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310 In-Stock Selections
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Common Juniper
Juniperus communis depressa
Category: Evergreen Shrubs
Height: 2'-5'
Width: 10'-20'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: well-drained, sandy, rocky, loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: cone
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: bronze
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Aromatic, fine-textured foliage. Dioecious. Drought-tolerant. Found abundantly in varied portions of northern and southeastern Minnesota growing on steep bluffs, river bottoms, margins of swamps.
Spreading Juniper
Juniperus horizontalis
Category: Evergreen Shrubs
Height: 6"-8"
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Types: well-drained sand, loam, clay tolerant
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: cone
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: blue, purple
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Groundcover, Edible Garden
Comments: Low, spreading deep green foliage. Forms dense groundcover. Abundant in far north of Minnesota and occurs locally on exposed sandstone cliffs in southeastern Minnesota.
Canada Yew
Taxus canadensis
Category: Evergreen Shrubs
Height: 1'-5'
Width: 8'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: aril
Wildlife: Deer
Comments: Toxic foliage. Browsed by deer. Rare in the nursery trade.
Balsam Fir
Abies balsamea
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 50'
Width: 20'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: cool, loamy, saturated peat, clay tolerant
Bloom Period: May-June
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Shade tolerant. Shiny, dark green aromatic needles. Tree becomes open with age. The only Fir native to Minnesota.
Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 45'
Width: 15'-20'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Types: sand, silty clay, rocky
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: cone
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: maroon, purple
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Drought and heat tolerant. Berry-like cones add interest and attract birds in autumn.
Tamarack
Larix laricina
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 60'
Width: 30'-35'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: acidic (pH 4.8-7.5)
Fruit Type: cone
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Deciduous conifer. Grows with Black Spruce in bogs. Bright green needles turn yellow in autumn. Early Americans used the soft needles to stuff pillows. Wonderful specimen or mass planting.
White Spruce
Picea glauca
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 50'
Width: 12'-16'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: acidic, loam, clay tolerant
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Native species to northern coniferous forests and wetland edges. Pale green foliage with open, lacy pyramidal canopy.
Black Spruce
Picea mariana
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 50'
Width: 10'-15'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: acidic, nutrient-poor
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Grows with Tamarack in peat bogs. Short, dark green needles and pendulous cones. Very upright growth habit.
Jack Pine
Pinus banksiana
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 50'
Width: 20'-35'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Types: sandy, well-drained
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 2-3
Comments: Drought tolerant. Short needles. An upright, picturesque tree of the Pine Barrens.
Red Pine
Pinus resinosa
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 75'
Width: 35'-55'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy, loamy
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: MN State Tree, aka Norway Pine. Upland forests. Long, dark green needles. Reddish bark. Canopy becomes open and flat-topped with age.
White Pine
Pinus strobus
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 65'-75'
Width: 35'-55'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained to heavy clay; tolerates most
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 3-7
Comments: Soft, blue-green needles. Originally grew as far south where the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers intersect. Remnant stands survived the logging days. Picturesque, horizontal branching habit.
Northern White Cedar
Thuja occidentalis
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 45'-60'
Width: 10'-12'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most, rocky
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Fragrant Garden
Comments: Foliage is very aromatic; used for incense, medicine wreaths and other decorations. Excellent for hedges and screening. Long-lived.
Planet Earth Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'RutThu4'
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 3'-5'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Fruit Type: cone
Fall Color: bronze
Zone: 4-8
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Short, rounded form. Needle blight resistant.
Tall Guy Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'RutThu5'
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 8'-12'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 4-8
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Upright, narrow form. Needle blight resistant. Drought tolerant.
Canadian Hemlock
Tsuga canadensis
Category: Evergreen Trees
Height: 55'-60'
Width: 30'-35'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained loam
Fruit Type: cone
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden
Comments: Rare native Minnesota large tree. Requires protection from drying winter winds. Shade tolerant. Excellent for hedges or mixed evergreen tree plantings. Wisconsin seed source.
Maiden Hair Fern
Adiantum pedatum
Category: Ferns
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained & highly organic
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Delicate, lacy leaves. Black stems. Excellent in shady rock/water gardens.
Lady Fern
Athyrium filix-femina
Category: Ferns
Height: 1'6"-2'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: Well-drained, rich loam.
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Rhizomatous. Soft, fine-textured foliage. Vase-shaped form. Protect from afternoon sun.
Ostrich Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris
Category: Ferns
Height: 2'-4'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: acidic loam
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Vase-shaped form. Large, featherlike fronds. Wonderful for massing or as a specimen.
Sensitive Fern
Onoclea sensibilis
Category: Ferns
Height: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: humus-rich
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Rhizomatous. Deeply pinnatifid fronds. Found in moist marshes & meadows; sufficient water required in full sun.
Cinnamon Fern
Osmunda cinnamomea
Category: Ferns
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 2'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Erect fronds become cinnamon-brown. Found in marshes, swamps, & moist forests. Flood tolerant.
Royal Fern
Osmunda regalis
Category: Ferns
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: organic, sandy/rocky/gravelly, clay, acidic
Bloom Period: June-August
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Cinnamon-colored spore fronds. Tolerates shallow water.
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
Category: Ferns
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'-3'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained, humus-rich
Zone: 3-8
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Evergreen/semi-evergreen. Use as an accent or massed as a groundcover.
Big Bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 3'-8'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam, clay
Fall Color: bronze, silver, blue
Zone: 3-5
Comments: "Turkey foot" shaped seed heads. Clump-forming. Warm-season growth.
Side Oats Grama
Bouteloua curtipendula
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Classic prairie grass. Good for massing with short wildflowers. Clump-forming. Warm-season growth.
Blue Grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 6"-1'6"
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Flower Color: green, purple
Comments: Clump-forming. Warm-season growth. Drought tolerant.
Bebb's Oval Sedge
Carex bebbii
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Clump-forming. Cool-season growth. A wonderful sedge for wetland restoration, lake shores, and rain gardens. An essential food source for many birds and waterfowl.
Prairie Sedge
Carex bicknellii
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 3'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Woodland Sedge
Carex blanda
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant
Plains Oval Sedge
Carex brevior
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-3'4"
Width: 8"-1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand
Bloom Period: June-July
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Clump-forming. Cool-season growth.
Longhair Sedge
Carex comosa
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Comments: Wetlands & raingardens. Rhizomatous.
Fringed Sedge
Carex crinita
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-5'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Fruit Period: June-August
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Attractive nodding seedhead. Light green, arching foliage. Clump-forming. Cool-season growth.
Porcupine Sedge
Carex hysteriana
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Common Lake Sedge
Carex lacustris
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'6"-4'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet
Bloom Period: May-July
Fruit Color: brown
Comments: Tolerates standing water; good for shoreline restoration. Stout, grass-like leaves. Cool-season growth. Vigorous spreader. Rhizomatous.
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Hop Sedge
Carex lupulina
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 2'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Comments: Tolerates light shade.
Palm (Swamp Oval) Sedge
Carex muskingumensis
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: clay tolerant
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: green
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Groundcover
Comments: Use as a groundcover or accent.
Pennsylvania Sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 6"-12'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Graceful, arching, dark green foliage. Excellent for massing in woodlands. Rhizomatous. Cool-season growth.
Eastern Star Sedge
Carex radiata
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: fertile, humus-rich
Comments: Clump-forming. Keep soil moist; needs extra water in hot/dry weather.
Sprengel's Sedge
Carex sprengelii
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Flower Color: green
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Long, slender stalks. Found in Sugar Maple forests & rich woodlands.
Tussock Sedge
Carex stricta
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Zone: 2-5
Comments: Clump-forming. Fine-textured foliage. Cool-season growth. Useful in wetland and shoreline restoration, as well as raingardens.
Cattail Sedge
Carex typhina
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Fox Sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Versatile plant for restoration/gardens. Cool-season growth.
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Sweet Grass
Hierochloe odorata
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-2'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous. Cool-season growth. Sweet aromatic fragrance; leaves used as incense by Native Americans. Shorter than Canadian species.
