Minnesota Native Plants, State Flower & State Bird

Hello native plant enthusiasts! In the list below, you will find popular native plants and wildflower seeds, available from American Meadows, that have a native distribution in your state. You’ll also find information about your state bird, state flower, and state wildflower!

• The links will take you to a single plant or seed selection for the plant listed -- but in many cases, we offer multiple cultivars for each plant, and we may offer both seeds and potted plants to grow the plant on your list. This list is a work in progress as we expand our native plant educational resources. 
• The list for your state is a great place for getting started with native plants - but it is by no means a comprehensive listing of the hundreds of native plants growing in each state. 

Grow our Native Midwest Wildflower Seed Mix

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa)

Perennial Lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Black Eyed Susan or Gloriosa Daisy (Rudbeckia hirta)

Yellow Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

Long Beaked Sedge (Carex sprengelii)

Firewheel (Gaillardia pulchella)

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)

Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria)

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)

Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)

Red Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya)

Meadow Anemone (Anemone canadensis)

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)

Bottlebrush Grass (Elymus hystrix)

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Muhly Grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa)

Yellow Prairie Grass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Smooth Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Sky Blue Aster (Symphyotrichum oolentangiense)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata)

Common White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Helenium (Helenium autumnale)

Heliopsis (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Common Loon ~ Gavia immer
The far-carrying cry of the Loon sounds is a spine-tingling call, heightened by the echo from the silent north woods. The Loon is one of the more wily and skillful swimmers in the bird kingdom. While submerged underwater, the Loon can almost fly; it uses its wings together with its feet to overtake the large fish.

Showy Lady Slipper ~ Cypripedium reginae
Through a technical error, the first Minnesota state flower, Cypripedium calceolus, adopted by the 1893 legislature, did not grow in Minnesota. So in 1902 the legislature adopted the Showy Lady Slipper. It has two common names, both correct, the Showy Lady Slipper and the Pink and White Lady Slipper. Often, it is incorrectly called the Moccasin flower, which is a purplish, stemless Lady Slipper. Today, the state flower is quite rare even though a law was passed in 1925 prohibiting its picking. The several species are among the largely tropical Orchid family. One of the Slipper's petals is enlarged to form a swollen mauve-pink pouch, and the rest of the flower is a dazzling white.

From The Wildflowers of the 50 States U.S. stamps issued July 24, 1992:

• Native plants are essential for healthy ecosystems and habitat. They have evolved over time with local wildlife and climate conditions. Many pollinators have special relationships with native plants that they rely on for survival. For instance, some bees are specialists and require nectar and pollen from specific native plants to survive; and butterflies and moths often have specific host plants needed to nourish their caterpillars. For example, Asclepias (Milkweed or Butterfly Weed) is the host plant required for Monarch caterpillars to survive and grow into Monarch Butterflies!
• It’s OK to grow native plants in your yard that may not be native to your state or region. Remember – just because a plant is not native, does not necessarily mean that it is invasive or harmful. In fact, growing well-behaved introduced plants that are suited to your growing conditions can still provide many benefits to your yard (especially when compared to a traditional turf lawn).  
• Know before you grow – It's always a good idea to learn what plants are native, well-behaved, and invasive or aggressive in your region before digging in.
• Learn More: All About Native Plants

Explore our full selection of native plants and seeds