Iowa

Native plants in West Des Moines

131 plants native to this area with Sow catalog pages.

28 of them need no watering beyond West Des Moines’s own rainfall

Showing 131 plants

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Trees24

Canopy and structure

Carolina Sweetheart Redbud

Carolina Sweetheart Redbud

Cercis canadensis 'Carolina Sweetheart'

No watering needed

Red Oak

Red Oak

Quercus rubra

Photo: Peter · CC BY 4.0

Eastern Redcedar

Eastern Redcedar

Juniperus virginiana 'Idyllwild'

No watering needed

Eastern White Pine

Eastern White Pine

Pinus strobus

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

Bur Oak

Bur Oak

Quercus macrocarpa

No watering needed Photo: Reuven Martin · CC0 1.0

White Oak

White Oak

Quercus alba

Photo: sblumen · CC BY 4.0

Sensation Boxelder

Sensation Boxelder

Acer negundo 'Sensation'

Common Hackberry

Common Hackberry

Celtis occidentalis

Photo: Dávid Horváth · CC BY 4.0

American Linden

American Linden

Tilia americana

Photo: Tom Scavo · CC BY 4.0

Kentucky Coffeetree

Kentucky Coffeetree

Gymnocladus dioicus

Photo: M. Whitson · CC BY 4.0

Chinkapin Oak

Chinkapin Oak

Quercus muehlenbergii

Photo: Jay Pruett · CC BY 4.0

American Hophornbeam

American Hophornbeam

Ostrya virginiana

Photo: Nick Kleinschmidt · CC BY 4.0

Thornless Honeylocust

Thornless Honeylocust

Gleditsia triacanthos

No watering needed Photo: Liviu Chiriac · CC0 1.0

Silver Maple

Silver Maple

Acer saccharinum

Photo: Jacob Buchanan · CC0 1.0

American Elm

American Elm

Ulmus americana

Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BY 4.0

Black Cherry

Black Cherry

Prunus serotina

Photo: Михайло Жук · CC0 1.0

Black Walnut

Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

Photo: Robbie Hannawacker · CC0 1.0

Early Glow Ohio Buckeye

Early Glow Ohio Buckeye

Aesculus glabra 'Early Glow'

American Plum

American Plum

Prunus americana

No watering needed Photo: Curtis Drake · CC BY 4.0

Shagbark Hickory

Shagbark Hickory

Carya ovata

Photo: Andrew Conboy · CC BY 4.0

Siouxland Cottonless Poplar

Siouxland Cottonless Poplar

Populus deltoides 'Siouxland'

Black Willow

Black Willow

Salix nigra

No watering needed Photo: Tyler Cannon · CC BY 4.0

Black Oak

Black Oak

Quercus velutina

Photo: Kevin Floyd · CC BY 4.0

American Bladdernut

American Bladdernut

Staphylea trifolia

Photo: Jesse · CC BY 4.0

Shrubs15

Backbone planting

Ninebark

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius

Photo: jyoung2399 · CC BY 4.0

American Elderberry

American Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

Photo: Melanie Gaddy · CC0 1.0

Cutleaf Coneflower

Cutleaf Coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Photo: Ian Wolfe · CC0 1.0

Gray Dogwood

Gray Dogwood

Cornus racemosa

Photo: nathanstrem · CC BY 4.0

New Jersey Tea

New Jersey Tea

Ceanothus americanus

Photo: Dan Wilder · CC0 1.0

American Hazelnut

American Hazelnut

Corylus americana

Photo: Mark Richman · CC BY 4.0

Smooth Sumac

Smooth Sumac

Rhus glabra

No watering needed Photo: Tony KM · CC BY 4.0

False Indigo Bush

False Indigo Bush

Amorpha fruticosa

Photo: Dmitry Trutsko · CC BY 4.0

Coralberry

Coralberry

Symphoricarpos orbiculatus

No watering needed Photo: Brand R · CC BY 4.0

Pasture Rose

Pasture Rose

Rosa carolina

Photo: Matt Schultz · CC0 1.0

American Plum

American Plum

Prunus americana

No watering needed Photo: Curtis Drake · CC BY 4.0

Leadplant

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens 'Wisconsin form'

No watering needed

Mammoth Red Raspberry

Mammoth Red Raspberry

Rubus idaeus 'Mammoth Red'

American Spikenard

American Spikenard

Aralia racemosa

Photo: Daniel J. Layton · CC BY 4.0

American Bladdernut

American Bladdernut

Staphylea trifolia

Photo: Jesse · CC BY 4.0

Grasses18

Movement and texture

Little Bluestem

Little Bluestem

Schizachyrium scoparium

No watering needed Photo: Matt Berger · CC BY 4.0

'Rain Dance' Big Bluestem

'Rain Dance' Big Bluestem

Andropogon gerardii 'Rain Dance'

No watering needed

Golden Sunset Yellow Indiangrass

Golden Sunset Yellow Indiangrass

Sorghastrum nutans 'Golden Sunset Yellow'

