Native plants for Tama County, Iowa
15 native plants recorded in Tama County, Iowa
USDA has only 22 plant records of any kind for Tama County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 15 below as a floor.
By type: 10 wildflowers and herbs, 3 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 7 of them (47%), and only those can be matched to a spot below. American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) is also recorded as introduced.
What fits each kind of spot in Tama County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 7 | 0 | 8 |
| Half shade | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Under trees | 1 | 6 | 8 |
| Heavy clay | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Never watered | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Stays soggy | 4 | 2 | 9 |
Sun all day in Tama County: 7 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 1 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 7, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 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 - Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · also listed as introduced in this region · toxicity: slight - Stalkless yellowcress (Rorippa sessiliflora) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed - Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Half shade in Tama County: 4 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed - Stalkless yellowcress (Rorippa sessiliflora) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Under trees in Tama County: 1 rated natives
1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 1, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Heavy clay in Tama County: 5 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 1 shrubs. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 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 - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Stalkless yellowcress (Rorippa sessiliflora) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed - Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Sandy, drains fast in Tama County: 4 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Northern maidenhair (Adiantum pedatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.3 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 - Stalkless yellowcress (Rorippa sessiliflora) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 1.5 ft mature · rapid growth · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed - Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · needs saturated soil (pond or bog), not a regular bed
Never watered in Tama County: 2 rated natives
1 shrubs, 1 low woody plants. The first 2, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 10 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - American red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) low woody plants
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance · also listed as introduced in this region · toxicity: slight
Stays soggy in Tama County: 4 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs. The first 4, 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 - Water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · takes saturated soil - Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 3.5 ft mature · rapid growth - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate
Natives Tama County has that most of Iowa does not
2 natives here are on file in no more than 5 of Iowa's 99 counties. A few of them:
- Marsh bristlegrass (Setaria parviflora): 2 counties
- Drummond's aster (Symphyotrichum drummondii): 3 counties
Where to start in Tama County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Tama County gives you the most rated choice (7 plants), and Gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 1 rated plant, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 8 unrated natives too.