This tool contains information on plants native to MN that are generally commercially available. It is meant to help project planners identify plants that are most likely to thrive given each project’s unique mix of site characteristics and design criteria. It contains a number of optional filters to help select appropriate plants. There is no need to mark every checkbox or define every range in each filter category; you can just use the filter categories that best help “define” your project site and design intentions. Hover your mouse over a filter category for its definition. If you’d like to filter plants by their native range, we suggest using Ecoregion—you can find a map of MN’s ecoregions here. After you’ve come up with a list of plants, we have a growing list of Native Plant nurseries around the state here.
Name | Type | Height | Light Exposure | Soil Moisture | Bloom Color |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Actaea rubra
|
Forb |
1 -
1.5 to 3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun |
Medium |
Pink |
|
Agalinis tenuifolia
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Pink |
Allium canadense
|
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium, Wet |
White, Purple |
Anemone canadensis
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium, Wet |
White |
Anemone virginiana
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
White, Green, Brown |
Arisaema triphyllum
|
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Green |
Artemisia ludoviciana
|
Forb |
2 -
2 to 3 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Green |
Asarum canadense
|
Forb |
0 -
6 to 12 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
Pink |
Astragalus crassicarpus
|
Forb |
2 -
2 foot |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Purple |
Blephilia hirsuta
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Green, Brown |
|
Caltha palustris
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Yellow |
Carex bebbii
|
Grass |
1 -
1 foot |
Sun |
Medium |
White, Green, Brown |
Grass |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium, Wet |
White, Green, Brown |
|
Grass |
2 -
2 to 3 feet |
Sun |
Medium, Wet |
Green, Brown |
|
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Yellow, Green, Brown |
|
Carex grayi
|
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Medium, Wet |
Green |
Carex lacustris
|
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Green, Brown |
Carex radiata
|
Grass |
0 -
.5 to 3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium, Wet |
Green |
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White, Green, Brown |
|
Grass |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
White, Yellow, Green |
|
Grass |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Sun |
Medium, Wet |
Green, Brown |
|
Castilleja coccinea
|
Forb |
1 -
12 to 18 inches |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium, Wet |
Red |
Chelone glabra
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
White |
Claytonia caroliniana
|
Forb |
0 -
3 to 8 inches |
Part Sun |
Medium |
Pink |
Claytonia virginica
|
Forb |
0 -
3 to 8 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Pink |
Coreopsis lanceolata
|
Forb |
2 -
2 to 3 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow |
Forb |
1 -
1 foot |
Sun |
Medium |
White, Purple, Pink |
|
Forb |
1 -
1 foot |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
White |
|
Echinacea paradoxa
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow |
Grass |
0 -
6 to 12 inches |
Sun |
Medium |
Green |
|
Elymus villosus
|
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Green |
Eriophorum angustifolium
|
Grass |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun |
Medium |
White |
Eupatorium perfoliatum
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
White |
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
|
Euthamia graminifolia
|
Forb |
2 -
2 to 3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium, Wet |
Yellow |
Fragaria vesca
|
Forb |
0 -
6 to 12 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White, Yellow |
Fragaria virginiana
|
Forb |
0 -
6 inches |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
White |
Galium boreale
|
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun |
Medium |
White |
Gentiana andrewsii
|
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Blue |
Forb |
2 -
2 to 3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
White |
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun |
Medium |
Blue |
|
Geranium maculatum
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Purple |
Helenium autumnale
|
Forb |
0 -
6 inches |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Yellow |
Hierochloe odorata
|
Grass |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Green |
Hydrophyllum virginianum
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Purple |
Iris cristata
|
Forb |
0 -
3 to 8 inches |
Part Sun |
Medium |
Purple |
Iris versicolor
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Purple |
Juncus effusus
|
Grass |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Green, Brown |
Juncus tenuis
|
Grass |
1 -
1 foot |
Sun |
Medium |
White, Green, Brown |
Juncus torreyi
|
Grass |
1 -
1 foot |
Sun |
Medium |
Red, Green, Brown |
Lobelia cardinalis
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Red |
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Blue |
|
Maianthemum canadense
|
Forb |
0 -
6 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
White |
Maianthemum racemosum
a.k.a. False Solomon's Seal, Smilacina racemosum
|
Forb |
1 -
1.5 to 3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Mertensia virginica
|
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Blue |
Oenothera rhombipetala
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow |
Forb |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
|
Packera aurea
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Medium, Wet |
Yellow |
Forb |
1 -
1.5 to 3 feet |
Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
White |
|
Pedicularis canadensis
|
Forb |
1 -
1 foot |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow, Red |
Phlox divaricata
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Purple |
Podophyllum peltatum
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
White |
Polygonatum biflorum
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Forb |
0 -
2 to 12 inches |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Purple |
|
Pycnanthemum virginianum
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Ruellia humilis
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Purple |
Sanguinaria canadensis
|
Forb |
1 -
1 foot |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Silene virginica
|
Forb |
1 -
12 to 18 inches |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Red |
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
|
Forb |
0 -
6 to 12 inches |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium, Wet |
Blue |
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun |
Medium |
Purple, Blue |
|
Solidago flexicaulis
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow |
Forb |
2 -
2 to 3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow |
|
Sporobolus heterolepis
|
Grass |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
White, Purple, Green, Brown |
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Yellow, Orange |
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 2 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Purple |
|
Symphyotrichum prenanthoides
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Medium |
Purple |
Symphyotrichum sericeum
|
Forb |
2 -
2 feet |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow, Purple, Pink |
Thalictrum dioicum
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Part Sun |
Medium |
White, Green |
Tiarella cordifolia
|
Forb |
0 -
6 to 18 inches |
Sun, Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White |
Viola canadensis
|
Forb |
1 -
1 to 3 feet |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
White |
Viola missouriensis
|
Forb |
0 -
3 to 6 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Blue |
Viola pedata
|
Forb |
0 -
3 to 6 inches |
Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Purple |
Viola pedatifida
|
Forb |
0 -
4 to 8 inches |
Sun |
Medium |
Purple |
Viola pubescens
|
Forb |
0 -
6 to 12 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Medium |
Yellow |
Forb |
0 -
3 to 8 inches |
Part Sun, Shade |
Dry, Medium |
White, Purple |
|
Zizia aurea
|
Forb |
3 -
3 feet |
Sun, Part Sun |
Dry, Medium |
Yellow |
This project was supported by the University of Minnesota Water Resources Center through an appropriation from the Clean Water Fund established by Minnesota Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment and from the Minnesota Stormwater Research Council. Information and photos were collected or supplied from many sources, including Plants for Stormwater Design: Species Selection for the Upper Midwest, the USDA and USFHA Ecoregional Revegetation Application, Minnesota Wildflowers, and the DNR Minnesota Biological Survey with funding from ENRTF. The State of Minnesota and DNR hold a copyright to the pollinator information provided.