Bottlebrush Grass
Hystrix patula
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: well-drained
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Attractive seedheads. Found along woodland margins. Excellent for massing. Cool-season growth.
Soft Rush
Juncus effusus
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: green
Fruit Period: July-August
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Clump-forming. Flowered inflorescence appear on the sides of the stems. Found in wet meadows, marshes, and shorelines.
Path Rush
Juncus tenuis
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 4"-1'4"
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Fruit Color: brown
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Excellent for massing/borders & making a seamless prairie garden Fine-textured foliage. Cool-season growth. Rhizomatous.
June Grass
Koeleria macrantha
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: green, silver
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Short accent grass. Cool-season growth.
Switchgrass
Panicum virgatum
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 4'-5'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: loam
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Tolerates dry soils. Showy, delicate seedheads. Readily self-seeds. Rhizomatous. Warm-season growth.
Little Bluestem
Schizachyrium scoparius
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Fall Color: red, yellow, bronze, blue
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Mixes well with & supports smaller wildflowers. Clump-forming. Warm-season growth.
Wool Grass
Scirpus cyperinus
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Fruit Color: brown
Comments: Large seedheads. Excellent in raingardens.
Indian Grass
Sorghastrum nutans
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: August-September
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Clump-forming. 6-10" dark-golden, plume-like flower panicles. Excellent behind garden borders. Warm-season growth.
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Category: Grass/Sedge
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Edible Parts: seeds
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Fine-textured leaves form a fountain-like hummock. Excellent for borders/massing. Warm-season growth. Fragrant flowers smell like popcorn. Seeds can be ground into flour.
Borealis Honeyberry
Lonicera caerulea 'Borealis'
Category: NN Shrub
Red Lake Currant
Ribes rubrum 'Red Lake'
Category: NN Shrub
Jostaberry
Ribes x nidigrolaria
Category: NN Shrub
Boyne Raspberry
Rubus 'Boyne'
Category: NN Shrub
Bristol Black Raspberry
Rubus 'Bristol'
Category: NN Shrub
Jersey Blueberry
Vaccinium 'Jersey'
Category: NN Shrub
Northblue Blueberry
Vaccinium 'Northblue'
Category: NN Shrub
Northcountry Blueberry
Vaccinium 'Northcountry'
Category: NN Shrub
Northland Blueberry
Vaccinium 'Northland'
Category: NN Shrub
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
Corylus avellana 'Contorta'
Category: NN Tree
Height: 8'-10'
Width: 8'-10'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: well-drained
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4+
Recommended: Edible Garden
Honeycrisp Apple
Malus domestica 'Honeycrisp'
Category: NN Tree
SnowSweet® Apple
Malus domestica 'Wildung'
Category: NN Tree
Zestar!® Apple
Malus domestica 'Zestar'
Category: NN Tree
Sweet Sixteen Apple
Malus pumila 'Sweet Sixteen'
Category: NN Tree
Dawn Redwood
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Category: NN Tree
Exclamation! Planetree
Platanus x acerifolia 'Morton Circle'
Category: NN Tree
Height: 55'-65'
Width: 40'-50'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained, clay
Zone: 4+
Comments: Non-native. Salt tolerant.
Sweet Cherry Pie™ Cherry
Prunus 'Eubank'
Category: NN Tree
Edible Parts: fruit
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Self-pollinating
Evans Bali Cherry
Prunus 'Evans Bali'
Category: NN Tree
Edible Parts: fruit
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Self-pollinating
Contender Peach
Prunus persica 'Contender'
Category: NN Tree
Edible Parts: fruit
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Self-pollinating. Resistant to bacterial spot.
Baldcypress
Taxodium distichum
Category: NN Tree
Regent Serviceberry
Amelanchier alnifolia 'Regent'
Category: Shrub
Height: 4'-6'
Width: 5'-6'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained loam, sand tolerant
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: June-July
Fruit Color: blue, purple, black
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Upright branching habit. Drought tolerant. Sweet fruit.
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Inland Serviceberry
Amelanchier interior
Category: Shrub
Height: 15'-30'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy loam
Bloom Period: April-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: June-July
Fruit Color: purple, black
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Edible Garden
Comments: Moderately shade tolerant.
Sand (Roundleaf) Serviceberry
Amelanchier sanguinea
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-8'
Width: 6'-8'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: sandy loam
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: June-July
Fruit Color: red, purple
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Rounded habit. Blue-green leaves.
Leadplant
Amorpha canescens
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy/gravelly loam
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: purple
Fruit Period: August-October
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Gray-green foliage. Needs excellent drainage. Taproot. Nitrogen fixer. 1-seeded, hairy pods.
False Indigo
Amorpha fruticosa
Category: Shrub
Height: 8'-10'
Width: 10'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: sandy, loam, clay
Bloom Period: April-July
Flower Color: purple, violet
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: brown
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden
Comments: River bottoms & floodplains. Flood tolerant. Attractive, fragrant flower spikes. Nitrogen fixer. 1-seeded, hairy pods.
Native Black Chokeberry
Aronia melanocarpa
Category: Shrub
Height: 5'
Width: 5'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: peaty, sandy, rocky
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: July-October
Fruit Color: blue, black
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Local seed source: leaves are smaller & plant grows denser. Rhizomatous.
New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus americanus
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 3'-5'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy/gravelly loam/clay
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: orange, black
Fruit Type: drupe
Edible Parts: leaves
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee, Deer, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Erect habit. Fruit is 3-lobed capsule; interesting seedheads. Nitrogen fixer. Drought tolerant. Fire resistant. Protect from rabbits when young. Leaves can be made into tea.
Red Root / Inland Tea
Ceanothus ovatus
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'
Width: 1'6"-3'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: June-July
Fruit Color: orange, black
Fruit Type: drupe
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee, Deer, Bumblebee
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Fruit is 3-lobed capsule. Nitrogen fixer. Protect from deer.
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: brown
Fruit Type: nutlet
Fall Color: yellow, brown
Wildlife: Bird, Bee
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden
Comments: Found along stream banks, swamps, low areas. Fragrant 'pin-cushion' shaped flowers. Fuzzy, button-like fruit.
Sweet Fern
Comptonia peregrina
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 4'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy loam
Fruit Color: green, brown
Fruit Type: nutlet
Edible Parts: leaves
Fall Color: red, yellow, brown
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Fragrant, deep green, fernlike foliage used for potpourri. Catkins. Bur-like fruit. Rhizomatous colonizer. Grows well under pines.
Silky Dogwood
Cornus amomum
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow, maroon, bronze, purple
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Flood & salt intolerant. Reddish-purple bark.
Gray Dogwood
Cornus racemosa
Category: Shrub
Height: 8'-12'
Width: 6'-10'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: white
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, maroon, purple
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement
Comments: Showy flower clusters. Upright branching habit. Colonizer. High wildlife value.
Roundleaf Dogwood
Cornus rugosa
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-10'
Width: 8'-12'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: well-drained, sandy, loamy, rocky
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: white, cream
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: magenta, red, yellow, maroon, bronze
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement
Comments: Colony forming by root suckers. Greenish-gray bark. Moderate shade tolerance. Slopes. Remains single stem in container until planted.
Red-Twigged Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: May-August
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: white
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, yellow, maroon, purple
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Flood tolerant. Common shrub of shorelines and wetlands. Red branches in late fall/winter and on new growth. White pith. Stems used for basket weaving and wreaths.
American Hazelnut
Corylus americana
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: well-drained, gravelly loam to heavy clay
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: green, brown, maroon
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: brown
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, maroon, bronze
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Edible Garden
Comments: High wildlife value. Good for massing. Edible nut in fringed husk.
Beaked Hazelnut
Corylus cornuta
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Types: well-drained, gravelly loam, heavy clay
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: brown, maroon
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: brown
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 2-3
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Edible Garden
Comments: Catkins. Edible nut. High wildlife value. Flood intolerant.
Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle
Diervilla lonicera
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 3'+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: yellow
Fall Color: red, orange, bronze
Wildlife: Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous colonizer. Excellent for massing & erosion control. Bronze-green foliage. Self-sterile.
