Native plants for Van Buren County, Iowa
39 native plants recorded in Van Buren County, Iowa
USDA has only 52 plant records of any kind for Van Buren County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 39 below as a floor.
By type: 27 wildflowers and herbs, 10 grasses and sedges, 2 trees. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 13 of them (33%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Van Buren County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 13 | 0 | 26 |
| Half shade | 8 | 5 | 26 |
| Under trees | 3 | 10 | 26 |
| Heavy clay | 7 | 6 | 26 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 9 | 4 | 26 |
| Never watered | 4 | 9 | 26 |
| Stays soggy | 6 | 7 | 26 |
Sun all day in Van Buren County: 13 rated natives
11 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) wildflowers and herbs
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 - Rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 1.4 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 - Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight
Half shade in Van Buren County: 8 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 8, 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 - 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 - 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 - Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · rapid growth - Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high shade tolerance
Under trees in Van Buren County: 3 rated natives
2 trees, 1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 3, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial - Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial
Heavy clay in Van Buren County: 7 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs, 1 trees. The first 7, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - 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 - 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 - Smooth horsetail (Equisetum laevigatum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Van Buren County: 9 rated natives
7 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 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 - 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 - Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 0.9 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · toxicity: moderate - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · rapid growth - Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial
Never watered in Van Buren County: 4 rated natives
2 wildflowers and herbs, 2 trees. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · conspicuous flowers · photo available · about 2.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Western brackenfern (Pteridium aquilinum) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6.6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · toxicity: slight - Shingle oak (Quercus imbricaria) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · moderate growth · perennial - Bitternut hickory (Carya cordiformis) trees
USDA growing data on file · photo available · perennial · high drought tolerance
Stays soggy in Van Buren County: 6 rated natives
6 wildflowers and herbs. The first 6, 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 - 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 - 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 - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · rapid growth
Natives Van Buren 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:
- Purple cliffbrake (Pellaea atropurpurea): 4 counties
- Slimspike threeawn (Aristida longespica): 5 counties
- Cutleaf grapefern (Botrychium dissectum): 5 counties
Where to start in Van Buren County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Van Buren County gives you the most rated choice (13 plants), and Fringeleaf wild petunia (Ruellia humilis) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 3 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 26 unrated natives too.