Native plants for Marion County, Iowa
50 native plants recorded in Marion County, Iowa
USDA has only 69 plant records of any kind for Marion County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 50 below as a floor.
By type: 22 wildflowers and herbs, 27 grasses and sedges, 1 trees. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 19 of them (38%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Marion County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 19 | 0 | 31 |
| Half shade | 12 | 7 | 31 |
| Under trees | 6 | 13 | 31 |
| Heavy clay | 11 | 8 | 31 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 12 | 7 | 31 |
| Never watered | 2 | 17 | 31 |
| Stays soggy | 13 | 6 | 31 |
Sun all day in Marion County: 19 rated natives
10 grasses and sedges, 8 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Spreading yellowcress (Rorippa sinuata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 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 - Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Nodding fescue (Festuca subverticillata) 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 - Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 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
Half shade in Marion County: 12 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 5 grasses and sedges, 1 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Spreading yellowcress (Rorippa sinuata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Nodding fescue (Festuca subverticillata) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 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 - Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · toxicity: slight - Winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth · high shade tolerance - 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
Under trees in Marion County: 6 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Spreading yellowcress (Rorippa sinuata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Peachleaf willow (Salix amygdaloides) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · rapid growth · perennial
Heavy clay in Marion County: 11 rated natives
7 grasses and sedges, 4 wildflowers and herbs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) 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 - Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid 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 - Fowl mannagrass (Glyceria striata) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.7 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth
Sandy, drains fast in Marion County: 12 rated natives
6 grasses and sedges, 5 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Spreading yellowcress (Rorippa sinuata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) 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 - Nodding fescue (Festuca subverticillata) 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 - Woodland bluegrass (Poa sylvestris) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Whitegrass (Leersia virginica) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Carolina foxtail (Alopecurus carolinianus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.7 ft mature · moderate growth
Never watered in Marion County: 2 rated natives
2 grasses and sedges. The first 2, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Stays soggy in Marion County: 13 rated natives
7 grasses and sedges, 5 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Stalkless yellowcress (Rorippa sessiliflora) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · takes saturated soil - Woodland bluegrass (Poa sylvestris) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Fowl mannagrass (Glyceria striata) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5.7 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - 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 - Western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · rapid 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 - Reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil · toxicity: slight - Whitegrass (Leersia virginica) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Natives Marion 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:
- James' sedge (Carex jamesii): only here
Where to start in Marion County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Marion County gives you the most rated choice (19 plants), and Spreading yellowcress (Rorippa sinuata) is the easiest start on that list. Never watered is the hard one here: 2 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 31 unrated natives too.