Wintergreen
Gaultheria procumbens
Category: Shrub
Height: 6"
Width: 6"+
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: acidic
Bloom Period: May-August
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Groundcover
Comments: Spreading, aromatic groundcover. Rhizomatous. Thick, glossy leaves. Bell-shaped flowers. Berries persist through winter.
Common Witch Hazel
Hamamelis virginiana
Category: Shrub
Height: 20'-30'
Width: 25'-35'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: loam
Flower Color: yellow
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Horizontal branching habit. Spider-like flowers after leaves drop. Excellent specimen plant.
St. John's Wort
Hypericum kalmianum
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 3'-4'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Period: July-August
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Showy flowers. Blue-green foliage. Round, dense habit. Excellent for shrub borders.
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-10'
Width: 6'-8'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: acidic (pH 4.5-6), well-drained, sandy, loam, clay
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: green, white, cream
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow, maroon
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Dioecious. Showy, poisonous fruit. Flood tolerant.
Common Ninebark
Physocarpus opulifolius
Category: Shrub
Height: 8'-10'
Width: 8'-10'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: average, loam, clay, sand
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink, white
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: maroon, purple
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Dense growth habit. Showy flower clusters. Yellow-green foliage. Excellent for hedging. Flood intolerant.
Bush Cinquefoil / Native Potentilla
Potentilla fruticosa
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 2'-4'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: yellow
Fall Color: yellow, brown
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: AKA Dasiphora fruticosa. Fine-textured foliage. Long bloom period.
Eastern Sandcherry
Prunus pumila
Category: Shrub
Height: 4'-6'
Width: 4'-6'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August
Fruit Color: purple, black
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Erect, upright habit. 3/4" fruit. Dark green leaves. Protect from rabbits until established. Suckering habit. Mix with prairie grasses & wildflowers.
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
Category: Shrub
Height: 5'-6'
Width: 6'-8'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained, sandy/gravelly loam
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Aromatic foliage. Found in oak openings & upland wood borders. Excellent for erosion control.
Gro-Low Sumac
Rhus aromatica 'Gro-Low'
Category: Shrub
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 6'-7'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, orange
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Spreading habit. Fragrant, shiny green foliage. Excellent for massing/slopes. Clonal selection of R. aromatica.
Smooth Sumac
Rhus glabra
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-8'
Width: 10'-12'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Period: July-September
Fruit Color: red
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Long, compound leaves. Rhizomatous colonizer.
Skunkbush Sumac
Rhus trilobata
Category: Shrub
Staghorn Sumac
Rhus typhina
Category: Shrub
Height: 10'-12'
Width: 10'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: green
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: red
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Densely pubescent twigs. Rhizomatous colonizer.
American Black Currant
Ribes americanum
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 3'-6'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: yellow, white, cream
Fruit Period: July-August
Fruit Color: purple, black
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: High wildlife value.
Meadow Rose
Rosa blanda
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 6'-8'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink
Fruit Period: July-September
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: hip
Edible Parts: fruit, flowers
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Open woodlands. Upright, branching habit. Fragrant flowers. Rhizomatous colonizer. Thornless new growth.
Carolina Rose
Rosa carolina
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 6'-7'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: acidic, sand/loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: pink
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: hip
Edible Parts: fruit, flowers
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-6
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Fragrant flowers. Rhizomatous colonizer.
Swamp Rose
Rosa palustris
Category: Shrub
Height: 5'-8'
Width: 5'-8'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink
Fruit Color: red, orange
Fruit Type: hip
Edible Parts: fruit, flowers
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Excellent deep green foliage. Profuse flowers. 1/2" hips. Rhizomatous colonizer. Native east of MN.
Highbush Blackberry
Rubus allegheniensis
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Soil Types: sandy loam/clay
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: July-August
Fruit Color: black
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, maroon
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous colonizer. Sharp thorns.
Northern Raspberry
Rubus idaeus canadensis
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Types: sandy/clay loam
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: July-August
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, yellow, maroon, purple
Wildlife: Bird, Bee
Zone: 4
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Long, arching canes. Colonizer. Very high wildlife value.
Black Raspberry
Rubus occidentalis
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-5'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: July-August
Fruit Color: purple, black
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Edible Garden
Comments: Canes will tip-root. Thorns. Tasty fruit.
Pussy Willow
Salix discolor
Category: Shrub
Height: 15'-20'
Width: 10'-12'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: clay, loam, sand
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: green, silver
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Dioecious. Upright form. Flood tolerant. Showy catkins. Found along lakeshores, swamps, and bogs.
Prairie Willow
Salix humilis microphyllus
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 3'-6'
Sun: full
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: March-May
Flower Color: yellow, green, purple, brown
Fruit Color: brown
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3
Comments: Showy catkins. Very dense branching habit. Dark green foliage.
Sandbar Willow
Salix interior
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-20'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: sandy/silty loam
Bloom Period: May-July
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Catkins. Fine-textured foliage. Aggressive, rhizomatous spreader, forming colonies which decrease in age and height from the colony center. Excellent for shoreline retention. Fast re-growth after harvest.
Shining Willow
Salix lucida
Category: Shrub
Height: 12'-18'
Width: 12'-18'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: loam, tolerates most
Edible Parts: leaves
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Edible Garden
Comments: Found along streams, wet meadows, swamps, bogs, and lake margins. Glossy, yellow-green leaves. High wildlife value. Releases cotton-like seed.
Slender Willow
Salix petiolaris
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-12'
Width: 6'-15'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: April-May
Fruit Period: May-June
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3
Comments: Catkins. Found in wet meadows, swales and lowland areas. Many-branched shrub with red winter twigs. Adaptable.
American Elder
Sambucus canadensis
Category: Shrub
Height: 8'-10'
Width: 8'-10'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: blue, purple, black
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit, flowers
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Flood tolerant. Adaptable. Fast growth. Rhizomatous. Excellent for pies, jams, and wine. Very high wildlife value.
Red-Berried Elder
Sambucus pubens
Category: Shrub
Height: 10'-12'
Width: 10'-12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white, cream
Fruit Period: June-August
Fruit Color: red, orange
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Hummingbird
Zone: 4-6
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Flood intolerant. Fast growth rate. Found in mixed woodlands and ravines. 5" flower panicles. Bitter berries can be made into wine.
Silver Buffaloberry
Shepherdia argentea
Category: Shrub
Height: 8'-10'
Width: 8'-10'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: drupe
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Edible Garden
Comments: Dioecious. Drought tolerant. Nitrogen fixer. Thicket-forming with ascending branch habit. Thorns. Found in western prairies and shrub-grassland communities. Silvery, green foliage. Berries can be made into jam.
Meadowsweet
Spiraea alba
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 3'-6'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: silty loam, peaty muck
Bloom Period: July
Flower Color: white
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bee
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Erect branching habit. Rhizomatous colonizer. Wet meadows. Excellent on shorelines.
Hardhack Spirea (Steeplebush)
Spiraea tomentosa
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 3'-6'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: acidic, fine sand, peaty muck
Flower Color: pink
Fall Color: red, yellow, bronze
Wildlife: Bee
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Upright branching habit. Marshes & water edge. Attractive flower spikes. A must for any raingarden.
American Bladdernut
Staphylea trifolia
Category: Shrub
Height: 10'-15'
Width: 10'+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: yellow, brown
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous, clump-forming. Found in deciduous woodlands and ravines. 1-2" papery, inflated “bladder-shaped” pods in fall.
Wolfberry
Symphoricarpos occidentalis
Category: Shrub
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 4'-6'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink, white
Fruit Period: September-October
Fruit Color: white
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous. Upright habit. Fruit persists on stems into winter. Western prairies of MN.
Red Snowberry / Coralberry
Symphoricarpos orbiculatus
Category: Shrub
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 4'-6'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam, tolerates most
Flower Color: green, white
Fruit Color: pink, magenta, red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-7
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous colonizer. Upright, arching habit. Native to southern MN. Fruit persists on stems into winter. High wildlife value.
