Last updated: January 30, 2026
This is a "starter" list of native plants for North Dakota, South Dakota and Western Minnesota. It is intended for residential or commercial landscapers who want to create attractive and varied native landscapes.
North Dakota, South Dakota & Western Minnesota Trees
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Moisture
Heights
Comments
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
P-S
W-A
60-120'
Great fall color. Shade-tol. Source of sap for syrup.
Box Elder
Acer negundo
F
W
30-75'
Can spread very quickly. Often has several trunks.
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera
F
W-A
50-75'
White bark can peel off in sheets when mature.
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
F
W-A
60-100'
Unique stucco-like bark. Excellent for wildlife.
Red-osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
F-P
W
3-19'
Small white flowers & fruit. Survives extreme cold.
Downy Hawthorn
Crataegus mollis
F-P
W-D
35-50'
White flowrs, red edible fruit. Thorny branches.
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
F
W-D
50-75'
Gold-yellow in early autumn. Food for wildlife.
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
F
W-A
100-125'
Deciduous. Edible nuts.
Ironwood
Ostrya virginiana
P-S
A-D
30-50'
Understory hardwood tree. Seed for wildlife.
Eastern Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
F
W
100'
Silvery white bark. Leaves are food for caterpillars.
Quaking Aspen
Populus tremuloides
F
W-A
35-50'
Leaves "quake"/tremble in wind. Yellow in fall.
Wild Plum
Prunus americana
F-P
A-D
20-35'
Edible red plums. White flowrs w/unpleasant odor.
Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa
F
W-D
80-100'
Fast-growing. Large acorns. Long-lived.
Basswood
Tilia americana
P
W-A
60-125'
Grey bark, reddish twigs. Great for wildlife.
Nannyberry
Viburnum lentago
F-P
W-A
18'
Cream/white flowers, multi-colored fruit, fall colr.
North Dakota, South Dakota & Western Minnesota Shrubs
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Moisture
Heights
Comments
Leadplant
Amorpha canescens
F
A-D
1-3'
Purple flowers, deciduous, blooms June-July.
Kinnikinnik
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
F-P
A-D
4-6'
White-pink flowers April-May, evergreen, red berries.
Gray Dogwood
Cornus racemosa
F-P
W-D
12-16'
White flowers May-June, deciduous.
Red-osier Dogwood
Cornus sericea
F-P
W
6-12'
White flwrs May-June, white berries, fall colr, red twigs.
American Hazelnut
Corylus americana
P
A-D
6-12'
Deciduous. Fall color.
Juniper
Juniperus communis
F
A-D
3-6'
Evergreen.
Creeping Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis
F-S
A-D
1-3'
Evergreen. Good ground cover.
Potentilla
Potentilla fruticosa
F
W-D
3-4'
Yellow flowers June-September. Deciduous.
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
F-S
A-D
30-50'
White flowers April-May, deciduous, dark-purple fruit.
Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
S
D
10-20'
Deciduous, fall color, persistent berries.
Early Wild Rose
Rosa blanda
S
D
2-5'
Pink flowers June-Augus, deciduous.
Pussy Willow
Salix discolor
F
W-A
15-30'
Deciduous. Furry catkins.
Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
F-S
W-D
10-12'
White flowers June-July, deciduous, blue-black berries.
Meadow Sweet
Spiraea alba
F
W
3-6'
White flowers June-August, deciduous, fall color.
Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus
S
A-D
2-5'
Deciduous, white berries.
Nannyberry
Viburnum lentago
P
D
20-25'
White flwrs May, deciduous, persistent berries, fall colr.
High-bush Cranberry
Viburnum trilobum
S
A
6-15'
White flwrs May-June, deciduous, red berries, fall colr.
North Dakota, South Dakota & Western Minnesota Flowering Perennials
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Moisture
Heights
Comments
Red Baneberry
Actaea rubra
P-S
A
1-2'
White flowers Apr-June, white berries.
