The near-native tree species that may have new habitat potential in Minnesota's future climate vary by ecoregion.  Find your ecoregion on the map to the left, and then find the link to your ecoregion's list below. 

ID help for oaks and hickories

Minnesota has lots of oaks and hickories and the migration potential list as many more from further south that may do well in Minnesota's future. Knowing how to identify between species can be tricky.  Fall is a great time to sort out identification because nuts are commonly present. We've put together this helpful resource list  for oak, hickory and birch identification for those dedicated tree-people anxious to learn more. Enjoy!

The area of northern Minnesota known as the Agassiz Lowlands and Littlefork-Vermilion Uplands subsections includes all or parts of Beltrami, Clearwater, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake of the Woods, Marshall, Pennington, Roseau, and St. Louis counties. 

Image credit: USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station

The Arrowhead region of Minnesota, known as the Northern Superior Uplands subsection, includes all or parts of Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis counties.

Image credit: Anna Stockstad, UMN Extension

The Central Lakes region of Minnesota is known by ecologists as the Chippewa Plains and Pine Moraine-Outwash Plain subsections. This area includes all or parts of Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Clearwater, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, Mahnomen, Morrison, Otter Tail, Polk, Todd, and Wadena counties.

Image credit: Eli Sagor, UMN Extension

The area of north-central Minnesota known as the St. Louis Moraines and Tamarack Lowlands subsections includes all or parts of Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca, and St. Louis counties. 

Image credit: Sparky Stensaas, thephotonaturalist.com

The western edge of Minnesota’s forest biome is known as the Hardwood Hills, and it includes all or parts of Becker, Clearwater, Douglas, Kandiyohi, Mahnomen, Meeker, Morrison, Otter Tail, Polk, Stearns, Todd and Wright counties. 

Image credit: MN DNR

The area of east-central Minnesota known as the Mille Lacs Uplands and Glacial Lake Superior Plain subsections includes all or parts of Aitkin, Benton, Carlton, Chisago, Crow Wing, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Pine, and Sherburne counties.

Image credit: Anna Stockstad, UMN Extension

The Twin Cities greater metropolitan area is known to ecologists as the Anoka Sand Plain, Big Woods, and St. Paul-Baldwin Plains and Moraines subsections. This region covers all or parts of Anoka, Benton, Blue Earth, Carver, Cass, Chisago, Crow Wing, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Le Sueur, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Nicollet, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Sherburne, Sibley, Stearns, Waseca, Washington and Wright counties.

Image credit: MN DNR

The Oak Savanna subsection includes all or parts of Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Le Sueur, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele and Waseca counties.

Image credit: MN DNR

The extreme southeast region of Minnesota commonly referred to as the Driftless Area, is home to the Rochester Plateau and Blufflands subsections. This region includes all or parts of Dakota, Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Wabasha, Washington, and Winona counties.

Image credit: MN DNR

The Red River Prairie and Aspen Parklands subsections cover all or parts of Becker, Beltrami, Big Stone, Clay, Clearwater, Grant, Kittson, Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin counties.

Image credit: Justin Meissen, Flickr

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.

Image credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service