Supplier of native plants Most native plants in this brochure can be found at Glacial Ridge Growers in Prior Lake, MNhttp://www.glacialridgegrowers.com/default.asp

Other native plant suppliers http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/gardens/nativeplants/suppliers.html

For more information https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/gardens/nativeplants/index.html

Author Jennie Sirota

Credits Photos: Minnesota DNRInformation: Minnesota DNR, Wildflowers of Minnesota by Stan Tekiela, Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota by Welby R. Smith, Living Landscapes in Minnesota by NRCS, and Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota by Lynn M. Steiner

Please do not disturb natural areas where these plants are found

This brochure highlights 12 native plants that are useful for landscaping, and where they are located at

the Arboretum

Oswald VisitorCenter

Lilac

Horticultural Research Center/SummerHouse/Applehouse

1.5 Miles West

Highway 5

Apple Research Orchards

Ridge Trail

Hig

hway

41

Spring Peeper MeadowParking on 82nd Street,

West Of Highway 41

W 82nd Street

W 82nd Street

Red Barn

Ridge Trail

Rhododendron Garden

Birch

Azalea

OrchidsGreen Heron Trail

Boardwalk

Green Heron Pond

Nut Trees

Oak

Maze Garden

Linden

HedgeDisplay

AzaleaReseach Trials

Fir

Shrub Collections

LarchPine

Dahlia Trial Garden

Poplar

OrnamentalGrasses

Buckeye

Catalpa

Willow

Elm

Honeylocust

Prunus

Shrub Roses

Mountain Ash

Magnolia

Green Heron Trail

Frog Hollow(Staff Work Area)

Wood Duck Trail

Wood Duck Pond

Overflow Grass Parking

Berens Cabin

RoseGarden

Shade TreeExhibit

ShrubWalk

Arborvitae

Maple

Crabapple Birch

SensoryGarden

Iris Garden

WildflowerGarden

Garden ForWildlife

Meadowlark Trail

Bennett-JohnsonPrairie

Ash

Hawthorn Spruce

Small Trees

Weeping Trees

Memorial GroveHigh Point

PrairieGarden

SnyderBuilding

Ridge Trail

Highway 5

GateHouse

HarvestYourRain

RainGardens

RainwaterRunoffModel

Three Mile Drive

Mile Drive

Three

Marion AndrusLearning Center

Maple Syrup House (Seasonal)

UnderThe Oak

Spring Pe

eper Tra

il

Lost Pond Trail

Spring Peeper Trail

Board

walk

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum 3675 Arboretum Drive

Chaska, MN 55318-9613952-443-1400

www.arboretum.umn.edu

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KEY TO NATIVE PLANTS Columbine Praire Onion Turtlehead Anise Hyssop Prairie Wild Rose Wild Ginger Maidenhair Fern Little Bluestem Red-Osier Dogwood Common Juniper Ninebark Lowbush Blueberry

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Landscaping with native plants of

Minnesota

Native plants of Minnesota can provide four seasons of color

right in your yard!

WHAT are native plants?Native plants are those that inhabited this area for centuries and were not planted here from somewhere else. Planting natives can bring back the past landscape that the early explorers encountered.

WHY use native plants? Require less careThey are adapted to the local climate and soil conditions. Native plants work well for landscaping, and once established they rarely need watering or mowing. Native plants wont take over natural communities like non-natives.Can survive Minnesota’s cold wintersTemperatures can get as low as -20 degrees Fahrenheit, this environment isn’t suitable for all plants. Attract butterflies and other wildlifeNative plants provide nectar, pollen, and seeds for native butterflies, birds, and other animals.

12 Native Plants of Minnesota

1. Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) • Pink/yellow flower• May to July bloom• 1-2 feet tall• Grows in all soils and

sunny sites• Attracts hummingbirds

and reseeds itself

2. Prairie Onion (Allium stellatum)• Purple/pink flower cluster• July to August bloom• 1-2 feet tall• Grows well in sunny sites• Attracts butterflies and

birds• Onion fragrance

3. Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) • White flower• July to September bloom• 1-3 feet tall• Grows well in moist soils

and sunny sites• Useful for flower borders

or along shores

4. Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)• Purple/blue flower• July to August bloom for

late summer color• 2-4 feet tall• Grows well in sandy soil

and sunny sites• Attracts butterflies and

bees• Edible leaves for teas

5. Prairie Wild Rose (Rosa arkansana) • Pink flower with fragrance• June to July bloom• 2 feet tall, 4-8 feet wide• Grows well in full sun• Winter hardy• Alternatives are smooth

wild rose and prickly wild rose

6. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)• Reddish brown flower• May bloom• 0.5 feet tall, useful

ground cover• Grows well in shade• Native herb with heart

shaped leaves

7. Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum pedatum)• Green fern with lacy

foliage• 1-2 feet tall• Grows well in shady

areas and moist soils• Alternative include

lady fern, ostrich fern, sensitive fern, and cinnamon fern

8. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)• Grass• 2-3 feet tall• Grows well in drained

soils and sunny sites• Color turns from blue in

summer to golden red in fall

• Works well on walkways or borders

9. Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)• White flower clumps• May and July blooms• 5-10 feet tall• Wildlife enjoy its

white berries• Stems are green in

summer and red in winter!

10. Common Juniper (Juniperus communis)• Juniper shrub• Blue berries in fall• 1.5-5 feet tall• Grows in dry soils

and full sun• Alternative is

creeping juniper

11. Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) • Green shrub with white

flower clusters• June to July bloom• 5-9 feet tall, 6-9 feet wide• Grows well in drained soils

and full sun as a shrub border

• Leaves can be greenish yellow or purple

• Alternative is Leatherwood

12. Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)• White flower• May to June bloom,

July/August berries• 0.5-2 feet tall• Pink/red leaves in the fall• Good replacement

for invasive Japanese barberry