Iowa

Native plants in Iowa City

228 plants native to this area with Sow catalog pages.

61 of them need no watering beyond Iowa City’s own rainfall

Showing 228 plants

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Trees39

Canopy and structure

Redbud

Cercis canadensis

No watering needed Photo: John Thomlinson · CC BY 4.0

River Birch

Betula nigra

Photo: wcmorton · CC0 1.0

Sugar Maple

Acer saccharum

Photo: kedmunds11 · CC0 1.0

Red Oak

Quercus rubra

Photo: Peter · CC BY 4.0

Eastern Redcedar

Juniperus virginiana

No watering needed Photo: Jonathan Layman · CC BY 4.0

Pagoda Dogwood

Cornus alternifolia

Photo: Robert Stegmann · CC BY 4.0

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea

Photo: Étienne Léveillé-Bourret · CC BY 4.0

Pin Oak

Quercus palustris

Photo: Amelia Tauber · CC BY 4.0

Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus

Photo: TEAMVALOR786 Succulents and cacti, The future of nature is in your hands · CC BY 4.0

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

No watering needed Photo: Reuven Martin · CC0 1.0

Swamp White Oak

Quercus bicolor

Photo: Steven Joyner · CC BY 4.0

White Oak

Quercus alba

Photo: sblumen · CC BY 4.0

Boxelder

Acer negundo

Photo: Ryan Sorrells · CC BY 4.0

Common Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis

Photo: Dávid Horváth · CC BY 4.0

American Hornbeam

Carpinus caroliniana

Photo: Bonnie Isaac · CC0 1.0

American Linden

Tilia americana

Photo: Tom Scavo · CC BY 4.0

Kentucky Coffeetree

Gymnocladus dioicus

No watering needed Photo: M. Whitson · CC BY 4.0

American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

Photo: ashleyrsteel · CC BY 4.0

Chinkapin Oak

Quercus muehlenbergii

No watering needed Photo: Jay Pruett · CC BY 4.0

American Hophornbeam

Ostrya virginiana

Photo: Nick Kleinschmidt · CC BY 4.0

Thornless Honeylocust

Gleditsia triacanthos

No watering needed Photo: Liviu Chiriac · CC0 1.0

Silver Maple

Acer saccharinum

Photo: Jacob Buchanan · CC0 1.0

American Elm

Ulmus americana

Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BY 4.0

Black Cherry

Prunus serotina

Photo: Михайло Жук · CC0 1.0

Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

Photo: Robbie Hannawacker · CC0 1.0

Ohio Buckeye

Aesculus glabra

No watering needed Photo: Ana Cristina · CC BY 4.0

American Plum

Prunus americana

No watering needed Photo: Curtis Drake · CC BY 4.0

Shagbark Hickory

Carya ovata

Photo: Andrew Conboy · CC BY 4.0

White Ash

Fraxinus americana

Pussy Willow

Salix discolor

Photo: swords · CC0 1.0

Eastern Cottonwood

Populus deltoides

No watering needed Photo: Justin Donahue · CC BY 4.0

Washington Hawthorn

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Photo: Rochelle Davis · CC BY 4.0

Shrubs26

Backbone planting

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius

Photo: jyoung2399 · CC BY 4.0

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Photo: Gregory Bennett · CC0 1.0

American Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

Photo: Melanie Gaddy · CC0 1.0

Pagoda Dogwood

Cornus alternifolia

Photo: Robert Stegmann · CC BY 4.0

Cutleaf Coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Photo: Ian Wolfe · CC0 1.0

