Native plants for Wayne County, Iowa
26 native plants recorded in Wayne County, Iowa
USDA has only 42 plant records of any kind for Wayne County, against 1,728 natives statewide. That is a gap in who has collected here, not a shortage of plants, so treat the 26 below as a floor.
By type: 11 wildflowers and herbs, 14 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 16 of them (62%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Wayne County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 16 | 0 | 10 |
| Half shade | 11 | 5 | 10 |
| Under trees | 4 | 12 | 10 |
| Heavy clay | 12 | 4 | 10 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 9 | 7 | 10 |
| Never watered | 5 | 11 | 10 |
| Stays soggy | 8 | 8 | 10 |
Sun all day in Wayne County: 16 rated natives
8 wildflowers and herbs, 7 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs. The first 8, 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 - Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 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 - Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 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
Half shade in Wayne County: 11 rated natives
5 grasses and sedges, 5 wildflowers and herbs, 1 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 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 - 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
Under trees in Wayne County: 4 rated natives
4 grasses and sedges. The first 4, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Heavy clay in Wayne County: 12 rated natives
6 grasses and sedges, 5 wildflowers and herbs, 1 shrubs. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 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 - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial - Bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.9 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial
Sandy, drains fast in Wayne County: 9 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 4 grasses and sedges. The first 8, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- 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 - Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 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 - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid 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 Wayne County: 5 rated natives
4 grasses and sedges, 1 shrubs. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2.5 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high drought tolerance - Coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus) shrubs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 3.2 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid growth · perennial
Stays soggy in Wayne County: 8 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 3 grasses and sedges. 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 - Bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4.9 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 - 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 - Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 5 ft mature · rapid 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
Natives Wayne 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:
- Purpletop tridens (Tridens flavus): 5 counties
Where to start in Wayne County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Wayne County gives you the most rated choice (16 plants), and Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) is the easiest start on that list. Under trees is the hard one here: 4 rated plants, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 10 unrated natives too.