United States regional guide · SD
Permaculture in South Dakota
South Dakota spans eastern prairie, the elevated Black Hills, and increasingly dry western plains. Cold, wind, hail, drought, and short seasons call for hardy species, snow management, and protected growing areas.
USDA span
3b–6a
Census region
Midwest
Climate starting point
USDA hardiness zones in South Dakota
South Dakota includes USDA zones 3b–6a. Hardiness zones describe typical annual extreme minimum temperatures; within-state elevation, wind, water, soil, and urban heat can change what succeeds on a particular site.
Regional plant starting points
Plants to explore for a South Dakota design
These plants are useful starting points for researching a design in South Dakota. Confirm each choice against your exact zone, site conditions, local ecology, and management goals.
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
- Layer
- Sub-Canopy
- Type
- Deciduous Tree
Silver Buffaloberry
Shepherdia argentea
- Layer
- Shrub
- Type
- Perennial
Lowbush Blueberry
Vaccinium angustifolium
- Layer
- Groundcover
- Type
- Perennial
American Hazelnut
Corylus americana
- Layer
- Shrub
- Type
- Perennial
Sunflower Oilseed
Helianthus annuus
- Layer
- Herbaceous
- Type
- Annual
Yucca Soap
Yucca glauca
- Layer
- Shrub
- Type
- Perennial