List of Minnesota wildflowers facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This is a list of all the wildflowers native to Minnesota by common name, following Minnesota DNR conventions. Where several species of plants share part of a common name, they have been grouped together under that name; this is for indexing purposes and does not always indicate a taxonomic relationship.

A

Alexanders
- Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea)
- Heart-leaved alexanders (Zizia aptera)
Anemone
- Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis)
- Cut-leaved anemone (Anemone multifida var. multifida)
- Wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia)
Aplectrum
- Adam and Eve (Aplectrum hyemale)
Asters
- Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)
- Awl aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum)
- Bog aster (Symphyotrichum boreale)
- Crooked aster (Symphyotrichum prenanthoides)
- Drummond's aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii)
- Eastern panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum ssp. lanceolatum)
- Flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata)
- Heath aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides)
- Heart-leaved aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)
- Large-leaved aster (Eurybia macrophylla)
- Lindley's aster (Symphyotrichum ciliolatum)
- Long aster (Symphyotrichum x longulum)
- Modest aster (Canadanthus modestus)
- New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
- New England aster and Heath aster hybrid (Symphyotrichum x amethystinum)
- Ontario aster (Symphyotrichum ontarionis)
- Red-stemmed aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum)
- Short's aster (Symphyotrichum shortii; threatened)
- Sickle-shaped aster (Symphyotrichum falcatum)
- Side-flowering aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
- Silky aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum)
- Skyblue aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)
- Smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)
- Veiny lined aster (Symphyotrichum praealtum)
- Western panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum ssp. hesperium)
Autumn sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

B

Baneberries
- Red baneberry (Actaea rubra)
- White baneberry (Actaea pachypoda)
Beard-tongues
- Large-flowered beard tongue (Penstemon grandiflorus)
- Pale beard tongue (Penstemon pallidus)
- Slender beard tongue (Penstemon gracilis)
- White beard tongue (Penstemon albidus)
Bellworts
- Large-flowered bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
- Pale bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)
Blazing stars
- Cylindric blazing star (Liatris cylindracea)
- Dotted blazing star (Liatris punctata)
- Great blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya)
- Northern plains blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis)
- Rough blazing star (Liatris aspera)
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
Bluebead lily (Clintonia borealis)
Blueberries
- Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
- Velvet-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides)
Blue-eyed grasses
- Field blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium campestre)
- Mountain blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum montanum)
- Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)
- Pointed-petal blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium mucronatum)
Blue flags
- Northern blue flag (Iris versicolor)
- Southern blue flag (Iris virginica var. shrevei)
Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa var. interior)

C

Canada mayflower (Maianthemum canadense)
Cinquefoils
- Bushy cinquefoil (Potentilla paradoxa)
- Marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris)
- Pennsylvania cinquefoil (Potentilla pensylvanica)
- Rough cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica)
- Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)
- Slender cinquefoil (Potentilla flabelliformis)
- Spreading cinquefoil (Potentilla effusa)
- Tall cinquefoil (Potentilla arguta)
Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Coneflowers
- Gray-headed coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)
- Narrow-leaved purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida var. angustifolia)
- Prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)
- Sweet coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)
- Tall coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. laciniata)
- Three-leaved coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba var. triloba; special concern)
Coralroot
- Autumn coralroot (Corallorhiza odontorhiza var. odontorhiza)
- Early coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)
- Spotted coralroot (Corallorhiza maculata)
- Striped coralroot (Corallorhiza striata var. striata)
Cottongrasses
- Chamisso's cottongrass (Eriophorum chamissonis)
- Delicate cottongrass (Eriophorum tenellum)
- Green-keeled cottongrass (Eriophorum viridicarinatum)
- Slender cottongrass (Eriophorum gracile)
- Tall cottongrass (Eriophorum polystachion)
- Tawny cottongrass (Eriophorum virginicum)
- Tussock cottongrass (Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum)
Cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum)
Culver's root (Veronicastrum virginicum)

D

Dogbanes
- Clasping dogbane (Apocynum sibiricum)
- Hemp dogbane or American hemp, (Apocynum cannabinum)
- Intermediate dogbane (Apocynum x floribundum)
- Spreading dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

