Native plants for Linn County, Iowa
29 native plants recorded in Linn County, Iowa
USDA has only 41 plant records of any kind for Linn County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 29 below as a floor.
By type: 22 wildflowers and herbs, 6 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 13 of them (45%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. White sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana) is also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Linn County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 13 | 0 | 16 |
| Half shade | 9 | 4 | 16 |
| Under trees | 5 | 8 | 16 |
| Heavy clay | 8 | 5 | 16 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 9 | 4 | 16 |
| Never watered | 4 | 9 | 16 |
| Stays soggy | 6 | 7 | 16 |
Sun all day in Linn County: 13 rated natives
10 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - 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 - 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 - Winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Half shade in Linn County: 9 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - 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 - Winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 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 · 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 - White sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · also listed as introduced in this region
Under trees in Linn County: 5 rated natives
3 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants, 1 grasses and sedges. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 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 · toxicity: moderate - White sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · also listed as introduced in this region - Annual wildrice (Zizania aquatica) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 9.8 ft mature · rapid growth · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Heavy clay in Linn County: 8 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 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 - Winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 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 - Annual wildrice (Zizania aquatica) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 9.8 ft mature · rapid growth · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Sandy, drains fast in Linn County: 9 rated natives
7 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants, 1 grasses and sedges. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 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 - 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 - Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - White sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · also listed as introduced in this region
Never watered in Linn County: 4 rated natives
3 wildflowers and herbs, 1 low woody plants. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - White sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance · also listed as introduced in this region
Stays soggy in Linn County: 6 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - 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 · 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 - Annual wildrice (Zizania aquatica) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 9.8 ft mature · rapid growth · takes saturated soil
Where to start in Linn County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Linn County gives you the most rated choice (13 plants), and Prairie blazing star (Liatris pycnostachya) is the easiest start on that list. Never watered is the hard one here: 4 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 16 unrated natives too.