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea

Photo: Étienne Léveillé-Bourret · CC BY 4.0

Gray Dogwood

Cornus racemosa

Photo: nathanstrem · CC BY 4.0

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

Photo: Dan Wilder · CC0 1.0

American Hazelnut

Corylus americana

Photo: Mark Richman · CC BY 4.0

Spotted Beebalm Monarda punctata

Monarda punctata

No watering needed Photo: Reid Hardin · CC BY 4.0

Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia humifusa

No watering needed Photo: Lexi Destria · CC BY 4.0

Smooth Sumac

Rhus glabra

No watering needed Photo: Tony KM · CC BY 4.0

False Indigo Bush

Amorpha fruticosa

Photo: Dmitry Trutsko · CC BY 4.0

Coralberry

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

No watering needed Photo: Brand R · CC BY 4.0

Pasture Rose

Rosa carolina

Photo: Matt Schultz · CC0 1.0

American Plum

Prunus americana

No watering needed Photo: Curtis Drake · CC BY 4.0

Pussy Willow

Salix discolor

Photo: swords · CC0 1.0

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens

No watering needed Photo: aarongunnar · CC BY 4.0

Washington Hawthorn

Crataegus phaenopyrum

Photo: Rochelle Davis · CC BY 4.0

American Spikenard

Aralia racemosa

Photo: Daniel J. Layton · CC BY 4.0

American Bladdernut

Staphylea trifolia

Photo: Jesse · CC BY 4.0

Snow-on-the-Mountain

Euphorbia marginata

No watering needed

Black Raspberry

Rubus occidentalis

Eastern Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

Photo: Ryan · CC0 1.0

Carolina Horsenettle

Solanum carolinense

Photo: swords · CC0 1.0

American Black Nightshade

Solanum americanum

No watering needed Photo: Sarinda Newell · CC BY 4.0

Grasses21

Movement and texture

Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardi

No watering needed

Indiangrass

Sorghastrum nutans

No watering needed Photo: Alan Weakley · CC0 1.0

Pennsylvania Sedge

Carex pensylvanica

Photo: Frog The Kermit · CC BY 4.0

Purple Love Grass

Eragrostis spectabilis

No watering needed Photo: Reuven Martin · CC0 1.0

Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum

No watering needed Photo: Erin Snyder · CC BY 4.0

Palm Sedge

Carex muskingumensis

Photo: Étienne Lacroix-Carignan · CC0 1.0

Gray Sedge

Carex grayi

Photo: A. G. · CC0 1.0

Canada Wild Rye

Elymus canadensis

No watering needed Photo: tzeducation · CC BY 4.0

Bottlebrush Grass

Elymus hystrix

Photo: Skyler Principe · CC BY 4.0

Path Rush

Juncus tenuis

Photo: Stephen James McWilliam · CC0 1.0

Tussock Sedge

Carex stricta

Photo: Frog The Kermit · CC BY 4.0

Virginia Wild Rye

Elymus virginicus

Photo: Jason Leduc · CC0 1.0

Rosy Sedge

Carex rosea

Photo: Jeremy Atherton · CC BY 4.0

Fox Sedge

Carex vulpinoidea

Photo: Brandon Corder · CC BY 4.0

Reed Canary Grass

Phalaris arundinacea

Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg · CC BY 4.0

Eastern Woodland Sedge

Carex blanda

Photo: Matt Felperin · CC BY 4.0

Ravenfoot Sedge

Carex crus-corvi

Photo: Sarah Fitz · CC0 1.0

Comosa Sedge

Carex comosa

Photo: infiniteuniverse · CC0 1.0

Shortbeak Sedge

Carex brevior

Photo: Summit Metro Parks · CC BY 4.0

Copper Shouldered Oval Sedge

Carex bicknellii

Photo: aarongunnar · CC BY 4.0

Woolly Sedge

Carex pellita

Photo: Patrice Dupont · CC BY 4.0

Perennials141

Seasonal colour

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Photo: Rochelle Davis · CC BY 4.0

Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

No watering needed Photo: k2018lena · CC0 1.0

Swamp Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata

Photo: Mike Gooley · CC0 1.0

Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Photo: Bob Schwartz · CC BY 4.0

Obedient Plant

Physostegia virginiana

Photo: Andrew St. Paul · CC BY 4.0

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

No watering needed Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BY 4.0

Lanceleaf Tickseed

Coreopsis lanceolata

Photo: Silvia Cova · CC0 1.0

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

No watering needed Photo: Tom Pollard · CC BY 4.0

Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Photo: Cazody · CC0 1.0

Eastern Red Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Photo: Craig Hensley · CC BY 4.0

