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On June 1, 2012, the 2012 National Wetland Plant List replaced the 1988 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National list of plant species that occur in wetlands (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 (24)) for use under the Clean Water Act, Swamp Buster, and National Wetland Inventory programs. This updated list includes changes in the names of species, the recognition of new species, changes in wetland regions, and changes in the wetland indicator statuses of species. These changes will require PLANTS to update its wetland species search facility and the profile pages of many species. Until this is completed, PLANTS is providing the 2012 National Wetland Plant List in the form of a table linked to species profile pages.
NOTE: Until they are updated, our Advanced Search facility and species profile pages will show the 1988 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data. For an explanation of the 1988 data, see below 1988 National List of Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands
2012 National Wetland Plant List
Scientific names and regional wetland indicators for the PLANTS table of the 2012 National Wetland Plant List are taken from the official website of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers:
Lichvar, R.W. and Kartesz, J.T. 2009. North American Digital Flora: National Wetland Plant List, version 2.4.0 (https://wetland_plants.usace.army.mil). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, and BONAP, Chapel Hill, NC.
Definitions of indicator categories are taken from:
Lichvar, R.W. and Minkin, P. 2008. Concepts and procedures for updating the National Wetland Plant List. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory ERDC/CRREL TN-08-3.
Definitions of wetland regions are taken from:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2007. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Alaska Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-07-24.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2008. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Arid West Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-08-28.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2010. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-10-20.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2011. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Caribbean Islands Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-11-4.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2010. Interim regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Eastern Mountains and Piedmont Region. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-10-9.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2010. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Great Plains Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-10-1.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2010. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Hawai'i and Pacific Islands Region. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-10-6.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2010. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Midwest Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-10-16.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2009. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Northcentral and Northeast Region. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-09-19.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2010. Regional supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast Region (Version 2.0). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Environmental Laboratory ERDC/EL TR-10-3.
Indicator categories
Indicator Code |
Indicator Status |
Comment |
OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Almost always is a hydrophyte, rarely in uplands |
FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Usually is a hydrophyte but occasionally found in uplands |
FAC |
Facultative |
Commonly occurs as either a hydrophyte or non-hydrophyte |
FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Occasionally is a hydrophyte but usually occurs in uplands |
UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Rarely is a hydrophyte, almost always in uplands |
These indicator statuses are used to designate a plant species' preference for occurrence in a wetland or upland. The original information supporting indicator status assignments (see below) was qualitative, not quantitative. To better reflect the supporting information, the new category definitions are based on qualitative descriptions.
Regions and subregions
The wetland regions, the states wholly or partly in each region, and the definition of each region are listed below. Most of the regions are now defined by the boundaries of Land Resource Regions (LRRs) and Major Land Resource Areas (MLRAs) recognized by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. LRRs are groups of MLRAs. For the boundaries of LRRs and MLRAs, see the NRCS Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) page.
Region |
Geographic areas in region |
Definition of region |
Alaska |
AK |
State of Alaska |
Arid West |
AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, TX, UT, WA, WY |
LRRs B, C, LRR D except MLRAs 22A, 22B, 39, and except embedded mountains above and including the ponderosa pine zone |
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain |
AL, AR, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NC, NJ, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA |
LRR O, LRR P except MLRA 136, MLRA 149A of LRR S, LRRs T, U |
Caribbean |
PR (Puerto Rico), VI (U.S. Virgin Islands) |
LRR Z |
Eastern Mountains and Piedmont |
AL, AR, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV |
LRR N, MLRA 136 in LRR P, MLRAs 147, 148 in LRR S |
Great Plains |
CO, KS, MN, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WY |
LRRs F, G except parts of MLRA 62 above lower limit of ponderosa pine zone, H, I, J |
Hawaii and Pacific Islands |
HI, GU (Guam), MP (Northern Mariana Islands), AS (American Samoa) |
LRR V, portions of LRR Q |
Midwest |
IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OK, OH, SD, WI |
LRR M |
Northcentral and Northeast |
CT, IL, IN, MA, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, WI |
LRRs K, L, R, MLRA 149B in LRR S |
Western Mountains, Valleys, and Coast |
AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY |
LRRs A, E, MLRAs 22A, 22B, 39 of LRR D, MLRA 62 of LRR G, other mountains above and including the ponderosa pine zone |
The Alaska, Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, Hawaii and Pacific Islands, and Northcentral and Northeast regions each have subregions. In these subregions, the wetland indicator status of several plant species differs from the status of the same species in the rest of the region. Alaska has 15 subregions, and the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain region, the Hawaii and Pacific Islands region, and the Northcentral and Northeast region have one subregion each. For maps of these subregions, see the official website of the National Wetland Plant List (http://wetland_plants.usace.army.mil).
The table below lists each subregion, the region to which it belongs, and the states wholly or partly included in each subregion.