Wild Garlic
Allium canadense
F
A
8-12"
Pink-lavender flowers May-June.
Canada Anemone
Anemone canadensis
F-P
A
1-2'
White flowers Apr-June.
Thimbleweed
Anemone cylindrica
F-P
A-D
1-2'
White flowers May-July.
Pussytoes
Antennaria spp.
F
D
2-12"
White flowers May. Good groundcover.
Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
P-S
A
1-2'
Red & yellow flowers May-June.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum
P
A
1-2'
Green flowers May-June, red berries.
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
F-P
W-A
2-4'
Reddish-purple flowers June-Aug.
Whorled Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
F
A-D
1-3'
White flowers July.
Heath Aster
Aster ericoides
F
A-D
1-3'
White flowers Sept-Oct.
Smooth Aster
Aster laevis
F
A
2 -3'
Lavender flowers Aug-Oct.
New England Aster
Aster novae-angliae
F-P
W-A
up to 6'
Lavender-pink flowers Aug-frost.
Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia
P
A-D
4-15"
Lavender flowers June-Sept.
Prairie Larkspur
Delphinium virescens
F
A-D
1-4'
White w/purple flowers June-July.
Tick-trefoil
Desmodium canadense
F-P
A
2-6'
Pink flowers June-Sept.
Fireweed
Epilobium angustifolium
F
A
3-6'
Pink-lavender flowers June-Aug.
Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
F-S
W-A
3-6'
White flowers June-Aug.
Grass-leaved Goldenrod
Euthamia graminifolia
F
W-A
1-4'
Yellow flowers July-Sept.
Wild Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
F-P
A-D
3-6'
White flowers May, ground cover, edible fruit.
Bottle Gentian
Gentiana andrewsii
F-S
A
1-2'
Purple flowers Aug-frost.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
S-P
A
1-3'
Pink flowers April-July.
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
F-P
W-D
6-18"
Red flwrs April-May. Pink seed plumes. Ground cover.
Common Sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
F
W
2-5'
Yellow flowers Aug-Sept.
Stiff Sunflower
Helianthus rigidus
F
D
3-6'
Yellow flowers July-Sept.
Ox-eye Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides
F
A
3-4'
Yellow flowers June-Aug.
Alumroot
Heuchera richardsonii
F-P
A
1-2'
White flowers April-June.
Virginia Waterleaf
Hydrophyllum virginianum
S-P
A
1'
Lavender flowers May-June. Ground cover.
Rough Blazing Star
Liatrus aspera
F
A-D
1-4'
Purple flowers Aug-Sept.
Wood Lily
Lilium philadelphicum
P
A-D
2-3'
Orange flowers July-Aug.
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
P
A-D
2-3'
Blue-lavender flower July-Oct.
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
F-P
W-D
2-5'
Lavender flowers July-Aug.
Evening Primrose
Oenothera biennis
F
A-D
2-4'
Yellow flowers July-frost. Biennial.
Large-flow. Penstemon
Penstemon grandiflorus
F
D
2-3'
Pink-lavender flowers May-June.
White Prairie Clover
Petalostemum candidum
F
A
1-2'
White flowers July-Aug.
Purple Prairie Clover
Peatlostemum purpureum
F
A
1-2'
Purple flowers July-Aug.
Praire Phlox
Phlox pilosa
F
A-D
1-2'
Pink-lavender flowers May-July.
Solomon's Seal
Polygonatum biflorum
S
A
1-4'
White flowers May-June.
Wild Crocus
Pulsatilla nuttalliana
F-P
D
4-6"
Lavender flowers April.
Mountain Mint
Pycnanthem. virginianum
F-P
W-A
2-3'
White flowers July-Aug.
Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
F
D
1-3'
Red-yellow flowers June-Aug.
Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
F-P
W-D
1-2'
Yellow flowers June-Aug.