Common Lowbush Blueberry
Vaccinium angustifolium
Category: Shrub
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: July-September
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, maroon
Wildlife: Bird, Bee
Zone: 2-3
Recommended: Groundcover, Edible Garden
Comments: Bell-shaped flowers. Flood tolerant.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-10'
Width: 6'-10'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: well-drained, loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: blue, black
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: magenta, red, orange, yellow, maroon
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Zone: 2-8
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Upright habit. Showy flowers & fruit clusters. Native range to Iowa (not MN). Hardy.
Nannyberry Viburnum
Viburnum lentago
Category: Shrub
Height: 12'-20'
Width: 8'-20'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: loam, tolerates most
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: black
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: maroon
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Upright habit. Flat-topped flower clusters.
Downy Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum rafinesquianum
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-8'
Width: 6'-8'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: blue, black
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, orange
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Upright habit.
American Highbush Cranberry
Viburnum trilobum
Category: Shrub
Height: 6'-10'
Width: 6'-10'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam, organic peat
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: September-February
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, maroon
Wildlife: Beetle, Bird, Fly, Bee
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: AKA Viburnum opulus var. americanum. Dark green foliage. Flat-topped flower clusters. Fruit persists through winter. True type - not a hybrid cross!
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
Category: Tree
Height: 60'
Width: 40'-50'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: pink, magenta, red, yellow
Fruit Period: May-June
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: red, orange
Zone: 3-6
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Shade Tree
Comments: Dioecious. Ascending branch pattern. Gray to red twigs in winter. Grows in swamps or moist woods. Found in northeast and southeast MN. Very high wildlife value.
Silver Maple
Acer saccharinum
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-80'
Width: 40'-60'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: March-April
Flower Color: red
Fruit Period: May-June
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Dioecious. Fast growth rate. Very wide, open canopy. Flood tolerant. Found in flood plains and along lakeshores.
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
Category: Tree
Height: 60'
Width: 40'-50'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: well-drained, loamy, sandy over clay
Bloom Period: April-June
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Period: August-October
Fruit Type: samara
Edible Parts: sap
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Shade Tree, Edible Garden
Comments: Dark green foliage. Upright oval to rounded form. Fairly shade tolerant. Flood intolerant. Fire sensitive. Protect from wind. Sap is source of maple syrup. Very high wildlife value. One of Minnesota's finest over story trees.
Black Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum nigrum
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-75'
Width: 40'-60'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained, calciferous
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Period: September-October
Fruit Type: samara
Edible Parts: sap
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Zone: 4-8
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Shade Tree, Edible Garden
Comments: Shade tolerant. Common on floodplains; moderate flood tolerance. More drought/heat tolerant than standard species.
Mountain Maple
Acer spicatum
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-30'
Width: 15'-25'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: acidic, cool, rocky, gravelly, loam
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: magenta, red
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: red, orange
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement
Comments: Irregular, upright form. Understory shrub or small tree. Shade tolerant. Flood intolerant. Slopes, rich woods, & lakeshores. Very high wildlife value.
Speckled Alder
Alnus rugosa
Category: Tree
Height: 15'-20'
Width: 15'-20'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: moderately acidic, heavy, loam
Bloom Period: March-May
Fruit Period: July-October
Fruit Color: brown
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement
Comments: Catkins. Attractive reddish-brown "cones" of small, flattened samaras. Clump-forming colonizer. Flood tolerant. Nitrogen fixer. Found along stream banks, low wet woods, and open floodplains.
Downy Serviceberry
Amelanchier arborea
Category: Tree
Height: 15'-25'
Width: 10'-15'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: June-July
Fruit Color: red, blue, purple, black
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Multi-stemmed tree occurring in rich woods, thickets, and hillsides of northeast and southeast MN. High wildlife value.
Allegheny Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis
Category: Tree
Height: 15'-25'
Width: 10'-15'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: June-July
Fruit Color: red, purple
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Large shrub or small, multi-stemmed tree. Rhizomatous. Found on moist hillsides and in cool, rich, deciduous woods. High wildlife value.
Lustre Allegheny Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis 'Rogers'
Category: Tree
Height: 15'-25'
Width: 15'-25'
Sun: part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Flower Color: white
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange
Zone: 4+
Recommended: Edible Garden
Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry
Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'
Category: Tree
Height: 15'-25'
Width: 15'-25'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Types: well-drained loam
Bloom Period: April
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange
Wildlife: Bird
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Yellow Birch
Betula alleghaniensis
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-70'
Width: 30'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Types: sandy, loam, rocky/peat tolerant
Bloom Period: May-June
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Catkins. Scratching young twigs gives wintergreen odor. Shade tolerant. Fire sensitive. Found in cool, moist woods in northern MN. Important timber tree. Yellowish-bronze, exfoliating bark. Resistant to birch borer. Very high wildlife value.
Bog Birch
Betula glandulifera
Category: Tree
Height: 6'-9'
Width: 5'-9'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: basic to moderately acidic
Bloom Period: April-May
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: red
Zone: 2-4
Comments: Fine-textured, shrubby species with small, thick leaves. Cone-like catkins. Wetlands, fens, sedge meadows, marshes, and at edge of conifer swamps. Grows taller on higher ground. Non-clonal colonizer. Flood tolerant. Aka Betula pumila var. glandulifera.
River Birch
Betula nigra
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 35'-40'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: April-May
Fruit Period: May-June
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4-8
Comments: Catkins. Cinnamon-colored, exfoliating bark. Single or multi-stemmed form. Resistant to bronze birch borer. Survives dry summer/fall seasons. Very high wildlife value.
Paper Birch
Betula papyrifera
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 35'-40'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Types: acidic, rocky/gravelly/sandy, loam, shallow peat tolerant
Bloom Period: April-June
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Type: samara
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Catkins. White exfoliating bark. Shade intolerant. Drought intolerant. Grows on north and east facing slopes in southeastern MN; most prevalent in north. Single or multi-stemmed form.
Blue Beech (Musclewood)
Carpinus caroliniana
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-30'
Width: 20'-30'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: fine loam
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: red, green
Fruit Type: nutlet
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Zone: 2-8
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Catkins. Smooth, gray bark with "muscle" texture. Great understory tree; very shade tolerant.
Bitternut Hickory
Carya cordiformis
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-75'
Width: 50'-75'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: deep, nutrient-rich loam, sandy clay
Bloom Period: May-June
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 2-7
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Catkins. Bright yellow buds. Bitter nuts in leathery husks eaten by wildlife. Moderate flood & drought tolerance. Fire sensitive. Ascending, picturesque branching habit. Grows in moist woods, stream banks, and rolling uplands.
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-75'
Width: 25'-35'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy, rocky, loam, clay
Bloom Period: May-June
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow, bronze
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Catkins. Shaggy, exfoliating bark. Long-lived. Slow growing. Drought tolerant. Shade tolerant. Fire sensitive. Flood intolerant. Edible nut in woody husk. Native to southeastern MN.
Northern Catalpa
Catalpa speciosa
Category: Tree
Height: 40'-60'
Width: 20'-40'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates most, clay
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: brown
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow, brown, bronze
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 4-8
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden
Comments: Large, heart-shaped leaves. Showy, fragrant flowers. Interesting seed pods persist through winter. Medium-fast growth rate. Native range to Illinois (not MN).
Hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-75'
Width: 50'-75'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: non-acidic, well-drained, sandy, silty, clay, loam, tolerates polluted
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: red, purple, brown
Fruit Type: drupe
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Flood tolerant, tolerates most non-peat soils. Drought & wind tolerant. Deep-rooted. Long-lived. Disease resistant. Very high wildlife value.
Redbud (MN Strain)
Cercis canadensis
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-30'
Width: 25'-35'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Flower Color: pink, magenta
Fall Color: yellow
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Showy flowers. Heart-shaped leaves. Requires protection from winter winds. MN hardy seed strain.
White Fringetree
Chionanthus virginicus
Category: Tree
Yellowwood
Cladrastis kentukea
Category: Tree
Height: 30'-50'
Width: 40'-55'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: alkaline, clay, well-drained
Bloom Period: April-June
Flower Color: white, cream
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4-8
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Fragrant flowers. Smooth bark. Salt & clay tolerant. Native to the Ozarks.
