This page contains lists of plants native to northern Wisconsin and suitable for the upland mesic to wet mesic forest areas. Rich, loam soil and moist conditions characterize mesic to wet mesic forests. Most species in the list below are not sun tolerant and should be planted in partially shaded areas.

Some of the plants in this list are linked to the Wisconsin State Herbarium website where you can get detailed information on these plants. Just click on the plant name to be taken to the herbarium site.

Trees
Abies balsamea, Balsam Fir
Acer rubrum, Red Maple
Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple
Betula alleghaniensis, Yellow Birch
Fraxinus pensylvanica, Green Ash
Ostrya virginiana, Ironwood
Picea glauca, White Spruce
Pinus strobus, White Pine
Thuja occidentalis, Northern White Cedar
Tilia americana, Basswood
Tsuga canadensis, Eastern Hemlock

Tall Shrubs
Acer spicatum, Mountain Maple
Alnus rugosa, Speckled Alder
Amelanchier species, Juneberry, Serviceberry
Cornus alternifolia, Pagoda Dogwood
Corylus cornuta, Beaked Hazelnut
Prunus serotina, Black Cherry
Short Shrubs
Lonicera canadensis, Fly Honeysuckle
Vaccinium myrtilloides, Velvetleaf Blueberry

Ground Flora (Flowers, Grasses and Sedges, Ferns)
Actaea alba, White Baneberry
Actaea rubra, Red Baneberry
Adiantum pedatum, Maidenhair Fern
Aralia nudicaulis, Wild Sarsaparilla
Arisaema triphyllum, Jack-in-the-pulpit
Aster lateriflorus, Calico Aster
Aster macrophyllus, Big-leaved Aster
Athyrium filix-femina, Lady Fern
Carex gracillima, Sedge species
Carex intumescens, Shining Bur Sedge
Carex pedunculata, Sedge species
Clintonia borealis, Blue-bead Lily
Coptis trifolia, Goldthread
Cornus canadensis, Bunchberry
Dryopteris intermedia, Evergreen Wood Fern
Equisetum sylvaticum, Wood Horsetail
Galium asprellum, Rough Bedstraw
Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Common Oak Fern
Hystrix patula, Bottlebrush Grass
Lycopodium annotinum, Stiff or Bristly Clubmoss
Lycopodium clavatum, Staghorn Clubmoss
Lycopodium dendroideum group, Princess or Ground Pine
Maianthemum canadense, Canada Mayflower
Matteuccia struthiopteris, Ostrich Fern
Milium effusum, Wood Millet
Moss species, Moss species
Osmunda claytoniana, Interrupted Fern
Polygonatum pubescens, Solomon-seal
Pteridium aquilinum, Bracken Fern
Smilacina racemosa, False Solomon-seal
Trillium grandiflorum, Large-flowered Trillium
Uvularia grandiflora, Large Bellwort

This site administered by:
Bill Klase, Basin Educator for Natural Resources
william.klase@ces.uwex.edu

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