LAKE METIGOSHE
STATE PARK
Preliminary
PLANT
CHECKLIST
This checklist contains over 170 plant species which
are known to occur within Lake Metigoshe State Park.
The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department’s facilities,
programs and employment procedures are open to all, regardless
of age, sex, race, color, disability, religion, national origin, or politi-
cal affiliation. Contact us prior to your visit if you need an
accommodation for a disability. For an alternate format of this
publication (Braille, large print, audio tape, etc.), contact ND Parks
and Recreation Department, 1835 Bismarck Expressway, Bis-
marck, ND, 58504, ph. (701) 328-5357, State TDD (701) 328-
2001.
If you would like to share your observations or species
lists, especially those species not included in this checklist,
please stop at the park visitor’s center or mail findings to
the park manager at:
Lake Metigoshe State Park
#2 Lake Metigoshe State Park
Bottineau, ND 58318-8044
Ph. (701) 263-4651
E-mail lsmp@state.nd.us
Visit us on the web
www.NDparks.com
Macoun's buttercup
Ranunculus macounii
Mannagrass
Glyceria striata
Marsh muhly
Muhlenbergia racemosa
Marsh reed grass
Calamagrostis canadensis
Marsh skullcap
Scutellaria galericulata
Marsh vetchling
Lathyrus palustris
Maximilians sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Mint
Mentha arvense
Nannyberry
Viburnum lentago
Narrow-leaved cattail
Typha angustifolia
Northern bedstraw
Galium boreale
Northern green orchis
Habernaria hyperborea
Northern mannagrass
Glyceria borealis
Northern yarrow
Achillea sibirica
Panicled aster
Aster simplex
Paper birch
Betula papyrifera
Peach-leaved willow
Salix amygdaloides
Pennsylvania sedge
Carex pensylvanica
Pin cherry
Prunus pensylvanica
Pineapple weed
Matricaria matricariodes
Plaintain
Plantago major
Prairie cordgrass
Spartina pectinata
Prickly sow thistle
Sonchus asper
Prickly wild rose
Rosa acicularis
Purple hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Pussy willow
Salix discolor
Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
Rattlesnake fern
Botrychium virginianum
Red clover
Trifolium pratense
Red Osier dogwood
Cornus stolonifera
Redtop
Agrostis alba
Reed canarygrass
Phalaris arundinacea
Reedgrass
Phragmites australis
Ricegrass
Oryzopsis racemosa
Roundleaf wintergreen
Pyrola asarifolia
Sandbar willow
Salix interior
Sarsparilla
Aralia nudicaulis
Sedge
Carex atheroides
Silverweed
Potentilla anserina
Sloughgrass
Beckmannia syzigachne
Smartweed
Polygonum amphibium
Smartweed
Polygonum pensylvanicum
Smooth blue aster
Aster laevis
Smooth brome
Bromus inermis
Softstem bullrush
Scirpus validus
Solomon's seal
Polygonatum biflorum
Sow thistle
Sonchus arvensis
Spikerush
Eleocharis palustris
Spreading dogbane
Apocynum androsaemifolium
Sticktight
Heckelia americana
Stinging nettle
Urtica dioica
Strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Striated agrimony
Agrimonia striata
Swamp milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Swamp ragwort
Senecio congestus
Sweet cicely
Osmorhiza longistylis
Tall coneflower
Rudbeckia laciniata
Thimbleweed
Anemone cylindrica
Timothy
Phleum pratense
Touch-me-not
Impatiens capensis
Touch-me-not
Impatiens pallida
Trillium
Trillium cernuum
Tufted loosestrife
Lysimachia thrysiflora
Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus vitaceae
Virginia wildrye
Elymus virginicus
Water hemlock
Cicuta maculata
Water parsnip
Sium suave
Water plaintain
Alisma triviale
White avens
Geum canadense
White campion
Silene pratensis
White lettuce
Prenanthes alba
White sweetclover
Melilotus alba
Whitetop
Scolochloa festucacea
Wild black currant
Ribes americanum
Wild grape
Vitas riparia
Wild honeysuckle
Lonicera diocia
Wild licorace
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
Wild lily-of-the-valley
Maianthemum canadense
Wild rose
Rosa arkansana
Wild vetch
Vicia americana
Willow herb
Epilobium ciliatum
Wood anemone
Anemone quinquefolia
Wood sorrel
Oxalis stricta
Woodland buttercup
Ranunculus abortivus
Wooly sedge
Carex lanuginosa
Yarrow
Achillea millifolium
Yellow lady's slipper
Cypripedium parviflorum
Yellow sweetclover
Melilotus officianalis
Sources: Flora of the Great Plains by
Members of the
Great Plains Flora Association, Wildflowers of North
Dakota by Paul Kannowski, and last but not least Plants of
Lake Metigoshe State Park compiled by the North Dakota
Parks and Recreation Department.
Other great plant identification resources for North Dakota
include: Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers-A Falcon Field
Guide with text by Doug Ladd and Photos by Frank
Oberle, Grassland Plants of South Dakota and the
Northern Great Plains by James R. Johnson and Gary E.
Larson in cooperation with South Dakota State University
and the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, and
Wildflowers Grasses & Other Plants of the Northern Plains
and Black Hills by Theodore Van Bruggen of the University
of South Dakota.
Lake Metigoshe State Park is nestled in the heart of
the Turtle Mountains, situated within the Aspen
Parkland Ecoregion. LMSP’s most significant assets
are its intact high quality natural communities.
