From wildflowers like harebell to pollinator-attracting plants like prairie dropseed to climbing vines like groundnut, Minnesota native plants come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. You can also incorporate native shrubs like serviceberry and trees like hackberry in your landscape.
Native plants are low-maintenance, meaning you can spend less time doing lawn chores but enjoy the same spectacular greenery. We broke Minnesota native plants for your landscape into categories to help you decide the best ones for you.
Native full sun plants for Minnesota
Rough blazing star (Lilitaris aspera)
A striking prairie that boasts fluffy spikes densely packed with deep rose-purple flowers, the blazing star is a treat for Minnesota landscapes. The fuzzy appearance comes from stamens and styles protruding from the tufted flower heads, contrasting brilliantly with its finely textured, grassy foliage.
This plant attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds and gives you a long season of interest – from late summer to fall. You can buy Blazing Star from Missouri Wildflower Nursery.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Plant type: Perennial
- Mature height: 2 to 5 feet
- Maintenance needs: Moderate to low
- Preferred soil conditions: Well-drained. Chalk, clay, sand, loam
Stiff coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata)
Also known as stiff tickseed, this upright plant boasts spectacular masses of yellow, daisy-like flowers adorned with flat mustard or yellow center disks. It blooms from spring to mid-summer, showing off its long-lasting blossoms atop strong stems and green leaves that turn showy red in fall.
Coreopsis is rich in nectar and attracts many pollinators while its seed serves as a food source for songbirds in fall and winter. It’s a perfect choice for wildflower gardens, prairies, and meadows.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
- Mature height: 1 to 3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
This native grass adds a nice shine to your garden with its silvery-blue stems and leaves. Little bluestem is a drought-tolerant plant once it’s fully established and easy to care for.
It also produces tiny flowers from late summer to early fall that leave small, fluffy white seed heads that birds eat throughout winter.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 9
- Plant type: Perennial grass
- Mature height: 1 to 3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand, clay
Native part shade plants for Minnesota
Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
This wildflower blooms from summer to fall filling your Minnesota landscape with the loveliest pale blue or violet to bright purple flowers. The flower has a bell shape coming from 5 flaring, pointed lobes.
Its attractive color lures plenty of pollinators too, from bees and butterflies to hummingbirds. Harebell is also referred to as bluebell bellflower for its color and distinctive shape. Get yours from Morning Sky Greenery.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 6
- Plant type: Perennial wildflower
- Mature height: 1 to 2 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand
Lavender hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Anise hyssop is a fragrant, small, tubular, lavender to purple flower that has a clump-forming habit. It adds attractive vertical lines of purple to a landscape and attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects.
The best part of planting hyssop in your yard is the pleasant scent it exudes. Its leaves are also used for herbal teas and jellies while the long flowering season adds interest to your landscape till the late fall.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
- Mature height: 1 to 3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand
Native full-shade plants for Minnesota
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
This Minnesota native is one of the earliest spring bloomers. It flaunts compact clumps of nodding, trumpet-shaped, violet-blue flowers from early to mid-spring. The young emerging flowers have a pink color before they turn sky-blue and then violet-y.
The smooth, blue-green foliage offers a nice backdrop to the colorful flowers. This plant does well with other shade-loving perennials and is super easy to grow.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Plant type: Herbaceous perennial wildflower
- Mature height: 1 to 2 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand, clay
Foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia)
Foam flower forms lush clumps of heart-shaped, semi-glossy leaves and bears pink-tinged flower buds in late spring that turn starry, creamy white flowers atop erect stems, well above the foliage.
These flowers last for about 6 weeks while the foliage remains evergreen in mild winter climates. It forms large colonies quickly and makes a great ground cover.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Plant type: Stoloniferous herbaceous perennial
- Mature height: 1 to 2 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand
Native pollinator plants for Minnesota
Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
A favorite for bees and butterflies, this low-maintenance plant has a low, fountain-like shape with long, narrow, green leaves forming round tufts. Prairie dropseed is a famous prairie plant in Minnesota that’s known for its fragrance too.
Plant it in your yard and enjoy a coriander or popcorn-like smell for a good part of the year. It shows excellent tolerance to drought and poor soils, making it a very favored pollinator plant for Minnesota’s gardeners.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 9
- Plant type: Grass-like perennial
- Mature height: 2 to 3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained. Chalk, loam, clay
Yarrow (Achillea)
Yarrow is a hardy perennial plant beloved for its charming, flat-topped flower clusters that come in a variety of colors. From yellow, white, pink, and red, you can choose whatever hue you wish to add to your landscape.
