Native Plants of Iowa
2,111 native plants and wildflowers grow naturally in Iowa. Filter for the bees, or for plants the deer and rabbits tend to leave alone.
Welcome! You've come to the right place if you want to turn your yard into a thriving habitat that's beautiful and good for nature. Iowa is home to roughly 2,111 native plants, and many are perfect for home gardens. These plants have grown here for thousands of years and are perfectly suited to our climate and soil.
When you plant natives like common milkweed, wild bergamot, and butterfly milkweed, you'll attract bees, birds, and butterflies right to your garden. These plants ask for less fussing once they're established, and they'll give you years of color and joy. Let's explore some wonderful options together.
Adam and Eve
Aplectrum hyemale
OrchidaceaeForb/herb
Allegheny monkeyflower
Mimulus ringens
ScrophulariaceaeForb/herb
American basswood
Tilia americana
TiliaceaeTree
American bellflower
Campanulastrum americanum
CampanulaceaeAmerican bittersweet
Celastrus scandens
CelastraceaeVineAmerican bladdernut
Staphylea trifolia
StaphyleaceaeTree, Shrub
American burnweed
Erechtites hieraciifolius
AsteraceaeForb/herb
American elm
Ulmus americana
UlmaceaeTreeAmerican ginseng
Panax quinquefolius
AraliaceaeForb/herbAmerican hogpeanut
Amphicarpaea bracteata
FabaceaeAmerican lopseed
Phryma leptostachya
VerbenaceaeForb/herb
American lotus
Nelumbo lutea
NelumbonaceaeForb/herbAmerican mannagrass
Glyceria grandis
PoaceaeGraminoidAmerican plum
Prunus americana
RosaceaeTree, Shrub
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
Phytolaccaceae☀ Part shadeForb/herb
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
Platanaceae☀ Full sunTreeAmerican water horehound
Lycopus americanus
Lamiaceae☀ Full sunForb/herb
Annual ragweed
Ambrosia artemisiifolia
AsteraceaeForb/herbAster
Symphyotrichum × woldenii
AsteraceaeAunt Lucy
Ellisia nyctelea
HydrophyllaceaeForb/herbAwlfruit sedge
Carex stipata
CyperaceaeGraminoidBastard toadflax
Comandra umbellata
SantalaceaeSubshrub, Forb/herbBearded shorthusk
Brachyelytrum erectum
PoaceaeBeggarslice
Hackelia virginiana
BoraginaceaeForb/herbBicknell's sedge
Carex bicknellii
CyperaceaeBig bluestem
Andropogon gerardii
PoaceaeGraminoidBigbract verbena
Verbena bracteata
VerbenaceaeForb/herbBitternut hickory
Carya cordiformis
Juglandaceae
Black cherry
Prunus serotina
Rosaceae☀ Part shadeTree, Shrub
Black locust
Robinia pseudoacacia
Fabaceae☀ Full sunTreeBlack raspberry
Rubus occidentalis
RosaceaeSubshrub
Black walnut
Juglans nigra
Juglandaceae☀ Full sunTree
Blackeyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Asteraceae☀ Full sunForb/herbBlackseed plantain
Plantago rugelii
PlantaginaceaeForb/herbBlackseed ricegrass
Patis racemosa
PoaceaeBlackspore oakfern
Gymnocarpium × heterosporum
Dryopteridaceae
Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
PapaveraceaeForb/herb
Bloody butcher
Trillium recurvatum
LiliaceaeForb/herbBlue cohosh
Caulophyllum thalictroides
Berberidaceae
Blue grama
Bouteloua gracilis
Poaceae
Bluejacket
Tradescantia ohiensis
CommelinaceaeForb/herbBluejoint
Calamagrostis canadensis
PoaceaeGraminoidBlunt broom sedge
