  • Spike Rush
    Eleocharis acicularis

    Spike Rush
    Eleocharis acicularis

  • Canada Wild Rye
    Elymus canadensis

    Canada Wild Rye
    Elymus canadensis

  • Bottlebrush Grass
    Elymus hystrix

    Bottlebrush Grass
    Elymus hystrix

  • Quackgrass
    Elymus repens

    Quackgrass
    Elymus repens

  • Silky Wildrye
    Elymus villosus

    Silky Wildrye
    Elymus villosus

  • Virginia Wildrye
    Elymus virginicus

    Virginia Wildrye
    Elymus virginicus

  • Fire Weed
    Epilobium angustifolium

    Fire Weed
    Epilobium angustifolium

  • Variegated Scouringrush
    Equisetum variegatum

    Variegated Scouringrush
    Equisetum variegatum

  • Sand Lovegrass
    Eragrostis trichodes

    Sand Lovegrass
    Eragrostis trichodes

  • Cotton Grass
    Eriophorum angustifolium

    Cotton Grass
    Eriophorum angustifolium

  • Rattlesnake Master
    Eryngium yuccifolium

    Rattlesnake Master
    Eryngium yuccifolium

  • Eastern Wahoo
    Euonymus atropurpurea

    Eastern Wahoo
    Euonymus atropurpurea

  • Joe-Pye Weed
    Eupatorium maculatum

    Joe-Pye Weed
    Eupatorium maculatum

  • Boneset
    Eupatorium perfoliatum

    Boneset
    Eupatorium perfoliatum

  • Sweet Joe-Pye Weed
    Eupatorium purpureum

    Sweet Joe-Pye Weed
    Eupatorium purpureum

  • Flowering Spurge
    Euphorbia corollata

    Flowering Spurge
    Euphorbia corollata

  • Queen of the Prairie
    Filipendula rubra

    Queen of the Prairie
    Filipendula rubra

  • Wild Strawberry
    Fragaria virginiana

    Wild Strawberry
    Fragaria virginiana

  • Black Ash
    Fraxinus nigra

    Black Ash
    Fraxinus nigra

  • Northern Bedstraw
    Galium boreale

    Northern Bedstraw
    Galium boreale

  • Bottle Gentian
    Gentiana andrewsii

    Bottle Gentian
    Gentiana andrewsii

  • Cream Gentian
    Gentiana flavida

    Cream Gentian
    Gentiana flavida

  • Stiff Gentian
    Gentianella quinquefolia

    Stiff Gentian
    Gentianella quinquefolia

  • Wild Geranium
    Geranium maculatum

    Wild Geranium
    Geranium maculatum

  • Honey Locust
    Gleditsia triacanthos

    Honey Locust
    Gleditsia triacanthos

  • Sweet Everlasting
    Gnaphalium obtusifolium

    Sweet Everlasting
    Gnaphalium obtusifolium

  • Longleaf Bluets
    Hedyotis longifolia

    Longleaf Bluets
    Hedyotis longifolia

  • Sneezeweed
    Helenium autumnale

    Sneezeweed
    Helenium autumnale

  • Showy Sunflower
    Helianthus laetiflorus

    Showy Sunflower
    Helianthus laetiflorus

  • Maximilian Sunflower
    Helianthus maximiliani

    Maximilian Sunflower
    Helianthus maximiliani

  • Western Sunflower
    Helianthus occidentalis

    Western Sunflower
    Helianthus occidentalis

  • Oxeye
    Heliopsis helianthoides

    Oxeye
    Heliopsis helianthoides

  • Golden Aster
    Heterotheca camporum

    Golden Aster
    Heterotheca camporum

  • Alumroot
    Heuchera richardsonii

    Alumroot
    Heuchera richardsonii

  • Sweet Grass
    Hierochloe odorata

    Sweet Grass
    Hierochloe odorata

  • Great St. Johnswort
    Hypericum pyramidatum

    Great St. Johnswort
    Hypericum pyramidatum

  • Blue Flag Iris
    Iris versicolor

    Blue Flag Iris
    Iris versicolor

  • Soft Rush
    Juncus effusus

    Soft Rush
    Juncus effusus

  • Path Rush
    Juncus tenuis

    Path Rush
    Juncus tenuis

  • Torrey's Rush
    Juncus torreyi

    Torrey's Rush
    Juncus torreyi

  • June Grass
    Koeleria macrantha

    June Grass
    Koeleria macrantha

  • Roundheaded Bushclover
    Lespedeza capitata

    Roundheaded Bushclover
    Lespedeza capitata

  • Rough Blazingstar
    Liatris aspera

    Rough Blazingstar
    Liatris aspera

  • Cylindric Blazingstar
    Liatris cylindrica

    Cylindric Blazingstar
    Liatris cylindrica

  • Northern Blazing Star
    Liatris ligulistylis

    Northern Blazing Star
    Liatris ligulistylis

  • Dotted Blazingstar
    Liatris punctata

    Dotted Blazingstar
    Liatris punctata

  • Prairie Blazingstar
    Liatris pycnostachya

    Prairie Blazingstar
    Liatris pycnostachya

  • Michigan (Turk's Cap) Lily
    Lilium michiganense

    Michigan (Turk's Cap) Lily
    Lilium michiganense

  • Yelloweyed Grass
    Lindernia dubia

    Yelloweyed Grass
    Lindernia dubia

  • Cardinal Flower
    Lobelia cardinalis

    Cardinal Flower
    Lobelia cardinalis

  • Blue Lobelia
    Lobelia siphilitica

    Blue Lobelia
    Lobelia siphilitica

  • Pale-Spike Lobelia
    Lobelia spicata

    Pale-Spike Lobelia
    Lobelia spicata

  • Wild Lupine
    Lupinus perennis

    Wild Lupine
    Lupinus perennis

  • Snowy Wood Rush
    Luzula nivea

    Snowy Wood Rush
    Luzula nivea

  • Waterhorehound
    Lycopus americanus

    Waterhorehound
    Lycopus americanus

  • Monkey Flower
    Mimulus ringens

    Monkey Flower
    Mimulus ringens

  • Variegated Moorgrass
    Molinia caerulea

