Native plants for Appanoose County, Iowa
26 native plants recorded in Appanoose County, Iowa
USDA has only 38 plant records of any kind for Appanoose County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 26 below as a floor.
By type: 13 wildflowers and herbs, 10 grasses and sedges, 3 trees. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 13 of them (50%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) is also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Appanoose County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 13 | 0 | 13 |
| Half shade | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Under trees | 6 | 7 | 13 |
| Heavy clay | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Never watered | 4 | 9 | 13 |
| Stays soggy | 4 | 9 | 13 |
Sun all day in Appanoose County: 13 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 5 grasses and sedges, 3 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth
Half shade in Appanoose County: 10 rated natives
5 grasses and sedges, 3 trees, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth · high shade tolerance - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high shade tolerance - Black oak (Quercus velutina) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
Under trees in Appanoose County: 6 rated natives
5 grasses and sedges, 1 trees. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial - Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · also listed as introduced in this region
Heavy clay in Appanoose County: 9 rated natives
5 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Black oak (Quercus velutina) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial - Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Appanoose County: 10 rated natives
4 grasses and sedges, 3 wildflowers and herbs, 3 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Black oak (Quercus velutina) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Appanoose County: 4 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 1 trees. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high drought tolerance - Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · also listed as introduced in this region
Stays soggy in Appanoose County: 4 rated natives
2 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth · takes saturated soil - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate
Natives Appanoose County has that most of Iowa does not
2 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Iowa's 99 counties. A few of them:
- Shortstalk chickweed (Cerastium brachypodum): only here
- Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica): 4 counties
Where to start in Appanoose County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Appanoose County gives you the most rated choice (13 plants), and Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) is the easiest start on that list. Stays soggy is the hard one here: 4 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 13 unrated natives too.