Pagoda Dogwood
Cornus alternifolia
Category: Tree
Height: 15'-20'
Width: 20'-25'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: loam
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: black
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, maroon, purple
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden
Comments: Grows as understory plant in moist woods. Interesting horizontal branching.
Thornless Cockspur Hawthorn
Crataegus crus-galli inermis
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-30'
Width: 20'-30'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: September-October
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 4-6
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Deep green, glossy foliage. Drought tolerant. Good rust resistance. Wide-spreading, low-branched. Profuse flowers. Thornless variety. Native to Illinois.
Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-75'
Width: 40'-50'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: rich, tolerates most
Fruit Color: yellow, green, black
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4-6
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Dioecious. Does not fix nitrogen. Grows on river bottoms; locally, in Mississippi River Valley and Minnesota River Valley southward. 4-8" pods with large seeds.
Espresso Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus 'Espresso'
Category: Tree
True North Kentucky Coffeetree
Gymnocladus dioicus 'True North'
Category: Tree
Butternut
Juglans cinerea
Category: Tree
Height: 40'-60'
Width: 30'-50'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: sandy, silty, loam
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Period: September-October
Fruit Color: yellow
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow, brown, bronze
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Grows in river bottoms and rich woods. Gray bark.
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-75'
Width: 50'-75'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: well-drained, deep, loam
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Period: September-October
Fruit Color: green, brown
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Drought tolerant. Prized timber wood.
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Category: Tree
Prairie Crab
Malus ioensis
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-35'
Width: 20'-35'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: pink
Fruit Color: yellow, green
Fruit Type: pome
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, green, maroon
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Prefers moist soil. Grows in open woods, rocky hillsides, pastures, and woodland margins. Fragrant flowers. Good wildlife value.
Ironwood
Ostrya virginiana
Category: Tree
Height: 35'-50'
Width: 20'-35'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Flower Color: red, green, brown
Fruit Color: green, white, brown, cream
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement
Comments: Showy catkins. Flood tolerant. Persistent leaves in winter. Grows on upland slopes, ravines, and coves of deciduous woods.
American Sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Category: Tree
Height: 75'-100'
Width: 50'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: sandy, silty, loam, clay
Bloom Period: March-April
Flower Color: red, yellow, green, brown
Fruit Color: orange, brown
Fall Color: brown
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 5-9
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Fuzzy seed balls. Attractive, exfoliating bark. Large, maple-shaped leaves. Lowlands/floodplains. Fast growth. Pollution tolerant. Long-lived. Aggressive root system. Native to WI/IA.
Balsam Poplar
Populus balsamifera
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-70'
Width: 30'-35'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: April-May
Fall Color: orange, yellow, bronze
Zone: 2-7
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Fast growth. Colony-forming. Glossy green leaves. Buds covered with fragrant, sticky sap. Found along streams, swamps, and upland slopes. Common in coniferous forests and around Midwest.
Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Category: Tree
Height: 75'-100'
Width: 75'-100'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: March-April
Flower Color: red, green
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-7
Comments: Dioecious. Cottony seeds. Drought tolerant. Our majestic tree of river bottoms and lakeshore forests. High wildlife value. This is the real deal, with seeds and all to spread its progeny where the four winds take them.
Bigtooth Aspen
Populus grandidentata
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 20'-40'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: April-May
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Catkins. Flood intolerant. Colonizer. Larger leaves than Quaking Aspen. Common in mixed woods and rich, mesic upland soils. High wildlife value.
Quaking Aspen
Populus tremuloides
Category: Tree
Height: 40'-50'
Width: 20'-35'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 2-5
Comments: Leaves tremble in slight breeze. Flood intolerant. Upright, columnar form. Forms extensive colonies. High wildlife value.
American Plum
Prunus americana
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-35'
Width: 20'-35'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: loam
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: red, purple
Fruit Type: drupe
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird, Bee
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Drought tolerant. Globular form with horizontal branching habit. Thicket-forming. Found at forest edges, open oak woods, and rocky hillsides. Profuse flowers with strong sweet-spice fragrance.
Pin Cherry (Fire Cherry)
Prunus pensylvanica
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-35'
Width: 10'-20'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: July-August
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: drupe
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, orange
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Fragrant flowers. Ovoid to columnar form. Exfoliating, golden-tan to reddish-brown bark. Found along forest edge, open woods, and pastures. Very high wildlife value.
Wild Black Cherry
Prunus serotina
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 23'-30'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Flower Color: white
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: black
Fruit Type: drupe
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Shade Tree, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Flood intolerant. Columnar to ovoid form. Edge of woods, savanna, and alluvial bottomlands. Fragrant flowers. Very high wildlife value.
Common Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-35'
Width: 12'-15'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam, tolerates most
Bloom Period: August-September
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: purple, black
Fruit Type: drupe
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-5
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Fragrant Garden, Edible Garden
Comments: Upright ovoid form. Attractive flower spikes in spring. Open woods, edge of forests, and open fields. Very high wildlife value.
White Oak
Quercus alba
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-80'
Width: 60'-80'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: non-alkaline, tolerates most
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: red, maroon
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Shade Tree
Comments: Uplands. Persistent leaves in winter. Extremely sensitive to soil compaction. Salt resistant. Fire intolerant. Taproot. Very long-lived. Very high wildlife value.
Swamp White Oak
Quercus bicolor
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 50'-60'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: acidic required, tolerates most
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: orange, yellow
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Shade Tree
Comments: Exfoliating bark. Persistent leaves in winter. Fibrous root system. Salt resistant. Soil compaction resistant. Flood tolerant. Very high wildlife value.
Northern Pin Oak
Quercus ellipsoidalis
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-75'
Width: 35'-55'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Types: well-drained, loam, tolerates most
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: red
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Shade Tree
Comments: Persistent leaves in winter. Shade and flood intolerant. Ovoid canopy. Found in uplands and savannas. Taproot. Very high wildlife value.
Bur Oak
Quercus macrocarpa
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-80'
Width: 60'-80'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Types: sandy loam, clay pan
Flower Color: green
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-8
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Shade Tree
Comments: Catkins. Acorns with fringed caps. Globular canopy form. Found in prairies, savannas, and upland forests in the Twin Cities. Taproot. Very high wildlife value.
Chinquapin (Chinkapin) Oak
Quercus muehlenbergii
Category: Tree
Height: 40'-60'
Width: 50'-70'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: well-drained, rocky, fertile loam
Bloom Period: April
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Type: nut
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: red, yellow, brown
Recommended: Shade Tree, Edible Garden
Comments: Drought tolerant. Long-lived. Interesting leaf shape. Very high wildlife value. Sweet acorns.
Red Oak
Quercus rubra
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-80'
Width: 40'-50'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: well-drained, sandy, loam
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: red
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Buckthorn Replacement, Shade Tree
Comments: Fast growth rate. Ovoid to globular form. Very high wildlife value. Do not prune in May-June.
Black Oak
Quercus velutina
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 50'-60'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Types: acidic, well-drained, poor
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Type: nut
Fall Color: red, yellow, maroon
Comments: Juglone tolerant. Deep taproot. Very high wildlife value.
Peachleaf Willow
Salix amygdaloides
Category: Tree
Height: 35'-50'
Width: 35'-50'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet
Soil Types: loam
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Large understory tree with upright, ascending branches. 1" catkins. Found along streams and lake margins. Flood tolerant. High wildlife value.
Bebb's Willow
Salix bebbiana
Category: Tree
Height: 10'-20'
Width: 6'-10'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: sand/clay tolerant
Fall Color: yellow, green, brown
Zone: 2-5
Comments: Catkins. Medium growth rate. Shrub or small tree with attractive, deep green foliage. One of the best "diamond" willows.
Black Willow
Salix nigra
Category: Tree
Height: 35'-50'
Width: 20'-35'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Fall Color: yellow, green
Zone: 3-8
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement
Comments: Catkins. Open, ascending growth habit. Dark brown-black, deeply furrowed bark. Flood tolerant. High wildlife value.
