Iowa Natives

Homemade syrups, jams, pies and wines all start with the dark purple berries of this fast-growing native shrub. American Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) is crowned in early summer with broad, flat clusters of creamy white flowers, which are used for cordials and teas, before heavy clusters of berries follow. It thrives in moist soil, spreads into an attractive thicket, and is a magnet for pollinators and songbirds. This northern collection is especially cold hardy.

Cup plant is a towering prairie perennial whose joined leaves form small basins around the stems. Those natural cups collect rainwater that birds and insects may use, while yellow flowers provide a generous summer nectar source. Give it a spacious site with sun and dependable moisture where its colony-forming habit can shine.

Sweet black-eyed Susan bears golden daisies with dark brown centers on tall, well-branched stems. Its long display runs from summer into early fall and adds height without looking heavy. Gently aromatic foliage and sturdy growth make it a memorable choice for meadows and back borders.

Closed Bottle gentian opens the late-summer season with clusters of deep blue, bottle-shaped flowers that remain mostly closed. Strong bumblebees push into the blossoms to reach their nectar, making the plant fascinating to watch. It prefers cool, humus-rich ground with dependable moisture and light afternoon shade.

Prairie Coreopsis, also called Stiff Tickseed, has long brightened the dry prairies of central North America. Some Indigenous communities historically used boiled Coreopsis seeds in topical remedies. Yellow flowers feed native pollinators and honeybees, while birds can forage for seed later in the season. Its rhizomes spread in sunny, lean, well-drained soil; give it room.

Mud Plantain is an emergent native of North American pond margins, marshes, and other shallow, quiet water. Its roots were historically used as food and in traditional remedies, a record of the plant's long relationship with wetland communities. White summer flowers rise above broad leaves, and the plant provides food and cover for waterfowl, fish, and amphibians. Choose a sunny, consistently wet site or a naturalized water garden.

White Wild Indigo is a long-lived native legume of eastern and central North American prairies, once listed under the names Baptisia leucantha and Baptisia lactea. White pea-like flowers on dark stems attract bumblebees, while sulphur and blue butterfly caterpillars use its foliage. Its deep roots and association with nitrogen-fixing bacteria help it persist in prairie plantings. Give it sun to partial shade and room for its broad, shrub-like form.

Hairy Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum verticillatum var. pilosum) is a distinctive North American native plant. Hairy stems and aromatic foliage frame pale flower clusters that become busy feeding stations for summer pollinators. It matures at approximately 36 inches tall and flowers from early to mid summer through mid to late summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry-medium to medium conditions, with loamy soil or sandy soil. Space plants 18–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Riddell's Goldenrod (Oligoneuron riddellii) is a distinctive North American native plant. Dense golden flower clusters brighten damp soils late in the season and provide seed for songbirds after bloom. It matures at approximately 36 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun, in medium through wet conditions, with loamy soil, clay soil, wet soil or alkaline soil. Space plants 24–36 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Great St. John's Wort (Hypericum pyramidatum) is a distinctive North American native plant. Large yellow flowers top tall stems in midsummer, and spreading rhizomes help establish substantial colonies in moist sites. It matures at approximately 72 inches tall and flowers from early to mid summer through mid to late summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in medium to medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil or clay soil. Space plants 24–36 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Tall Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus) is a distinctive North American native plant. Clusters of yellow flowers crown tall purplish stems, creating late-season color and abundant food for pollinators and birds. It matures at approximately 96 inches tall and flowers from early to mid summer through mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in medium to medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil, clay soil or sandy soil. Space plants 36–48 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Early Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) is a short-lived native perennial with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers from early summer into early fall. Upright clumps reach about 5 feet tall and support bees, butterflies, and seed-eating birds. Plants perform best in full sun and tolerate loam, clay, or sandy soils with medium moisture. Seed requires 30 days of cold, moist stratification before germination.

Wild Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata) is a tall native perennial with bright yellow flowers that bloom from midsummer into fall. Plants reach about 7 feet and spread by rhizomes, making them well suited to moist naturalized gardens, woodland edges, and rain-garden plantings. The flowers support bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, while mature seed heads provide food for birds. Seed requires 30 days of cold, moist stratification and should be surface sown.

Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) is a North American native perennial that sends up graceful spikes of white, bell-shaped flowers with a soft pink blush. The upright blooms brighten prairie gardens, rain gardens and naturalized borders from late spring into early summer. Plants establish into durable clumps that tolerate a range of soils when drainage is adequate. The nectar-rich flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) is a native perennial with flat-topped clusters of bright yellow flowers in spring to early summer. It grows well in moist to mesic meadows, open woods, and woodland edges in full sun to partial light. The flowers provide early forage for bees and butterflies, while the upright foliage adds structure to native plantings. Plants typically reach about 18 to 24 inches tall once established.

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is a native North American herb with a rich history and distinctive characteristics. Historically used by Indigenous peoples for its medicinal properties, Boneset earned its name from its traditional use in treating fevers and musculoskeletal ailments. Originating from the eastern United States, this perennial plant is recognized for its unique features and growing habits. Boneset typically grows to a height of 3 to 4 feet and has a bushy, upright growth habit.

