Native plants for Howard County, Iowa
20 native plants recorded in Howard County, Iowa
USDA has only 23 plant records of any kind for Howard County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 20 below as a floor.
By type: 10 wildflowers and herbs, 6 grasses and sedges, 2 trees, 2 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 10 of them (50%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Howard County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Half shade | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Under trees | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Heavy clay | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 6 | 4 | 10 |
| Never watered | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| Stays soggy | 4 | 6 | 10 |
Sun all day in Howard County: 10 rated natives
6 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees, 1 vines. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Arctic brome (Bromus kalmii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: severe - Green bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright sedge (Carex stricta) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial
Half shade in Howard County: 5 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · toxicity: severe - Green bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Roundhead lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · perennial · high shade tolerance
Under trees in Howard County: 5 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: severe - Green bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Roundhead lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · perennial
Heavy clay in Howard County: 7 rated natives
4 grasses and sedges, 1 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees, 1 vines. The first 7, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: severe - Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Upright sedge (Carex stricta) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Green bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial - Stickywilly (Galium aparine) vines
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth
Sandy, drains fast in Howard County: 6 rated natives
4 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Arctic brome (Bromus kalmii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: severe - Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Upright sedge (Carex stricta) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Roundhead lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · perennial
Never watered in Howard County: 3 rated natives
2 grasses and sedges, 1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 3, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Arctic brome (Bromus kalmii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Roundhead lespedeza (Lespedeza capitata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · perennial · high drought tolerance - Porcupinegrass (Hesperostipa spartea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Stays soggy in Howard County: 4 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 1 trees. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Green bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright sedge (Carex stricta) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · perennial
Natives Howard 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:
- Panicled bulrush (Scirpus microcarpus): 2 counties
- Meadow willow (Salix petiolaris): 2 counties
Where to start in Howard County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Howard County gives you the most rated choice (10 plants), and Arctic brome (Bromus kalmii) is the easiest start on that list. Never watered is the hard one here: 3 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 10 unrated natives too.