This research program was initiated in 1999 as part of an SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station funded program in the laboratory of Dr. R. Neil Reese. This project is designed to provide research and educational opportunities to students interested in conservation and utilization of native plant species, as well as encourage the use of native plants by small family farmers as alternative crops in South Dakota.
- To locate a plant by the Native American name, or common name use the search box in the left side-bar.
- A glossary of terms used in this collection can be found here.
- Some items contain supplemental images documenting the life cycle of the plant.
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Cornus sericea
R. Neil Reese
Cornus sericea is a(n) perennial shrub, which grows 3 m tall to 3 m tall in height. This species is commonly found or along stream banks, lakes shores, springs and marshy areas. The leaves are deep red, (especially in winter), smooth stems, an. Cornus sericea has small attractive, flat topped clusters, of white cream colored flowers that bloom from late May to August.
Additional Notes: This shrub is found commonly in the Black Hills, Alaska, Ohio, and Michigan. -
Cucurbita foetidissima
R. Neil Reese
Cucurbita foetidissima is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows 1 m to 3 m in height. This species is commonly found praires (in dry soil), railroad track right-of-ways, and disturbed areas in southern Nebraska, Kansas, in the south and southwest. The leaves are alternate. Cucurbita foetidissima has yellow orange flowers that bloom from June to Aug.
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Dalea candida
R. Neil Reese
Dalea candida is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows 3 dm to 10 dm in height. This species is commonly found prairie, rocky open woods. The leaves are alternate. Dalea candida has white white flowers that bloom from May to August.
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Dalea purpurea
R. Neil Reese
Dalea purpurea is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows 3 dm to 9 dm in height. This species is commonly found rocky prairie plains, hillsides, open wooded areas, stream valleys, roadsides, southern Manitoba, Minnesota, Illinois, Alabama, Loisiana, Montana, Wyoming, Clolorado, New Mexcio, Texas. The leaves are alternate. Dalea purpurea has pink dark purple flowers that bloom from May to August.
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Delphinium virescens
R. Neil Reese
Delphinium virescens is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows 5 dm to 12 dm in height. This species is commonly found prairies and pastures in Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas. The leaves are alternate. Delphinium virescens has white blue-white flowers that bloom from May to June.
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Dicentra cucullaria
R. Neil Reese
Dicentra cucullaria is a(n) perennial herb, which grows 6 cm to 10 cm in height. This species is commonly found in rich, usually moist woods. The leaves are erect to ascending; blades depressed ovate to widely triangular. Dicentra cucullaria has whitish flowers that bloom from March to May.
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Echinacea angustifolia
R. Neil Reese
Echinacea angustifolia is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows 1 dm to 6 dm in height. This species is commonly found rocky prairies and plains in Minnesota and NW Iowa. The leaves are alternate. Echinacea angustifolia has purple flowers that bloom from June to July.
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Epilobium angustifolium
R. Neil Reese
Epilobium angustifolium is a(n) perennial herb, which grows 0.5 m to 2 m in height. This species is commonly found in moist open forsts, thickets, and clearings, often following fires. It is also occasionally found at mid to high elevations in the central and northern Balck Hills and the Bear Lodge Mts. The leaves are spirally arranged, sessile or nearly so, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate with a prominent midrib. Epilobium angustifolium has deep pink to pinkish-purple, rarely white, flowers that bloom from June to August.
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Eupatorium maculatum
R. Neil Reese
Eupatorium maculatum is a(n) perennial herb, which grows 0.4 m to 1.5 m in height. This species is commonly found at low to mid elevations in the Black Hills. They are also found in wet meadows, stream and pond margins, springs, and boggy places. The leaves are simple, in whorls of 3-6, short-petioled, the blades lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, serrate. Eupatorium maculatum has white, light pink to purple flowers that bloom from July to September.
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Euphorbia marginata
R. Neil Reese
Snow-on-the-mountain is an annual herb that has milky sap. It has very attractive foliage and small flowers with white petals and yellow centers. It is very hardy and produces many seeds.
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Fragaria virginiana
R. Neil Reese
Fragaria virginiana is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows 5 cm to 20 cm in height. This species is commonly found prairies, open woodlands, stream valleys, roadsides, much of US. The leaves are short-petiolulate. Fragaria virginiana has white white flowers that bloom from March to June.
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Galium boreale
R. Neil Reese
Galium boreale is a(n) perennial forb, which grows 15 cm to 60 cm in height. This species is commonly found from low to high elevations in a great variety of open to shady, usally moist habitats, including mixed grass prairies, meadows, forests, and woodlands. The leaves are in rather evenly spaced whorls of 4, linear-lanceolate. Galium boreale has white flowers that bloom from June to August.
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Gaura coccinea
R. Neil Reese
Gaura coccinea is a(n) perennial herbaceous, which grows Highly variable to Highly variable in height. This species is commonly found dry prairies, open wooded hillsides, stream valleys, roadsides, and a variety of soils from Manitoba to British Columbia, south and west to Minnesota, northwest Missouri, western Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Southern Utah, Southeast Nevada, Arizona, Southern California, South to Mexico. The leaves are alternate, linear to narrowly elliptic. Gaura coccinea has white pink flowers that bloom from April to May.
