Northern Glaciated Plains

The Northern Glaciated Plains cover eastern North and South Dakota and western Minnesota, including Aberdeen, Fargo, Grand Forks, and Watertown. Glaciers left a pothole landscape of shallow wetlands and low rises across what was mixed-grass prairie, and the winters here are as hard as anywhere in the lower 48. Natives like prairie dropseed, blue giant-hyssop, and Rocky Mountain blazing star are deep-rooted prairie plants that take that cold and the wind that comes with it.

Conditions: Loam and clay over glacial till with prairie potholes, 18–24 inches of precipitation, extreme cold winters, warm dry summers.

Cities and areas: Aberdeen, Fargo, Grand Forks, Watertown, Jamestown, Brookings.