Best Native Plants for USDA Zone 3

Native plants you can actually buy that suit USDA hardiness zone 3 — ordered by how closely each one is matched to this zone rather than alphabetically.

40 plants, every one native to North America, routinely available from nurseries, and photographed. Ranked by cold limit, so the plants nearest the top are the ones zone 3 lets you grow and colder gardens do not. Traits are quoted from USDA PLANTS, never estimated — how we source this. The Plant Finder searches the full catalogue, including plants that miss this bar.

1. 
   alkali cordgrass Spartina gracilisZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
2. 
   alkali sacaton Sporobolus airoidesZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
3. 
   American bittersweet Celastrus scandensZone 3+ · shade · 15 ft · native
4. 
   American cranberrybush Viburnum opulusZone 3+ · part shade · 6 ft · native
5. 
   American lotus Nelumbo luteaZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
6. 
   American mountain ash Sorbus americanaZone 3+ · part shade · 40 ft · native
7. 
   American plum Prunus americanaZone 3+ · full sun · 24 ft · native
8. 
   American speedwell Veronica americanaZone 3+ · shade · 0.8 ft · native
9. 
   American water horehound Lycopus americanusZone 3+ · shade · 1.8 ft · native
10. 
    analogue sedge Carex simulataZone 3+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
11. 
    arrowleaf balsamroot Balsamorhiza sagittataZone 3+ · part shade · 2 ft · native
12. 
    Atlantic white cedar Chamaecyparis thyoidesZone 3+ · part shade · 50 ft · native
13. 
    awlfruit sedge Carex stipataZone 3+ · shade · 3.5 ft · native
14. 
    beardless wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicataZone 3+ · full sun · 2.5 ft · native
15. 
    black locust Robinia pseudoacaciaZone 3+ · full sun · 60 ft · native
16. 
    blue spruce Picea pungensZone 3+ · part shade · 75 ft · native
17. 
    blue wildrye Elymus glaucusZone 3+ · shade · 3.3 ft · native
18. 
    bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicataZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
19. 
    bog birch Betula pumilaZone 3+ · full sun · 20 ft · native
20. 
    bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosumZone 3+ · part shade · 2 ft · native
21. 
    bottle gentian Gentiana clausaZone 3+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
22. 
    bristly dewberry Rubus hispidusZone 3+ · full sun · 2 ft · native
23. 
    broadleaf cattail Typha latifoliaZone 3+ · part shade · 5 ft · native
24. 
    buffalograss Bouteloua dactyloidesZone 3+ · full sun · 0.5 ft · native
25. 
    bur oak Quercus macrocarpaZone 3+ · part shade · 100 ft · native
26. 
    calico aster Symphyotrichum lateriflorumZone 3+ · full sun · 5 ft · native
27. 
    Canadian milkvetch Astragalus canadensisZone 3+ · full sun · 0.5 ft · native
28. 
    climbing hempvine Mikania scandensZone 3+ · shade · 1 ft · native
29. 
    cloaked bulrush Scirpus pallidusZone 3+ · full sun · 5 ft · native
30. 
    closed bottle gentian Gentiana andrewsiiZone 3+ · part shade · 2 ft · native
31. 
    cloudberry Rubus chamaemorusZone 3+ · part shade · 1 ft · native
32. 
    Colorado rush Juncus confususZone 3+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
33. 
    common cowparsnip Heracleum maximumZone 3+ · full sun · 8 ft · native
34. 
    common duckmeat Spirodela polyrrhizaZone 3+ · part shade · native
35. 
    common duckweed Lemna minorZone 3+ · full sun · native
36. 
    common ladyfern Athyrium filix-feminaZone 3+ · shade · 3 ft · native
37. 
    common rush Juncus effususZone 3+ · full sun · 6.6 ft · native
38. 
    common selfheal Prunella vulgarisZone 3+ · part shade · 1.5 ft · native
39. 
    common snowberry Symphoricarpos albusZone 3+ · full sun · 3 ft · native
40. 
    common spikerush Eleocharis palustrisZone 3+ · full sun · 1.3 ft · native

Every plant here is drawn from the USDA PLANTS database; the traits behind this list are quoted from it, not estimated. See data & sources.

Want plants matched to your exact zone and conditions? Use the Plant Finder.