E

Evening primroses
- Common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis)
- Cleland's evening primrose (Oenothera clelandii)
- Cut-leaved evening primrose (Oenothera laciniata)
- Northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora)
- Nuttall's evening primrose (Oenothera nuttallii)
- Perennial evening primrose (Oenothera perennis)
- Rhombic evening primrose (Oenothera rhombipetala)
- Toothed evening primrose (Calylophus serrulatus)

F

False Solomon's Seals
- Common false Solomon's seal (Smilacina racemosa)
- Starry false Solomon's seal (Smilacina stellata)
- Three-leaved false Solomon's seal (Smilacina trifolia)
Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium)
Flodman's thistle (Cirsium flodmanii)

G

Gaywings (Polygala paucifolia)
Gentians
- Billington's gentian (Gentiana x billingtonii)
- Bottle gentian (Gentiana andrewsii)
- Downy gentian (Gentiana puberulenta)
- Great Lakes gentian (Gentiana rubricaulis)
- Greater fringed gentian (Gentianopsis crinita)
- Horse gentian (Triosteum aurantiacum)
- Lesser fringed gentian (Gentianopsis procera)
- Northern gentian (Gentiana affinis; special concern)
- Spurred gentian (Halenia deflexa)
- Stiff gentian (Gentianella quinquefolia var. occidentalis)
- Yellowish gentian (Gentiana flavida)
Giant hyssops
- Blue giant hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
- Purple giant hyssop (Agastache scrophulariaefolia)
- Yellow giant hyssop (Agastache nepetoides)
Goldenrod
- Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)
- Early goldenrod (Solidago juncea)
- Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)
- Gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis)
- Hairy goldenrod (Solidago hispida)
- Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis)
- Riddell's goldenrod (Solidago riddellii)
- Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida)
- Soft goldenrod (Solidago mollis; special concern)
- Upland white aster (Solidago ptarmicoides)
- Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)
Ground plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)
Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa)

H

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)
Hepaticas
- Sharp-lobed hepatica (Anemone acutiloba)
- Round-lobed hepatica (Anemone americana)
Honeysuckles
- Bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
- Fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)
- Grape honeysuckle (Lonicera reticulata)
- Hairy honeysuckle (Lonicera hirsuta)
- Mountain fly honeysuckle (Lonicera villosa)
- Swamp fly honeysuckle (Lonicera oblongifolia)
- Wild honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica)

I

Indian paintbrushes
- Downy paintbrush (Castilleja sessiliflora)
- Indian paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)
- Northern paintbrush (Castilleja septentrionalis; endangered)
Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora)

J

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
Joe pye weeds
- Spotted Joe pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum)
- Sweet Joe pye weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

L

Lady's slippers
- Andrew's lady's slipper (Cypripedium × andrewsii)
- Showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae; the Minnesota State flower)
- Small white lady's slipper (Cypripedium candidum; special concern)
- Stemless lady's slipper, also known as Moccasin flower, (Cypripedium acaule)
- Yellow lady's slipper (Cypripedium calceolus)
Leadplant (Amorpha canescens)

M

Marsh marigolds
- Floating marsh marigold (Caltha natans; endangered)
- Common marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
Milk vetches
- Alpine milk vetch (Astragalus alpinus; endangered)
- Canada milk vetch (Astragalus canadensis)
- Cooper's milk vetch (Astragalus neglectus)
- Field milk vetch (Astragalus agrestis)
- Loose-flowered milkvetch (Astragalus tenellus)
- Lotus milk vetch (Astragalus lotiflorus)
- Missouri milk vetch (Astragalus missouriensis; special concern)
- Prairie milk vetch (Astragalus adsurgens)
- Racemose milk vetch (Astragalus racemosus; possibly non-native)
- Slender milk vetch (Astragalus flexuosus; special concern)
Milkweeds
- Clasping milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis; special concern)
- Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
- Green milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora)
- Narrow-leaved milkweed (Asclepias stenophylla; endangered)
- Oval-leaved milkweed (Asclepias ovalifolia)
- Poke milkweed (Asclepias exaltata)
- Prairie milkweed (Asclepias hirtella; threatened)
- Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens)
- Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
- Sullivant's milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii; threatened)
- Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata var. incarnata)
- Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)
- Woolly milkweed (Asclepias lanuginosa)
Miterworts
- Naked miterwort (Mitella nuda)
- Two-leaved miterwort (Mitella diphylla)