Carex tribuloides
CyperaceaeGraminoidBlunt spikerush
Eleocharis obtusa
CyperaceaeBottlebrush sedge
Carex hystericina
CyperaceaeGraminoid
Boxelder
Acer negundo
Aceraceae☀ Full sunTreeBright green spikerush
Eleocharis olivacea
CyperaceaeBristly greenbrier
Smilax tamnoides
SmilacaceaeBroadfruit bur-reed
Sparganium eurycarpum
SparganiaceaeForb/herbBroadleaf arrowhead
Sagittaria latifolia
AlismataceaeBroadleaf cattail
Typha latifolia
Typhaceae☀ Full sunForb/herbBroadleaf rosette grass
Dichanthelium latifolium
PoaceaeBroom sedge
Carex scoparia
CyperaceaeBrowneyed Susan
Rudbeckia triloba
AsteraceaeForb/herbBulblet bladderfern
Cystopteris bulbifera
DryopteridaceaeForb/herb
Bur oak
Quercus macrocarpa
FagaceaeShrub, TreeBur-reed sedge
Carex sparganioides
CyperaceaeBush muhly
Muhlenbergia porteri
PoaceaeGraminoidBushy goldentop
Euthamia leptocephala
AsteraceaeForb/herb
Butterfly milkweed
Asclepias tuberosa
AsclepiadaceaeForb/herb
Button eryngo
Eryngium yuccifolium
ApiaceaeForb/herb
Canada germander
Teucrium canadense
LamiaceaeForb/herbCanada goldenrod
Solidago canadensis
Asteraceae☀ Full sunForb/herb
Canada goldenrod
Solidago altissima
AsteraceaeForb/herbCanada wildrye
Elymus canadensis
PoaceaeGraminoid
Canadian honewort
Cryptotaenia canadensis
Apiaceae
Canadian lousewort
Pedicularis canadensis
ScrophulariaceaeSubshrub, Forb/herbCanadian milkvetch
Astragalus canadensis
FabaceaeForb/herbCanadian wildginger
Asarum canadense
AristolochiaceaeForb/herbCanadian woodnettle
Laportea canadensis
UrticaceaeForb/herbCandle anemone
Anemone cylindrica
Ranunculaceae
Cardinalflower
Lobelia cardinalis
CampanulaceaeForb/herb
Carolina horsenettle
Solanum carolinense
SolanaceaeSubshrub, Forb/herb
Carolina larkspur
Delphinium carolinianum
RanunculaceaeForb/herbCarolina rose
Rosa carolina
RosaceaeSubshrub
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
RosaceaeClammy groundcherry
Physalis heterophylla
SolanaceaeForb/herbCleland's evening primrose
Oenothera clelandii
OnagraceaeForb/herbClosed bottle gentian
Gentiana andrewsii
GentianaceaeForb/herbClubmoss
Huperzia × bartleyi
LycopodiaceaeClustered blacksnakeroot
Sanicula odorata
ApiaceaeForb/herbCommon blue violet
Viola sororia
Violaceae
Common boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Asteraceae
Common buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
RubiaceaeShrub, Tree
Common cowparsnip
Heracleum maximum
Apiaceae
Common dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
AsteraceaeForb/herbCommon evening primrose
Oenothera biennis
Onagraceae☀ Full sunForb/herbCommon goldstar
Hypoxis hirsuta
LiliaceaeForb/herb
Common hackberry
Celtis occidentalis
UlmaceaeTree, ShrubCommon milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Asclepiadaceae☀ Full sunForb/herbCommon pricklyash
Zanthoxylum americanum
RutaceaeTree, Shrub
Common reed
Phragmites australis
Poaceae☀ Full sunSubshrub, Shrub, Graminoid
Common selfheal
Prunella vulgaris
Lamiaceae☀ Part shadeForb/herbCommon sneezeweed
Helenium autumnale
AsteraceaeForb/herbCommon threeseed mercury
Acalypha rhomboidea
Euphorbiaceae
Common yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Asteraceae☀ Full sunForb/herb