    Variegated Moorgrass
    Molinia caerulea

  • Wild Bergamot
    Monarda fistulosa

    Wild Bergamot
    Monarda fistulosa

  • Dotted Mint - Spotted Bee Balm
    Monarda punctata

    Dotted Mint - Spotted Bee Balm
    Monarda punctata

  • Water Minerslettuce
    Montia chamissoi

    Water Minerslettuce
    Montia chamissoi

  • American Lotus
    Nelumbo lutea

    American Lotus
    Nelumbo lutea

  • Praire Groundsel
    Packera plattensis

    Praire Groundsel
    Packera plattensis

  • Scribner's Panicgrass
    Panicum oligosanthes

    Scribner's Panicgrass
    Panicum oligosanthes

  • Switchgrass
    Panicum virgatum

    Switchgrass
    Panicum virgatum

  • Smooth Penstemon
    Penstemon digitalis

    Smooth Penstemon
    Penstemon digitalis

  • Slender Penstemon
    Penstemon gracilis

    Slender Penstemon
    Penstemon gracilis

  • Showy Penstemon
    Penstemon grandiflorus

    Showy Penstemon
    Penstemon grandiflorus

  • Hairy Penstemon
    Penstemon hirsutus

    Hairy Penstemon
    Penstemon hirsutus

  • Prairie Phlox
    Phlox pilosa

    Prairie Phlox
    Phlox pilosa

  • Obedient Plant
    Physostegia virginiana

    Obedient Plant
    Physostegia virginiana

  • Black Spruce
    Picea mariana

    Black Spruce
    Picea mariana

  • Sandberg Bluegrass
    Poa secunda J. Presl

    Sandberg Bluegrass
    Poa secunda J. Presl

  • Pickerelweed
    Pontederia cordata

    Pickerelweed
    Pontederia cordata

  • Cottonwood
    Populus deltoides

    Cottonwood
    Populus deltoides

  • Quaking Aspen
    Populus tremuloides

    Quaking Aspen
    Populus tremuloides

  • Variableleaf Pondweed
    Potamogeton gramineus

    Variableleaf Pondweed
    Potamogeton gramineus

  • Prairie Cinquefoil
    Potentilla arguta

    Prairie Cinquefoil
    Potentilla arguta

  • Rattlesnake Root
    Prenanthes alba

    Rattlesnake Root
    Prenanthes alba

  • American Plum
    Prunus americana

    American Plum
    Prunus americana

  • Eastern Sand Cherry
    Prunus pumila

    Eastern Sand Cherry
    Prunus pumila

  • Black Cherry
    Prunus serotina

    Black Cherry
    Prunus serotina

  • Chokecherry
    Prunus virginiana

    Chokecherry
    Prunus virginiana

  • Pasque Flower
    Pulsatilla vulgaris

    Pasque Flower
    Pulsatilla vulgaris

  • Mountain Mint
    Pycnanthemum virginianum

    Mountain Mint
    Pycnanthemum virginianum

  • Swamp White Oak
    Quercus bicolor

    Swamp White Oak
    Quercus bicolor

  • Northern Pin Oak
    Quercus ellipsoidalis

    Northern Pin Oak
    Quercus ellipsoidalis

  • Yellow Water Buttercup
    Ranunculus flabellaris

    Yellow Water Buttercup
    Ranunculus flabellaris

  • Macoun's Buttercup
    Ranunculus macounii

    Macoun's Buttercup
    Ranunculus macounii

  • Upright Coneflower
    Ratibida columnifera

    Upright Coneflower
    Ratibida columnifera

  • Prairie Coneflower
    Ratibida pinnata

    Prairie Coneflower
    Ratibida pinnata

  • Early Wild Rose
    Rosa blanda

    Early Wild Rose
    Rosa blanda

  • Black-eyed Susan
    Rudbeckia hirta

    Black-eyed Susan
    Rudbeckia hirta

  • Green-headed Coneflower
    Rudbeckia laciniata

    Green-headed Coneflower
    Rudbeckia laciniata

  • Sweet Coneflower
    Rudbeckia subtomentosa

    Sweet Coneflower
    Rudbeckia subtomentosa

  • Thinleaved Coneflower
    Rudbeckia triloba

    Thinleaved Coneflower
    Rudbeckia triloba

  • Wild Petunia
    Ruellia humilis

    Wild Petunia
    Ruellia humilis

  • Arrowhead
    Sagittaria latifolia

    Arrowhead
    Sagittaria latifolia

  • Bebb Willow
    Salix bebbiana

    Bebb Willow
    Salix bebbiana

  • Pussy Willow
    Salix caprea

    Pussy Willow
    Salix caprea

  • Sandbar Willow
    Salix interior

    Sandbar Willow
    Salix interior

  • Elderberry
    Sambucus racemosa

    Elderberry
    Sambucus racemosa

  • Maryland Sanicle
    Sanicula marilandica

    Maryland Sanicle
    Sanicula marilandica

  • Little Bluestem
    Schizachyrium scoparium

    Little Bluestem
    Schizachyrium scoparium

  • Hardstem Bulrush
    Scirpus acutus

    Hardstem Bulrush
    Scirpus acutus

  • Green Bulrush
    Scirpus atrovirens

    Green Bulrush
    Scirpus atrovirens

  • Woolgrass
    Scirpus cyperinus

    Woolgrass
    Scirpus cyperinus

  • River Bulrush
    Scirpus fluviatilis

    River Bulrush
    Scirpus fluviatilis

  • Three-squared Bulrush
    Scirpus pungens

    Three-squared Bulrush
    Scirpus pungens

  • Softstem Bulrush
    Scirpus validus

    Softstem Bulrush
    Scirpus validus

  • Compass Plant
    Silphium laciniatum

    Compass Plant
    Silphium laciniatum

  • Cup Plant
    Silphium perfoliatum

    Cup Plant
    Silphium perfoliatum

  • Prairie Dock
    Silphium terebinthinaceum

    Prairie Dock
    Silphium terebinthinaceum

  • Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass
    Sisyrinchium campestre

    Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass
    Sisyrinchium campestre

  • Starry False Solomon Seal
    Smilacina stellata

    Starry False Solomon Seal
    Smilacina stellata

  • Gray Goldenrod
    Solidago nemoralis

    Gray Goldenrod
    Solidago nemoralis

  • White Upland Aster
    Solidago ptarmicoides

    White Upland Aster
    Solidago ptarmicoides

  • Riddell's Goldenrod
    Solidago riddellii

    Riddell's Goldenrod
    Solidago riddellii

  • Rigid Goldenrod
    Solidago rigida

    Rigid Goldenrod
    Solidago rigida

  • Showy Goldenrod
    Solidago speciosa

    Showy Goldenrod
    Solidago speciosa

  • Indian Grass
    Sorghastrum nutans

    Indian Grass
    Sorghastrum nutans

  • Broadfruit Bur-Reed
    Sparganium eurycarpum

    Broadfruit Bur-Reed
    Sparganium eurycarpum

  • Prairie Cordgrass
    Spartina pectinata

    Prairie Cordgrass
    Spartina pectinata

  • Steeplebush
    Spiraea tomentosa

    Steeplebush
    Spiraea tomentosa

  • Meadowsweet
    Spirea alba

    Meadowsweet
    Spirea alba

  • Prairie Dropseed
    Sporobolus heterolepis

    Prairie Dropseed
    Sporobolus heterolepis

  • Heath Aster
    Symphyotrichum ericoides

    Heath Aster
    Symphyotrichum ericoides

  • Smooth Aster
    Symphyotrichum laeve

    Smooth Aster
    Symphyotrichum laeve

  • New England Aster
    Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

    New England Aster
    Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

  • Tall Meadow Rue
    Thalictrum dasycarpum

    Tall Meadow Rue
    Thalictrum dasycarpum

  • Spiderwort
    Tradescantia bracteata

    Spiderwort
    Tradescantia bracteata

  • Rabbitfoot Clover
    Trifolium arvense

    Rabbitfoot Clover
    Trifolium arvense

  • Edible Valerian
    Valeriana edulis

    Edible Valerian
    Valeriana edulis

  • Blue Vervain
    Verbena hastata

    Blue Vervain
    Verbena hastata

  • Hoary Vervain
    Verbena stricta

    Hoary Vervain
    Verbena stricta

  • Ironweed
    Vernonia fasciculata

    Ironweed
    Vernonia fasciculata

  • Culvers Root
    Veronicastrum virginicum

    Culvers Root
    Veronicastrum virginicum

  • American High-Bush Cranberry
    Viburnum trilobum

    American High-Bush Cranberry
    Viburnum trilobum

  • Bird's Foot Violet
    Viola pedata

    Bird's Foot Violet
    Viola pedata

  • Heart-leaved Golden Alexander
    Zizia aptera

    Heart-leaved Golden Alexander
    Zizia aptera

  • Golden Alexander
    Zizia aurea

    Golden Alexander
    Zizia aurea
Name Type Light Exposure Soil Moisture Height Bloom Color Bloom Months   Notes/Description
Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 50 to 80 feet USDA Info
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Sweet Flag
Acorus calamus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Ohio Buckeye
Aesculus glabra
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 20 to 40 feet
Bloom Color:
Green, Yellow
Bloom Months:
April, May
 USDA Info Easily grown in average, Medium well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, fertile soils. Foliage tends to scorch and generally depreciate in dry conditions. This is a taprooted tree that once established is very difficult to transplant.
Tall False Foxglove
Agalinis aspera
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info This annual plant is 1–2½' tall, branching occasionally. It has a tendency to sprawl in the absence of supportive vegetation. The dark green stems are grooved and hairless. The opposite leaves are 1-3 inches long, dark green, and linear. They have smooth margins and a prominent midvein. The leaves are usually hairless, although new growth may be slightly pubescent. Secondary leaves may develop from the axils of the primary leaves along the central stem, but they are smaller in size than the latter. Some of the upper stems develop racemes of flowers. These flowers are up to 1 inch long and across, and vary in color from lavender to purple.
Slenderleaf False Foxglove
Agalinis tenuifolia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Fragrant Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Tall Hairy Agrimony
Agrimonia gryposepala
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info There are 2 species of agrimony in Minnesota, Tall Hairy Agrimony and Roadside Agrimony (Agrimonia striata). Differences between them are subtle, the more obvious are that the latter has hairy underside of leaves, not just along the veins, the flowering branches are mostly erect, it is more densely hairy all the way up the stem, and it tends to be a larger, more robust plant overall.
Upland Bentgrass
Agrostis perennans
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info This is a perennial grass about ½–2½' tall that develops either individually or in loose tufts of unbranched leafy culms. In sunny habitats with fertile soil, this grass is taller and more stout, while in shaded habitats with poor soil it is shorter and more delicate. The culms are light green, terete, slender, and glabrous. The longer blades of lower leaves have a tendency to droop, while the shorter blades of upper leaves are more stiff and straight. The leaf blades are 1-6 mm. across and 2-10 inches long; they are medium green or grayish green, flat, and hairless. The leaf sheaths are medium green or grayish green, hairless, and open.
Large-flowered Water Plantain
Alisma triviale
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Alisma triviale prefers full or partial sun and mucky soil or shallow, slow-moving, even stagnant water. It withstands drought better than most aquatic plants. The oval basal leaves of Alisma trivale are about one-foot tall and form a rosette from which rises a whorled panicle of small white flowers, reaching a height of three feet during summer. This species prefers full or partial sun and mucky soil or shallow, slow-moving, even stagnant water. It withstands drought better than most aquatic plants.
Nodding Onion
Allium cernuum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Wild Onion
Allium stellatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Speckled Alder
Alnus incana
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet USDA Info
Juneberry
Amelanchier arborea
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 15 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May
 USDA Info There are 16 species of Amelanchier in the world, most are in North America. The fruit ripens in June, is edible and an important food source for wildlife. This large shrub is also called Down Serviceberry because of the whitish downy hairs on the undersides of the leaves. Long ago it was named a 'Serviceberry' because it flowers in spring signaling the ground was ready to be dug for burials in northern climates. Yellow to red fall color.
Allegheny Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 30 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
April, May
 USDA Info Allegheny Serviceberry is a native tree for all seasons. In April and May it has beautiful white flowers that are delicately scented and provide nectar for the season's early bees and butterflies. In mid summer its fruits ripen to brilliant violet pink, aging to deep blue purple when fully ripe. Its leaves play occasional host to the larvae of viceroy, striped hairstreak, and Canadian tiger swallowtail butterflies. And the grand finale comes in fall with brilliant oranges, yellows and reds as the leaves prepare to drop. Amelanchier laevis is found in moist woods and meadows, but tolerates most any garden situation. It will bloom more in full sun, but have a more open and graceful habit in shade. It is drought tolerant once established, but will grow taller and faster in consistently moist soils. Amelanchier can be grown as a small tree pruned to become a densely branched shrub. Fragrant spring flowers Easy to grow and widely adaptable Edible berries in summer Gorgeous fall color.
