Minnesota Wildflowers

Native Minnesota wildflowers: prairies, wetlands and forests

Minnesota's wildflowers thrive in contrasting habitats, from sunlit prairies to damp woods and wetlands. Flower forms range from early-blooming prairie plants to summer milkweed clusters and the distinctive slipper-shaped blooms of the state's official flower.

Three native species to discover

• Pink and white lady's-slipper (Cypripedium reginae) — Minnesota's official state flower is a native orchid with a white-and-pink pouch-shaped bloom. It grows in wet habitats including fens, bogs and damp woods, and state law protects it from picking and uprooting. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
• Prairie smoke (Geum triflorum) — a native dry-prairie plant with nodding spring flowers followed by feathery seed heads that resemble wisps of smoke. Minnesota DNR prairie habitats.
• Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) — a native plant with fragrant clusters of pinkish flowers. Its leaves are essential food for monarch caterpillars, while the flowers provide nectar for visiting insects. University of Minnesota Extension.

Are all flowers found in Minnesota native?

No. Some familiar plants growing in Minnesota were introduced from elsewhere. Oxeye daisy, for example, is a non-native invasive species; it appears in the existing reference list below but should not be described as a native Minnesota wildflower. See the University of Minnesota's oxeye daisy guide for details. The names listed below are retained as a reference to the current artwork; they have not all been reverified as native species.

Discover our Minnesota Wildflower Map art print, or browse watercolor wildflower maps for other US states.