Showy Mountain Ash
Sorbus decora
Category: Tree
Height: 20'-35'
Width: 15'-25'
Sun: full
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: tolerates most
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: red, orange
Fruit Type: pome
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Showy fruit & flowers. Not affected by Emerald Ash Borer. Ovoid form. Pinnately compound leaves. Good wildlife value; cedar waxwing favorite. Common in northeast MN. Single-stem & clump form available.
American Basswood
Tilia americana
Category: Tree
Height: 50'-60'
Width: 30'-40'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: yellow, cream
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bee
Zone: 3-6
Recommended: Buckthorn Replacement, Shade Tree, Fragrant Garden
Comments: Clump-forming. Ovoid form. Shade tolerant. Flood intolerant. Fragrant flower clusters.
Prairie Expedition American Elm
Ulmus americana 'Prairie Expedition'
Category: Tree
Princeton American Elm
Ulmus americana 'Princeton'
Category: Tree
St. Croix American Elm
Ulmus americana 'St. Croix'
Category: Tree
Height: 60'-75'
Width: 70'-90'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium, low
Fall Color: yellow
Comments: Drought tolerant. Dutch Elm Disease resistance. High wildlife value. Local selection from Afton, MN.
Red Elm
Ulmus rubra
Category: Tree
Height: 36'-60'
Width: 36'-60'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Fall Color: yellow
Comments: found along riverbanks & bottom lands.
Prickly Ash
Zanthoxylum americanum
Category: Tree
Height: 10'-35'
Width: 10'-20'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Color: red
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: orange, yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Irregular-obovoid form. Sharp thorns. Forest edge, open woods, and savannas. Forms extensive colonies. Szechuan pepper cousin. High wildlife value.
American Bittersweet
Celastrus scandens
Category: Vine
Height: 3'-35'
Width: 6'-12'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates most
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: green, white
Fruit Period: September-October
Fruit Color: orange, yellow
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-4
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Showy fruit clusters of 3-part, berry-like capsules; poisonous. Dioecious. Climbs by twining. Salt tolerant. Excellent for floral arrangements.
Virgin's Bower
Clematis virginiana
Category: Vine
Height: 12'-15'
Width: 6'-8'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: white, cream
Fruit Period: August-September
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Groundcover
Comments: Vigorous twisting vine of woods, thickets, and bottomlands. Showy seed plumes. Use on a trellis, vine, or as a groundcover.
Woodbine
Parthenocissus inserta
Category: Vine
Height: 12'-20'
Width: 3'-6'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: medium
Flower Color: green
Fruit Color: blue, black
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-8
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Groundcover
Comments: Uses tendrils to climb. Flood tolerant. Human-poisonous fruit relished by birds.
Virginia Creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Category: Vine
Height: 50'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: clay, sandy, rocky, limestone
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: green
Fruit Period: September
Fruit Color: blue, black
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: red, maroon
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-6
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Groundcover
Comments: Flood tolerant. Trailing or climbing habit with suction discs & aerial tendrils/rootlets. Ravines & bluffs. Poisonous fruit.
Riverbank Grape
Vitis riparia
Category: Vine
Height: 35'-75'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-June
Fruit Period: August-September
Fruit Color: blue, purple
Fruit Type: berry
Edible Parts: fruit
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 2-6
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Edible Garden
Comments: Flood tolerant. Vigorous climber. Forked tendrils. River banks, wooded bottomlands, wet ravines, and rich woods. High wildlife value.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates heavier, well-drained clay loam
Bloom Period: June-September
Flower Color: white
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Drought resistant. Pollution tolerant. Rhizomatous.
Sweet Flag
Acorus calamus
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full
Water Use: high
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: yellow, brown
Fruit Color: brown
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Fragrant foliage. Found in marshes. Establishes quickly. Rhizomatous.
Fragrant Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: purple, violet, lavender
Edible Parts: leaves
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Wasp, Hummingbird
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Edible Garden
Comments: Glossy, dark green foliage. Anise-scented flowers & foliage. Loved by bumblebees, hummingbirds, finches, and butterflies.
Nodding Onion
Allium cernuum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 6"-1'
Sun: full, part
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: pink
Edible Parts: leaves, shoots, bulbs
Wildlife: Bee
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Edible Garden
Prairie Onion
Allium stellatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-1'4"
Width: 4"-8"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: pink
Edible Parts: leaves, shoots, bulbs
Wildlife: Bee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Edible Garden
Comments: Aromatic. Readily reseeds.
Canada Mayflower
Anemone canadensis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Dark green foliage. Rhizomatous.
Thimbleweed / Tall Anemone
Anemone virginiana
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: white
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Prairie Pussy Toes
Antennaria neglecta
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4"
Width: 6"+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: April-June
Flower Color: white
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Rhizomatous. Dense groundcover for sunny borders/paths.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: red, yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Hummingbird
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Lobed foliage. Found in most woodlands.
Spikenard
Aralia racemosa
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-7'
Width: 3'-4'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Types: rich
Bloom Period: July
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: red, purple
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow
Comments: High wildlife value.
Prairie Sage
Artemisia ludoviciana
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: green
Zone: 4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Rhizomatous. Silvery-green foliage. Traditional incense of Dakota.
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: cool
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: pink, white, maroon
Wildlife: Beetle
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Rhizomatous. Excellent groundcover. Dark green leaves. Aromatic roots.
Poke Milkweed
Asclepias exaltata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: green, white, cream
Fruit Period: June-August
Fruit Type: pod
Wildlife: Butterfly
Marsh/Red Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: July
Flower Color: pink
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow, maroon, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Beetle, Bird, Bee, Wasp, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Attractive seed pods in fall. Found at edge of marshes.
Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained, sand, loam
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: orange
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Beetle, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Sturdy stems with alternate leaves. Slow grower. Taproot.
Whorled/White Milkweed
Asclepias verticillata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'
Width: 6"+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: white
Fruit Type: pod
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Comments: Rhizomatous. Delicate, lacy foliage.
Canada Milk Vetch
Astragalus canadensis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: yellow, cream
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee
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Ground Plum
Astragalus crassicarpus
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple
Fruit Color: red, purple
Fruit Type: pod
Edible Parts: fruit
Recommended: Groundcover, Edible Garden
Comments: Clump-forming. Excellent in dry soils.
White Indigo
Baptisia alba
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: green, black
Fruit Type: pod
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 4
Recommended: Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Great for borders or massing. Winter interest. SE MN native.
Blue Indigo
Baptisia australis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 3'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: blue, violet
Fruit Color: green, black
Fruit Type: pod
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 4-7
Recommended: Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Blue-green foliage. Excellent as specimen or for massing. Winter interest. Long-lived. WI native.
Cream Indigo
Baptisia leucophaea
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: cream
Fruit Color: green, black
Fruit Type: pod
Wildlife: Bee
Recommended: Rabbit Resistant
Comments: AKA Baptisia bracteata var. glabrescens.
Hairy Wood Mint
Blephilia hirsuta
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'4"-2'6"
Width: 1'+
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: June-September
Flower Color: purple, white
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Rhizomatous. Pollinator magnet. Fragrant foliage. Woodlands.
Harebell
Campanula rotundifolia
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: June-September
Flower Color: purple, lavender
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Delicate, bell-shaped flowers. Excellent border plant.
Blue Cohosh
Caulophylum thalictroides
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 2'
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: medium
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: yellow, green
Fruit Color: blue
Fruit Type: berry
Fall Color: yellow, brown
Zone: 3-7
Comments: Showy berries. Blue-green foliage.
White Turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: organic
Bloom Period: August-September
Flower Color: white, cream
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-7
Comments: Sturdy stems; pairs well with Lobelia spp.
Lance-leaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'6"-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy, rocky, poor
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Comments: Long bloom period.
Prairie Coreopsis
Coreopsis palmata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: yellow
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Narrow, dark green leaves. Rhizomatous.
White Prairie Clover
Dalea candida
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sandy, rocky
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: white
Comments: Nitrogen fixer.
