Native plants for Worth County, Iowa
15 native plants recorded in Worth County, Iowa
USDA has only 19 plant records of any kind for Worth 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: 12 wildflowers and herbs, 3 grasses and sedges. USDA has rated sun, soil and water needs for 8 of them (53%), and only those can be matched to a spot below.
What fits each kind of spot in Worth County
| Spot | Rated to fit | Rated not to | Unrated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun all day | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Half shade | 5 | 3 | 7 |
| Under trees | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| Heavy clay | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| Sandy, drains fast | 5 | 3 | 7 |
| Never watered | 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Stays soggy | 5 | 3 | 7 |
Sun all day in Worth County: 8 rated natives
5 wildflowers and herbs, 3 grasses and sedges. 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 - Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) 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 - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 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 - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 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 · toxicity: moderate
Half shade in Worth County: 5 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 1 grasses and sedges. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial · high shade tolerance - Bearded beggarticks (Bidens aristosa) 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 - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · rapid growth
Under trees in Worth County: 2 rated natives
1 grasses and sedges, 1 wildflowers and herbs. The first 2, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- 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 Worth County: 6 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 3 wildflowers and herbs. The first 6, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) 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 - Big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 6 ft mature · moderate growth · perennial - Fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 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 Worth County: 5 rated natives
3 grasses and sedges, 2 wildflowers and herbs. The first 5, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- Marsh muhly (Muhlenbergia racemosa) 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 - Fringed brome (Bromus ciliatus) grasses and sedges
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 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 - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · rapid growth
Never watered in Worth County: 1 rated natives
1 grasses and sedges. The first 1, ranked by how easy a start they make:
- 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 Worth County: 5 rated natives
4 wildflowers and herbs, 1 grasses and sedges. The first 5, 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 - 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 - Devil's beggartick (Bidens frondosa) wildflowers and herbs
USDA growing data on file · photo available · about 4 ft mature · rapid growth
Where to start in Worth County
If you have only one spot to fill, sun all day is where Worth County gives you the most rated choice (8 plants), and Common ladyfern (Athyrium filix-femina) is the easiest start on that list. Never watered is the hard one here: 1 rated plant, so for that spot it is worth asking a local native-plant society about the 7 unrated natives too.