Leadplant
Amorpha canescens
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Pearly Everlasting
Anaphalis margaritacea
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet USDA Info
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 feet
Bloom Color:
Brown, Red
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Canada Anemone
Anemone canadensis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Wet, Medium
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June, July
 USDA Info Showy white flowers highlight this plant in spring. This may be the only time of year when the extent of its spread is apparent! In garden settings, be prepared for it to spread quickly by underground roots. In restorations, it can help stabilize soil relatively quickly.
Thimble Flower
Anemone cylindrica
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Tall Thimbleweed
Anemone virginiana L.
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White, Brown, Green
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info This perennial plant is about 1-2½' tall. The stems have scattered white hairs and there is little branching, except for the production of long stalks for the flowers. The leaves occur in 1 or 2 whorls along the stem, usually in groups of 2 or 3. They are up to 5 inches long and across, and have long petioles with scattered white hairs. Each major leaf is divided into 2 or 3 deep lobes, which are in turn divided into 2 or 3 shallower lobes. Because these divisions are rather sharp, the leaves are cleft. Furthermore, the margins are coarsely serrate or dentate. The leaves are often light green or yellowish green in bright sunlight.
Angelica
Angelica atropurpurea
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 7 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info With impressive stature, leaves that can reach two feet wide and large umbrella-like flower structure, this species has an imposing presence. It's not surprising that it has a long history of reputed medicinal and magical properties. Stately sentinels along stream beds, Angelica plants reach heights of six or more feet with hollow, smooth purple stems from one to two inches round. Angelica is calcareous and therefore needs an alkaline soil with a pH of 7 to 8.
Pussytoes
Antennaria neglecta
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 foot
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Red
Bloom Months:
May, June, July
 USDA Info Columbine will bloom profusely in sunnier locations, and provides refreshing splashes of color in shadier locations. Readily reseeds, but usually not troublesome.
Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 6 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Beach Wormwood
Artemisia caudata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet USDA Info In the Aster family, Beach Wormwood is a biennial or short-lived perennial.
Prairie Sage
Artemisia ludoviciana
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September, October
 USDA Info
Showy Milkweed
Asclepia speciosa
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Marsh Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
July
 USDA Info Sometimes considered weedy, this is a monarch butterfly favorite as both a host and nectar plant. Large flower heads are quite showy. Spreads by seed and underground roots.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Orange
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info One of the best natives for dry, sunny areas, butterfly milkweed is a host plant for the larva of the monarch butterfly and provides nectar and pollen for butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects. Bright orange flowers sit on top of a compact plant of 2' by 2' at maturity.
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Aromatic Aster
Aster oblongifolius
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Azure Sky (Blue) Aster
Aster oolentangiensis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Crooked-stemmed Aster
Aster prenanthoides
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Purple-stemmed Aster
Aster puniceus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Silky Aster
Aster sericeus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Panicled Aster
Aster simplex
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Canada Milkvetch
Astragalus canadensis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Ground Plum
Astragalus crassicarpus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 1 foot
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
April, May, June
 USDA Info
White Wild Indigo
Baptisia alba
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Cream Wild Indigo
Baptisia bracteata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Downy Wood Mint
Blephilia ciliata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Hairy Wood Mint
Blephilia hirsuta
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Side Oats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Months:
July, October
 USDA Info
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 foot
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Kalm's Brome
Bromus kalmii
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info A native brome with attractive drooping seed heads.
Blue-joint Grass
Calamagrostis canadensis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Oklahoma Grasspink
Calopogon oklahomensis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 foot
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info Oklahoma Grass-pink was recognized as a new species only recently, in 1994. Initially its range was considered restricted to south central US, but subsequent herbarium investigations expanded that range into the Upper Midwest, including Minnesota. According to Welby Smith's book 'Native Orchids of Minnesota', the most recent MN specimen dates back to 1884, and while verification via specimens 130 years or older leaves some room for doubt, it is more than less accepted as native to the state but likely long extinct. While the enigma of extinction diminishes the likelihood of new modern discoveries, such events do occur with some frequency for numbers of species and would certainly be an exciting discovery for a lucky field botanist and a great pleasure for the rest of us. Very similar to Tuberous Grass-pink (Calopogon tuberosa) with which it was once lumped, it can be identified in the field.
Marsh Marigold
Caltha palustris
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Tall Bellflower
Campanula americana
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info
Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info A dainty, late spring/early summer bloomer, harebell can bloom throughout the summer into fall if soil moisture is adaquate. Plant with prairie phlox and butterfly weed for fabulous June & July color combinations.
Bebbs Sedge
Carex bebbii
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 foot
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Bottlebrush Sedge
Carex comosa
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet, Medium
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Fringed Sedge
Carex crinita
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet USDA Info
Porcupine Sedge
Carex hystericina
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 3 feet USDA Info
Lake Sedge
Carex lacustris
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Readily spreads by underground roots and therefore makes a good shoreline stabilizer.
Sand Sedge
Carex muhlenbergii
