Native plants for Muscatine County, Iowa
87 native plants recorded in Muscatine County, Iowa
USDA has only 119 plant records of any kind for Muscatine County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 87 below as a floor.
By type: 54 wildflowers and herbs, 27 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs, 3 low woody plants, 2 trees. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 36 of them (41%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and Vente conmigo (Croton glandulosus) are also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Muscatine County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 36 | 0 | 51 |
| Half shade | 28 | 8 | 51 |
| Under trees | 17 | 19 | 51 |
| Heavy clay | 25 | 11 | 51 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 23 | 13 | 51 |
| Never watered | 17 | 19 | 51 |
| Stays soggy | 16 | 20 | 51 |
Sun all day in Muscatine County: 36 rated natives
18 wildflowers and herbs, 14 grasses and sedges, 2 trees, 1 low woody plants, 1 shrubs. 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 - 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 - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 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 - Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Half shade in Muscatine County: 28 rated natives
13 wildflowers and herbs, 12 grasses and sedges, 2 trees, 1 shrubs. 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 - 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 - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 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 - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance
Under trees in Muscatine County: 17 rated natives
9 grasses and sedges, 7 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. 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 - 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 - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 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 - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Heavy clay in Muscatine County: 25 rated natives
12 wildflowers and herbs, 11 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants, 1 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 - 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 - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 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 - Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Muscatine County: 23 rated natives
12 wildflowers and herbs, 8 grasses and sedges, 2 trees, 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 - 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 - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 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 - Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Muscatine County: 17 rated natives
7 wildflowers and herbs, 7 grasses and sedges, 1 low woody plants, 1 shrubs, 1 trees. 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 - Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 8.2 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 - Sawtooth sunflower (Helianthus grosseserratus) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 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 - Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Muscatine County: 16 rated natives
8 wildflowers and herbs, 7 grasses and sedges, 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 - Crested woodfern (Dryopteris cristata) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Upland bentgrass (Agrostis perennans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.5 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 - Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 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 - Threelobe beggarticks (Bidens tripartita) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth
Natives Muscatine County has that most of Iowa does not
8 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Iowa's 99 counties. A few of them:
- Sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii): only here
- Sandhill amaranth (Amaranthus arenicola): 2 counties
- Prairie pinweed (Lechea stricta): 2 counties
- Crested woodfern (Dryopteris cristata): 3 counties
- Slim amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus): 3 counties
- Slender crabgrass (Digitaria filiformis): 3 counties
- Short's rockcress (Arabis shortii): 4 counties
- Carolina puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense): 4 counties
Where to start in Muscatine County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Muscatine County gives you the most rated choice (36 plants), and Blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is the easiest start on that list. Stays soggy is the hard one here: 16 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 51 unrated natives too.