The Minnesota River Prairie, Coteau Moraines, and Inner Coteau ecological subsections cover a vast swath of southwestern Minnesota and account for nearly a quarter of the land area in the state. This region contains all or portions of Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Chippewa, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Grant, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, Sibley, Stevens, Swift, Waseca, Watonwan, and Yellow Medicine counties.
The Minnesota River Prairie is a region of level to gently rolling moraines, with well-drained to moderately well-drained loamy soils. A few soils are clayey, some sandy and gravelly—a very drying environment for woody plants. The original vegetation was prairie grasses and riparian forests of silver maple, cottonwood, elm and willow.
Soils in the Inner Coteau are well-drained and consist of windblown silt with occasional bedrock outcrops. Plant communities were dominated by prairies and occasional riparian forests.
The far southwestern corner of Minnesota is home to the Coteau Moraines. Here, gently rolling to hilly land with windblown silt soils covers loamy, well-drained glacial material high in lime. Plant communities were dominated by tall grass prairies with occasional forests near streams.
Unlike their forest biome counterparts to the east, this prairie-rich region is not heavily forested. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any woodlands in this area—but they are smaller and less common. The list of recommended trees is fairly short but includes iconic bur oak and several edible trees, including potential climate migrants pecan and sugarberry.
The much lengthier list of recommended understory plants for this region includes many prairie plants such as asters, sunflowers and the iconic big bluestem.
Recommended trees and plants
*This species of red oak is most susceptible to oak wilt. Check your area’s current oak wilt risk.
The following plants native to this region are also found further south. They should be well-equipped to adjust to our climate as it becomes warmer and wetter. These native plants also provide diverse benefits to microfauna, such as pollinators, other insects, birds and bats.
Creating climate refugia
Models of the state’s future climate may not favor the survival of some species you currently see in your woods. However, that doesn’t mean these species don’t hold intrinsic ecological, cultural or economic value. You can work to retain these species in your landscape and protect them from the impacts of climate change by creating forest refugia.
One species in this region that may be vulnerable to climate change is black oak (Quercus velutina). In addition to its climate vulnerability, black oak is a species in the red oak group and is more susceptible to oak wilt. Find the current oak wilt risk for your region.
Potential future tree species
As our climate changes, some tree species might be able to move into new areas as habitat becomes more suitable. Climate scientists with the USDA Forest Service have identified tree species with migration potential in the Minnesota River Prairie, Coteau Moraines, and Inner Coteau.
Planting species not historically found in the region does carry some risk. Before you plant, learn more about assisted migration strategies, and work with a forester or another natural resource professional to determine the best options for your land and goals.
Woodlands of Minnesota Handbook
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has created a series of woodland handbooks that provide landowners with information on their region’s conditions, frequent challenges, and advice on setting and reaching management goals. The Minnesota River Prairie, Coteau Moraines, and Inner Coteau handbook includes information on wildlife, plants, invasive species, geology, landscape and watershed management for this special region of southwestern Minnesota.
Reviewed in 2024