No watering needed

Pennsylvania Sedge

Pennsylvania Sedge

Carex pensylvanica

Photo: Frog The Kermit · CC BY 4.0

Switchgrass

Switchgrass

Panicum virgatum

No watering needed Photo: Erin Snyder · CC BY 4.0

Palm Sedge

Palm Sedge

Carex muskingumensis

Photo: Étienne Lacroix-Carignan · CC0 1.0

Gray Sedge

Gray Sedge

Carex grayi

Photo: A. G. · CC0 1.0

Canada Wild Rye

Canada Wild Rye

Elymus canadensis

No watering needed Photo: tzeducation · CC BY 4.0

Bottlebrush Grass

Bottlebrush Grass

Elymus hystrix

Photo: Skyler Principe · CC BY 4.0

Virginia Wild Rye

Virginia Wild Rye

Elymus virginicus

Photo: Jason Leduc · CC0 1.0

Rosy Sedge

Rosy Sedge

Carex rosea

Photo: Jeremy Atherton · CC BY 4.0

Whitetinge Sedge

Whitetinge Sedge

Carex albicans

Photo: hr_dragonfly · CC BY 4.0

Fox Sedge

Fox Sedge

Carex vulpinoidea

Photo: Brandon Corder · CC BY 4.0

Variegated Reed Canary Grass

Variegated Reed Canary Grass

Phalaris arundinacea 'Luteo Picta'

Eastern Woodland Sedge

Eastern Woodland Sedge

Carex blanda

Photo: Matt Felperin · CC BY 4.0

Ravenfoot Sedge

Ravenfoot Sedge

Carex crus-corvi

Photo: Sarah Fitz · CC0 1.0

Shortbeak Sedge

Shortbeak Sedge

Carex brevior

Photo: Summit Metro Parks · CC BY 4.0

Copper Shouldered Oval Sedge

Copper Shouldered Oval Sedge

Carex bicknellii

Photo: aarongunnar · CC BY 4.0

Perennials77

Seasonal colour

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea

Photo: Rochelle Davis · CC BY 4.0

Butterfly Weed

Butterfly Weed

Asclepias tuberosa

No watering needed Photo: k2018lena · CC0 1.0

Cinderella Milkweed

Cinderella Milkweed

Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella'

Foxglove Beardtongue

Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon digitalis

Photo: Bob Schwartz · CC BY 4.0

Obedient Plant Miss Manners

Obedient Plant Miss Manners

Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners'

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BY 4.0

New England Aster Harringtons Pink

New England Aster Harringtons Pink

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Harringtons Pink'

Wild Bergamot

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

Photo: Tom Pollard · CC BY 4.0

Culver's root

Culver's root

Veronicastrum virginicum

Photo: Cazody · CC0 1.0

Eastern Red Columbine

Eastern Red Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Photo: Craig Hensley · CC BY 4.0

False Sunflower

False Sunflower

Heliopsis helianthoides

Photo: W Rao · CC BY 4.0

Common Sneezeweed

Common Sneezeweed

Helenium autumnale

Photo: Thomas Koffel · CC BY 4.0

Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia

Lobelia siphilitica

Photo: Andrew Conboy · CC BY 4.0

Woodland Phlox

Woodland Phlox

Phlox divaricata

Photo: Jacqueline Raiford · CC BY 4.0

Cutleaf Coneflower

Cutleaf Coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Photo: Ian Wolfe · CC0 1.0

Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium

Geranium maculatum

Photo: sophia_herrmeyer · CC BY 4.0

Virginia Iris

Virginia Iris

Iris virginica 'Carl Amason'

Rattlesnake master

Rattlesnake master

Eryngium yuccifolium

Photo: Alex Heyman · CC0 1.0

Common Milkweed

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Photo: Dilrukshan Priyantha Wijesinghe · CC BY 4.0

Brown-eyed Susan

Brown-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia triloba

Photo: Alexis Williams · CC BY 4.0

Rough Gayfeather

Rough Gayfeather

Liatris aspera

Photo: florawhite · CC BY 4.0

Virginia Bluebell

Virginia Bluebell

Mertensia virginica

Photo: Melinda Soltys · CC0 1.0

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed

Sweet Joe-Pye Weed

Eutrochium purpureum

Photo: Jason Swanson · CC0 1.0

Snow Flurry Heath Aster

Snow Flurry Heath Aster

Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry'

No watering needed

Golden Alexanders

Golden Alexanders

Zizia aurea

Photo: Sandy Wolkenberg · CC BY 4.0

Prairie Blazing Star

Prairie Blazing Star

Liatris pycnostachya

Photo: Briggs Armstrong · CC BY 4.0

Pinnate Prairie Coneflower

Pinnate Prairie Coneflower

Ratibida pinnata

Photo: Alan Prather · CC BY 4.0

Purple Prairie Clover

Purple Prairie Clover

Dalea purpurea

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

Solomon's Seal

Solomon's Seal

Polygonatum biflorum

Photo: Shelby Lyn Sanders · CC BY 4.0

White Wild Indigo

White Wild Indigo

Baptisia alba

Photo: sblumen · CC BY 4.0

Wild Petunia

Wild Petunia

Ruellia humilis

No watering needed Photo: Michael Burdsall · CC0 1.0

Thin-leaved Mountain Mint

Thin-leaved Mountain Mint

Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

Photo: Ayla · CC BY 4.0

Vines2

Verticals and screens

Virginia Creeper

Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Photo: Tyler Cannon · CC BY 4.0

American Bittersweet

American Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens 'Mix'

Ferns1

Shade and damp

Northern Maidenhair Fern

Northern Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum pedatum

Photo: Jason Hill · CC BY 4.0

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