Native plants for Lee County, Iowa
39 native plants recorded in Lee County, Iowa
USDA has only 57 plant records of any kind for Lee County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 39 below as a floor.
By type: 22 wildflowers and herbs, 13 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants, 3 trees. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 9 of them (23%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Lee County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 9 | 0 | 30 |
| Half shade | 5 | 4 | 30 |
| Under trees | 2 | 7 | 30 |
| Heavy clay | 6 | 3 | 30 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 6 | 3 | 30 |
| Never watered | 3 | 6 | 30 |
| Stays soggy | 6 | 3 | 30 |
Sun all day in Lee County: 9 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 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 - Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) 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 - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Boxelder (Acer negundo) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
Half shade in Lee County: 5 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) 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 - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high shade tolerance
Under trees in Lee County: 2 rated natives
1 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 2, 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 - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial
Heavy clay in Lee County: 6 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 6, 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 - Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 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 - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Boxelder (Acer negundo) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Lee County: 6 rated natives
3 wildflowers and herbs, 3 trees. The first 6, 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 - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) 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 - Boxelder (Acer negundo) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial
Never watered in Lee County: 3 rated natives
3 trees. The first 3, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Boxelder (Acer negundo) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Lee County: 6 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) 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 · 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 - Boxelder (Acer negundo) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial - Common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
Natives Lee County has that most of Iowa does not
9 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Iowa's 99 counties. A few of them:
- Sandhill amaranth (Amaranthus arenicola): 2 counties
- Southeastern wildrye (Elymus glabriflorus): 2 counties
- Northern dewberry (Rubus flagellaris): 2 counties
- Spanish needles (Bidens bipinnata): 3 counties
- Missouri sedge (Carex missouriensis): 3 counties
- Slender crabgrass (Digitaria filiformis): 3 counties
- Blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica): 4 counties
- Slimspike threeawn (Aristida longespica): 5 counties
- Tumble windmill grass (Chloris verticillata): 5 counties
Where to start in Lee County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Lee County gives you the most rated choice (9 plants), and Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 2 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 30 unrated natives too.