Native plants for Des Moines County, Iowa
26 native plants recorded in Des Moines County, Iowa
USDA has only 37 plant records of any kind for Des Moines 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: 19 wildflowers and herbs, 5 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants, 1 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 9 of them (35%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Toothed spurge (Euphorbia dentata) is also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Des Moines County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 9 | 0 | 17 |
| Half shade | 6 | 3 | 17 |
| Under trees | 1 | 8 | 17 |
| Heavy clay | 7 | 2 | 17 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 5 | 4 | 17 |
| Never watered | 0 | 9 | 17 |
| Stays soggy | 7 | 2 | 17 |
Sun all day in Des Moines County: 9 rated natives
8 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- White doll's daisy (Boltonia asteroides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Purplestem beggarticks (Bidens connata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Smallspike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Pale touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth
Half shade in Des Moines County: 6 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- White doll's daisy (Boltonia asteroides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Purplestem beggarticks (Bidens connata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · toxicity: moderate - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Under trees in Des Moines County: 1 rated natives
1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 1, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate
Heavy clay in Des Moines County: 7 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants. The first 7, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Purplestem beggarticks (Bidens connata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Smallspike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Pale touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Sandy, drains fast in Des Moines County: 5 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- White doll's daisy (Boltonia asteroides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Purplestem beggarticks (Bidens connata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid 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 - Pale touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth
Never watered: nothing rated yet
None of the 9 rated natives in Des Moines County is rated for dry / no watering. 17 plants have no rating either way.
Stays soggy in Des Moines County: 7 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants. The first 7, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - White doll's daisy (Boltonia asteroides) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Purplestem beggarticks (Bidens connata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - Smallspike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil · toxicity: moderate - 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 Des Moines County has that most of Iowa does not
1 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Iowa's 99 counties. A few of them:
- Smallspike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica): 4 counties
Where to start in Des Moines County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Des Moines County gives you the most rated choice (9 plants), and White doll's daisy (Boltonia asteroides) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 1 rated plant, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 17 unrated natives too.