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 9 inches USDA Info
Upright Sedge
Carex stricta Lam
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue, Green, Orange
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info A slender, 1-3 ft. grass-like plant with a cluster of brown seed capsules clinging high on the stem. Stems bearing greenish or brownish spikes of inconspicuous flowers above dense tufts of grass-like leaves. Green leaves are exceeded by the stem in height. Forms large tufts or hummocks to 3 ft. wide.The easiest way to recognize this sedge is by its distinctive, elevated tussocks (dense tufts) in open wet areas. It grows abundantly, often in seasonally flooded sites.
Northwest Territory Sedge
Carex utriculata
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 50 feet USDA Info
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 12 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Virgin's Bower
Clematis virginiana
Type:
Vine
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 to 20 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Prairie Coreopsis
Coreopsis palmata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info This coreopsis species performs best on dry soil in full sun, and will bloom continuously if spent flowers are removed. A good species to include in prairies or perennial gardens. In part shade it will not bloom as well. Damper soils will encourage spreading by roots.
Red Osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 12 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Hazelnut
Corylus americana
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 12 feet USDA Info
Water Pygmyweed
Crassula aquatica
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 inches
Bloom Color:
White, Green
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Crassula aquatica is a small plant forming thin mats or small patches on mud and sand, and growing more erect when exposed to open air for longer periods. The flesh of the plant is greenish-yellow to bright red or purplish. The tiny fleshy pointed leaves are only a few millimeters long.A flower grows on a short stalk from the intersection of each oppositely-arranged pair of leaves. The flower is only about two millimeters long and wide. The fruit is a minute follicle containing several seeds. This plant is widespread across North America and Eurasia.
Quebec Hawthorn
Crataegus submollis
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 20 feet
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Crataegus submollis is a deciduous Tree growing to 7 m (23ft) by 7 m (23ft). It is hardy to zone (UK) 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Midges.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Umbrella Flatsedge
Cyperus diandrus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info Umbrella flat sedge is an ornamental grass often seen at the edges of rivers and ponds. It is a warm season perennial and grows best in USDA zones 8 to 11. The plant may become invasive in some areas, so it is important to become familiar with the plant and recognize its characteristics before adding it to your garden area.
White Prairie Clover
Dalea candidum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 inches
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpureum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Silky Prairie Clover
Dalea villosum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Prairie Larkspur
Delphinium virescens
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Showy Tick-Trefoil
Desmodium canadense
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
Diervilla lonicera
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info One of the most popular native shrubs, dwarf bush honeysuckle grows well under a wide range of growing conditions with a nice 3'x3' shape, taller in sun. It spreads by runners, and some gardeners may want to pull or cut them to avoid excessive spreading.
Shooting-Star
Dodecatheon meadia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 foot
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Flat Topped Aster
Doellingeria umbellata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower
Echinacea angustifolia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Pale Purple Coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Spike Rush
Eleocharis acicularis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 inches
Bloom Months:
July
 USDA Info
Canada Wild Rye
Elymus canadensis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Bottlebrush Grass
Elymus hystrix
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info Lovely curved seed heads. Readily reseeds.
Quackgrass
Elymus repens
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info Quackgrass is a native of Europe, but has spread throughout the northern temperate zones of the world. It is primarily found in the northern portion of the U.S., and is common throughout Ohio. Quackgrass is a creeping, sod-forming perennial grass, characterized by its straw-colored, sharp-tipped rhizomes (horizontal underground stems) and the pair of whitish-green to reddish, claw-like structures (auricles) that clasp the stem at the top of the sheath. It reproduces through seed and creeping rhizomes. This species can form large patches.
Silky Wildrye
Elymus villosus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Virginia Wildrye
Elymus virginicus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Fire Weed
Epilobium angustifolium
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 4 to 6 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Variegated Scouringrush
Equisetum variegatum
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 to 18 inches
Bloom Color:
Green
 USDA Info Variegated Scouring Rush is one of three similar, erect, unbranched Equisetum species in Minnesota, the others are Smooth Scouring Rush (E. laevigatum) and Tall Scouring Rush (E. hyemale). Equisetum variegatum can be identified by the distinct, persistent teeth that are black with white edges. These teeth are most similar to Dwarf Scouring Rush (E. scirpoides) but that species is less than 8 inches tall and has curling/twisted stems.
Sand Lovegrass
Eragrostis trichodes
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple, Orange
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Sand lovegrass is a native, warm-season, short-lived, leafy, perennial bunchgrass which reaches mature heights from 2.5 to 4 feet with a shallow, wide spreading root system. Sand Lovegrass grows best on sandy soils with an annual precipitation of 18 to 36 inches. Sand Lovegrass typically greens up two weeks earlier than most of the other native grasses and is very palatable. When overgrazed, it will decrease relative to other grasses. Seeding rates are very low due to extremely small dark round seed it produces. Sand Lovegrass is commonly found as a component in native areas along with hairy grama, western wheatgrass, and sand dropseed.
Cotton Grass
Eriophorum angustifolium
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Eastern Wahoo
Euonymus atropurpurea
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 12 feet USDA Info a.k.a Spindletree, Burningbush
Joe-Pye Weed
Eupatorium maculatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 5 to 6 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Sweet Joe-Pye Weed
Eupatorium purpureum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Flowering Spurge
Euphorbia corollata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Queen of the Prairie
Filipendula rubra
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
August
 USDA Info
Wild Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Black Ash
Fraxinus nigra