Subregion |
Region |
Geographic areas in subregion |
Alaska Interior |
Alaska |
AK |
Arctic Coastal Plain |
Alaska |
AK |
Cook Inlet Lowlands |
Alaska |
AK |
Copper River Basin |
Alaska |
AK |
Interior Alaska Highlands |
Alaska |
AK |
Interior Alaska Lowlands |
Alaska |
AK |
Interior Alaska Mountains |
Alaska |
AK |
Interior Brooks Range |
Alaska |
AK |
Northern Brooks Range Mountains |
Alaska |
AK |
Northern Seward Peninsula-Selawik Lowlands |
Alaska |
AK |
Pebble, Donlin, Aniak |
Alaska |
AK |
Red Dog Mine |
Alaska |
AK |
Seward Peninsula Highlands |
Alaska |
AK |
Upper Kobuk and Koyukuk Hills and Valleys |
Alaska |
AK |
Western Brooks Range Mountains, Foothills, and Valleys |
Alaska |
AK |
Western Gulf Coast |
Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain |
AR, IL, KY, LA, MS, MO, OK, TN, TX |
South Pacific Islands |
Hawaii and Pacific Islands |
GU (Guam), MP (Northern Mariana Islands), AS (American Samoa) |
Northcentral Great Lakes |
Northcentral and Northeast |
IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI |
Additional Information
For additional information, see the official website of the National Wetland Plant List (http://wetland_plants.usace.army.mil).
1988 National List of Plant Species That Occur in Wetlands
Data and definitions in the PLANTS wetland reports are abstracted
from:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1988. National list of
vascular plant species that occur in wetlands. U.S.
Fish & Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 (26.9).
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. 1993 supplement
to list of plant species that occur in wetlands: Northwest
(Region 9). Supplement to U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service Biological Report 88 (26.9).
PLANTS wetlands reports contain some names
from these two wetland lists that are now considered to be
synonyms. Wetland status is reported individually for each
synonym, and these are indented below the currently accepted
name.
Indicator categories
| Indicator Code |
Wetland Type |
Comment |
| OBL |
Obligate Wetland |
Occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under
natural conditions in wetlands. |
| FACW |
Facultative Wetland |
Usually occurs in wetlands (estimated probability 67%-99%),
but occasionally found in non-wetlands. |
| FAC |
Facultative |
Equally likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands (estimated
probability 34%-66%). |
| FACU |
Facultative Upland |
Usually occurs in non-wetlands (estimated probability
67%-99%), but occasionally found on wetlands (estimated
probability 1%-33%). |
| UPL |
Obligate Upland |
Occurs in wetlands in another region, but occurs almost
always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions
in non-wetlands in the regions specified. If a species
does not occur in wetlands in any region, it is not on
the National List. |
| NA |
No agreement |
The regional panel was not able to reach a unanimous
decision on this species. |
| NI |
No indicator |
Insufficient information was available to determine an
indicator status. |
| NO |
No occurrence |
The species does not occur in that region. |
National Indicators reflect the range of
estimated probabilities (expressed as a frequency of occurrence)
of a species occurring in wetlands versus non-wetland across
the entire distribution of the species. A frequency, for example,
of 67%-99% (Facultative Wetland) means that 67%-99% of sample
plots containing the species randomly selected across the range
of the species would be wetland. When two indicators are given,
they reflect the range from the lowest to the highest frequency
of occurrence in wetlands across the regions in which the species
is found. A positive (+) or negative (-) sign was used with
the Facultative Indicator categories to more specifically define
the regional frequency of occurrence in wetlands. The positive
sign indicates a frequency toward the higher end of the category
(more frequently found in wetlands), and a negative sign indicates
a frequency toward the lower end of the category (less frequently
found in wetlands). A question mark (?) following a National
Indicator denotes a tentative assignment based on the botanical
literature and not confirmed by regional review.
Regional Indicators express the estimated
probability (likelihood) of a species occurring in wetlands
versus non-wetlands in the region. Regional Indicators reflect
the unanimous agreement of the Regional Interagency Review
Panel. An asterisk (*) following a regional Indicator identifies
tentative assignments based on limited information from which
to determine the indicator status.
The wetland indicator categories should not be equated to
degrees of wetness. Many obligate wetland species occur in
permanently or semi-permanently flooded wetlands, but a number
of obligates also occur in and some are restricted to wetlands
which are only temporarily or seasonally flooded. The facultative
upland species include a diverse collection of plants, which
range from weedy species adapted to exist in a number of environmentally
stressful or disturbed sites (including wetlands), to species
in which a portion of the gene pool (an ecotype) always occurs
in wetlands. Both the weedy and ecotype representatives of
the facultative upland category occur in seasonally and semi-permanently
flooded wetlands.
Regions
The codes, their corresponding regions, and states in each
region are:
| Code |
Region |
Geographic areas in region |
| 1 |
Northeast |
CT, DE, KY, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, OH,
PA, RI, VA, VT, WV |
| 2 |
Southeast |
AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN |
| 3 |
North Central |
IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, MO, WI |
| 4 |
North Plains |
MT (Eastern), ND, SD, WY (Eastern) |
| 5 |
Central Plains |
CO (Eastern), NE, KS |
| 6 |
South Plains |
OK, TX |
| 7 |
Southwest |
AZ, NM |
| 8 |
Intermountain |
CO (Western), NV, UT |
| 9 |
Northwest |
ID, OR, MT (Western), WA, WY (Western) |
| 0 |
California |
CA |
| A |
Alaska |
AK |
| C |
Caribbean |
PR (Puerto Rico), VI (U.S. Virgin Islands) |
| H |
Hawaii |
HI (Hawaiian Islands), AS (American Samoa),
FM (Federated States of Micronesia), GU (Guam), MH (Marshal
Islands), MP (Northern Mariana Islands), PW (Palau), UM
(U.S. Minor Outlying Islands) |
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Additional Information
Additional information can be obtained from
the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wetlands Inventory.
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