Native Species Garden

Native plants are defined as the grasses, flowers and other plants that naturally occur in a geographic area and have flourished for thousands of years – all without the help of gardeners. Native plants are perennials, which means they return each year. Birds, insects and other animals depend on the food supply and habitat provided by native plants.

These perennials have deep roots and are referred to as “water wise” because they don’t require frequent watering and they have an ability to tolerate droughts. The deep roots of many native plants hold soil in place like an underground web and prevent erosion especially along lakeshores and riverbanks. Their strong root systems help control stormwater in urban landscapes by taking up water that might otherwise pour into streets and, eventually, streams. 

In contrast, many plant varieties available in mass market plant stores are ‘cultivars’ or hybrids of native plants that humans have genetically modified to produce a unique color, double petals or other attribute. When shopping for native plants look at the identification tags; hybrid plants include a description within quotes to indicate it is a cultivar, for example: the purple coneflower cultivar, Echinacea purpurea ‘Pink Double Delight.’ These cultivated plants typically do not produce as much nectar or pollen as the native varieties, and often require chemical pesticides or herbicides to survive. Scientific studies have shown that hybrid plants often produce less nectar than native species, requiring pollinators to work harder for their foodsource.

Our native plants are the original super pollinators!

For more resources on benefits of choosing native plants, visit the U of MN Extension website.

The MN Dept of Natural Resources maintains a list of Native Plant Suppliers who have certified that they sell Minnesota native plants sourced from the state, do not sell invasive or noxious plants, and/or have experience as a native plant consultant or habitat restoration specialist.

Plant list

A  wild strawberry  Fragaria virginiana

B cup plant Silphium perfoliatum

C Blue False Indigo baptisia australis

D spiderwort Tradescantia occidentalis

E golden Alexander zizea aurea

F blanketflower Gaillardia aristata

G anise hyssop Agastache foeniculum

H little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparium

I  solomon’s seal Polygonatum spp

J prairie dropseed porobolus heterolepis

K queen of the prairie Filipendula rubra

L Culver’s root Veronicastrum virginicum

M New England aster Aster novae-angliae

N Canada Goldenrod Solidago canadensis

O black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta

P wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa

Q wild petunia Ruellia humilis

S prairie smoke Geum triflorum

T blue vervain Verbena hastata

U great blue lobelia Lobelia silphilitica

V butterflyweed Asclepias tuberosa

W white turtlehead Chelone glabra

X stiff leafed goldenrod Solidago rigida

Y brown eyed susan  Rudbeckia triloba 

Z zig zag goldenrod Solidago flexicaulis

AA rough blazing star Liatris aspera

BB cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis

CC evening primrose Oenothera biennis

DD common dogwood Cornus sanguinea

EE compass plant Silphium laciniatum

FF wild geranium Geranium maculatum

GG partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata

HH plain gentian gentiana alba

II rattlesnake master Eryngium yuccifolium

JJ  Early Figwort Scrophularia lanceolate

KK  Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica

LL nodding onion allium stellatum

MM obedient plant Physostegia virginiana

NN prairie phlox Phlox pilosa

OO Eurasian baneberry Actaea spicata

PP ironweed Vernonia fasciculata

QQ Joe Pye weed Eutrochium purpureum

Garden map

Native garden photo gallery

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