Communities within the park include: aspen-birch
woodland, oak woodland, wetland thicket, wet
meadow, shallow marsh, deep marsh, first order
stream, and freshwater lake.
There are no federally listed threatened or
endangered species documented from LMSP.
However, the woodlands, wetlands, and other habitats
of the park support a number of state-rare species.
Within the borders of LMSP, eight rare plant species
have been documented. These species were
documented from the woodland habitat within the
park:
STATE RARE PLANT SPECIES
AND THEIR BLOOMING TIMES
Blooms
Common Name
Color
Apr.-June
Wood anemone
White
Apr.-July
Yellow lady’s slipper Yellow
May-June
Moonwortt
Green
May-June
Bunchberry
Red berries
May-June
Dropping locoweed
Blue-purple
May-Sept. Back’s sedge
Green
July-Sept. Indian pipe
Off white-pink
This checklist is designed to help you identify as many
plant species within LMSP as possible. Successful
use of this plant checklist will require utilizing a field
guide containing color photos or illustrations. A small
hand lens and camera may prove beneficial. Please
refer to the following table for guidance on common
wildflower blooming seasons.
COMMON WILDFLOWERS
AND THEIR BLOOMING TIMES
Blooms
Common Name
Color
Apr.-July Solomon’s seal
White-cream
May-June Wild vetch
Blue-purple
May-July Northern bedstraw
White
May-July Canada anemone
White
June-July Early meadowrue
Purple-white
June-July Wild lily of-the-valley Creamy white
June-Oct. Catnip
Pale pink to purple
July-Sept. Tall coneflower
Yellow
July-Sept. Goldenrod
Yellow
July-Sept. Mint
Pink to purple
July-Sept. Vervain
Dark pink to purple
Aug.-Oct. Smooth blue aster
Purple
“Ecological flowering times are generalities for the
plants as they occur in our range. Some reasonable
freedom must be employed in using the flowering
times, for there is considerable variation from year-to-
year in the Great Plains, as well as from south to north
for widespread species” (Flora of the Great Plains,
1986).
Check
Common Name
Latin Name
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
American elm
Ulmus americana
Arrowhead
Sagittaria cuneata
Aspen
Populus tremuloides
Balsam poplar
Populus balsamifera
Baltic rush
Juncus balticus
Baneberry
Actea rubra
Beaked sedge
Carex rostrata
Bebb's willow
Salix bebbiana
Bedstraw
Galium triflorum
Beggertick
Bidens sp.
Bindweed
Convulvulus arvense
Bittersweet
Celastrus scandens
Black medic
Medicago lupulina
Black snakeroot
Sanicula marilandica
Blue vervain
Verbena hastata
Bog yellow cress
Rorippa palustris
Bottlebrush grass
Hystrix patula
Boxelder
Acer negundo
Brook cinquefoil
Potentilla rivalis
Buckbrush
Symphoricarpos occidentalis
Bugleweed
Lycopus americanus
Bugleweed
Lycopus asper
Bull thistle
Cirsium vulgare
Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis
Bur oak
Quercus macrocarpa
Bur reed
Sparganium eurycarpum
Burdock
Arctium minus
Bushy vetch
Lathyrus venosus
Canada anemone
Anemone canadensis
Canada goldenrod
Solidago canadensis
Canada thistle
Cirsium arvense
Canada violet
Viola canadensis
Canada wildrye
Elymus canadensis
Carrion flower
Smilax herbacea
Catnip
Nepeta cataria
Cat-tail
Typha latifolia
Choke cherry
Prunus virginiana
Clover
Trifolium repens
Clustered field sedge
Carex praegracilis
Coral root
Corallorrhiza maculata
Coral root
Corallorrhiza trifida
Coral root
Cornilla varia
Cottonwood
Populus deltoides
Drooping locoweed
Oxytropis deflexa
Dwarf blackberry
Rubus pubescens
Early Meadowrue
Thalictrum venulosum
Fairybells
Disporum trachycarpum
False solomon's seal
Smilacina stellata
Fescue sedge
Carex brevior
Fireweed
Epilobium angustifolium
Fleabane
Erigeron philadelphica
Fowl bluegrass
Poa palustris
Fox sedge
Carex vulpinoidea
Foxtail barley
Hordeum jubatum
Fringed lloosestrife
Lysimachia ciliata
Golden alexanders
Zizia aurea
Golden sedge
Carex aurea
Goosefoot
Chenopodium glaucum
Grass-leaved goldenrod Solidago gramnifolia
Green ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Hardstem bullrush
Scirpus acutus
Hazelnut
Corylus americana
Hedge-nettle
Stachys palustris
Highbush cranberry
Viburnum opulus var americium
Hog peanut
Amphicarpa bracteata
Horsetail
Equisetum arvense
Horsetail
Equisetum hyemale
Horseweed
Conyza canadensis
Indian pipe
Monotropa uniflora
Inland rush
Juncus interior
Joe-pye Weed
Eupatorium maculatum
Juneberry
Amelanchia alnifolia
Kentucky bluegrass
Poa pratensis
Late goldenrod
Solidago gigantea
Leafy spurge
Euphorbia esula
Long-bracted orchid
Habernaria viridis var. bracteata
Lopseed
Phyrma leptostachya
FLORA OF LAKE METIGOSHE STATE PARK
Dock
Rumex crispus
Dock
Rumex maritimus
Dodder
Cuscuta sp.
Cow parsnip
Heracleum lanatum
Dame's rocket
Hesperis matronalis
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Barnyard grass
Echinochloa crusgalli
Beaked hazel
Corylus cornuta