Shooting Star
Dodecatheon meadia
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: well-drained loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: pink, white
Wildlife: Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 4
Comments: Shooting-star-shaped flowers. Lush basal foliage. Goes dormant in August.
Narrow-leaved Coneflower
Echinacea angustifolia
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Pale Purple Coneflower
Echinacea pallida
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 4-5
Fireweed
Epilobium angustifolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-5'
Width: 2'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: pink, magenta
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Rhizomatous.
Rattlesnake Master
Eryngium yuccifolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: green, white
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Fragrant flowers.
Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: white
Fall Color: red, yellow, maroon
Wildlife: Butterfly, Beetle, Bee, Wasp
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Sturdy stems; perfoliate leaves.
Flowering Spurge
Euphorbia corollata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: white
Fall Color: magenta, red, orange, yellow
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant
Large-Leaved Aster
Eurybia macrophylla
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: September-October
Flower Color: blue, white, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Prefers filtered light / part shade. Rhizomatous.
Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-6'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: rich loam
Bloom Period: July
Flower Color: pink, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Sturdy stems. Found in moist meadows & marshes.
Sweet Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium purpureum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-6'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: pink, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 3-4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Sturdy stems. Found in moist, open woods of eastern MN.
Queen of the Prairie
Filipendula rubra
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 2'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: rich, cool
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: pink
Fall Color: red, yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 4
Comments: Sturdy stems. Found in moist prairie steeps. Rhizomatous.
Blanket Flower
Gaillardia aristata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Bloom Period: May-September
Flower Color: red, yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Northern Bedstraw
Galium boreale
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: white
Zone: 4
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Fine-textured foliage. Rhizomatous.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: humus-rich sand, loam
Bloom Period: April-July
Flower Color: pink, lavender
Fall Color: red
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Excellent for borders & massing.
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: April-June
Flower Color: pink, red, silver
Fall Color: red, green, maroon, purple
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Attractive, feathery seedheads. Excellent for massing/groundcover. Rhizomatous.
Sneezeweed / Dogtooth Daisy
Helenium autumnale
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: rich
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bee
Maximilian's Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Category: Wildflower
Height: 7'
Width: 3'-4'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: August-September
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Moth, Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-9
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Showy flowers. Rhizomatous spread.
Stiff Sunflower
Helianthus pauciflorus
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-6'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates clay, sand, gravel
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee
Comments: Rhizomatous.
Ox-Eye
Heliopsis helianthoides
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-5'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Found in open woodlands.
Alumroot (Prairie Coralbells)
Heuchera richardsonii
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: red, yellow, green, brown
Wildlife: Hummingbird
Zone: 4
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Excellent foliage plant with burgundy-tinged leaves. Use as accent/border plant.
Halberdleaf Rosemallow
Hibiscus laevis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: pink, white
Wildlife: Bird, Hummingbird
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Comments: Large, showy flowers.
Virginia Waterleaf
Hydrophyllum virginianum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'
Width: 2'+
Sun: part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: white, lavender
Wildlife: Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Found in deciduous woodlands. Rhizomatous.
Northern Blue Flag Iris
Iris versicolor
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Soil Types: average
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: blue, lavender
Wildlife: Bird, Hummingbird
Zone: 3
Comments: Stiff, swordlike leaves. Clumps suitable for massing. Tolerates standing water to 12" deep.
Round-headed Bushclover
Lespedeza capitata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Flower Color: white, cream
Comments: Attractive seedheads.
Rough Blazingstar
Liatris aspera
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 9"
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: July-October
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Corm. Abundant, button-like flowers along stem. Plant with Little Bluestem for support.
Meadow Blazingstar
Liatris ligulistylis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: August-September
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-7
Comments: Corm. Prefers full sun. Abundant, button-like flowers along stem. Plant with Big Bluestem for support.
Dotted Blazingstar
Liatris punctata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 6"
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 2-5
Comments: Corm. Very narrow leaves. Plant with Little Bluestem or Side Oats Grama for support.
Prairie Blazingstar
Liatris pycnostachya
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-5'
Width: 6"-1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple
Fruit Period: July-August
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Corm. Abundant flowers on sturdy stem. Plant with Big Bluestem for support.
Dense (Marsh) Blazingstar
Liatris spicata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Comments: Native to WI.
Michigan Lily
Lilium michiganense
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-5'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: organic
Bloom Period: July
Flower Color: orange
Wildlife: Bird
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Nodding flowers. Excellent for moist garden areas. Rhizomatous.
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 8"-1'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: rich loam
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: red
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Hummingbird
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Shallow roots need to be kept moist.
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: blue, purple
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Hummingbird
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Tubular flowers. Readily reseeds.
Pale Spiked Lobelia
Lobelia spicata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 8"-1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: poor
Bloom Period: May-August
Flower Color: blue, violet, white, lavender
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Slender, single-stemmed prairie wildflower with elongated flower spikes. Tightly-clumped basal foliage.
Wild Lupine
Lupinus perennis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: blue, purple
Fruit Color: yellow, black
Fruit Type: pod
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Comments: Larval host of the federally-endangered Karner Blue Butterfly.
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: blue
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Tubular, bell-shaped flowers. Moist woodlands. Welcome colonizer. Goes dormant in summer.
Monkeyflower
Mimulus ringens
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'6"
Width: 1'+
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: blue, purple
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Streambanks, marshes, & floodplain forests. Rhizomatous.
Bee Balm/Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: pink, lavender
Edible Parts: leaves, flowers
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Wasp, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant, Edible Garden
Comments: Fragrant foliage. Rhizomatous.
Dotted Mint/Spotted Bee Balm
Monarda punctata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'6"-3'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: yellow, maroon, lavender
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Wasp, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Recommended: Ornamental Garden, Fragrant Garden, Rabbit Resistant
Comments: Fragrant foliage. Showy magenta-white bracts.
Glade Mallow
Napaea dioica
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: high, medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: green, brown, black
Fall Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird, Hummingbird
Comments: Dioecious. Large (12"+) leaves add textural interest.
Wild Quinine
Parthenium integrifolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: June-September
Flower Color: white
Wildlife: Beetle, Fly, Bee, Wasp, Bumblebee
Foxglove Penstemon
Penstemon digitalis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: sandy
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: white
Fall Color: red, green, maroon
Wildlife: Bird, Hummingbird
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Moist, open woods & prairies of eastern MN.
Slender Penstemon
Penstemon gracilis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: purple, violet
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-6
Comments: Drought tolerant.
Showy Penstemon/Beardtounge
Penstemon grandiflorus
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, sandy loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: pink, lavender
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Large, showy, 2" tubular flowers. Waxy, blue-green leaves.
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Purple Prairie Clover
Petalostemon purpureum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: pink, magenta, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Nitrogen-fixing taproot.
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'6"
Width: 1'+
Sun: part
Soil Types: well-drained, fertile
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: purple, lavender
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Woodland margins. Rhizomatous.
Prairie Phlox
Phlox pilosa
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: pink, magenta
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Prairies & oak savannas.
False Dragonhead / Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 2'+
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: June-September
Flower Color: pink
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Tubular flowers. Rhizomatous. Spreads rapidly in moist soil. Excellent for shoreline color.
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'+
Sun: part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: rich, organic
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fruit Color: yellow
Fruit Type: berry
Wildlife: Bee, Bumblebee
Zone: 4
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Umbrella-like leaves. Moist, open woods of southern MN. Rhizomatous.
Jacob's Ladder
Polemonium reptans
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'
Sun: part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: average, loam
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: blue
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Slender leaflets paired like ladders.
Lion's Foot
Prenanthes alba
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: tolerates sandy/rocky
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: pink, white, lavender
Wildlife: Bee, Bumblebee
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Biennial/perennial. Fragrant flowers. Tolerates light shade.
Self-Heal
Prunella vulgaris
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'4"
Width: 12'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: June-October
Flower Color: purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Use in bee lawns & meadows.
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Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum virginianum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Sun: full, part
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: purple, white
Wildlife: Beetle, Bee, Wasp
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Fragrant foliage. Rhizomatous.
