Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
1–2 ft tall and it blooms Mar through May — an easy fit for Minnesota, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Minnesota · Zones 3–5
Native Plants for Minnesota
Minnesota gardens sit in the Midwest — a landscape of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and Great Lakes woodland. The plants below evolved with that climate (cold continental) and are hardy through zones 3–5, so once established they shrug off the local weather without fuss, fertilizer, or much water.
the Midwestthe Great Plains
Ecoregion: Northern tallgrass prairie & North Woods
Collections for Minnesota
Find the right natives for your yard.
Each collection is filtered to what actually grows in Minnesota. Pick the goal that fits your conditions.
Pollinators
59 native species
For bees
56 native species
Butterflies
55 native species
Hummingbirds
14 native species
For birds
31 native species
Deer-resistant
47 native species
Full sun
58 native species
For shade
14 native species
Drought-tolerant
38 native species
Clay soil
48 native species
Rain garden
25 native species
Groundcovers
14 native species
Flowering shrubs
11 native species
Grasses
8 native species
Low-maintenance
33 native species
Fall color
13 native species
Fragrant
13 native species
Notable natives
Plants to know in Minnesota.
A cross-section of the 70 species native to your region — the workhorses worth starting with.
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Native to Minnesota and hardy in zones 4–9; it blooms Jun through Sep and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
2–4 ft tall and it blooms Jun through Aug — an easy fit for Minnesota, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Native to Minnesota and hardy in zones 4–9; it flowers in Aug and Sep and reaches 2–3 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A Minnesota native at 2–4 ft tall that flowers in May and Jun, comfortable in zones 3–8.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A Minnesota native at 15–25 ft tall that flowers in Apr and May, comfortable in zones 5–9.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Native to Minnesota and hardy in zones 3–9; it flowers in Jul and Aug and reaches 3–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A Minnesota native at 1.5–2 ft tall that blooms May through Jul, comfortable in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
5–10 ft tall and it flowers in Jun and Jul — an easy fit for Minnesota, hardy in zones 3–9 here.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Native to Minnesota and hardy in zones 3–9; it blooms Jun through Sep and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Native to Minnesota and hardy in zones 3–8; it flowers in Sep and Oct and reaches 2–4 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Native to Minnesota and hardy in zones 3–8; it blooms Apr through Jun and reaches 1.5–2.5 ft.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
20–30 ft tall and it flowers in Mar and Apr — an easy fit for Minnesota, hardy in zones 4–9 here.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
1.5–2.5 ft tall and it blooms Sep through Nov — an easy fit for Minnesota, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A Minnesota native at 1.5–3 ft tall that blooms May through Aug, comfortable in zones 3–9.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
3–5 ft tall and it flowers in Sep and Oct — an easy fit for Minnesota, hardy in zones 3–8 here.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Sourcing
Where to buy Minnesota natives
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.