The foliage is just as impressive; feather-like, green, aromatic leaves that add just the right amount of texture to your garden. Flowers and foliage both attract bees, butterflies, and birds to themselves.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 9
- Plant type: Perennial
- Mature height: 1 to 3 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained. Chalk, loam, sand
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Perfect for late summer color in your yard, the cardinal flower is a popular, clump-forming, upright perennial that boasts red blossoms. These flowers stay fresh and attract pollinators like bees and butterflies from midsummer to early fall.
Its erect, alternate-leafed stalks rise above a rosette of lance-shaped bright green leaves, adding vertical interest to the landscape.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 9
- Plant type: Perennial
- Mature height: 2 to 4 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Poorly drained, loam
Native climbing plants or vines for Minnesota
American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
Known for its showy, bicolored fruits, this fast-growing woody vine brings charm to any landscape. The vine has finely serrated, dark green leaves that turn an outstanding pale yellow in the fall.
American bittersweet fruits are round and orange-yellow, they later split open in the fall to expose scarlet seeds. Birds feast on them while the fruit is also used for dried arrangements.
- USDA hardiness zone: 3 to 8
- Plant type: Deciduous perennial vine
- Mature height: 15 to 20 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained. Chalk, clay, loam, sand
Groundnut (Apios americana)
This climber boasts compact racemes of scented pea-like flowers and egg-shaped leaves pinnately compound. It produces large edible white-fleshed tubers that have several health benefits and are a popular food in Japan.
This vine scrambles over shrubs or twines around supports and looks exceptionally good cottage style landscapes.
- USDA hardiness zone: 4 to 9
- Plant type: Herbaceous perennial climbing plant
- Mature height: 8 to 15 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained. Clay, loam, sand
Native trees and shrubs
Serviceberry (Amelanchier speciosa)
Serviceberry is a small shrub prized for its star-shaped white spring flowers, beautiful autumn leaves, and edible purple fruit. Amelanchier is characterized by an open, airy crown and a striking structure that shines in winter when leaves fall.
This hardy plant bears delicate white flowers that bloom early spring before the leaves even emerge fully. Showy clusters of slightly fragrant flowers attract a variety of pollinators too.
- USDA hardiness zone: 2 to 9
- Plant type: Perennial shrub or small tree
- Mature height: 3 to 30 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Sun exposure: Full sun, partial shade
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained soil. Clay, sand, loam
Northern catalpa (Catalpa speciosa)
This large, deciduous tree develops a lovely oval crown and spreading branches clothed with huge, heart-shaped, light green leaves. These leaves are glossy on the top and hairy on the underside which perfectly compliments the trumpet-shaped white flowers catalpa bears late in spring.
Northern catalpa is a fast-growing plant that adapts to adverse conditions pretty well. You won’t need routine pruning to maintain but make sure you remove damaged, congested, or crossing shoots.
- USDA hardiness zone: 4 to 8
- Plant type: Deciduous perennial
- Mature height: 50 to 70 feet
- Maintenance needs: Moderate
- Sun exposure: Full sun, partial shade
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well drained. Chalk, clay, loam, sand.
Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
This tough tree has a pyramidal habit in youth that turns into an open, spreading crown as it ages. Its ascending, arching branches are covered with glossy, ovate green leaves that turn a nice hue of yellow in the fall.
It also produces greenish flowers in spring that provide pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Female flowers later turn into sweet edible berries that persist through winter.
- USDA hardiness zone: 2 to 9
- Plant type: Deciduous perennial
- Mature height: 40 to 60 feet
- Maintenance needs: Low
- Sun exposure: Full sun, partial shade
- Preferred soil conditions: Moist but well-drained
For more helpful lawn care and landscaping advice, see these guides.
Plant smart!
Native plants are easier to grow and good for the natural environment of an area. Now that you know a variety of Minnesota natives, designing a low-care landscape won’t be tough. However, you might still need help with lawn chores and that’s what Lawn Love pros are for.
With years of experience and knowledge, our pros know how to bring out the best in your Minnesota landscape. So what are you waiting for?
Main Photo Credit: Sharon Mollerus | Flickr | CC BY 2.0