S. and Canadian prairies, historically thriving in moist meadows and open grasslands and long recognized for its exceptional value to monarch butterflies, which flock to its nectar-rich blooms during migration. It produces tall, airy stems topped with loose spikes of vibrant, feathery purple flowers, each with elongated styles that give the blossoms a delicate, wispy appearance. The plant’s narrow leaves form an attractive upright clump, and its blooms appear later in the season, providing important late-summer nectar.

The Canada Wildrye is a cool-season bunchgrass grain variety that can be found throughout Canada and the U.S. except in the southeastern states. It is typically found in prairies, open woods, fields and disturbed sites. This grain tends to be short-lived but provides quick stabilization for erosion control seedings, and it makes a good, early successional component of prairie mixtures. The Canada Wildrye provides quality forage for livestock and wildlife.

From the northern plains to mountain foothills, this hardy, adaptable native thrives. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) bears fragrant, bottlebrush-like spikes of white flowers in spring, followed by clusters of glossy, dark red to black cherries in late summer. The tart fruit makes wonderful jelly and syrup, and birds flock to it. Its suckering, thicket-forming habit is excellent for windbreaks, wildlife plantings and stabilizing slopes.

Acorns from this handsome tree are a key food for wildlife, and it supports an enormous variety of native insects and birds. Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) is a fast-starting native shade tree with a broad, rounded crown and glossy, pointed-lobed leaves that turn russet to bright red in fall. It is one of the most widely planted oaks for lawns, parks and streets, valued for its strong wood and tolerance of urban conditions.

Creamy, custard-like fruit with a flavor often compared to banana and mango ripens in late summer on this small understory tree. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is North America's largest native fruit, with big, tropical-looking leaves and a tidy, pyramidal habit. Its maroon spring flowers and golden fall foliage add ornamental value, and it is the only host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly. Plant two or more for best fruit set.

Late Figwort, also called Maryland Figwort, is an eastern and central North American perennial whose genus name recalls its long history in herbal use. Tall square stems carry small reddish-green, nectar-rich flowers from midsummer into fall. Native bees, wasps, butterflies, and hummingbirds visit the blooms, while birds use the plant for food and shelter. Grow it in loamy or sandy soil from full sun to shade after 60 days of cold, moist stratification, and surface sow the tiny seeds.

Virginia Wild Rye has long filled forest edges and damp clearings in eastern North America. Its quick growth and ready reseeding make it useful as a native cover crop and for streambank stabilization. Birds use the seed-bearing stems for food and cover, and insects inhabit the grass. It tolerates sun to shade and moist ground, with tan and crimson fall color.

Bottlebrush Grass was once classified as Hystrix patula, a historical name that points to its bristly, brush-shaped seed heads. This native of eastern North American woods grows during cool spring and fall weather. Northern Pearly-eye caterpillars use it as a host, and birds forage among its stems and seeds. Grow in partial shade to shade on medium to moderately dry soil.

Copper-shouldered Oval Sedge, also called Bicknell's Sedge, is a native of North American prairies and open uplands. This cool-season perennial forms upright clumps and tolerates loam, clay, or sand from medium-wet to fairly dry. Grasshoppers feed on its leaves, and seed-eating birds including Prairie Chickens and sparrows use its fruit. It is a useful sedge for sunny, mixed native plantings.

Nodding Bur Marigold is a native annual of North American wet meadows and marsh edges. Its old names Beggar's Tick and Sticktight recall the hooked seeds that cling to passing animals. Golden, sunflower-like flowers feed bees, butterflies, skippers, and moths; later, ducks and songbirds eat the seeds. Plant in full sun and wet to moist ground, where it can reseed naturally.

Bog Goldenrod (Solidago uliginosa) is a distinctive North American native plant. Sturdy stems and yellow flower clusters suit boggy ground, rain gardens, and other consistently moist native landscapes. It matures at approximately 48 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in medium through wet conditions, with loamy soil or wet soil. Space plants 18–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Saw-tooth Sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) is a distinctive North American native plant. Tall reddish-purple stems and sharply toothed leaves support clusters of yellow blooms that feed insects and seed-eating birds. It matures at approximately 96 inches tall and flowers from mid to late summer through early to mid fall. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry-medium through medium-wet conditions, with loamy soil or clay soil. Space plants 36–48 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Great Angelica (Angelica atropurpurea) is a distinctive North American native plant. Large greenish umbels rise on burgundy-tinged stems, giving moist borders and streamside plantings dramatic height. It matures at approximately 84 inches tall and flowers from mid to late spring through late spring to early summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in medium through wet conditions, with loamy soil, clay soil, wet soil or alkaline soil. Space plants 36–48 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens) is a distinctive North American native plant. Silvery foliage and purple flower spikes make this deep-rooted prairie legume a durable choice for dry gardens and pollinator plantings. It matures at approximately 36 inches tall and flowers from late spring to early summer through early to mid summer. Plant it in full sun to partial shade, in dry to medium conditions, with loamy soil, sandy soil or poor soil. Space plants 12–24 inches apart for healthy growth and airflow.

Prairie Milkweed (Asclepias sullivantii), also known as Sullivant’s Milkweed, is a native Midwestern perennial with broad blue-green foliage, rosy pink flower clusters, and exceptional value for monarch habitat. Upright plants bring a polished look to prairie gardens, pollinator borders, and naturalized plantings while supplying nectar to bees and butterflies.