Iowa

Native plants in West Des Moines

171 plants native to this area with Sow catalog pages.

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

Showing 171 plants

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Trees26

Canopy and structure

Redbud

Cercis canadensis

No watering needed Photo: John Thomlinson · CC BY 4.0

Red Oak

Quercus rubra

Photo: Peter · CC BY 4.0

Eastern Redcedar

Juniperus virginiana

No watering needed Photo: Jonathan Layman · CC BY 4.0

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

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 Linden

Tilia americana

Photo: Tom Scavo · CC BY 4.0

Kentucky Coffeetree

Gymnocladus dioicus

Photo: M. Whitson · CC BY 4.0

American Sycamore

Platanus occidentalis

Photo: ashleyrsteel · CC BY 4.0

Chinkapin Oak

Quercus muehlenbergii

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

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

Eastern Cottonwood

Populus deltoides

Photo: Justin Donahue · CC BY 4.0

Black Willow

Salix nigra

No watering needed Photo: Tyler Cannon · CC BY 4.0

Black Oak

Quercus velutina

Photo: Kevin Floyd · CC BY 4.0

American Bladdernut

Staphylea trifolia

Photo: Jesse · CC BY 4.0

Red Mulberry

Morus rubra

No watering needed Photo: Lauren McLaurin · CC BY 4.0

Shrubs19

Backbone planting

Ninebark

Physocarpus opulifolius

Photo: jyoung2399 · CC BY 4.0

American Elderberry

Sambucus canadensis

Photo: Melanie Gaddy · CC0 1.0

Cutleaf Coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Photo: Ian Wolfe · CC0 1.0

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

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

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens

No watering needed Photo: aarongunnar · CC BY 4.0

Raspberry

Rubus idaeus

Photo: Antonina · 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

Illinois Bundleflower

Desmanthus illinoensis

No watering needed Photo: Martyn Drabik-Hamshare · CC0 1.0

Black Raspberry

Rubus occidentalis

Eastern Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

Photo: Ryan · CC0 1.0

Carolina Horsenettle

Solanum carolinense

Photo: swords · CC0 1.0

Grasses17

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

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

Virginia Wild Rye

Elymus virginicus

Photo: Jason Leduc · CC0 1.0

Rosy Sedge

Carex rosea

Photo: Jeremy Atherton · CC BY 4.0

Whitetinge Sedge

Carex albicans

Photo: hr_dragonfly · 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

Shortbeak Sedge

Carex brevior

Photo: Summit Metro Parks · CC BY 4.0

Copper Shouldered Oval Sedge

Carex bicknellii

Photo: aarongunnar · CC BY 4.0

Perennials112

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

Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BY 4.0

Wild Bergamot

Monarda fistulosa

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

Photo: Dilrukshan Priyantha Wijesinghe · CC BY 4.0

Brown-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia triloba

Photo: Alexis Williams · CC BY 4.0

Rough Gayfeather

Liatris aspera

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

Prairie Blazing Star

Liatris pycnostachya

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

Thin-leaved Mountain Mint

Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

Photo: Ayla · CC BY 4.0

Blue Wood Aster

Symphyotrichum cordifolium

Photo: Tom Norton · CC BY 4.0

Vines5

Verticals and screens

Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia

Photo: Tyler Cannon · CC BY 4.0

American Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens

Photo: Owen McElroy · CC0 1.0

Hedge Bindweed

Calystegia sepium

Photo: Arnim Littek · CC BY 4.0

Eastern Poison Ivy

Toxicodendron radicans

Photo: Ryan · CC0 1.0

Bristly Greenbrier

Smilax tamnoides

Photo: Vince Hale · CC0 1.0

Ferns2

Shade and damp

Northern Maidenhair Fern

Adiantum pedatum

Photo: Jason Hill · CC BY 4.0

Marsh Fern

Thelypteris palustris

Photo: Анна Митрошенкова · CC BY 4.0

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