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 90 feet USDA Info Due to the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer in the Midwest, we do not recommend planting Ash at this time.
Northern Bedstraw
Galium boreale
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Bottle Gentian
Gentiana andrewsii
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Cream Gentian
Gentiana flavida
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Stiff Gentian
Gentianella quinquefolia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 50 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
 USDA Info Twigs are zig-zagged with thorns at its joints. Between the seeds in the seedpods is a sweet yellowish substance ('honey'). Seedpods are eaten by wildlife. Shouldn't be pruned in wet weather due to risk of infection by nectria canker. Yellow fall color.
Sweet Everlasting
Gnaphalium obtusifolium
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 inches
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Longleaf Bluets
Hedyotis longifolia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 to 12 inches
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info
Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Showy Sunflower
Helianthus laetiflorus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Western Sunflower
Helianthus occidentalis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Oxeye
Heliopsis helianthoides
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Golden Aster
Heterotheca camporum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Alumroot
Heuchera richardsonii
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info Nice ground cover for shady, dry areas. Large leaves close to the ground persist almost year round, greening up in early spring. Green/tan flowers with red pollen emerge along 1.5 foot stalks. Could be used on the edge of raingardens or on the upland part of shoreline stabilization projects.
Sweet Grass
Hierochloe odorata
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 2 feet USDA Info
Great St. Johnswort
Hypericum pyramidatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Blue Flag Iris
Iris versicolor
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Soft Rush
Juncus effusus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Path Rush
Juncus tenuis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 foot
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September, October
 USDA Info
Torrey's Rush
Juncus torreyi
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 foot
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September, October
 USDA Info
June Grass
Koeleria macrantha
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August
 USDA Info June grass thrives on dry, well-drained/sandy soils. It is one of the few cool season native grasses, greening up in May with pale green ornamental flowering stalks in June. By mid-summer, the stalks turn tan and remain attractive throughout the growing season.
Roundheaded Bushclover
Lespedeza capitata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Rough Blazingstar
Liatris aspera
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Cylindric Blazingstar
Liatris cylindrica
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Northern Blazing Star
Liatris ligulistylis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Dotted Blazingstar
Liatris punctata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Prairie Blazingstar
Liatris pycnostachya
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Michigan (Turk's Cap) Lily
Lilium michiganense
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Orange
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Yelloweyed Grass
Lindernia dubia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Shade, Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 4 to 8 inches
Bloom Color:
White, Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Lindernia dubia is a species of flowering plant known by the common names yellowseed false pimpernel and moist bank pimpernel. It is a member of the 'new' plant family Linderniaceae, and it is sometimes treated as a member of the families Scrophulariaceae and Plantaginaceae. It is native to much of the Americas from Canada to Chile, and it can be found on other continents as an introduced species. It grows in wet habitat, such as riverbanks, pond margins, and meadows.
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Red
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September
 USDA Info A hummingbird favorite, cardinal flower is a striking plant in the garden or restoration. It is a short-lived perennial, usually blooming 3-5 years. It can reseed if seeds receive enough light and consistent moisture during germination.
Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Great summer bloomer, especially showy in raingarden base.
Pale-Spike Lobelia
Lobelia spicata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Snowy Wood Rush
Luzula nivea
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Waterhorehound
Lycopus americanus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info There are several Lycopus species in Minnesota, all with similar clusters of small, white, tubular flowers at the leaf axils, most growing in the same type of habitat at the same time, often next to each other. American Water Horehound is most easily distinguished by its deeply lobed lower leaves, which the others all lack.
Monkey Flower
Mimulus ringens
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Variegated Moorgrass
Molinia caerulea
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Months:
May, June, July, August, September, October
 USDA Info
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Dotted Mint - Spotted Bee Balm
Monarda punctata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Water Minerslettuce
Montia chamissoi
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 6 inches
Bloom Color:
White, Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info Montia chamissoi is a perennial herb in the Purslane (Portulacaceae) family. It is a native North American plant found in western North America, from Alaska to the southwestern and central United States as well as in British Colombia, where it favors favors wet meadows, boggy areas, and along streams. Flowering in June and August, Montia chamissoi has creeping or floating stems, sometimes with slender stolons bearing small bulblets.
American Lotus
Nelumbo lutea
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Praire Groundsel
Packera plattensis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Scribner's Panicgrass
Panicum oligosanthes
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 foot
Bloom Months:
July, October
 USDA Info
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 3 to 6 feet
Bloom Months:
July, October
 USDA Info
Smooth Penstemon
Penstemon digitalis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Slender Penstemon
Penstemon gracilis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Showy Penstemon
Penstemon grandiflorus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Hairy Penstemon
Penstemon hirsutus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Black Spruce
Picea mariana
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 35 feet USDA Info Slow-growing, long lived-up to 200 years. Common along marshes and bogs. Heat from fire opens cones. Low drought tolerance. May not be suitable for the middle of a raingarden.
Sandberg Bluegrass
Poa secunda J. Presl
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Red
Bloom Months:
April, May
 USDA Info Sandberg bluegrass is a perennial bunchgrass, native to the Great Basin. It is an important component of sagebrush grassland vegetation, particularly in early successional stages. It is a widespread species and is one of the first perennial grasses to green up in spring.