Rosinweed
Silphium integrifolium
F
A
2-4'
Yellow flowers July-Sept.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
F
A
3-5'
Yellow flowers July-Sept.
Gray Goldenrod
Solidago nemoralis
F
A
6-16"
Yellow flowers Aug-Oct.
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
F
A-D
1-4'
Yellow flowers July-Oct.
Tall Meadow Rue
Thalictrum dasycarpum
S-P
A
3-5'
White flowers June-July.
Merrybells
Uvularia sessilifolia
S-P
W-A
10-15"
Cream flowers April-May.
Blue Verbena
Verbena hastata
F-P
A
2-5'
Purple flowers June-Sept.
Ironweed
Vernonia fasciculata
F
A
2-5'
Purple flowers July-Sept.
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
F-P
A
2-6'
White flowers July-Sept.
Common Blue Violet
Viola papilionacea
S-P
A
4-8"
Purple flowers April-June, groundcover.
Heart-Leaved G.A.
Zizia aptera
F-P
A-D
1-3'
Yellow flowers May-June.
Golden Alexanders (GA)
Zizia aurea
F-P
W-A
1-3'
Yellow flowers May-June.
North Dakota, South Dakota & Western Minnesota Perennial Ferns
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Moisture
Heights
Comments
Lady Fern
Athyrium filix-femina
F-S
W-D
2'
Hardy and adaptible.
Ostrich Fern
Pteretis nodulosa
S-P
W-A
2-6'
Popular ornamental. Edible fiddleheads.
North Dakota, South Dakota & Western Minnesota Vines
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Moisture
Heights
Comments
American Bittersweet
Celastrus scandens
F-S
A-D
to 30'
Deciduous. Orange fruit.
Virgin's Bower
Clematis virginiana
P-F
W-D
12-15'
White flowers July-Sept, deciduous, silvery achenes.
North Dakota, South Dakota & Western Minnesota Grasses & Grass-like Plants
Common Name
Scientific Name
Sun
Moisture
Heights
Comments
Western Wheatgrass
Agropyron smithii
F
A-D
1-2 1/2'
Good erosn contrl & reclamation. Elk, deer, cattle food.
Big Bluestem
andropogon gerardii
F
A
3-8'
Fall color. Blue stem base. Food for horses, cattle.
Sideoats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
F
D
1-3'
Fall color. Unique flowers June-Sept.
Bluejoint Grass
Calamagrostis canadensis
F
W-A
1-3'
Blue to red-purple nodes. Food & cover for wildlife.
Awl-fruited Sedge
Carex stipata
F
W
2-3'
Green to black spike-like flowers. Good erosn contrl.
Canada Wild Rye
Elymus canadensis
F-S
A-D
2-4'
Clump-forming. Attractive well into winter.
Bottlebrush Grass
Hystrix patula
S-P
A
3'
Distinctive bottlebrush spike persists into winter.
June Grass
Koeleria macrantha
F
D
1-2'
Long, fuzzy, spike-like, green-silver flowers.
Switch Grass
Panicum virgatum
F
W-D
2-3'
Stiff, verticle form. Birds eat seeds. Yellow in fall.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparium
F
A-D
1-3'
Beautiful seasonal color changes. Showy into winter.
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
F
A
3-8'
Can look silver/gold in sun. Good grazing & ornamntl.
Prairie Cordgrass
Spartina pectinata
F
W-A
5-6'
Good erosion control. Shelter for wildlife. Thatching.
N. Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
F
A
2'
Delicate seedheads. Drought-resistnt. Great fall colrs.
Porcupine Grass
Stipa spartea
F
A-D
2-4'
Sharp, needle-like seeds.
Cattail
Typha latifolia
F
W
4-8'
Part can be edible. Flowers mid-late summer.
Sun Exposure
Soil Moisture
Drought Tolerance
F = Full Sun
W = Wet
E = Excellent
P = Part Sun
A = Average
G = Good
S = Shade
D = Dry
M = Moderate
P = Poor
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