Native plants for Marshall County, Iowa
12 native plants recorded in Marshall County, Iowa
USDA has only 24 plant records of any kind for Marshall County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 12 below as a floor.
By type: 8 wildflowers and herbs, 4 grasses and sedges. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 6 of them (50%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Marshall County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Half shade | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Under trees | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Heavy clay | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Never watered | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Stays soggy | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Sun all day in Marshall County: 6 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges. The first 6, 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 - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 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
Half shade in Marshall County: 5 rated natives
3 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 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
Under trees in Marshall County: 3 rated natives
2 grasses and sedges, 1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 3, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 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 - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate
Heavy clay in Marshall County: 5 rated natives
3 wildflowers and herbs, 2 grasses and sedges. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 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
Sandy, drains fast in Marshall County: 4 rated natives
2 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 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
Never watered in Marshall County: 2 rated natives
2 grasses and sedges. The first 2, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - 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 Marshall County: 4 rated natives
3 wildflowers and herbs, 1 grasses and sedges. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 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 · 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
Where to start in Marshall County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Marshall County gives you the most rated choice (6 plants), and Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) 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 6 unrated natives too.