Pickerelweed
Pontederia cordata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
 USDA Info
Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 90 feet USDA Info
Quaking Aspen
Populus tremuloides
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 40 to 100 feet
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info Quaking Aspen is the most abundant and widespread tree in Minnesota today and the most common Populus species in North America. The huge stands across northern Minnesota are the result of clear cutting our expansive pine forests a century ago. Fire suppression has also allowed it to expand into historical prairie habitats were subsoil moisture is adequate to sustain it through dry periods. In the winter months its bark could be confused with other Populus species but its small, shiny and hairless buds that are not coated with resin distinguishes it from other similar species.
Variableleaf Pondweed
Potamogeton gramineus
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Brown, Green
 USDA Info Variable-leaf pondweed is a perennial plant that has two kinds of leaves. The floating leaves are leathery textured, oval to elliptical 3/8 to 1 1/2 inches long and 3/8 to 3/4 inches wide with a petiole one to two times a long as the blade. The submerged leaves are thin, less than 1/8 of an inch wide and 3/4 to 2 1/4 inches long with obvious midvein and a pointed tip. The fruits are flat about 1/8 of an inch wide and arise from the axis of the floating leaves.
Prairie Cinquefoil
Potentilla arguta
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Rattlesnake Root
Prenanthes alba
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
White, Pink
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info White Rattlesnake-root is one of the few flowering plants seen in the woods towards the end of summer. It can also be found in smaller forms, typically with smaller, less variable leaves, in rock outcrops and on the rocky shore of Lake Superior. The flower shape is similar to other Prenanthes species, but P. alba is distinguished by its branching clusters of dangling white to pinkish flowers with hairless, purplish bracts, smooth stem and (typically) variable leaf shapes. In some references, P. alba is known by synonym Nabalus albus.
American Plum
Prunus americana
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 20 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
May
 USDA Info Wildlife: American plum is highly important as wildlife cover and food. The thorny, suckering growth, when protected, forms a thicket valuable for bird nesting, loafing, and roosting, and animal loafing and bedding. Twigs and foliage provide a highly preferred browse for whitetail and mule deer. Recreation and Beautification: The thorny growth and suckering characteristics should be considered before planting this species near a recreation area. It can be used for screening and natural barriers. The fruit is used widely for making jams and jellies. Ethnobotanic: American plum was and still is used as a source of food and medicine by Native Americans in the Midwest and West.
Eastern Sand Cherry
Prunus pumila
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 5 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info Versatile plant, fruit has wildlife value.
Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 60 feet USDA Info Largest member of the the cherry trees. Widely sought for its rich brown wood. Produces tart, but edible fruit. Important food crop for birds and wildlife. Bark and roots contain hydrocyanic acide used in cough medicines for flavoring. White flower (1/2 inch), yellow fall color
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 25 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May
 USDA Info Appears like a large shrub cover with flowers in the s[ring. Bitter redish-black berries in late summer. Entire plant except for fruit contains cyanide. Fruit eaten by wildlife. Fall color is yellow to red.
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla vulgaris
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 to 12 inches
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May
 USDA Info
Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 50 to 60 feet USDA Info
Northern Pin Oak
Quercus ellipsoidalis
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 70 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
 USDA Info Northern pin oak is a small to medium-sized, native, deciduous tree, typically reaching heights to 70 feet. It has an irregularly shaped crown and low-hanging branches that persist for long periods as dead stubs, giving a ragged appearance to the trunks. Northern pin oak has a deep taproot and deep widespreading lateral roots
Yellow Water Buttercup
Ranunculus flabellaris
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 2 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
April, May
 USDA Info A similar aquatic species is Small Yellow Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus gmelinii), which has smaller flowers (less than ½ inch), and smaller leaves that are typically wider than long and less finely divided.
Macoun's Buttercup
Ranunculus macounii
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info With relatively ample wetlands and marshes to provide for some representation across the state, Macoun's Buttercup's range restriction to NW Minnesota and westward would seem to be some indication of a preference for cooler latitudes and more alkaline soils. Within that range in Minnesota it is by no means abundant. It does bear some resemblance to two other native buttercups, both of which are more prevalent in eastern and southern portions of the state. Pennsylvania Buttercup (R. pensylvanicus) is similar in size and leaf shape and also has bristly hairs throughout, but its stems tend to be less stout and do not root at the nodes, and its flowers are half the size, with small round petals and a cylindrical seed head. Hispid Buttercup (R. hispidus) has very similar flowers to R. macounii, somewhat the same stature and leaf shape, and as it name suggests can be quite hairy, but its stems are typically more slender and more spreading to ascending, densely hairy when young becoming nearly smooth with age. Its leaves are also more evenly divided into three main segments that are also more regularly incised into smaller lobes or just merely toothed where the lobing of R. macounii leaves is more irregular
Upright Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida pinnata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, October
 USDA Info
Early Wild Rose
Rosa blanda
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info Early Wild Rose is rhizomatous; it spreads aggressively and therefore may not be suitable for small landscape plantings.
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info Black-eyed Susan is one of the most commonly recognized native plants. A staple in many native gardens, it is a biennial that blooms in its second year and readily reseeds. Finches also enjoy the seeds.
Green-headed Coneflower
Rudbeckia laciniata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 4 to 6 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Sweet Coneflower
Rudbeckia subtomentosa
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Thinleaved Coneflower
Rudbeckia triloba
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Wild Petunia
Ruellia humilis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Arrowhead
Sagittaria latifolia
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 2 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Bebb Willow
Salix bebbiana
