HomeMy WebLinkAboutITEM V C. Conservation_Plant_List provided by UW ExtensionCategory Common Name Scientific Name Native to WI?
Landscaping Point
Value
Resilience Weight
(1–10)Additional Notes
Tree Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa Yes (★) 9
Iconic oak with massive trunk/branch structure; very
drought-tolerant once mature.
Tree Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor Yes (★) 9
Excellent for wet to mesic sites, high wildlife value,
tolerates periodic flooding.
Shrub Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa Yes (★) 8
White spring flowers, black berries, good for rain
gardens; high antioxidant fruit.
Perennial Spider Milkweed Asclepias viridis Yes (★) 8 Uncommon in WI but native to some areas;
excellent for monarch caterpillars.
Shrub Gray Dogwood Cornus racemosa Yes (★) 8
Thicket-forming dogwood with white berries on red
panicles; good for naturalized areas.
Grass/Sedge Prairie Cordgrass Spartina pectinata Yes (★) 8
Tall, robust grass for wet meadows; rhizomatous
spread, excellent soil binder.
Grass/Sedge Switchgrass Panicum virgatum Yes (★) 8
Tall warm-season grass; excellent for erosion
control, ornamental seed heads.
Shrub American Highbush
Cran.Viburnum trilobum Yes (★) 8
Showy white flowers, bright red berries, multi-
season interest.
Perennial Smooth Blue Aster Symphyotrichum laeve Yes (★) 8
Powder-blue daisy flowers; thrives in sunny prairies,
roadsides.
Tree Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata Yes (★) 8
Nut-producing tree; supports wildlife, distinctive
shaggy bark.
Shrub American Hazelnut Corylus americana Yes (★) 8
Multi-stem shrub, edible nuts for wildlife/humans;
good screening plant.
Perennial Stiff Goldenrod Solidago rigida Yes (★) 8
Large, flat-topped golden blooms; excellent late-
season pollinator resource.
Tree American Basswood Tilia americana Yes (★) 8
Fragrant flowers for pollinators; good shade tree,
can tolerate urban conditions.
Tree Northern Red Oak Quercus rubra Yes (★) 8
Fast-growing oak, widely adaptable, valuable acorns
for wildlife.
Shrub Buttonbush
Cephalanthus
occidentalis Yes (★) 8
Excellent wetland shrub; spherical flowers attract
pollinators.
Shrub New Jersey Tea
Ceanothus
americanus Yes (★) 8
Drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing shrub; fragrant
white flower clusters.
Perennial Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa Yes (★) 8
Bright golden spires in late summer; drought-
tolerant.
Tree Black Cherry Prunus serotina Yes (★) 8
Attractive bark, white raceme flowers; important for
birds and pollinators.
Perennial Turtlehead Chelone glabra Yes (★) 7
White or pink hooded blooms; prefers moist areas,
partial sun.
Grass/Sedge Porcupine Sedge Carex hystericina Yes (★) 7 Wetland sedge with bristly seed heads; good for
rain gardens.
2) 50 Additional Wisconsin Native Species
Below are 50 additional native species (trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses) that you can consider adding to approved lists or planting guidelines. Landscaping Point Value can be assigned
by the City or based on similar species.
Tree Black Walnut Juglans nigra Yes (★) 7
Valuable timber tree, juglone production can affect
nearby plants.
Tree Sassafras Sassafras albidum Yes (★) 7
Unique mitten-shaped leaves, aromatic bark; can
form groves via root suckers.
Shrub Mapleleaf Viburnum Viburnum acerifolium Yes (★) 7
Understory shrub, maple-like leaves, produces
bluish-black fruit for birds.
Perennial Golden Alexander Zizia aurea Yes (★) 7
Umbels of yellow flowers in spring; host plant for
black swallowtail butterfly.
Tree Silver Maple Acer saccharinum Yes (★) 7
Tolerates wet soils and urban settings; can be
prone to limb breakage if not pruned.
Perennial Culver’s Root
Veronicastrum
virginicum Yes (★) 7
Tall, elegant spikes of white flowers; likes moist
prairies or garden soils.
Perennial Brown-eyed Susan Rudbeckia triloba Yes (★) 7 Similar to black-eyed Susan but with smaller
flowers; long bloom period.
Shrub Red Chokeberry Aronia arbutifolia Yes (★) 7
Similar to black chokeberry, red berries; tolerant of
moist to dry sites.
Shrub Spicebush Lindera benzoin Yes (★) 7
Shade-tolerant, aromatic leaves/twigs; host plant for
spicebush swallowtail butterfly.
Grass/Sedge Bottlebrush Grass Elymus hystrix Yes (★) 7 Shade-tolerant native grass, works well under trees.
Shrub Meadowsweet Spiraea alba Yes (★) 7
Native spirea with white summer blooms; thrives in
moist soils.
Perennial Alumroot Heuchera richardsonii Yes (★) 7
Native Heuchera with small greenish flowers;
tolerates partial shade.
Shrub Prairie Rose Rosa setigera Yes (★) 7
Native climbing rose; attracts pollinators, can
spread.
Grass/Sedge June Grass Koeleria macrantha Yes (★) 7
Low-growing cool-season bunchgrass for sunny, dry
sites.
Shrub Sweetfern Comptonia peregrina Yes (★) 7
Low, aromatic shrub; tolerates poor, sandy soils;
nitrogen-fixer.
Shrub Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana Yes (★) 7
Fall-blooming shrub/small tree; prefers woodland
edges, moist well-drained soil.
Grass/Sedge Fox Sedge Carex vulpinoidea Yes (★) 7
Dense, clumping sedge for moist soils; helps with
filtration in bioswales.
Perennial Harebell
Campanula
rotundifolia Yes (★) 7
Delicate blue, nodding bell flowers; found in
rocky/sandy habitats.
Shrub Winterberry Ilex verticillata Yes (★) 7
Deciduous holly with bright red berries in winter;
needs acidic, moist soils.
Grass/Sedge Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis Yes (★) 7
Cool-season bunchgrass; good pioneer species for
stabilizing disturbed sites.
Perennial Prairie Onion Allium stellatum Yes (★) 7
Attractive pink/purple clusters, edible leaves/bulbs;
grows in dry prairies.
Tree Eastern Cottonwood Populus deltoides Yes (★) 6
Thrives in wet soils; fast growth but can be weak-
wooded and large.
Perennial Canada Anemone Anemone canadensis Yes (★) 6
Spreads via rhizomes; white blooms in spring; good
groundcover in moist areas.
Perennial Tall Bellflower Campanula americana Yes (★) 6
Native bellflower with tall spikes of pale blue
flowers; self-seeds in woodlands.
Perennial Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris Yes (★) 6 Early-spring wetland plant with bright yellow flowers.
Shrub Leatherwood Dirca palustris Yes (★) 6
Early-spring blooms, found in rich woodlands;
somewhat tricky to transplant.
Grass/Sedge Prairie Brome Bromus kalmii Yes (★) 6
Cool-season brome, grows in prairies and
savannas; provides early forage.
Perennial Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum biflorum Yes (★) 6
Arching stems with dangling white flowers; prefers
rich, wooded soils.