Upright Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Yellow (Gray) Headed Coneflower
Ratibida pinnata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-7'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full, part
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: tolerates clay
Bloom Period: June-August
Flower Color: yellow
Fruit Period: July-September
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Zone: 4-7
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: June-October
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Biennial. Readily reseeds.
Green-headed Coneflower
Rudbeckia laciniata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 7'-8'
Width: 2'+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Comments: Flood tolerant. Rhizomatous spreader.
Sweet Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia subtomentosa
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam, sand, clay
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 4-5
Recommended: Fragrant Garden
Comments: Long-lived perennial. Native to WI.
Brown-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-5'
Width: 1'-3'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird, Bee
Zone: 3-9
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Short-lived perennial or biennial. Freely reseeds. Excellent cut flower.
Wild Petunia
Ruellia humilis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-1'3"
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: June-September
Flower Color: violet, lavender
Fall Color: yellow, maroon
Wildlife: Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 4-5
Comments: SE MN native. Excellent border plant.
Early Figwort
Scrophularia lanceolata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-6'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: medium
Bloom Period: June-July
Flower Color: pink, orange, green
Fall Color: green, maroon, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Wasp, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Recommended: Rabbit Resistant
Comments: High pollinator value. Heavy nectar production.
Late Figwort
Scrophularia marilandica
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-10'
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full, part, shade
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: red, green, maroon
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Ant, Bee, Wasp, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Recommended: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant
Comments: High wildlife value. High nectar production.
Royal Catchfly
Silene regia
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: red
Wildlife: Bird, Hummingbird
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Sturdy stems. Sticky calyx can trap/catch small insects. Native to IL.
Compass Plant
Silphium laciniatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 5'-8'
Width: 2'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird
Zone: 4
Comments: Basal leaves orient with sun. 2-4" flowers. Long-lived. Taproot.
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6'-8'
Width: 2'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: well-drained, loam
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Hummingbird, Bumblebee
Zone: 4
Comments: Perfoliate leaves form "cups" that collect water. Favorite of goldfinches, bees, & chipmunks. Freely reseeds. Not suitable for small gardens.
Narrowleaf Blue Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium angustifolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'6"
Width: 8"
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: poor, average
Flower Color: blue, purple
Fruit Period: May-June
Zone: 4+
Recommended: Ornamental Garden
Prairie Blue Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium campestre
Category: Wildflower
Height: 9"-1'
Width: 9"-1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: blue, violet
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Gives the appearance of grass with flowers.
Strict Blue Eyed Grass
Sisyrinchium montanum
Category: Wildflower
Zig-Zag Goldenrod
Solidago flexicaulis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full, part, shade
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: August-September
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee, Wasp, Bumblebee
Zone: 4
Comments: Found in woodlands & woodland margins. Stem has slight zigzag appearance. Rhizomatous.
Gray Goldenrod
Solidago nemoralis
Category: Wildflower
Flower Color: yellow
White Upland Goldenrod
Solidago ptarmicoides
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: calciferous sand/loam
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: white
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Compact, with small dense flowers. Excellent for massing.
Stiff Goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: yellow
Fall Color: red, orange, yellow, maroon
Wildlife: Butterfly, Beetle, Bird, Bee, Wasp, Bumblebee
Comments: Large, rough-textured basal leaves.
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Category: Wildflower
Height: 5'
Width: 2'-3'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: September-October
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Bird, Bee
Recommended: Deer Resistant
Comments: Clump-forming. Fibrous root system.
Elm Leaf Goldenrod
Solidago ulmifolia
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: July-October
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee, Wasp, Bumblebee
Heartleaf Aster
Symphyotrichum cordifolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: part
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: September-October
Flower Color: blue, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Woodland margins.
Heath Aster
Symphyotrichum ericoides
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'6"+
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: white
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee
Smooth Blue Aster
Symphyotrichum laeve
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 1'-2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: blue, lavender
Edible Parts: leaves
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Long-lived perennial. Blue-green foliage. Sturdy stems.
Calico Aster
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'
Width: 1'6"-3'
Sun: full, part, shade
Water Use: medium
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: purple, white
Zone: 3-9
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-5'
Width: 2'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: September-October
Flower Color: magenta, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 4
Comments: Dense foliage. Freely reseeds. Cut to 6" < July 4 for best display.
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full
Water Use: low
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: sand, loam
Bloom Period: September-October
Flower Color: purple
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 4
Recommended: Fragrant Garden, Groundcover
Comments: Aromatic flowers. Rhizomatous. Excellent for massing.
Sky Blue Aster
Symphyotrichum oolentangiense
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: blue, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Dark green, narrow, heart-shaped leaves.
Silky Aster
Symphyotrichum sericeum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-2'
Width: 1'6"
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: sandy, rocky
Bloom Period: August-October
Flower Color: purple, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Silvery-green foliage. Open, branching habit.
Meadowrue
Thalictrum dasycarpum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-5'
Width: 3'-4'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: average
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: white
Fall Color: yellow
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Lacy, fine-textured foliage. Found in moist prairies & open woodlands.
Longbract Spiderwort
Tradescantia bracteata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-1'6"
Width: 1'6"-2'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Soil Types: shallow, rocky
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: purple, violet
Wildlife: Bee
Zone: 4-9
Recommended: Groundcover
Comments: Showy flowers. Drought tolerant.
Ohio Spiderwort
Tradescantia ohiensis
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Types: well-drained, sandy, loam
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: blue, purple, violet
Wildlife: Bee
Zone: 3-4
Comments: Flowers open in the morning & close by afternoon.
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Blue Vervain
Verbena hastata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet, wet-mesic, mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: blue, purple
Fall Color: maroon, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Hummingbird
Hoary Vervain
Verbena stricta
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-4'
Width: 1'
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: dry
Soil Types: well-drained
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: blue, purple, lavender
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bird, Bee, Hummingbird
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Sturdy stems. Fuzzy leaves.
Ironweed
Vernonia fasciculata
Category: Wildflower
Height: 4'-6'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: July-September
Flower Color: magenta, purple
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 4-5
Comments: Sturdy stems. found in marshes & wet prairies. Rhizomatous.
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3'-6'
Width: 1'+
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic
Soil Types: loam
Bloom Period: July-August
Flower Color: white
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Attractive flower spikelets. Wet meadows & forest borders. Long-lived. Rhizomatous.
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Prairie Violet
Viola pedatifida
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-9"
Width: 6"
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: mesic
Soil Types: sandy loam
Bloom Period: May
Flower Color: violet, lavender
Edible Parts: flowers
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Edible Garden
Comments: Deeply-lobed foliage. Southern MN prairies.
Downy Yellow Violet
Viola pubescens
Category: Wildflower
Height: 6"-1'
Width: 1'
Sun: part, shade
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Soil Types: cool
Bloom Period: April-May
Flower Color: yellow
Edible Parts: flowers
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Recommended: Groundcover, Edible Garden
Comments: Woodland margins & borders.
Common Blue Violet
Viola sororia
Category: Wildflower
Height: 3"-8"
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic
Bloom Period: April-June
Flower Color: blue, purple, violet
Wildlife: Butterfly, Bee
Comments: Rhizomatous. Edible leaves & flowers. Short-lived perennial.
Barren Strawberry
Waldsteinia fragaroides
Category: Wildflower
Heartleaf Golden Alexanders
Zizia aptera
Category: Wildflower
Height: 1'-3'
Width: 1'-1'6"
Sun: full, part
Water Use: medium, low
Soil Moisture: wet-mesic, mesic, mesic-dry, dry
Bloom Period: May-July
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Comments: Easy to grow. Disease resistant. Hosts Black Swallowtail butterflies.
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Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Category: Wildflower
Height: 2'-3'
Width: 1'
Sun: full, part
Soil Moisture: mesic, mesic-dry
Bloom Period: May-June
Flower Color: yellow
Wildlife: Butterfly
Zone: 3-5
Comments: Erect, bushy habit. Found in moist meadows & open woodlands. Hosts Black Swallowtail butterflies.
