Native plants for Mahaska County, Iowa
85 native plants recorded in Mahaska County, Iowa
USDA has only 137 plant records of any kind for Mahaska County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 85 below as a floor.
By type: 54 wildflowers and herbs, 15 grasses and sedges, 3 shrubs, 4 low woody plants, 8 trees, 1 vines. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 35 of them (41%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and White sagebrush (Artemisia ludoviciana) are also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Mahaska County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 35 | 0 | 50 |
| Half shade | 27 | 8 | 50 |
| Under trees | 17 | 18 | 50 |
| Heavy clay | 23 | 12 | 50 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 27 | 8 | 50 |
| Never watered | 18 | 17 | 50 |
| Stays soggy | 13 | 22 | 50 |
Sun all day in Mahaska County: 35 rated natives
17 wildflowers and herbs, 8 trees, 7 grasses and sedges, 2 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - 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 - Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 9.8 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Half shade in Mahaska County: 27 rated natives
13 wildflowers and herbs, 8 trees, 4 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - 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 - Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 9.8 ft mature · rapid 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 · high shade tolerance · toxicity: severe
Under trees in Mahaska County: 17 rated natives
8 wildflowers and herbs, 4 trees, 3 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - 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 - 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 - American plum (Prunus americana) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Heavy clay in Mahaska County: 23 rated natives
11 wildflowers and herbs, 6 grasses and sedges, 6 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.8 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - 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 - Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - American bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 ft mature · rapid growth - 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
Sandy, drains fast in Mahaska County: 27 rated natives
12 wildflowers and herbs, 6 grasses and sedges, 6 trees, 2 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - 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 - Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 9.8 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 - Northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Mahaska County: 18 rated natives
8 wildflowers and herbs, 4 trees, 3 grasses and sedges, 2 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 9.8 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Pinnate prairie coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 4 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - 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 - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Mahaska County: 13 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 4 grasses and sedges, 3 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Woodland bluegrass (Poa sylvestris) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - American bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 6 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 - Nodding beggartick (Bidens cernua) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · rapid growth - American plum (Prunus americana) trees
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Sweet woodreed (Cinna arundinacea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Natives Mahaska County has that most of Iowa does not
3 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Iowa's 99 counties. A few of them:
- Rose mock vervain (Glandularia canadensis): only here
- Roundseed St. Johnswort (Hypericum sphaerocarpum): 3 counties
- Spotted geranium (Geranium maculatum): 5 counties
Where to start in Mahaska County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Mahaska County gives you the most rated choice (35 plants), and Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is the easiest start on that list. Stays soggy is the hard one here: 13 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 50 unrated natives too.