Native Plants for Gardens, Raingardens &

Shoreline Stabilization

Restoring Habitat in the Twin Cities

Th e landscape around us once hosted a mosaic of plant communities: oak savanna, tallgrass prairie, wetlands, maple-basswood forests, etc. Th e occurrence of a par-ticular plant community depends on topography, geol-ogy and disturbances, such as fi re. Extensive land de-velopment and introduced invasive species have lead to the destruction of a majority of these native plant communities and a fragmentation of the few plant communities that remain. Eff orts should focus on re-storing areas that reconnect and protect the remaining native plant communities.

Of the 1,903,640 acres that comprise the seven county metro area, native plant communities occupy approxi-mately 3.5% of the total land area (66,400 acres).

Plant List Created by Th e Association of Metropolitan Soil

and Water Conservation Districts

ColumbineAquilegia canadensisHt: 36” Flower: Orange Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Full sun to shade. Moist to dry soils.Woodland and Forest.

HarebellsCampanula rotundifolia

Ht: 24” Flower: Purple Bloom: June-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Moist to dry soils.

Savanna and Woodland.Pennsylvania SedgeCarex pennsylvanicaHt: 9” Flower: Brown Bloom: MayHabitat: Full sun to full shade. Moist to dry soils.Woodland and Forest.

Wild GeraniumGeranium maculatum

Ht: 18” Flower: Purple Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Full to part shade. Moist to dry soils.

Woodland and Forest.BloodrootSanguinaria canadensisHt: 12” Flower: White Bloom: MayHabitat: Part sun to full shade. Moist to dry soils.Woodland and Forest.

Bottlebrush GrassElymus hystrix

Ht: 48” Flower: Green Bloom: June-JulyHabitat: Full sun to full shade. Wet to dry soils.

Woodland and Lake Edge.Jacob’s LadderPolemonium reptansHt: 18” Flower: Blue Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Part sun to full shade. Moist to dry soils.Woodland and Forest.

Wild GingerAsarum canadense

Ht: 12” Flower: Maroon Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Part sun to full shade. Moist to dry soils.

Forest.Tall Meadow RueThalictrum dasycarpumHt: 48” Flower: White Bloom: June-JulyHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Moist to dry soils.Woodland and Lake Edge.

Rue AnemoneAnemone thalictroides

Ht: 18” Flower: Purple Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Part sun to shade. Moist to dry soils.

Woodland and Forest.

Native Plants Moist to Dry Soils - Shade

Native Plants Moist to Dry Soils - SunNarrow-Leaf ConeflowerEchinacea angustifoliaHt: 24” Flower: Purple Bloom: July-AugustHabitat: Full to part sun. Moist to dry soils.Prairie and Savanna.Native Plants Moist to Dry Soils - Sun

Little BluestemSchizachyrium scoparium

Ht: 36” Flower: Amber Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Moist to dry soils.

Prairie and Savanna.ButterflyweedAsclepias tuberosaHt: 24” Flower: Orange Bloom: June-SeptemberHabitat: Full to part sun. Moist to dry soils.Prairie and Savanna.

Flat Topped AsterAster umbellatus

Ht: 36” Flower: White Bloom: July-AugustHabitat: Full sun to full shade. Moist to wet soils.

Prairie and Lake Edge.Northern Blazing StarLiatris ligulistylisHt: 36” Flower: Purple Bloom: July-AugustHabitat: Full to part sun. Wet to dry soils.Prairie and Savanna.

SpiderwortTradescantia bracteata

Ht: 24” Flower: Purple Bloom: June-AugustHabitat: Full to part sun. Moist to dry soils.

Prairie and Savanna.Big BluestemAndropogon gerardiiHt: 72” Flower: Purple Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Moist to dry soils.Prairie and Savanna.

Wild OnionAllium cernuum

Ht: 18” Flower: Pink Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full to part sun. Moist to dry soils.

Prairie and Savanna.Prairie ConeflowerRatibida pinnataHt: 48” Flower: Yellow Bloom: July-OctoberHabitat: Full to part sun. Moist to dry soils.Prairie and Savanna.

IndiangrassSorghastrum nutans

Ht: 60” Flower: Amber Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Moist to dry soils.

Prairie and Savanna.

Native Plants Wet Soils - SunMarsh MilkweedAsclepias incarnataHt: 36” Flower: Purple Bloom: June-AugustHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.

Fox SedgeCarex vulpinoidea

Ht: 24” Flower: Green Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.Joe PyeEupatorium maculatumHt: 36” Flower: Purple Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow and Wet Prairie.

Green-headed ConeflowerRudbeckia laciniata

Ht: 48” Flower: Yellow Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Prairie and Lake Edge.Soft RushJuncus effususHt: 36” Flower: Brown Bloom: July-AugustHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.

Virginia Mountain MintPycnanthemum virginianum

Ht: 36” Flower: White Bloom: July-SeptemberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Prairie.Prairie CordgrassSpartina pectinataHt: 72” Flower: Yellow Bloom: August-OctoberHabitat: Full to part sun. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.

Bottle GentianGentiana andrewsii

Ht: 24” Flower: Blue Bloom: August-OctoberHabitat: Full to part sun. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.Golden AlexandersZizea aureaHt: 36” Flower: Yellow Bloom: May-JulyHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Prairie and Savanna.

BonesetEupatorium perfoliatum

Ht: 36” Flower: White Bloom: June-AugustHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Prairie.

Native Plants Wet Soils - ShadeMarsh MarigoldCaltha palustrisHt: 18” Flower: Yellow Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Part sun to shade. Wet soils.Wet Meadow.

Fringed SedgeCarex crinita

Ht: 36” Flower: Green Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.Sensitive FernOnoclea sensibilisHt: 24”Habitat: Part sun to full shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow and Forest.

Cardinal FlowerLobelia cardinalis

Ht: 36” Flower: Red Bloom: July-OctoberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.Blue Flag IrisIris versicolorHt: 36” Flower: Blue Bloom: June-JulyHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet soils.Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.

Long Beaked SedgeCarex sprengelii

Ht: 18” Flower: Green Bloom: June-JulyHabitat: Part sun to full shade. Wet to moist soils.

Woodland and Forest.Blue LobeliaLobelia siphiliticaHt: 30” Flower: Blue Bloom: July-OctoberHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow.

Jack-in-the-PulpitArisaema triphyllum

Ht: 30” Flower: Green Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Part sun to shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Forest.Sweet GrassHierochloe odorataHt: 24” Flower: Green Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.

Canada AnemoneAnemone canadensis

Ht: 24” Flower: White Bloom: May-JuneHabitat: Full sun to part shade. Wet to moist soils.

Wet Meadow and Lake Edge.