O

Orchids
- Hooker's orchid (Platanthera hookeri)
- Intermediate bog orchid (Platanthera × media)
- Large round-leaved orchid (Platanthera orbiculata)
- Long-bracted orchid (Ceologlossum viride var. varescens)
- Ragged fringed orchid (Platanthera lacera)
- Ram's head orchid (Cypripedium arietinum; threatened)
- Small green wood orchid (Platanthera clavellata; special concern)
- Small northern bog orchid (Platanthera obtusata)
- Small purple fringed orchid (Platanthera psycodes)
- Tall northern bog orchid (Platanthera hyperborea)
- Tall white bog orchid (Platanthera dilatata)
- Tubercled rein orchid (Platanthera flava var. herbiola; endangered)
- Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara; threatened)
Ox-eye or early sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra)

P

Prairie clover
- Foxtail prairie clover (Dalea leporina)
- Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
- Silky prairie clover (Dalea villosa)
- White prairie clover (Dalea candida)

R

Roses
- Prairie rose (Rosa arkansana)
- Prickly rose (Rosa acicularis)
- Smooth wild rose (Rosa blanda)
- Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii var. woodsii)

S

Silverleaf scurfpea (Pediomelum argophyllum)
Spiderworts
- Bracted spiderwort (Tradescantia bracteata)
- Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis)
- Western spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis)
Starflower (Trientalis borealis)
Strawberries
- Common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
- Wood strawberry (Fragaria vesca var. americana)
Sunflowers
- Bright sunflower (Helianthus × laetiflorus)
- Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
- Giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus)
- Hairy sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus)
- Maximilian's sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)
- Nuttall's sunflower (Helianthus nuttallii ssp. rydbergii; special concern)
- Prairie sunflower (Helianthus petiolaris var. petiolaris)
- Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus)
- Stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus)
- Tickseed sunflower (Bidens aristosa)
- Western sunflower (Helianthus occidentalis var. occidentalis)
- Woodland sunflower (Helianthus strumosus)
- For early sunflower, see ox-eye.

T

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
Touch-me-nots
- Pale touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida)
- Spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis)
Trilliums
- Drooping trillium (Trillium flexipes)
- Large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)
- Nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum var. macranthum)
- Snow trillium (Trillium nivale)
Twinflower (Linnaea borealis var. longiflora)
Twistedstalks
- Clasping leaved twistedstalk (Streptopus amplexifolius)
- Rose twistedstalk (Streptopus roseus var. longipes)

Twinflower (Linnaea borealis var. longiflora)
Twistedstalks
- Clasping leaved twistedstalk (Streptopus amplexifolius)
- Rose twistedstalk (Streptopus roseus var. longipes)

V

Violets
- Arrow-leaved violet (Viola sagittata)
- Bearded birdfoot violet (Viola palmata var. pedatifida)
- Beardless birdfoot violet (Viola pedata)
- Big-leaved white violet (Viola blanda)
- Common blue violet (Viola sororia)
- Dog violet (Viola conspersa)
- Great-spurred violet (Viola selkirkii)
- Kidney-leaved violet (Viola renifolia)
- Marsh violet (Viola cucullata)
- Lance-leaved violet (Viola lanceolata; threatened)
- New England violet (Viola novae-angliae)
- Northern bog violet (Viola nephrophylla)
- Northern white violet (Viola macloskeyi var. pallens)
- Rugulose violet (Viola canadensis var. rugulosa)
- Sand violet (Viola adunca)
- Yellow prairie violet (Viola nuttallii; threatened)
- Yellow violet (Viola pubescens)
Violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea)
Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

W

White camas (Zigadenus elegans)
Wild bergamot or bee-balm (Monarda fistulosa)
Wild calla (Calla palustris)
Wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)
Wild onions
- Nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum)
- Prairie wild onion (Allium stellatum)
- White wild onion (Allium textile)
Wild sweet William (Phlox maculata)
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Wolfberry (Symphoricarpos occidentalis)
Wood betony (Pedicularis canadensis)
Wood lily (Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum)
Wormwoods
- Sage wormwood (Artemisia frigida)
- Tall wormwood (Artemisia campestris)

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List of Minnesota wildflowers Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.