False Sunflower

Heliopsis helianthoides

Photo: W Rao · CC BY 4.0

Common Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

Photo: Thomas Koffel · CC BY 4.0

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

Photo: Andrew Conboy · CC BY 4.0

Woodland Phlox

Phlox divaricata

Photo: Jacqueline Raiford · CC BY 4.0

Cutleaf Coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Photo: Ian Wolfe · CC0 1.0

Wild Geranium

Geranium maculatum

Photo: sophia_herrmeyer · CC BY 4.0

Virginia Iris

Iris virginica

Photo: mfeaver · CC BY 4.0

Rattlesnake master

Eryngium yuccifolium

Photo: Alex Heyman · CC0 1.0

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

No watering needed Photo: Dilrukshan Priyantha Wijesinghe · CC BY 4.0

Brown-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia triloba

Photo: Alexis Williams · CC BY 4.0

Rough Gayfeather

Liatris aspera

No watering needed Photo: florawhite · CC BY 4.0

Virginia Bluebell

Mertensia virginica

Photo: Melinda Soltys · CC0 1.0

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium purpureum

Photo: Jason Swanson · CC0 1.0

Heath Aster

Symphyotrichum ericoides

No watering needed Photo: Alex Heyman · CC0 1.0

Golden Alexanders

Zizia aurea

Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg · CC BY 4.0

Smooth Blue Aster

Symphyotrichum laeve

No watering needed Photo: Solomiya · CC BY 4.0

Prairie Blazing Star

Liatris pycnostachya

No watering needed Photo: Briggs Armstrong · CC BY 4.0

Pinnate Prairie Coneflower

Ratibida pinnata

Photo: Alan Prather · CC BY 4.0

Purple Prairie Clover

Dalea purpurea

No watering needed Photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago · CC0 1.0

Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum biflorum

Photo: Shelby Lyn Sanders · CC BY 4.0

White Wild Indigo

Baptisia alba

Photo: sblumen · CC BY 4.0

Wild Petunia

Ruellia humilis

No watering needed Photo: Michael Burdsall · CC0 1.0

Vines7

Verticals and screens

Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Photo: Tyler Cannon · CC BY 4.0

American Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens

Photo: Owen McElroy · CC0 1.0

Frost Grape

Vitis vulpina

Photo: Adrian Gonzalez · CC BY 4.0

Common hop

Humulus lupulus

No watering needed Photo: Stanislav Murashkin · CC BY 4.0

Hedge Bindweed

Calystegia sepium

No watering needed Photo: Arnim Littek · CC BY 4.0

Eastern Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

Photo: Ryan · CC0 1.0

Bristly Greenbrier

Smilax tamnoides

No watering needed Photo: Vince Hale · CC0 1.0

Ferns9

Shade and damp

Ostrich Fern

Matteuccia struthiopteris

Photo: tkr421 · CC BY 4.0

Northern Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum pedatum

Photo: Jason Hill · CC BY 4.0

Lady Fern

Athyrium filix-femina

Photo: Jon Mortin · CC BY 4.0

Cinnamon Fern

Osmundastrum cinnamomeum

Photo: Erik · CC BY 4.0

Sensitive Fern

Onoclea sensibilis

Photo: laurawies · CC BY 4.0

Interrupted Fern

Osmunda claytoniana

Photo: Richard Littauer · CC BY 4.0

Broad Beech Fern

Phegopteris hexagonoptera

Photo: Alan Weakley · CC0 1.0

Marsh Fern

Thelypteris palustris

Photo: Анна Митрошенкова · CC BY 4.0

Bulblet Fern

Cystopteris bulbifera

Photo: Jaime McGuigan · CC BY 4.0

Succulents1

Dry and architectural

Prickly Pear Cactus

Opuntia humifusa

No watering needed Photo: Lexi Destria · CC BY 4.0

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