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 20 feet USDA Info
Pussy Willow
Salix caprea
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet, Medium
 2 feet USDA Info
Sandbar Willow
Salix interior
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 5 to 10 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info This shrub has two growth forms: a small tree up to 20' tall with a trunk up to 6 inches across, or a thicket of little-branched woody stems up to 8' tall. An older tree develops gray flaking bark on its trunk, while the trunk bark of younger trees is gray and more smooth. Woody branches and slender stems are variably colored, but often gray or yellowish-brown and smooth. The alternate leaves are up to 5 inches long and 1/2 inch across; they are linear in shape and remotely denticulate along their margins. Mature leaves are usually hairless; their upper surfaces are medium green, while their lower surfaces are pale green.
Elderberry
Sambucus racemosa
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 12 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
April, May, June
 USDA Info
Maryland Sanicle
Sanicula marilandica
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
 USDA Info
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Hardstem Bulrush
Scirpus acutus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 6 feet
Bloom Color:
Orange
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Green Bulrush
Scirpus atrovirens
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet, Medium
 5 feet USDA Info
Woolgrass
Scirpus cyperinus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 5 feet USDA Info
River Bulrush
Scirpus fluviatilis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 feet USDA Info
Three-squared Bulrush
Scirpus pungens
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet USDA Info
Softstem Bulrush
Scirpus validus
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 6 feet USDA Info
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 8 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 10 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Prairie Dock
Silphium terebinthinaceum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 to 7 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
July, August
 USDA Info
Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium campestre
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 6 inches
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info Dainty border plant. Doesn't spread.
Starry False Solomon Seal
Smilacina stellata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Gray Goldenrod
Solidago nemoralis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
White Upland Aster
Solidago ptarmicoides
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Riddell's Goldenrod
Solidago riddellii
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Rigid Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Green
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info
Broadfruit Bur-Reed
Sparganium eurycarpum
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Wet, Medium
 3 to 6 feet USDA Info
Prairie Cordgrass
Spartina pectinata
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 feet USDA Info
Steeplebush
Spiraea tomentosa
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Pink
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Meadowsweet
Spirea alba
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 5 to 6 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Type:
Grass
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 1 to 2 feet
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info
Heath Aster
Symphyotrichum ericoides
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
Smooth Aster
Symphyotrichum laeve
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Blue
Bloom Months:
September, October
 USDA Info
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 6 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
August, September, October
 USDA Info Easily grown in average, Medium well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers moist, rich soils. Good air circulation helps reduce incidence of foliar diseases. Pinching back stems several times before mid-July will help control plant height, promote bushiness and perhaps obviate the need for staking. Easily grown from seed and may self-seed in the garden in optimum growing conditions. Plants may be cut to the ground after flowering to prevent any unwanted self-seeding and/or if foliage has become unsightly.
Tall Meadow Rue
Thalictrum dasycarpum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July
 USDA Info
Spiderwort
Tradescantia bracteata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 2 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
Rabbitfoot Clover
Trifolium arvense
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 4 to 16 inches
Bloom Color:
White, Pink
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info This wildflower is an annual (less often a biennial) about 4-16 inches tall, branching occasionally to abundantly. The erect to ascending stems are medium green, hairy, and terete. Alternate trifoliate leaves occur at intervals along these stems. These leaves have short hairy petioles. Individual leaflets are ½-1 inch long and about one-third as much across; they are elliptic, elliptic-oblong, or oblanceolate-oblong in shape. Leaflet margins are usually smooth and ciliate, although sometimes there are tiny teeth towards their tips. The upper leaflet surface is medium green and sparsely covered with appressed long hairs, while the lower surface is hairy. The leaflets are sessile or nearly so. At the base of the petiole of each compound leaf, there is a pair of stipules about ¼ inch long. The green body of each stipule usually adheres to the petiole, while its awn-like tip is detached from the petiole and it is either green or red.
Edible Valerian
Valeriana edulis
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Wet
 1 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info Edible Valerian is a threatened species and not to be confused with Valeriana officinalis, which is invasive.
Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 3 to 4 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
July, August, September
 USDA Info Blue vervain is a great choice for larger moist areas like shoreline restorations, where it can bloom continuously until frost. It spreads readily from seed.
Hoary Vervain
Verbena stricta
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
June, July, August, September
 USDA Info
Ironweed
Vernonia fasciculata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 5 feet
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
August, September
 USDA Info
Culvers Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium
 6 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
June, July, August
 USDA Info
American High-Bush Cranberry
Viburnum trilobum
Type:
Tree or Shrub
Light Exposure:
Mixed Sun and Shade, Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 16 feet
Bloom Color:
White
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Bird's Foot Violet
Viola pedata
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry, Medium
 3 to 6 inches
Bloom Color:
Purple
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Heart-leaved Golden Alexander
Zizia aptera
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun
Soil Moisture:
Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
May, June
 USDA Info
Golden Alexander
Zizia aurea
Type:
Wildflower
Light Exposure:
Sun, Mixed Sun and Shade
Soil Moisture:
Medium, Dry
 3 feet
Bloom Color:
Yellow
Bloom Months:
May, June, July
 USDA Info
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